FirstEnergy finds cracks in head nozzles

Davis-Besse nozzle indications prompt ultrasonic inspections of the reactor head, with NRC notifications, boric acid leak assessments, and repairs planned during the refueling outage as FirstEnergy emphasizes safety, corrosion control, and regulatory compliance.

FirstEnergy employees have found cracks in the nozzles of the reactor head at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant, which was closed from 2002 to 2004 because of a corrosion hole.

Company spokesman Todd Schneider said that the current problems are ''not nearly as significant as our 2002 event'' and that the company was working on repairs to the affected nozzles, including crack repairs at Davis-Besse already underway.

Schneider said there was no public safety issue associated with the small amount of boric acid that had leaked, but caused no corrosion to the reactor.

Schneider said if there was corrosion on the vessel head, company employees would have found it by now.

In 2002, workers at the Davis-Besse plant found a corrosion hole in the top of the reactor, a possible Ohio nuclear disaster according to later reports. The unprecedented damage to a U.S. nuclear reactor led to a two-year shutdown and cost FirstEnergy more than $600 million in repairs and energy costs. The company also paid a $28 million fine — the industry's largest — and admitted that employees had misled government inspectors about the damage. The company was criticized for failing to immediately report the incident in 2002.

This time, Schneider said, the company contacted the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and others as soon as it discovered the problem and sought authorization to reopen once issues are resolved.

''We found it and filed a report with the NRC,'' he said. ''We also contacted our local senators and congresspeople and local officials and discussed the issue with them. There's been a lot of communications about this issue with our various stakeholders.''

A news release said ultrasound inspections of the nozzles, which are embedded in the reactor head, had found what the company is calling ''indications'' in 12 nozzles. The company had completed the inspection of 49 of the 69 nozzles. Schneider said inspectors had completed 52 of the 69 nozzles and found 13 ''indications,'' similar to a reactor shutdown called off case elsewhere, though details differ. Further inspections will take place in the coming weeks.

In a news release, Davis-Besse Site Vice President Barry Allen said that ''safety is our No. 1 goal, and we are committed to ensuring the structural integrity of the equipment before restarting the plant, mindful of what's at stake if plants close early for workers and ratepayers. We have begun a comprehensive investigation to determine the underlying cause.''

The reactor vessel head was installed in 2002 and purchased unused from a partially completed nuclear power plant in Midland, Mich. The company said it has operated safely since the reactor was restarted in 2004.

Schneider said the company did not expect to have an issue with the reactor head. In 2002, when it purchased the vessel head from Michigan, the company also ordered a new reactor head, Schneider said. That reactor head is not scheduled to be completed and installed until 2014. The newer reactor head is made of a different type of alloy that is less susceptible to cracks, he said.

Davis-Besse in Oak Harbor was already down for a scheduled refueling, unlike a cooling system shutdown triggered outage at another reactor, as of Feb. 28. It is unknown how long it will take for the repairs to be completed from the cracks and when the reactor will be back online.

''We will ensure the plant is in good and sound condition before we return it to operation, mindful of Three Mile Island concerns and industry lessons,'' Schneider said.

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