NRC: News Release - Region II - 2006-043 - NRC to Send Special Inspection Team to Surry Nuclear Plant to Review Offsite Power Loss and Shutdown


Index \| Site Map \| FAQ \| Facility Info \| Reading Rm \| New \| Help \| Glossary \| Contact Us

NRC NEWS
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs, Region II
61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303
www.nrc.gov

No. II-06-043		October 13, 2006
CONTACT:	Ken Clark (404) 562-4416 Roger D. Hannah (404) 562-4417	E-mail: opa2@nrc.gov
NRC TO SEND SPECIAL INSPECTION TEAM TO SURRY NUCLEAR PLANT TO REVIEW OFFSITE POWER LOSS AND SHUTDOWN Printable Version
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region II office in Atlanta is planning to send a special team of inspectors to the Surry nuclear power plant, operated by Dominion in southeastern Virginia, to look into the facts surrounding the partial loss of offsite power and the manual shutdown of one of the plant’s two reactors on Saturday, Oct. 7. The team is expected to begin its inspection the week of October 23. The Surry plant was in an Alert, the next to the lowest of four NRC emergency classifications, from early Saturday evening until early Sunday morning due to a complete loss of offsite power to Unit 1's emergency safety systems and a partial loss to Unit 2. The loss of normal offsite power was a result of flying debris damaging overhead power lines coming from nearby electrical transformers. Dr. William Travers, administrator of the agency’s Atlanta office, said the plant’s emergency diesel generators started and provided emergency power until normal offsite power could be completely restored late afternoon on Sunday. Dr. Travers said the NRC’s resident inspectors immediately responded to the event. The agency began a review for safety implications and continues to assess the company’s response. Dr. Travers said the special inspection team will review circumstances associated with the event in more detail, determine if there are any generic issues for other nuclear plants, and assess the company’s overall response and investigation. The team will document its findings and conclusions in a report to be issued within 30 days of the inspection.
NRC news releases are available through a free listserv subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC Home Page at www.nrc.gov also offers a Subscribe to News link in the News & Information menu. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web Site.