— The Tennessee Valley Authority is spending $15 million over a two-year span to correct fire protection problems identified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant.

In the fourth quarter of 2009, three NRC inspection findings were coded “yellow” for “substantial safety significance.”

The NRC uses color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess plant performance. The colors start with “green,” which has very low safety significance, to “white,” “yellow” or “red,” based on the significance of the issues.

According to the NRC Web site, of the nation’s 104 nuclear plants, only St. Lucie I in Ft. Pierce, Fla., was assigned a yellow rating. Most of the plants fall into the green category and about 16 have been assigned white ratings.

Browns Ferry received three yellow ratings under the category of Mitigating System Cornerstones. TVA officials said they believed two violations involving the failure to take adequate measures to protect equipment in the event of a fire were similar and should be combined.

Mitigating systems can prevent an accident or reduce consequences of a possible accident.

Ray Golden of TVA Communications said Thursday after NRC delivered its report during an annual assessment meeting that several changes had already been made at Browns Ferry.

“This is a big project will take two-plus years to correct at a $15 million cost,” said Golden. “We’ve already addressed many of the issues. We have a full fire department on site, additional systems, additional system training for operators in the control room, and roving fire watchers.”

NRC spokesman Roger Hannah said while more inspections are warranted under a yellow rating, the agency is satisfied that TVA is in the process of correcting the “degraded cornerstone.”

“They are transitioning to a new fire protection regulations and structures,” said Hannah. “Under the old system you could compare it to house with a fire extinguisher in every room. Well, if a concrete room is empty, there is little or no fire risk. Under the new system, they will look at the riskiest parts of the plant and devote resources to those.”

Hannah said once a plant is cited under a Cornerstone of Safe Operation, the designation is not lifted for at least one year.

In other issues, NRC Region II Branch Manager for all TVA sites Gene Guthrie said that 2009 marked the closure of a “Cross-Cutting” issue at Browns Ferry. Cross-Cutting areas refer to human performance, workers’ ability to raise safety concerns (safety-conscious work environment) and plant owners finding and fixing the problem.

The Cross-Cutting issues go back to 2005 and 2007, Golden said, where there were “two instances of discrimination” where Browns Ferry workers did not feel comfortable with bringing safety issues to management.

“Based on the corrective action, this issue was closed out in July 2009,” said Guthrie. “We continue to monitor.”

Browns Ferry Site Vice President Keith Polson said staff and management are continuing to work to correct the Cross-Cutting issue.

“We will take all corrective actions to restore this to Column One (Green rating) and restore an environment where employees are free to speak without fear of retaliation.”

Golden said TVA had responded with increased training, displaying posters encouraging employee safety input and encouraging a culture in which it is the employee’s duty to report safety concerns, and if need be, “go around” a direct supervisor.

“As soon as the concerns comes to us they are documented and included in the corrective action program,” said Golden. “Sometimes it effects change and sometimes it doesn’t.”