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NRC
CONSIDERING REQUEST BY WISCONSIN TO
BE AN AGREEMENT STATE
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering a request from Wisconsin to assume part of the agency's regulatory authority over certain nuclear materials in the State. If the request is accepted, Wisconsin will become the 33rd State to sign such an agreement with the NRC. Under the proposed agreement, the NRC would transfer to Wisconsin the responsibility for licensing, rulemaking, inspection, and enforcement activities for: (1) radioactive materials produced as a result of processes related to the production or utilization of special nuclear material; (2) uranium and thorium source materials, and (3) special nuclear material in quantities not sufficient to support a nuclear chain reaction... NRC News, No. 03-042 Wisconsin Nuclear Highlights
The System at Work[1]
Red can be a very unpopular color at a nuclear power plant. Under the U.S. Nuclear Commission's (NRC) inspection system, "red"designates a problem of "high safety significance." According to an NRC press release, inspectors concluded that problems with pumps at the Point Beach Nuclear Plant merited a "red" finding for the number 2 reactor and a "yellow"finding (second highest on the scale) for Point Beach 1. This is very disappointing news for the Nuclear Management Company, operators of the plant, but there is at least one bright spot. Apparently, the system worked: or to be more precise, the employees and inspectors identified the problem, put safety first, and have taken and are taking steps to correct it. Plant personnel discovered the problem in the auxiliary feed water system in October 2002. This is a backup system that provides cooling water for the reactor. "The utility took action to revise procedures and train reactor operators to address the immediate safety concerns..." NRC inspectors determined that the system might become clogged under certain conditions. The net result
of people doing their best to identify and correct
the problem is that both reactors are shut down until
the problem is fixed and the reactors are approved
for re-start. Putting public safety first
often carries a heavy price tag, but the alternative
might be unthinkable. Nuclear
Power Plants in Wisconsin
Data for 2003
Competing
Fuels
Source: Form EIA-906, Power Plant Report
See also, the comprehensive
table comparing emissions tonnage for all 50 States plus
the District of Columbia.
This is the 31st and Last State in the Series National Association of State Energy Officials Power Marketers Association (with many links on deregulation) News item: Perigrene Falcons born at Kewaunee [1] U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, press release, December 16, 2003.
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