VA Nuclear Plant Loses Power After Quake...NRC WARNED some systems "not seismically designed."

Virginia Power Plant Loses Power After Quake

A nuclear power plant in central Virginia has lost offsite power in the wake of a 5.9 earthquake centered northwest of Richmond, Va., U.S. nuclear officials said.

The North Anna Power Station, which has two nuclear reactors, is now using four diesel generators to maintain cooling operations. The plant automatically shut down in the wake of the earthquake.

"As far as we know, everything is safe," said Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman David McIntyre.

There are seven additional nuclear plants that have declared unusual events, which is the lowest of four emergency situations, the NRC said.

Those plants are located in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Another link.

Lovely.

I'm sure everything will be ok, but still...

Doesn't give you the warm and fuzzies if the 'Big One' on the east coast were to hit.

I also don't like the quote "As far as we know" from the spokesman. Doesn't sound real certain or reassuring, does it?

See also:

Will America's Nuclear Power Plants Fail in an 8.0 Earthquake?

Interesting read.

MORE:

What are the risks of an earthquake beneath a reactor near you?

Event underscores delay by NRC in revising understated seismic risks to nuclear plants

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said two reactors were taken off line near Lake Anna in central Virginia, near the epicenter of Tuesday's earthquake, which shook buildings up and down the east coast. Seven other plants, including some in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, declared "unusual events" requiring further scrutiny.

The NRC, in an April inspection meant to identify potential risks from an earthquake at the North Anna Power Station, urged a number of fixes to earthquake "vulnerabilities" it found there. Specifically, the NRC report notes that portions of water and gaseous suppression systems and hose stations "are not seismically designed."

The report warned that "potential leakage can occur through penetrations following seismic event."

The NRC, in a May 13 letter to Virginia Electric Power Co., asked the company to report back on potential "mitigation strategies." The NRC stated in its letter that it was trying to "promptly assess" the capabilities of the nuclear plant "to respond to extraordinary consequences similar to those that have recently occurred at the Japanese Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Station."

Ok, that's not good!

Are they freakin' kidding????

Here's the link to the NRC report:

NRC North Anna Power Station Inspection

reply to post by loam


A TV newsmagazine called Need to Know covered the story of a California nuclear plant built on a fault line - quite illuminating. Apparently no agency has the authority to monitor and regulate seismic durability after the plant is already operational! Or to block license renewal for reasons related to seismic safety!

Good work. S&F&

reply to post by soficrow


Then there is always this possibility:

Virginia Earthquake 2011: USGS Warns it May be a Foreshock

"What the concern is, of course, is that this is a foreshock. If it's a foreshock, then the worst is yet to come"

Nice.

reply to post by loam


Uh huh. It well may be a foreshock. ...The Fukushima quake might be a foreshock too. You may recall that Quakes Trigger Quakes - and often, the delays are quite long. But they happen...

I suspect there's going to be a lot of rocking before everything settles. What with all the other triggers, might take a few years.

A little shaky shaky and just like that, the friggin power goes out at a nuclear plant, forcing backup generators to kick in.

Anyone still questioning the vulnerability of power grids connecting to these damn ticking time bombs ?!

When you look at it from a more realistic point of view, Fukishima didn't have a hope in hell against mother nature... Nor does any other nuclear plant on the globe.

What the hell have we done to ourselves ?
Earth-friendly clean green energy my a$$.

reply to post by CranialSponge


It still completely blows my mind that that very nuclear plant, according to the NRC, has systems and hose stations that "are not seismically designed."

Unbelievable.

Originally posted by CranialSponge
A little shaky shaky and just like that, the friggin power goes out at a nuclear plant, forcing backup generators to kick in.

Anyone still questioning the vulnerability of power grids connecting to these damn ticking time bombs ?!

When you look at it from a more realistic point of view, Fukishima didn't have a hope in hell against mother nature... Nor does any other nuclear plant on the globe.

What the hell have we done to ourselves ?
Earth-friendly clean green energy my a$$.

Wow angry much?

Every power system is vulnurable to enviromental forces.

reply to post by Azdraik


Few, however tend to have implications that may last for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

Something I don`t understand with these power plants. They produce energy but need a Generator for backup power when they should be powering themselves.

I figure this is due to the auto shut down so this system is possibly causing more safety issues then it seems to be stopping from happening. Although as long as the backup system is checked and maintained I don`t see a problem.

So why does it shut down? Does it actually have to send the energy out or can it still be running and hold it`s energy?

reply to post by Connman


Does this make you feel safe?

Emergency diesel generator fails

The Dominion-operated power plant is being run off three emergency diesel generators, which are supplying power for critical safety equipment. The NRC and Dominion are sending people to inspect the plant.

A fourth diesel generator failed, but it wasn't considered an emergency because the other generators are working, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

:shk:

reply to post by loam

No. No that doesn't make me feel safe at all.

failed? That`s bull they should be checked weekly. We got clowns running these power plants or what? Pathetic.
With such failure they should have to have a couple hundred of those crap generators on hand.

I`d be willing to place a bet that those Government bunker generators won`t fail when they need to hide those clowns.

Thought you might like this link.

www.msnbc.msn.com...

(found it whilst looking for any predictions on this area)

t turns out that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has calculated the odds of an earthquake causing catastrophic failure to a nuclear plant here. Each year, at the typical nuclear reactor in the U.S., there's a 1 in 74,176 chance of an earthquake strong enough to cause damage to the reactor's core, which could expose the public to radiation. No tsunami required. That's 10 times more likely than you winning $10,000 by buying a single ticket in the Powerball multistate lottery, where the chance is 1 in 723,145.

reply to post by mr-lizard

Originally posted by mr-lizard
That's 10 times more likely than you winning $10,000 by buying a single ticket in the Powerball multistate lottery

Not reassuring at all.

Originally posted by loam
reply to post by Azdraik

 

Few, however tend to have implications that may last for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

Exactly !

reply to post by Azdraik


Yeah but other type power stations don't contaminate earth, food, and air for thousands of years with the most toxic known element on earth.
I would rather a coal plant crater to dust a million times before a nuke plant "breaks"...

when stuxnet kisses you the earth moves

reply to post by JesusLives


How is that related to this?