FirstEnergy discovered minor damage at Pennsylvania nuclear plant

The Associated Press
3/29/02 6:14 PM

CLEVELAND (AP) -- FirstEnergy Corp. found corrosion on a nuclear reactor in Pennsylvania last fall, but company officials said Friday it is unrelated to the serious damage that was discovered at the Davis-Besse reactor last month.

FirstEnergy spokesman Todd Schneider said that during a routine inspection in September, the company found a small spot of corrosion on the reactor head at the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station in Shippingport, Pa.

Schneider said the company believes the corrosion was caused by a flange leak in 1989, and that it never posed a safety threat. The damage was repaired and reported to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Schneider said.

FirstEnergy has shut down its Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station near Port Clinton due to corrosion in the reactor head apparently caused by boric acid deposits.

The company found a 4-inch by 5-inch by 6 1/2-inch deep hole in the Davis-Besse reactor, Schneider said. The corrosion at the Beaver Valley reactor was less than 1/8 inch deep.