Page 2 A- THE BRUNSWICK BEACC
NRC Snvestic
Violation At
Carolina Power & Light officials
met Friday with representatives of
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC) to discuss a possible violation
in safety regulations at CP&L's
Brunswick Nuclear Plant near
Southport that could have resulted in
the release of radioactive gases into
the atmosphere in the event of an accident.
The talks follow an investigation of
the problem by the NRC. The commission
has 30 days in which to take
action following its investigation. If it
proposes a fine, it would the third
since Julv and the second since Jan. 1
involving the plant.
According to the NRC, ventilation
dampers in the root of the secondary
containment building may not have
worked properly during a refueling
of a reactor the week of Dec. 12. The
malfunction, which was found and
reported by CP&L employees, would
keep the dampers from closing. In
the unlikely event a container of
reactor fuel were dropped and
radioactive gases were released into
the building, the dampers are supposed
to shut automatically.
Meanwhile, CP&L has until late
February to decide whether it will
protest a $75,000 fine proposed this
month by the NRC for alleged violation
of safety requirements at the
Brunswick Plant.
CP&L Spokesman Elizabeth Bean
said the utility has not decided
whether to protest any portion or all
of the fine, which is the second proposed
by the NRC in six months at
the plant.
This latest finp was nrnnosorl as a
result of two instances between
November 1987 and August 1988
where the utility failed to promptly
identify and act to correct hardware
and/or equipment deficiencies.
One incident involved failure of
bolts in motor control centers which
distribute electrical power to safetyrelated
motors in the plant. Another
involved an improper setting of a
steam line flow instrument used in
the safety-related core cooling
system.
Both problems had been cited in
the NRC's annual evaluation report
on the plant issued last November.
Together the two problems are
categorized by the NRC as
"moderately serious," according to a
School*; In I im
? - - ?- ? - c=? o a u N
(Continued From Page 1-A)
In addition to the costs, the
bakeries have agreed to establish
and maintain plans to ensure compliance
with antitrust laws. The companies'
performance will be
monitored by the Attorney General's
office for the next five years.
Once the penalties are paid, there
are no prohibitions against the
schools continuing to do business
with the bakeries involved.
Bids Always Lowest
According to Wilbur, Brunswick
County Schools only had deliveries
from "Merita"?American Bakeries,
f rtr O UOOP Kofnrn tVin
?v?? ?- j VIII uuiuiu uib I- ajcutv 111C
bakery closed.
After that, "even though the
bakeries came in with quotations,
Fox's (Holsum Bakeries) always
came in the lowest," said Wilbur,
when the unit price bids were opened
with the suppliers and several
witnesses present. "I'd open them
and then award it to the low bidder. It
was the same quality of bread for the
most part."
Franklin Bakeries for the most
part had declined to bid, he said, saying
the system was too far from the
bakery. Then it began bidding,
I
I
HOW TO St
THE BRUNSl
POST OFFICE B<
SHALLOTTE, N(
FOR AWARD-WINNII
] ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RA
In Brunswick County
in.c. bales I ax
Postage charge
TOTAL
Rise where in North Carolina
I N.C. Sales Tax
I Postage charge
TOTAL
I Outside North Carolina
Postage charge
TOTAL
Complete And Retui
Name
I
I Address
I City, State
| Zip
i
t
)N, Thursday, January 19, 1989
jating Safely
CP&L Plant
news release from the agency's
Atlanta regional office, "because
they reflect the lack of the necessary
aggressiveness to ensure that such
issues are promptly addressed and
resolved as well as a lack of effective
communication between various
levels of the Carolina Power & light
staff at Brunswick."
The NRC said the typical fine for
violations of this severity is $50,000.
However it increased the proposed
fine by 50 percent because, it said,
"of CP&L's history of poor performance
in regard to taking prompt
and effective action to correct problems."
Delays in repairing equipment
were cited also in the annual
report.
Such problems should be less likely
to occur in the future. Russ Starkey,
Brunswick Nuclear Project
manager, said CP&L has since im
plemented programs "to perform
more aggressive and timely root
cause analyses of equipment problems
when they occur."
The bolt failures were first
discovered in November 1986 and
were repaired. However, the causes
of the failure were not discovered until
early last year. As a result, said
the NRC, safety-related equipment
might not have operated properly
had there been an earthquake.
As for the instrument setting, staff
suspected as early as November 1987
that the flow to a turbine in the
emergency core cooling system was
set incorrectly. The problem was not
confirmed and corrected until
September 1988. If the steam line had
broken, the high-pressure coolant injection
component of the emergency
core cooling system might not have
worked properly.
Both the NRC and CP&L agreed
that the probably of either accident
was highly unlikely and that the
public's safety was not in danger.
In July 1988 CP&L was fined for
three incidents that occurred between
March and May of that year
and involved operator errors.
In that case, the $50,000 fine was increased
by 50 percent because of "a
lack of attention to detail on the part
of the oDerations staff."
CP&L paid the $50,000. It protested
the additional $25,000, but paid it
after the appeal was denied in October.
5 For Windfall
though its quotes were always high.
This year, however, Franklin had
the low bid, and got the county's
business.
During the 1982-83 year the companies
were unable to agree to fix
bids, according to James C. Gulick, a
deputy attorney general for consumer
protection services. Prices
charged that year were used to determine
fair market value in determining
losses incurred by the rigging of
bids in other years.
According to Simmons the
bakeries "switched off," taking turns
in submitting low bids for contracts
and "dividing" territories. They
would agree in advance on what the
price was, setting it artificially high.
In the settlement. Fox's Holsum
Bakery agreed to pay $381,412;
American Bakeries, $338,311;
Franklin's and its subsidiary, Dainty
Maid,, $504,644.
"1 think we've gotten the bakeries'
attention and I wouldn't predict any
more problems," said Simmons.
In a prepared statement, Attorney
General Lacy Thornburg called it
"reprehensible" of the bakeries "to
cheat the public school systems."
i
I
IBSCRIBE TO
1/irK^.RFflrnw !
I IVVI 1
3X 2558
3RTH CAROLINA 28459
HG NEWS COVERAGE
TES BY MAIL: Sr.Citizen |
6.30 n 5.30 I
.32 .27 I
3.68 3.68
10.30 9.25 I
6.30 5.30
.32 27
8.18 8 18
14.80 13.75 ]
6.30 5.30
9A5 9.65
15.95 14.95
n To Above Address
I
1
t
Mc
Fire destroyed this singlewidc mobi
Monday afternoon despite the efforts
firefighters from two area departmi
from Waccamaw and Grissettown-l
and at least one firefighter from
responded to the 2:30 p.m. blaze on Prt
Weekend
(Continued From Page 1-A) <
Approximately 35 firefighters with i
trucks from the Calabash, |
Grissettown-Longwood, Sunset i
Beach, Waccamaw, Ocean Isle i
Beach and Shallotte VFDs responded ;
to the fire call, Logan said. Personnel
were on the scene for more than four
hours. I
Two fire personnel suffered minor
n,kil* , ? ik. 1.1
1IIJU1ICO niiuc ugllllllg HIC uwtu, I
Prince said. One woman sprained
her arm, while a man got debris in
his eye.
Logan said Sunday the cause of the
blaze was still undetermined,
although it possibly started from an
Shellfish B
(Continued From Page 1-A)
John Parker, major permits coordinator
with the state Division of
Coastal Management, said last week
there has been no action on the application,
which was submitted last
April.
"It's solemn as a tomb on this end,
" he commented, adding that the
state is still waiting for corporation
officials to revise their plans.
Last spring, Channel Side Corporation
applied for a major CAMA permit
for construction of a 50-slip
marina about 500 feet upstream of 1
Galloway Fiais, one uf the must pro- 1
ductive shellfish beds in the county. <
Since then, however, strong con- '
cerns voiced by local oyster and clam '
harvesters have resulted in corpora- '
No Surprises
Seasonable weather conditions are
expected over the next several days i
in the Shallotte area, according to
Shallotte Point meteorologist i
Jackson Canady. i
Temperatures through the <
weekend should range from the mid
30s at night to the mid 50s during the
day, Canady said. The area also can 1
expect normal rainfall at about one- <
half inch. I
For the period of Jan. 10 through i
16, the daily average temperature
was 54 degrees, which Canady said I
I Jan.:
Chick^nBog ? $2
ALL YOU CAN EAT
Serving at Kickoff
Draft Beer ?89c ^
i i< i .1 i
ii yuu missea rne 1st party, joi
for the 2nd at...
Billy's Bai
Opening at 3:00
579-8232*0n The Causeway
i
JkUBi"
>bile Home Destroyea
le home in Ash Captain Tim Sims
of about a dozen structure was fi
mts. Volunteers firefighters arrivet
ongwood VFDs home at the time ol
Shallotte VFD owned the home. T
>ject Road. First that time.
Blaze Destro
electrical short in a garage door
apener. Logan and Prince handled
the investigation. Law enforcement
agencies were not called in, since arson
was not suspected, the fire marshal
said.
According to Prince, Mrs. Pierce
reported the fire after she and her
iiuauauu jiiiv'iicu dinunc cuiiuug uuiu
the garage. When Pierce opened a
door thai. connected the kitchen and
garage, flames shot into the house
and singed his eyebrows and hair. He
was not seriously hurt.
Prince said all the couple were able
to save before escaping the house
were two shotguns and two pictures
an Lifted
tion officials announcing possible
revisions which they believe could
help reduce the chances of river
pollution.
Mason Anderson, a principal of
Channel Side, said'last week a revised
proposal for the marina would be
completed and sent off to the state
within the next few weeks. He refused
to discuss the proposal in detail,
but said it will address the concerns
of local shellfishermen.
He added that corporation officials
do not feel original plans for the
marina were insensitive to the needs
of shellfish harvesters. "We are very
interested, probably as much or
more than anyone else, in water
juality."
In Forecast
was about nine degrees above normal.
The average daily high
temperature was 62 degrees, and the
average daily low temperature was
15 degrees.
The maximum high temperature
during the period was 66 degrees, occurring
on Jan. 12. The minimum low
temperature was 31 degrees, occurring
on Jan. 14.
Canady measured .48 of an inch of
rainfall during the seven-day period.
22?2nd Annual
Bowl Sunday
PARTY
Wide Screen TV
r 6^-^0(9^31
?//(' CounyaTtl I
Cf(cstautdnl & cLoungr
c&ll Ocraiic/slc
1989 I HE BRUNSWICK 8tACON
f ?W1
-'* .. "
STAFF PHOTO BY DOUG RUT1ER
f
aons of Waco a maw VFD said the
ally engulfed in flames when
1 on the scene and that nobody was
: the blaze. He said Bobby binimons
he cause of the fire was unknown at
ys Home
of their daughter, Kimberly, who was
killed in a fiery car wreck on N.C. 211
north of Supply in August 1987.
The fire apparently started
sometime after their other daughter,
Amanda, left for work Saturday
around 8:30 a.m., Logan said. He
speculated that the garage door
opener possibly shorted out after
Miss Fierce raised the door to leave
in her car. She did not see or smell
anything burning at that time, Logan
added.
Prince said the Pierce family was
able to stay with relatives who also
live in the Calabash area.
Traffic Report
(Continued From Page 1-A)
Brunswick Hospital near Supply.
Trooper D.B. Harvell charged
Johnson with driving while impaired.
Damage to the car was estimated at
$2,000.
Another Supply man was injured in
a single-vehicle wreck that occurred
last Thursday at 2:50 a.m., 5.1 miles
north of Shallotte at the intersection
of U.S. 17 and Sellars Road.
Ms. Oakley said James Monroe
Lewis, 46, attempted to turn right onto
U.S. 17 by pulling into the left lane
of Sellars Road. The truck ran off the
left shoulder of the road and overturned
onto its side.
Lewis also suffered nonincapacitating
injuries, but apparently
did not require hospital
treatment, Ms. Oakley said.
Trooper D.A. Lewis charged the
driver with exceeding a safe speed.
Damage to the rig was estimated at
$18,000.
^zchev^ I
USED CARS I
Hwy. 17, Bolivio, 253-5221
1987 Suzuki Samurai 4x4? I
Convertible, Teal Green w/ White B
Top, JX Model. Steren fnee H
Wos $8,900 Now...$6,900
1982 Chev. S-10 Pickup I
Sport Pkg., Nicely Equipped
Wos $4,200 Now...$2,900
J DR. C
VISION AN
If you enjoy sports, you know
how important it is to have good
vision so you can perform at your
best. In golf, for example, a good
player knows how to judge
distances properly so he can
select the right club for a shot. It
is also essential in judging putts so
you can keep your strokes per hole
to a minimum.
Tennis is another good example.
This is a fast-moving game in
which good vision is needed so you
can be right on top of your opponent's
moves as well as have a
clear view of the ball, net, and
court lines. No matter what the
sport, you need a high degree of
Properly
Tops $4
Billion
(Continued From Page 1-A)
Plant, replaced Dupont as the
second-largest taxpayer. Also,
Cogentrix bumped the local development
firm, Sunset Beach & Twin
Lakes Inc., from the list.
Of the nine taxpayers who remain
on the list from 1987, only
three?CP&L, Bald Head Island and
BEMC?increased in valuation,
while the other six decreased.
Du Pont showed the largest drop,
falling from a valuation of $242
million in 1987 to $213 million in 1988.
As a result, the company paid
$61,591.17 less in taxes last year.
Also, Pfizer fell $11.9 million in
value and paid almost $20,000 less in
taxes. International Paper's valuation
decreased by $8.5 million, reflecting
a $23,400 tax cut. Williamson
owned $4.5 million less property and
paid about $8,500 less in taxes.
However, the other two taxpayers
whose valuations decreased actually
paid higher tax bills in 1988, due to
the county's four-cent rate hike.
NCEMPA's valuation dropped by
$88,000, but the company paid about
$180,400 more in taxes. Federal
Paper's valuation fell by $4,130, but
its tax bill increased by about $9,840.
Bald Head Island's value increased
about $1.5 million, raising its taxes
by about $27,600. Also, the BEMC
valuation rose by about $6 million,
accounting for a $40,600 tax increase.
Cogentrix?the newcomer to the
Top 10 list?is a co-generation plant
near Southport. The plant, which
went into nnprntinn last vpar colic
processed steam to Pfizer and uses
surplus steam to make electricity for
sale to CP&L.
THE BRUNSM/ICiSBEACON
Established Nov. 1, 1962
Telephone 754-6890
Published Every Thursday
At 4709 Main Street
Shallotte, N. C. 28459
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY
One Year $10.30
Six Months $5.50
ELSEWHERE IN NORTH CAROLINA
One Year $14.80
Six Months $7.85
ELSEWHERE IN U.S.A.
One Year $15.95
Six Months $8.35
Second class postage paid at
the Post Office in Shallotte.
N. C. 28459. USPS 777-780.
ESBBngWiffl AMERICAN
car quest vz?s*z
P* ACCESSORIES
<6wt>
paifjt
supplies x RCFiniSH
equipment \ " "j
custom made hydraulic
hose fittings & repairs
brake drums & rotors
turned
main st.*shallott?*754 6619
:hris moshoures
- OPTOMETRIST
ID SPORTS
dynamic visual acuity. This is the
ability to see sharply and clearly
1-;--' - *
yyiuic ail ouject or piayer is in motion.
If you have a vision problem,
however, such as nearsightedness
or farsightedness or some other
visual defect that needs correcting,
you can't play at your best
because you're not seeing at your
best.
* * *
In the interest of better
vision from the office of:
Brunswick Vision Care
Chris Moshoures, O.D.
Pine St., Shallotte, 754-4020
Salt Marsh Sq., Calabash, 579-4020
\