Press Mention Institute for Southern Studies / Facing South February 25, 2014
SACE Referenced
Institute Index: Is a nuclear disaster unfolding in Florida?
In this mention
An Institute for Southern Studies index examines potential nuclear safety issues at Florida Power & Light's St. Lucie nuclear plant, where over 3,700 cooling tubes show significant wear compared to zero to a few hundred at similar plants. The article notes that the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy called on the NRC to halt the plant's restart pending tube inspection and urged Florida lawmakers to review the state's nuclear cost recovery law. The piece contextualizes these concerns within broader Florida nuclear industry failures, including Duke Energy's permanent closure of Crystal River and abandonment of the Levy County project.
Original clipping
PDF didn't open? Open it in a new tab →
Full transcript
FACING SOUTH
INSTITUTE INDEX: Is a nuclear disaster unfolding in Florida?
Posted by: Sue Sturgis
Wednesday February 26th, 2014
Number of tubes that help cool a nuclear reactor at Florida Power & Light's St. Lucie plant near Fort Pierce, Fla. that show signs of significant wear: more than 3,700
Number of cooling tubes at other, similar plants that generally show such damage, caused by vibrations that occur during operation: 0 to a few hundred
Population living within 50 miles of the St. Lucie plant: over 1.1 million
Year in which FPL replaced the St. Lucie steam generators that hold the tubes: 2007
Year in which FPL shut down the St. Lucie reactor for routine refueling and found the tubes were banging against stainless steel anti-vibration bars, leaving dents and worn spots: 2009
Number of years FPL intended the new generators to last: 36
Year in which the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved FPL's request to run the St. Lucie reactor harder to increase its power output, a move that increased stress on the tubes: 2012
Cost of the power uprate to FPL customers under the state's controversial early nuclear cost recovery law, also known as Florida's "nuclear tax": over $1 billion
Year in which two reactors at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in California were shut down because they suffered similar widespread tube damage, leading to a radioactive leak to the environment: 2013
Date on which FPL is scheduled to shut down the St. Lucie reactor for routine refueling: 3/3/2014
Date on which the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy called on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to keep the St. Lucie plant from coming back online until the tubes are inspected, and on which it asked Florida lawmakers to review the state's 2006 "nuclear tax" law: 2/24/2014
Year in which Duke Energy permanently closed its Crystal River nuclear plant in Florida after a botched repair job: 2013
Year in which Duke Energy announced it would not move forward with its planned Levy County nuclear complex in Florida: 2013
Amount for which Duke Energy's customers must pay related to those two failed projects: about $3 billion