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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Thursday said nine nuclear reactors in four U.S. states were shut following a massive blackout that hit the Northeast United States and Canada. "At this point, we have nine reactors that are offline. And there is no timeline as to when these will return to service," NRC spokesman Scott Burnell said. Burnell said the reactors are in New York, New Jersey, Ohio and Michigan.

A private security force "successfully protected" the Indian Point nuclear plants against mock intruders during last month's secretive drills, according to the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. In a letter to several New York officials, dated Aug. 7 and made public yesterday, Chairman Nils Diaz said he was satisfied after watching two days of a "force-on-force" exercise. "The licensee has a strong defensive strategy and capability," Diaz wrote. "The Indian Point security force personnel successfully protected the plant from repeated mock-adversary attacks." Entergy Nuclear Northeast, owner of the twin nuclear plants 35 miles north of midtown Manhattan, said the...

CITY: HEMATITE REGION: 3 COUNTY: JEFFERSON STATE: MO 10 CFR SECTION: PAAB 74.11(a) LOST/STOLEN SNM SCRAP ZIRCONIUM RODS SHIPPED TO RECYCLER IN CANADA CONTAINING U-235 FUEL PELLETS Between 3-4 weeks ago Westinghouse Hematite shipped approximately 18,000 scrap zirconium rods to Mississauga Metals and Alloys, Inc. in Brampton, Ontario, Canada for recycling. Scrap zirconium rods require a 100% visual inspection prior to shipment offsite to ensure that they do not contain any fuel pellets. Last Thursday on 7/24/03, the recycler discovered thirty-six (36) U-235 pellets (4.2 w/o) after processing about 25% of the scrap rods.The individual at Mississauga responsible for contacting...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. Panel wants safety questions answered before plutonium fuel facility is built The Nuclear Regulatory Commission won't grant permission to build a plutonium fuel plant in South Carolina until 19 lingering safety questions are resolved by the government's contractor. A revised safety evaluation report completed Friday found 19 issues that Duke Cogema Stone & Webster must address before constructing the mixed oxide fuel plant at the Savannah River Site. The plant would make plutonium-blended fuel for use in commercial nuclear plants, a first in the United States. Federal officials want to know...

April 30 — The FBI is warning law enforcement officials around the country to be on the lookout for potential terrorist activity around nuclear power plants. In its weekly intelligence bulletin to 18,000 police agencies, the FBI says law enforcers should be on the lookout for any suspicious activity around the power plants, including people photographing the facilities and small planes flying in the area. Nuclear plants "are a vulnerability target which could have certain consequences" if attacked, one official said. The bulletin does not mention a specific threat. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has...

Nuclear Power Plant Alert April 30 — The FBI is warning law enforcement officials around the country to be on the lookout for potential terrorist activity around nuclear power plants. In its weekly intelligence bulletin to 18,000 police agencies, the FBI says law enforcers should be on the lookout for any suspicious activity around the power plants, including people photographing the facilities and small planes flying in the area. Nuclear plants "are a vulnerability target which could have certain consequences" if attacked, one official said. The bulletin does not mention a specific threat. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the...

WASHINGTON, April 18 — A nuclear reactor in Texas is leaking cooling water from the bottom of its giant reactor vessel, a development that experts view with concern because they have never seen it before, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said today. Technicians at the South Texas Nuclear Project, about 90 miles southwest of Houston, have found residues indicating that cooling water leaked from the vessel through two penetrations where instruments are inserted into the core, according to the company that operates the plant. Operators at all 103 commercial nuclear reactors have been giving closer attention to their reactor vessels since...

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region I 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406 No. I-03-005 February 12, 2003 CONTACT: Diane Screnci (610) 337-5330 Neil A. Sheehan (610) 337-5331 E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov NOTE TO EDITORS: Given the high interest in the Emergency Preparedness situation at the Indian Point and Millstone nuclear power plants, the attached letter on the subject, from Chairman Richard A. Meserve of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to Sen. Hillary R. Clinton, is being provided. February 12, 2003 The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Clinton: I...

Underequipped, undermanned and underpaid, security guards at three of four nuclear reactors surveyed by the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), a nonprofit public-interest group, say that they lack confidence in the ability of their own forces to repel a terrorist attack. Low morale frequently was cited as a serious problem by the more than 20 security guards interviewed who protect 24 nuclear reactors at 13 plants. More than one-half of the guards interviewed told POGO that post-Sept. 11 requirements by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that protective-force numbers be increased to more than the five to 10 security guards formerly...

Families who live within 10 miles of the Ginna nuclear power plant are being offered free pills that could help protect them in case of a radiation leak. The residents will soon receive letters from Monroe and Wayne County governments that include coupons redeemable at Wegmans Food Markets for one potassium iodide pill for each family member. The pills are being distributed on behalf of the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which developed the program after Sept. 11. "It is only a precautionary measure," Monroe County Executive Jack Doyle said Tuesday at the Holt Road Wegmans. Four Wegmans stores in Webster...

OFFSITE NOTIFICATION MADE TO LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR ASSISTANCE A fire in the owner controlled area 1/2 mile outside the protected area occurred at their training facility and a call for offsite assistance was made. The fire turned out to be a lot of black smoke coming from a burned out fan motor in the training facilities ventilation system. Everything was under control within a half hour and the licensee logged out of their procedures at 1237. The NRC Resident Inspector was notified along with state and local agencies. A press release may be made.