ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, August 3, 1996 TAG: 9608050060
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: SURRY
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Virginia Power officials will go to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Atlanta next week to explain why two switches at the Surry nuclear power station have been in the wrong position for 10 years.
An NRC spokesman said the agency also will investigate why its on-site inspectors at the Surry plant did not discover the problem with the containment hydrogen analyzer switches.
The equipment to which the switches are connected analyzes the concentration of hydrogen in the containment building in the event of a major accident involving the reactor and the primary cooling system, said Virginia Power spokesman Jim Norvelle.
Nothing produces hydrogen in the plant unless there is a major accident, he said.
Norvelle and NRC spokesman Ken Clark said the error would have required an extra step - changing the switches' positions - by operators seeking a reading on hydrogen concentration in the event of a major emergency.
``The system would have worked, but the operator would have to take that extra step,'' Norvelle said. ``Under a major emergency situation, the hydrogen concentration would approach combustible levels in the containment in four days, but that's if you took no action. We would be taking plenty of action.''
The switch problem was discovered in May by an operator from Virginia Power's North Anna nuclear plant while he was training at Surry, Norvelle said.
The operator checked Surry's emergency operating procedures and determined they were unclear as to what position the switches should be in.
``When we discovered it was in the wrong position and that the procedures were unclear, we reported it to the NRC,'' Norvelle said.
Clark said the NRC will make a decision after the conference with Virginia Power on whether escalated enforcement action is appropriate.
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