While he affirmed Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Lusby is well-prepared for a catastrophic event, the facility’s site vice president told the Calvert County Commissioners Tuesday, Sept. 27 that the preparedness is being reassessed as a result of a recent disaster.
The incident prompting the reevaluation was the earthquake/tsunami that adversely impacted Japan’s Fukashima nuclear plant.
Calvert Cliff’s Site Vice President George H. Gellrich likened the lessons learned from the disaster in Japan to the aftermath of the 1979 Three Mile Island incident. “It’s another milestone event,” said Gellrich. “I would have said ‘hey, this could never happen at a nuclear power plant.’ ”
Gellrich reported the nuclear energy industry and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission “are working together to gain understanding of lessons learned and apply them to the industry.”
Among the long-range projects that are being developed at Calvert Cliffs and other nuclear facilities are plans and procedures for dealing with “multiple unit events,” determining the length of time a plant site can cope without power, spent fuel pool instrumentation, seismic design, and emergency planning and staffing. Also under review is how to best mitigate flooding that goes beyond what the plant is capable of sustaining. “We are designed for a fairly significant flood but we are now thinking about a flood beyond expectation,” said Gellrich.
The plant executive also addressed two August incidents that gave plant officials experience in dealing with real situations. “We did have an earthquake several weeks ago,” said Gellrich. “I got a lesson in seismology I don’t want to repeat again.”
Still the August quake posed no significant problems for the Lusby plant, which continued normal operations. Gellrich noted that was not the case for a facility in Virginia located near the quake’s epicenter. That power plant remains shut down.
Gellrich called a series of incidents attributed to Hurricane Irene “very disappointing.” One of the plant’s reactors shut down as a result of siding coming off a turbine building and impacting a transformer. A diesel was impacted by water entering a ventilation duct and dripping on equipment. Additionally, 64 of the plant’s 73 sirens were without power during the storm.
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