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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 |
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Angela Greenman (630) 829-9662/e-mail: opa3@nrc.gov |
NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT: RIII-96-34 July 1, 1996
CONTACT: Jan Strasma 708/829-9663
Angela Dauginas 708/829-9662
E-mail: opa3@nrc.gov
NRC DISPATCHES INSPECTION TEAM TO LASALLE NUCLEAR PLANT AFTER
SHUTDOWNS FOR POTENTIALLY DEGRADED EQUIPMENT COOLING SYSTEMS
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is sending an
Augmented Inspection Team to the LaSalle Nuclear Power
Station after both reactors at the plant were shut down
because of debris in the intake structure which supplies
cooling water for plant components.
The two-reactor LaSalle facility, which is operated by
Commonwealth Edison Company, is near Seneca, Illinois. Unit
1 was shut down late June 28, and Unit 2 was shut down on
June 29.
The debris in the intake structure resulted from repair
of cracks in the concrete of the service water intake
building using a polymer foam material. The repairs occurred
in May and June. The foam material was subsequently found in
the water in the intake building.
The intake building draws water from the LaSalle cooling
lake. The water is then pumped to cool various pieces of
plant equipment. The water is not used for reactor cooling
during normal operations.
One system, called the essential service water system,
would draw water from the intake building to provide cooling
for plant safety systems if they were needed. These safety
systems include the emergency diesel generators and heat
exchangers for the reactor cooling system which is used when
the plant is shut down. The NRC authorized the plant to
continue cooling the reactor using each unit's main condenser
rather than use the shutdown cooling system which requires
operation of the essential service water system.
On Friday, June 28, the utility found the foam material
at the bottom of the water in the intake building, near where
the essential service water system would draw its water.
Previously, it was believed that the foam was at the top of
the water where it would not affect the essential service
water system.
Both LaSalle units were then shut down because of the
potential that the foam material could restrict water flow in
the essential service water system if it were needed to cool
plant safety components. Extensive testing of the essential
service water system equipment, however, had previously shown
that it would perform successfully.
Commonwealth Edison is currently locating and removing
the foam material from the structure using divers.
The NRC Augmented Inspection Team will begin its
activities July 1 with additional team members arriving on
July 2. When its onsite inspection is completed the team
will hold a meeting with the utility to discuss its
preliminary findings. This meeting will be open to public
observation. The time and place of the meeting will be
announced later.
The team will issue a written report of its findings
several weeks after the completion of the inspection.
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