NRC TO CONDUCT SPECIAL INSPECTION AT IP3 TO LOOK INTO LOSS OF SPENT FUEL COOLING

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will begin a special inspection at the Indian Point 3 nuclear power plant on Monday to look into the details surrounding a loss of spent fuel pool cooling at the plant earlier this week. The plant, in Buchanan, N.Y., is operated by Entergy Nuclear Northeast.

Cooling to the spent fuel pool was lost on Tuesday (5/8) for about 50 minutes. At the time, the plant was shut down and all of the reactor fuel had been off-loaded into the spent fuel pool. The temperature of the water in the spent fuel pool rose about four degrees to about 155 degrees F.

The NRC will conduct a special inspection to assess the utility's root cause evaluation and corrective actions, independently evaluate the risk significance of the event, and determine whether there are generic implications. An inspector from the Region I Division of Reactor Safety and an inspector from the Region I Division of Reactor Projects will perform the inspection.

A report detailing the findings will be issued about 45 days after the end of the inspection.

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Friday, December 05, 2008