The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has determined that fuel oil tank rooms serving the Brunswick nuclear plant’s emergency diesel generators were not properly protected from possible flooding, according to a 30 December statement. The finding of “low to moderate safety significance” will result in increased NRC inspection and oversight of the facility.
The Brunswick nuclear plant in North Carolina comprises two 990 MW boiling water reactors and is operated by Carolina Power & Light Co. (CPL).
The violation, which involved the failure to identify and correct conditions in the fuel oil tank rooms that made them susceptible to flooding during hurricane, was identified by an NRC inspector and was detailed in a 29 November inspection report. The violation was identified as “white”, having “low to moderate safety significance.”
CPL officials did not contest the risk significance of the finding and declined the opportunity to discuss the issue during a Regulatory Conference or provide a written response. In response to the finding, Brunswick officials have installed new sealant material to close the openings on the oil tank rooms, and barriers have also been erected to limit possible wave run-up to the facilities.
FilesReactor-by-reactor Fukushima Daiichi restoration progress summary as of 28 December, from JAIF TEPCO roadmap digest (in English)
