pressurized water reactor problems
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Presentation at the NRC’s annual Regulatory Information Conference (PDF)
Citing the pressurized water reactor containment sump issue as an example, this presentation identified weaknesses in the NRC’s process for resolving generic safety issues and recommended how safety risks should be treated until the underlying problems are resolved. Letter to NRC’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) about PWR sumps (PDF)
Responding to a recent ACRS letter to the NRC Commission recommending a delay in the resolution schedule for the pressurized water reactor containment sump problem, UCS pointed out that further delays simply increase the risk that someday a small event will turn into a major disaster when an unfixed containment sump fails to save the day.
Letter to NRC protesting their use of the term "aggressive schedule" (PDF)
The NRC informed President Carter about the containment sump problem in 1977 but has no plans to resolve it before 2007. UCS objects to the NRC saying they have an "aggressive schedule" for resolving this decades-old safety problem.
Comments on the NRC’s proposed generic letter on PWR containment sumps (PDF)
Responding to a formal request for public comments, UCS provided the NRC with recommendations for more effective actions to be taken by plant owners to analyze and correct the pressurized water reactor containment sump problem. Report – "Regulatory Malpractice: NRC’s ‘Handling’ of the PWR Containment Sump Problem"
In this report, UCS examined the history of the PWR containment sump problem and the many opportunities where the NRC failed to correct it dating back to its discovery in the 1970s. Briefing on the pressurized water reactor containment sump problem
This backgrounder discussed the nature of the PWR containment sump problem, its potential safety consequences, and the steps needed to correct it. Petition to NRC seeking resolution of safety problem at Indian Point
UCS and Riverkeeper petitioned the NRC for either expedited resolution of the longstanding PWR containment sump problem at Indian Point or better interim measures to limit risk until the problem gets fixed.
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