Nuclear plants told to upgradeMar 25 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Kirsti Marohn St. Cloud Times, Minn.
The nuclear plant in Monticello is among those affected by an order from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission requiring 31 reactors similar to the ill-fated Fukushima plant in Japan to upgrade their ventilation systems. But owner Xcel Energy says it's too early to say what impact last week's decision will have on the Monticello plant. The order affects boiling water reactors with a Mark I or Mark II containment system like Fukushima Daiichi plant, which was damaged in a 2011 earthquake and tsunami, sending three of the plant's reactors into meltdown. In response, the NRC launched a review of the 104 U.S. nuclear reactors and created a task force to recommend new safety regulations. The order requires hardened venting systems, but stops short of requiring filtered vents, as some safety advocates and NRC staff had urged. The filters are required in Japan and much of Europe, but U.S. utilities say they are unnecessary and expensive. The commission directed NRC staff to issue orders to upgrade vents to ensure they will work in severe accidents. Until Xcel Energy sees the order, it's difficult to say what impact it will have on the Monticello plant, Xcel spokeswoman Mary Sandok stated Friday in an email. The NRC also gave its staff a year to study a rule requiring filtering on the 31 reactors, as well as a more performance-based approach using existing systems to contain radiation during an accident. It likely will be a couple of years before the rule is final and the impact on Monticello can be assessed, Sandok stated. Nuclear critics say the GE Mark I boiling water reactors at the Monticello and Fukushima plants has design weaknesses including an undersized containment structure. They say plants should have filters to scrub out radioactive particles coming through the vents. Xcel did install a hard vent on the Monticello plant in 1992. It does not have an external filter, but the gases that pass through first go through a pool of water that scrubs out most of the radioactive material, Sandok stated. Xcel agrees with the nuclear industry's position that "the NRC should set the standards for what it wants the plants to achieve," she stated. "Then we can look at our existing plant systems to ensure they meet the standard." The reactor in Monticello began operating in 1970. Its operating license was renewed in 2006 for another 20 years. http://www.energycentral.com/functional/news/news_detail.cfm?did=28024267 |