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Regional News
| Article published Sunday, October 13, 2002
Acid stains discovered on bottom of
reactor
Testing being done to
determine origin
BLADE STAFF AND WIRE
REPORTS
OAK HARBOR, Ohio - As repairs were under way on
a damaged reactor head at the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant, a
contractor found acid stains on the reactor’s bottom when it was
inspected for the first time, FirstEnergy Corp. said.
The
Akron-based utility is testing the stains to ensure that tubes
through the bottom of the reactor vessel weren’t leaking, which
would mean more repairs before the plant could reopen next
year.
Such leaks are "highly unlikely," company spokesman
Todd Schneider said yesterday.
"We believe these stains we
saw at the bottom of the reactor are related to washing the reactor
head over the last several years," Mr. Schneider said. "This is the
first time we’ve looked at the bottom of the reactor because the
bottom has been covered in insulation."
The nearly
transparent, whitish streaks containing boric acid along the sides
and bottom of the reactor vessel were discovered in
June.
"We’re going through practically every system in
containment to make sure it’s safe and reliable when we restart.
Part of that process includes inspecting the bottom nozzles of the
reactor," Mr. Schneider said. "It’s very diluted. It’s almost like
water spots."
The streaks could have been an early clue that
acid was pooling on the head, Mr. Schneider said. Workers originally
thought the acid was coming from equipment above the
head.
Mr. Schneider said results of lab tests on the stains
will be available later this week. He said it was too early to
determine if they would cause any delay in reopening
Davis-Besse.
Davis-Besse shut down for routine maintenance in
February. But investigators in March found that leaking boric acid
had nearly eaten through the 6-inch steel cap on the reactor vessel.
The plant about 20 miles east of Toledo has been closed since
then.
A new cap has been installed. But last week,
FirstEnergy pushed back the projected reopening of the plant to
early 2003 instead of the end of this year.
A Nuclear
Regulatory Commission spokesman said it was too early to tell if the
stains indicate a problem on the reactor bottom.
"There is no
evidence at this point to show that they have leakage," spokesman
Jan Strasma said. "I would not say the situation is serious at this
point."
For earlier stories on Davis-Besse, go to
www.toledoblade.com/davisbesse.
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