—
Though fire safety issues at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant have been resolved for the most part, a TVA spokesman said Wednesday that there are plenty of safeguards in place to ensure violations won’t occur again.
“From our position, we’re pleased,” said Ray Golden. “It was a lot of time and effort to work on the fire protection issues, but we also recognize that we have some way to go.”
In a Tuesday meeting in the plant’s Training Center auditorium, officials with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) outlined the two violations that moved the plant into a degraded cornerstone and what steps were being taken to correct the issues.
“Fire protection is a critical aspect of our business,” Golden said. “(The NRC) has a prescriptive plan to protect plants from large fires.”
The NRC uses color codes on its violations, with “green” being of low safety significance to “white,” “yellow” and “red,” which is the most substantial violation.
Joey Ledford, an NRC spokesman, said there were yellow and white findings during the NRC’s October 2009 triennial fire inspection program, with the yellow being considered a substantial safety issue.
The yellow violation was levied because of a failure to physically separate cables from other materials. The white violation pertained to what Ledford referred to as inappropriate revisions to shutdown instructions in case of a fire.
Golden said if the plant had a significant fire under the old instructions, fire personnel would have entered the scenario later than required.
In terms of resolving the yellow violation, he said the TVA has made some physical changes, including the addition of fire barriers between vital equipment. TVA has also instituted roving fire watches patrolling the plant to look for potential fire hazards in critical areas.
Ledford said Browns Ferry completed corrective actions during supplemental inspections that went toward satisfying the NRC’s concerns.
“We had more than 210 direct inspection hours and a lot of things were gone over, but there were some leadership and human performance issues that resulted in 40-something interviews on the safety culture,” he said. “In essence, we have lessened the degree of regulatory oversight. Our inspectors reported they were happy with what they discovered. … (Browns Ferry) went from degraded cornerstone to regulatory response.”
Despite a downgraded safety concern, four NRC resident inspectors at the plant will continue to monitor the issues, Ledford said, in preparation for the next triennial fire protection inspections in 2012.
“We’re going to make sure they complete the additional corrective action items that we discovered,” he said.
Local News
TVA 'pleased' with outcome at Browns Ferry
- Local News
-
-
Limestone County youth to attend Boys and Girls State
Twenty-four Limestone County high school juniors in June will attend Boys and Girls State at the campuses of the University of Alabama and Troy State University, respectively.
- Holiday closings
-
Memorial Day ceremony slated for Monday
The event, presented by American Legion Post 49 with assistance from the Alabama Veterans Museum and Archives, will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at the Limestone County Event Center on Pryor Street.
-
Tornado artifacts sought for exhibit
Scientists at the National Weather Service in Huntsville are asking Limestone County residents to contribute to a historical and educational display about the tornado outbreak of April 27, 2011.
-
Schools chief is 'ecstatic' over job
Board members cited Sisk’s experience in handling personnel issues, his working for a large school system, his outgoing personality and his willingness to help obtain money to buy laptop computers for students as evidence of his promise.
-
'Significant' local arrests net drugs, cash
Limestone County deputies made what Sheriff Mike Blakely termed “significant arrests” with a Friday evening drug bust of a house at 817 Westmoreland Street.
-
MORE STORIES: Click LOCAL NEWS bar at top left
Click "Local News" bar at top left for more stories
-
BREAKING: Reward offered in Limestone burglary
-
Bills in meth trash lead to arrest
Trash included the portions of phone and cable bills that led investigators to the address of 43-year-old Larry M. Mason of Tuscumbia.
-
Space Camp celebrating 30th anniversary
The center is hosting a weekend of family-friendly activities and a reunion of Space Camp alumni on June 15.
- More Local News Headlines
-
UN Blames Syrian Forces for Shelling Houla
Raw Video: Gay Protest Blocked in Moscow
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
