ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 30, 1997 TAG: 9701300043
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: Associated Press
MEMO: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission expanded its special watch list to 14 reactors - the most in nearly a decade - because of safety problems Wednesday. It sent a scathing letter to the nation's largest nuclear operator, questioning its ability to run its reactors safely.
The agency added six new reactors to the list that already had eight reactors requiring special scrutiny by the NRC because of safety shortcomings. Six of the reactors now belong to Commonwealth Edison Co., in Illinois, which was singled out for particularly harsh criticism.
The action comes amid growing problems at a handful of the more than 100 nuclear power reactors in 31 states. Three reactors in Connecticut have been ordered shut down indefinitely and the NRC has issued a string of heavy fines over the last two years totaling more than $2.3 million against three utilities alone.
``The NRC is sending a message out to the industry to shape up or there will be drastic consequences,'' said David Lochbaum of the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nuclear watchdog group.
Steven Ungelsbee, a spokesman for the Nuclear Power Institute, said that while some plants have problems, ``the industry is performing at record levels of safety and reliability.'' Incidents where safety systems are activated have been cut from 2.4 events per plant in 1985 to 0.1 of an event per plant in 1995, he said.
Nevertheless, the NRC staff made clear at a meeting with commissioners Wednesday that at some nuclear plants safety problems persist year after year.
Eight of the 14 reactors are in temporary shutdown because of various safety problems, while six are producing electricity. The reactors are in Illinois, Maine, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Florida.
In a letter to Commonwealth Edison, Hugh Thompson, the NRC's director of operations demanded the Illinois utility immediately provide the agency with evidence it can operate safely its six nuclear stations on the watch list.
He noted that Commonwealth Edison, one of the largest nuclear operators in the country with 12 reactors in Illinois, has had facilities on the watch list since 1986 and failed to show safety improvements despite a major reorganization four years ago.
Thompson cited a ``lack of effective management ... weak corporate oversight ... a lack of adequate engineering support and an inability or reluctance to learn from experience'' at Commonwealth Edison.
In a response, Commonwealth Edison Chairman James O'Connor said: ``We are confident that ComEd will be able to satisfy the NRC's concerns and provide sufficient information to demonstrate that we can and will continue to operate our nuclear stations safely while improving our performance.''
Recently the NRC fined Commonwealth Edison $650,000 because of a series of mistakes that caused a temporary blockage of the emergency cooling water systems at its LaSalle plant.
The fine was among a number of stiff penalties leveled against utilities over the last 27 months. Last July, the Florida Power Corp., was fined $500,000 for problems at the Crystal River reactor in Florida.
Since October 1994, the Public Service Electric and Gas Co., has been fined $1.28 million in connection with operation of its two Salem, N.J., reactors.
The Crystal River reactor and the two Salem reactors were among the six added to the close watch list.
The six Illinois reactors on the list were Dresden Unit 2 and 3 near Morris, Ill., first listed in 1987; Zion Units 1 and 2 north of Chicago, first listed in 1991 and removed in 1993; and LaSalle Units 1 and 2, added for the first time.
The NRC also added to the list the Maine Yankee nuclear plant, operated by the Maine Yankee Atomic Power Co. The reactor has been shut down since last summer because of problems with cooling water pipes.
The three Millstone reactors, operated by Northeast Utilities Service Co., in Connecticut have been on the list for a year. All three have been ordered out of service.
Also singled out for special scrutiny was the Indian Point Unit 3 reactor operated by the New York Power Authority near Buchanan, N.Y. Although still operating, it has been on the special watch list since 1993.
LENGTH: Medium: 80 linesby CNB