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NRC NEWS
U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION III
801 Warrenville Road, Lisle IL 60532 |
| CONTACT: |
Jan Strasma (630) 829-9663/e-mail: rjs2@nrc.gov |
|
Angela Greenman (630) 829-9662/e-mail: opa3@nrc.gov |
NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT: RIII-96-17 May 16, 1996
CONTACT: Jan Strasma 708/829-9663
Angela Dauginas 708/829-9662
E-mail: opa3@nrc.gov
NRC DISPATCHES SPECIAL INSPECTION TEAM TO DRESDEN NUCLEAR PLANT
TO REVIEW REACTOR SHUTDOWN ON MAY 15
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has dispatched a special
inspection team to review the circumstances surrounding the
automatic reactor shutdown Wednesday at Unit 3 of the Dresden
Nuclear Power Station.
The station, operated by Commonwealth Edison Company, is
near Morris, Illinois. Dresden Unit 2, the other operating unit
at the station, was not affected by the shutdown.
The Unit 3 reactor shut down automatically Wednesday
morning, May 15, when the flow of water into the reactor was
interrupted. A backup cooling water system started immediately
to continue pumping water into the reactor.
There was no danger to the public or plant personnel and no
release of radioactivity associated with the shutdown.
The initial investigation by the utility indicated that a
flow regulating valve in the feedwater system had failed,
shutting off the flow of water. A parallel regulating valve was
out of service because of a leak.
The six-person special inspection team includes staff from
the NRC Region III Office in Lisle, Illinois, and the NRC
Headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. The NRC resident inspectors
were at the plant when the shutdown occurred and monitored the
utility's handling of the incident.
At the conclusion of the inspection -- expected to last at
least several days -- the team will meet with utility officials
to discuss the inspection findings. This meeting will be open to
the public. The time and place of the meeting will be announced
later.
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