NRC: News Release - Region III - 1998-040 - NRC TEAM DISPATCHED TO DAVIS-BESSE NUCLEAR PLANT


U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION III

801 Warrenville Road, Lisle IL 60532

CONTACT:

Jan Strasma (630) 829-9663/e-mail: rjs2@nrc.gov

Angela Greenman (630) 829-9662/e-mail: opa3@nrc.gov

RIII-98-40

June 25, 1998

1:00 a.m.

NRC TEAM DISPATCHED TO DAVIS-BESSE NUCLEAR PLANT

A Nuclear Regulatory Commission special inspection team has been dispatched to the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station to monitor the plant's condition after a tornado last night damaged the plant's switchyard and disabled the plant's ability to receive off-site power. The plant automatically shut down at 8:43 p.m.

The plant's emergency diesel generators are operating providing power to the plant's safety systems. There is no evidence of release of radioactivity within the plant or to the environment. The plant is in a stable condition. No injuries were reported.

The NRC team is comprised of reactor, electrical and mechanical specialists. NRC resident inspectors were at the site monitoring Centerior Service Company's activities throughout the night.

The utility declared an Alert at 9:18 p.m. last night. An Alert is the second level of a four-step emergency classification. An Alert indicates events which have occurred or are in progress that involve actual or potential significant degradation in the level of safety of the plant. Agencies onsite and offsite were notified by the utility.

The Davis-Besse plant is located at Oak Harbor, Ohio.

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