CARROLL TOWNSHIP -- FirstEnergy officials announced at a recent
meeting they are looking into a leak detection system to install on
the reactor head at Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station.
That system, however, will do little good without skeptical minds
behind it, say Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials.
The equipment being investigated by FirstEnergy would confirm
evidence of what's called pressure boundary leakage -- or leakage
from the walls of the reactor head.
"I think panel members agreed the key change has to be not in
technology, but in creating a more safety-conscious environment,"
said NRC spokeswoman Viktoria Mitlyng, referring to the NRC panel
that is overseeing Davis-Besse's progress.
"They need to encourage workers to take a deeper look at problems
and look at causes, rather than rush through quick fixes."
The system wouldn't have helped in the utility's current
situation, which was caused by leakage from a nozzle on top of the
reactor head.
The plant has been off-line since February because of the
leakage, which ate away a football-sized hole in the head's steel.
In that instance, workers at Davis-Besse were well aware there
was leakage, they just didn't know where it was coming from. And
according to NRC regulations, a certain amount of leakage is allowed
if the source is not identified.
"Without taking that kind of in-depth look, they wouldn't have be
able to discover the leakage and degradation, even with this system
in place," Mitlyng confirmed.
And FirstEnergy officials have admitted, too, that safety was not
top priority at the plant, and they are trying to take drastic steps
to change policies to encourage an improved safety culture.
That being said, both NRC and FirstEnergy officials think the
equipment could be a benefit in detecting future leaks.
"We're kind of in the investigation stage, although we've pretty
much decided to install that," said company spokesman Richard
Wilkins, who added installation likely won't occur until late 2003
or early 2004.
A price tag is yet unknown, although Wilkins said it wouldn't
push the company over the $400 million it estimates the current
outage will cost.
"There are some plants in Europe and Canada that have this
system, but there are none in the United States that have it," he
said. "We would be the first ones in the country that would do
that."
Originally published Saturday, November 16, 2002
