Apr 13 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Bob Vosseller Asbury Park Press, N.J.



A radiation monitoring device at the Oyster Creek nuclear plant was found during routine maintenance to be not functioning, according to Nuclear Regulatory Commission records.

An NRC report states that during the routine replacement of the stack sample flow transmitter, plant technicians discovered the stack sample line had become separated. The sample line was reconnected, and a visible count change was observed. At the time of discovery, the stack radioactive gas effluent monitoring system had been removed from service in accordance with the plant procedures and declared inoperable for performance of a surveillance procedure.

Plant chemistry personnel conducted compensatory samples. The report adds that the situation "resulted in a loss of monitoring capability," according to NRC documents.

Exelon Nuclear, which owns and operates the 41-year-old Forked River plant, notified the state Department of Environmental Protection about the situation. It is not known how long the stack monitor has been out of service.

 NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said that efforts are still under way to determine exactly how long the stack sampling line was out of service.

"Oyster Creek is allowed to release radioactive gases from the plant stack, but they must be carefully controlled and below allowable federal limits. Oyster Creek uses radiation monitors to check on the levels contained within any releases before they enter the stack. There is also a sampling line near the top of the stack to confirm the radioactivity levels of any releases. That 1-inch stainless-steel line essentially draws in samples of gas going out of the stack and those samples are then sent to a monitoring system that measures them," Sheehan said.

He added that on Thursday, work crews found that the line had become separated at about the 150-foot elevation. The line was reconnected and then reinspected on Friday.

"Since some of the line was under insulation and could not be immediately subject to visual inspections, Exelon decided to install a new stack sampling line to be absolutely certain the system was working as designed. In addition, the company began taking "grab' samples from the base of the stack to provide another layer of confirmation of release radioactive content while this other work was taking place," Sheehan added.

Sheehan explained that because radioactivity of any releases are measured before they reach the stack, the company has data on all gas that was released.

"We will expect Exelon to review all of that data and the data from stack sampling-line system as it seeks to figure out exactly how long the line was disconnected and what was released during that time period," Sheehan said.

Sheehan said that the NRC is continuing to review the situation, both with its resident inspectors stationed at Oyster Creek and with specialists in radiation safety and emergency preparedness in the agency's Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pa.

Environmentalists who have been critical of the power plant in the past were not pleased to hear of the newest problem.

"Stack monitor, tritium leaks, leaking pipes, substation problems, drywell liner problems . . . the list goes on and on," said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. "Oyster Creek just keeps having one problem after another.

"There are more problems since the new license was issued than before. There needs to be an outside investigation into this plant by an independent party like Scandia Labs to show whether or not this plant is safe. The NRC can't be trusted... They relicensed the plant without identifying any of these problems. The NRC -- the "No Regulatory Commission' -- would relicense Chernobyl," Tittel said.

"This is truly unbelievable," said Janet Tauro of Brick, a member of a coalition of environmental groups that opposed the relicensing of the power plant last year. "The stack monitoring has been broken for an unknown amount of time. How would we even know if the public has been exposed to radiation?" Tauro said.

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