Newspapers / State Port Pilot (Southport, … / May 20, 1992, edition 1 / Page 6
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Problem with bolts clear in ‘hindsight’ By Jim Harper Staff Writer R. B. Richey, who directed the Brunswick nuclear plant shutdown so walls that were not earthquake proof could be repaired, said last week that a five-year CP&L delay in tending to the matter "may have been our not realizing the extent of the problem." "With hindsight," said Richey, ”we know better." The construction problems in walls of the emergency diesel gener ator building, first noted by a CP&L engineer in 1987, were the subject of a CP&L-Nuclear Regulatory Commission enforcement confer ence in Maryland last week. (In 1987 the CP&L official in charge at the Brunswick plant was Pat Howe. He was replaced in No vember, 1988, by Russ Starkey. Richey replaced Starkey as vice president in charge April 2.) After the Maryland session an NRC investigation into the construc tion of the plant and generator build ing was begun. Brown & Root, the general contractor for the Brunswick construction project in the early 1970s, has joined in looking at the work by an unnamed subcontractor. Concurrent with the April 21 shut down to fix fastenings in the genera tor building walls, work planned during downtime in the near future was commenced. A CP&L spokes man said Monday that repair work in the generator building had not yet been certified as ready for resumed operation. If the generator building is ready, start-up of Brunswick unit one could come by the end of the month, and start-up of unit two by mid-June. The emergency diesel generators are to provide power for an orderly shut-down of the nuclear units if electricity is not available through normal sources. Richey explained last week that a key element of safe shut-down is core cooling, which would be pro vided by electric pumps. A second issue raised by an NRC special inspection team, and dis cussed last week in Maryland, is the appropriate qualification of ten pumps which provide cooling water for various plant services. "Since 1981 the nuclear water ser vice pumps have not been long-term seismically qualified and have remained short-term qualified and seismically degraded," an NRC report said on April 29. Richey said the pumps will be re placed with properly qualified equipment by 1994, in accordance with a plan submitted by CP&L last year. CP&L excellence Continued from page 1 of the plant. •Management not providing leadership and support needed for improvement •Lack of critical self-assessment, resulting in failure to recognize problems and implement effective corrective action. The assessment was quite similar to a "root cause" analysis April 29 in which the NRC cited "lack of man agement vision" and detailed how the power company had known about a structure problem in walls of the emergency diesel generator building five years before they got around to starting repairs (see re lated story). Smith’s Thursday statement was: "Our objective is to raise the Brunswick plant’s overall per formance to the level of excellence. The safe reliable and efficient opera tion of all our company’s nuclear facilities is our number-one corpo rate priority. Our goal is to bring the performance of all our nuclear units to the same excellent level as our Harris plant. While many improve ments have beep made at the Bruns wick plant, other needs for substan tial improvement remain." In a Friday statement after the exit meeting Smith said, "The NRC reports in the meeting today are part of the ongoing process that includes our company’s own evaluation for improvement at the Brunswick plant. While improvements have been made, there remains the need for further work to be done, espe cially to reduce the large backlog of maintenance and modification work. The company is committed to achieving the same high level of ex cellent performance at Brunswick as currently is the case at our Harris plant." The NRC exit meeting came at the end of a special team inspection that began in February and was headed by Albert F. Gibson, director of the division of reactor safety in the NRC Atlanta regional office. In the exit meeting Friday, Stewart Ebneter, regional administrator for the NRC, said his agency could share some of the blame with CP&L for not requiring action on maintenance discrepancies sooner, but said that responsibility for cor recting the problem belonged with the power company. Ebneter cited "far too much short term orientation," as opposed to seeking long-term solutions, by CP&L. "Many problem solutions (by CP&L) have involved moving people without changing the pro cess," Ebneter said. He said CP&L needs a "new long term baseline on what needs are at the Brunswick plant, because prob lems won’t be solved in a week or two." James Pretlow, from the NRC of fice of nuclear reactor regulation in Washington, told CP&L representa tives at the meeting, "There is no reason to believe the staff is not as good as any in the country, but solu tions for problems have to come from CP&L management and staff." The findings discussed in the exit meeting are expected to be compiled and released by the NRC this week. CP&L guards treated Four Bums Security guards, sent to keep CP&L employees safe after a high level of fumes was noted at the Brunswick plant, were themselves taken to Dosher Memorial Hospital for observation and treatment last Thursday. Three of the four were released Thursday, while a fourth was treated and observed over the weekend. She was released Monday. A CP&L spokesman said the incident last Thursday morning arose when chlorine, treating river water used in plant cooling, emitted noxious fumes. Plant personnel were evacuated from the area and the guard posted. Security guards treated and released Thursday included Delmar Holmes and Edward Meyers. Donna Brown was treated and released on Monday. The name of the fourth guard was not available from Bums or CP&L. EYE EXAM $26.00 (other eye $26.00) Sure you can have it done cheaper other places, but you can't have it done better. Call now for an appointment to have it done right. •Eye Injuries and Diseases •Optometric Medicine •Professional Optical Dispensary lit m Rating shows Harris superior By Jim Harper Staff Writer Carolina Power and Light Co. president and chairman Sherwood H. Smith. Jr., last week called for the Brunswick nuclear plant to achieve the level of “excellence" occupied by the company’s Harris plant near Raleigh. Objective comparisons of Harris' performance, and the level to which Brunswick is to be guided, include the NRC Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance (SALP) scores for nuclear plants in the Southeast. In the last two reporting periods Harris was tied for firstplace in the region with the St Lucie plant in Florida and Grand Gulf plant in Mississippi. In the August, 1991, SALP, Harris was given a score of one - the highest mark -* in plantoperation, radiological controls, emergency preparedness, security and safeguards, engineering and technical support, and safety assessment and quality verification, Harris also received a score of two for maintenance and surveillance (testing). At the same time Brunswick was given twos for all categories except for a one in security and safeguards and a three—the lowest possible score - in engineering and technical support. In the March S AUP, Hams received identical marks as in August, while Brunswick fell to threes in maintenance and surveillance and in safety assessment and quality verification, dropped to a two in sedulity and safeguards and rose to a two in engineering and technical support. Another comparison is in the number of civil penalties assessed by the NRG. Harris has received two in the five years of its operation. Brunswick has received ten in the last five years, and 17 since 1976. Anothercriterion measuring performance is cost-effectiveness of operation. Last year Harris ranked filth among 73 plants in the nation while Brunswick was ranked 27th. Another comparison is "capacity factors”, or percentage of time in operation. In 1989 Harris scored 74.8, compared with Brunswick unit I at 60.4 and Brunswick unit II at 60.5. In 1990 Harris scored 84.2 compared to Bnmswick I at 62.4 and Brunswick II at 58.6. In 1991 Harris scored 78.7 compared with Brunswick 1 at 65.4 and Bnmswick II at 55.1. Curbside recycling Continued from page 1 maintenance fee charged by Waste Industries, plus a charge by the city to establish a reserve for the pur chase of new 90-gallon trash con tainers which are provided to resi dents at no cost. "We no longer charge citizens for carts. That service is provided in your rate," Honeycutt said, pointing out that the carts have a five-year life expectancy. The loose trash pick-up charge takes into account the salaries of two city workers, as well as opera tion and maintenance costs of the equipment. That figure is divided by the number of citizens and then by 12 to come up with the monthly rate of $4.50, Honeycutt said. "They’re paying for what we’re doing,” he said. Everyone is charged for the service, whether or not they use it. "There’s been a lot of negative reaction to loose trash pick-up," Honeycutt said. People like the ser vice but they don’t want to pay addi tional for it. In developing the budget proposal, Honeycutt observed that loose trash pick-up costs have gone down, and suggested they be reduced. How ever, regular trash pick-up charges are expected to increase, thus offset ting any decrease in rates. According to the director of public works, the city has no policy requir ing residents to participate in the city-sponsored garbage collection. As a result, some residents dropped their accounts with the city and are hauling their trash to the county transfer station outside Southport Waste Industries based its rate on a certain number of customers. Since the actual number of customers is lower than what the rate is figured on, the rate for 1992 93 will be recalculated, perhaps resulting in higher charges for resi dents, Honeycutt said. The 1992-93 budget proposal recommends making garbage pick up, loose trash pick-up and curbside recycling mandatory for all city resi dents, raising rates to $11.15. How ever, Honeycutt said the board of aldermen could decide to provide residents with just weekly garbage collection, keeping bills as low as $5.25 a month. Or they could imple ment a three-cent tax increase which would reduce solid waste fees by $2 a month, a move considered "some what less regressive" in the pro posed city budget. Commercial customers can also expect to see some changes in their garbage rate, Honeycutt pointed out. "No one is being charged correct ly," he said. "Everyone is either going to go up or down." He estimated the range from $10 less to $20 more, and said customers would be notified of any rate change. Pittman l*6Sl§nS Continued from page 1 Arthur Pittman and the people he has surrounded himself with," the board chairman said. "I personally hate to see him go." Among Pittman’s accomplish ments since his arrival in 1985, ac cording the Johnson, include dou bling the size of the medical staff and gross business at the hospital, spending millions on new and up dated equipment, and starting an employee pension trust fund. "We have operated in the black every year since he’s been here," Johnson said. "He has proven him self a professional hospital ad ministrator.” Pittman, who said he is leaving Dosher with "mixed emotions", said his job was made easier with the help of a supportive board. "You certainly can’t do it without them," he commented on Tuesday. Also important is "finding the right people ... being able to attract a competent staff. "The people working here are the best I’ve ever worked with," he said. "People make the organization run. Without competent, professional and caring people behind the tech nology, not much is accomplished," he said. Shomaker, who will serve as ac ting administrator, said he was sur prised when he learned of Pittman’s resignation and his appointment to the top administrative position, and said that "it’s terribly premature" to say whether or not he will ask to be considered permanently for the job. "We have a very strong manage ment team here and that will definitely make my job easier," Shomaker said. Asked if he’d make any recom mendations for his replacement, Pittman said, "Absolutely not. They (the trustees) have to live with that choice." I cVieWs On ® cDental Healtti Larry Hemby, D.D.S. FROM PARTIAL TO FIXED suppose you nave been wearing a partial denture for several years and find it doesn't fit as well as it once did. This happens in normal use even if you only remove the partial to clean it. You may also prefer to have an appliance in your mouth that would be less trouble and more efficient than a partial denture. If that's your case, you should ask your dentist about the non-removable fixed bridge. A fixed bridge is permanently cemented into place and helps com ' plement the efficiency of your natu ral teeth in chewing food. But you must have enough natural teeth left to act as anchor teeth. In a three-unit fixed bridge, for example, the artifi cial tooth (or pontic) is firmly ce mented to die natural teeth on either side by means of crowns. That is how the bridge is secured in place. The anchor teeth serve as abutments, similar to the engineering principle used in the construction of a bridge over a river. Again, sound natural teeth must be there to make the fixed bridge possible. Ask your dentist about the advantages as well as the feasibility of a fixed bridge for you. Prepared as a public service to promote better dental health. From the office of: LARRY HEMBY, D.D.S. 621 Fodale Avenue Southport, N.C. 28461 (919) 457-5026 ■ • • • , • A saw on the end of a long pole made quick work of dead wood in trees along Bay Street on Monday. Other city employees quickly ground up the refuse and carted it away. CLEAR-VUE OPTICIANS Eye Glasses ONE HOUR (90% of the time in most coses - GIjss or Plastic) > FREE EYE GLASSES I Buy A Pair of Glasses, Gel the Second Pair... I ■> |% mm m Offar doss not apply with any othar a i"|\ C C advartiaad spocials. 160 Minimum Purchaaa. ■ Buy • pair o< g«UM of raquiar pnca and gaf • aacond pair of aungiaaana O' ftaar lansaa I FREE Coupon mull ha praaanlad al fma of purctasa OMaf nchrda* mosl angla vwor and brfocai praacnpttona Soma fan* raatnrtona appfy Co*np«afa gHwi «vrt»jda framay J I lantai (Oooaa from a salad group) Land I coupon pa* custom** No ofha* advamsad «P«Wa appfV Eapraa (y|ay 30, 1992 FRAME SALE ; 40% OFF 1 ARTCRAFT | including Oscar ae la Renta I Limit On# Conpor P#r Co#tO>r>#r No Oir»#? A'lvwrtinGd Special# Ap .ply E.»pir®« May 30. 1992 SINGLE VISION LENSES $-|235 ONE HOUR SERVICE (In most cjses) Limit On# Coupon P#r Customer No Oti>#r Adv#'Haoo Soaculi Ap piy fcipir## May 30. 1992 PROGRESSIVE NO LINE BIFOCAL LENSES • Any lyp«* | s7995 • ONE HOUR SERVICE I (In most cases) a limit On# Coupon Pur Cu#*OfT»#f. 1 Mo Olh*r Adwrtiaad So*clala Ap- | pir t.pir.t May 30. 1992 * -, LINE BIFOCALS s2995 I ONE HOUR SERVICE | (In most cases) . Limit On# Coupon P#r Cu«tom#r. ■ Mo Oma» Adv#rti*«d Special# Ap- | pi». tip«M May 30. 1992 ' _I Ad Must Be Presented At Time Of Purchase Some Prescription Limitations Apply Plus or Minus 3.00 Other locations in diopiars/up to a 2.00 cylinder. Add power up to s plus 3.oo. Kinston, Greenville, Jacksonville, .Wilson and Goldsboro. 54 aya and abova ovaraiza. Tint* and ultra vlolat flltar airtra. CLEAR-VUE OPTICIANS 3901 Oleander Drive Wilmington S3 id3^i Moure: Mon.-Prl. 9:30-7:00; Sat. 9:30-5:00; Sun 1-5 PM 395-6563 1-800-634-1085 We can make arrangements to have yejur eyes examined today! 3 V
State Port Pilot (Southport, N.C.)
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May 20, 1992, edition 1
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