KEWAUNEE NUCLEAR PLANT MAY 3 REGULATORY CONFERENCE POSTPONED

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has postponed a Regulatory Conference that had been scheduled for Thursday so staff members can review new information pertaining to a NRC inspection of fire protection features and systems at Wisconsin's Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant.

NRC staff members had planned to meet with representatives of the Nuclear Management Company May 3 in the NRC's Lisle, Illinois, office in a public meeting to discuss an inspection finding. However, the company recently submitted new information that staff members need to review before proceeding further.

The purpose of the Regulatory Conference was to discuss the proposed safety significance of an apparent violation of fire protection requirements.

The finding was identified when NRC inspectors questioned whether an electrical box in the auxiliary feedwater pump 1B room was properly constructed to protect the cables inside from damage during a fire. The electrical box formed a fire barrier which the NRC requires to be able to withstand a fire for three hours.

The electrical box in question was installed in 1983 and contains cables for various plant safety systems.

NRC staff members will review the new information, which includes test results completed last Friday, to determine whether there is a need for a future Regulatory Conference before they make a final assessment and determine what actions, if any, may be warranted.

NRC news releases are available through a free listserv subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC Home Page at www.nrc.gov also offers a Subscribe to News link in the News & Information menu. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web Site.

Privacy Policy | Site Disclaimer
Friday, December 05, 2008