The Tony Brook Friday, May 9, 1980 Vol
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The tony Brook Friday, May 9, 1980 Vol. 1, No. 14 RESS mmý NRC Report on Shoreham Challenged by Scott Higham construction, Long Island energy needs have decreased. According While the NRC (Nuclear The safety-related reactor recirculation system plays an to LILCO spokeswoman June Regulatory Commission) has Bruce, peak demands fell from dismissed 30 construction defects important role in pumping coolant through the reactor's 3,107 megawatts in 1977 to 2,919 in at the Shoreham Nuclear Power 1979. In addition, Newsday Plant active core, where fission occurs. as unfounded, a former reported that sales of electricity plant employee has revealed The system is similar to 23 others which were ordered shut down by dropped by 1.1 percent in 1978. documentary evidence which Claiming that Shoreham will shows that poor welding was the Atomic Energy Commission (forerunner of the NRC) in 1974 provide about 30 percent of Long performed on a safety-related Island's energy needs in the system. because of leaks found at plants in other states. 1980's, LILCO officials have said The employee also claims that that blackouts will be the inadequate welds were The deviation in the system is commonplace if the nuclear accepted for economic and in the 28 inch recirculation pipes reactor is not completed and political considerations. which are connected directly to operational. Shoreham is According to a former the reactor vessel. In the original scheduled to begin operation in employee at the facility, who design, there was a plan to have 1983, although a LILCO official in requested anonymity, two one-inch pressure instrument 1979 said there could be blackouts construction delays, higher connections. However, it was in 1981 if the plant was not interest rates on loans, and later decided to remove and plug operational. stricter Nuclear Regulatory the connections, which the LILCO's problems with Commission controls contributed engineering department deemed Shoreham began in 1969 when the to a LILCO decision to proceed unnecessary. company purchased a General with a Hydro-Static Pressure The work was done by Courter Electric reactor system. The Test in spite of the poor welds. and Company Steam Fitters reactor was originally intended The test is used to inspect various Union during the summer of 1979. to occupy a site on Lake Cayuga, components of the plant and It exhibited two discrepancies; Constructuon surrounas inorenam's cooling ower. New York. But when strong marks the end of the construction first, Site Quality Assurance public opposition defeated the stage, and the beginning of start- (SQA) found that incorrect weld However, the former employee Since 1969, LILCO has raised proposed plant there, LILCO the up operations. wire was used to plug the holes, alleges that LILCO accepted its construction costs at arranged to buy the pre- "Once the Hydro-Static is and second, the fillet size of the deviations because it did not want Shoreham from $261 million to fabricated unit for Shoreham. performed," the former weld did not meet the inspector's to delay the Hydro-Static the present $2.2 billion, making it The NRC later discovered that employee explained, "LILCO specifications. Pressure Test again, which the most expensive commercial serious problems may exist with would would have further increased probably experience less General Electric, the plant's reactor ever. Shoreham's cost this particular Mark II Reactor, the cost, pressure from its opponents and engineering firm, was soon per kilowatt hour is expected to and three General Electric ratepayers" who are outraged at thereafter requested to decide LILCO spokeswoman June average double that of other Engineers noted in 1976 that there the rising costs of Shoreham, and whether the deviations should be Bruce, was unable to locate the nuclear power plants in 1983. are "alarming safety While LILCO its numerous delays. Originally accepted. The "deviation from documents in qquestion' and- insists that inadequacies in the reactor's slated for June, the test was specification" was accepted by refused to speculate on the Shoreham is needed to provide containment building " postponed until September 22, General Electric and Shoreham's impact of delaying the Hydro- Long Island with electricity, Nuclear Physicist Michio Kaku 1979 because of construction Site Engineering Office. Static Test. during the period of the plant's of New york's City University delays. Continued on page 2 On The Inside Couples Discuss Theatre Department's 'War and Campus Cohabitat ion to Broadway Peace' goes Bruno and Toots live in Tabler Quad. -P. 2 by Lawrence A. Riggs (Several of the names in this story have Bruno is a senior with a high grade point been changed to insure privacy). average who plans to attend law school J. Geils Band at the Palladium When Jeff Sussmann and Diane Cambey next fall. Toots is a sophomore psychology p. 4 decided they wanted to live together on major. The two have lived together in campus, they approached several Toots' suite since January. They decided Mi-Sex Seduces at My Father's Place Residence Life officials. All of them turned to do so because "we had lived together over the summer," said Bruno. "It worked p. 5 the couple down because University policy prohibits cohabitation in the dormitories. out well." The two had been seeing each Frustrated after speaking to officials in other since last Spring, and have the Student Affairs office the two turned to considered engagement the Polity Senate which, in January, Bruno said he does not feel cramped as the only man in a women's suite. "I have 'Betrayal' is overwhelmingly passed a resolution proposing experimental, limited, so many friends that if I don't want to be reviewed there, I can be with them." Also, Bruno p. 6 voluntary cohabitation in the dormitories. the Student Affairs office, the two turned said that his suitemates "are more to the Polity Senate which, in January, courteous to me than they are to each governing board) at its next meeting on other." May 22, calls for establishing voluntary "They like him," said Toots. "They cohabitation in Stage XII Quad, co-ed think they're unique because they have a Kharma vs. suites in Kelly, Roth and Tabler, and co-ed male suitemate." And there are no halls in G and H Quads, according to problems with using the bathroom, as the Kramer women stay out when Bruno is inside and p.10 Council student representative Larry Siegel. He said that so far, the sentiment of vice-versa, although "Sometimes I forget the rest of the Council is not dear. to put the toilet seat down and they get Meanwhile, many couples now live annoyed." he's in the shower we stay out," together on campus. They arrange this by "When making couple switches, taking advantage said a suitemate. Otherwise, "the only is of single rooms, or other circumstances. difference is that I have to bother to put on Cruising' robe." There are no figures available my examined Rose is a senior. Two years ago, she p. 11 concerning the number of couples living together because it is not sanctioned. lived with her boyfriend Elmo in his suite, to move "Officially it doesn't exist," said also in Tabler Quad. She decided Residence Life Director Claudia Justy. in after they had gone out for two months. "Unofficially, I see ads (for couple She explained, "I was having difficulties switches) in Statesman, so I assume with my suitemates and I was spending Continued people cohabit." on page 3 VR~sMN NRC Challenged Continued from page I To this date, no other discovered. Documents warned in a lecture here April 23 consulting firm has been hired to designated as Field Deviation of the dangers of the General assist the county in its Disposition Requests, Electric Mark Series Reactor. intervention at the undetermined Engineering and Design Kaku cited a brief history of federal licensing hearings. Coordination Reports and Non- all Mark Series accidents: After abandoning the original Conformance Reports, In 1970, at the Dresden Nuclear plant site in Huntington, and described various design changes Station in Morris, Illinois, a Mark deciding on Shoreham, LILCO and alleged defects. I reactor safety release valve applied for a construction maintained malfunctioned, causing license. In 1973, the Atomic Cachere extremely high water levels in Energy Commission granted throughout his trial that the 600 arrested for the reactor building. After ULCO a construction permit demonstrators the plant were reviewing the accident, three GE after three years of hearings. trespassing at were engineers, Minor, Hubbard, and These were the longest licensing justified because they by delaying Bridenaugh, reported, "We came hearings in the AEC's history. protecting the public to losing that reactor." Later that year, the Long the construction of Shoreham's very close "threat to life." Newsday Another Mark I accident at the Island Business Revk v reported that Kaku, expert Brown's Ferry Plant in Alabama that LILCO released a letter to reported witness for the defense, testified involved a seven-hour fire the public stating that, "Much of levels in the the public campaign against the that the documents were causing water "nuclear related problems reactor vessel to drop A-Plant now under construction critical parts of the unnecessarily low. The reactor at Shoreham is based on involving reactor." But Joseph Navarro, came dangerously close to going irresponsible, emotionally Shoreham's Project Manager, and Minor, Hubbard, dishonest arguments designed to critical, disagreed: "The problems and Bridenaugh quit General appeal to people's fears and in the dump papers are Electric, denouncing the Mark ignorance. There is nothing detailed not serious. The documents dealt Series Reactors at a San Jose wrong with opposing LILCO's routine, minor modifications press conference in February, plans on the basis of solid with in the plant's design that have 1976.