Published on 1 Apr 2013

Emergency at U.S. Nuclear Plant: Steam dumps to atmosphere — No known primary to secondary leakage — Full extent of damage unknown — Additional staff brought to site

At 1033 [CDT] on 3/31/2013, [Arkansas Nuclear One] Unit 2 entered a Notification of Unusual Event based on EAL HU4 due to damage in 2A1 switchgear. Notification of the NUE will be made lAW Emergency Plan requirements. Follow-up notifications will be made as appropriate.” At this time, the full extent of structural damage on Unit 1 is not known.

(VIDEO)
http://wtvr.com/2013/03/31/1-dead-3-hurt-after-accident-at-ark-nuclear-plant/

http://enenews.com/u-s-nuclear-plant-emergency-footage-of-steam-dumps-to-atmosphere-full-extent-of-damage-unknown-additional-staff-brought-to-site-video

http://enenews.com/residents-nuke-plant-shocked-scared-safety-evacuation-signs-posted-community-nuclear-worker-worst-happen-30-year-career-videos

http://arkansasmatters.com/fulltext?nxd_id=649932

U.S. nuclear plant suffers “significant industrial accident” — 8 injured, 1 dead — No ‘immediate’ threat to the public
http://enenews.com/u-s-nuclear-plant-suffers-significant-industrial-accident-8-injured-1-dead-no-immediate-threat-to-the-public

Nuclear Event in USA on Sunday, 31 March, 2013 at 19:32 (07:32 PM) UTC.
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_desc&edis_id=NC-20130331-38691-USAhttp://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_desc&edis_id=NC-20130331-38691-USA

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2013/20130401en.html

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (KTHV) – Entergy released the following statement Sunday regarding an accident at Arkansas Nuclear One in Russellville earlier that morning.

“A significant industrial accident occurred at Arkansas Nuclear One at approximately 7:45 a.m.
There has been one confirmed fatality and three additional injuries. The injured employees have been transported to a nearby hospital.

The accident occurred when a generator stator fell as it was being moved out of the turbine building. Unit 1 is in a refueling outage and Unit 2, which was operating at full power, automatically shut down. Both plants are in a stable shutdown condition and there is no danger to the public.

The plant is in an unusual event classification, the lowest of four emergency classifications designated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Additional staff has been brought to the site to manage the situation.

Jeff Forbes, executive vice president and chief nuclear officer said, “We are deeply saddened by what has happened today. Our greatest sympathy is with the family and friends of the employee who lost his life, and with those who sustained injuries. I also want to express my sorrow and support to all those who work at Arkansas Nuclear One. I know this is especially hard on them.”

http://www.thv11.com/news/article/257658/2/Details-released-in-deadly-Arkansas-Nuclear-One-accident

Accident at Entergy's Arkansas Nuclear One kills worker

Washington (Platts)--1Apr2013/519 pm EDT/2119 GMT

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Monday sent investigators to Entergy Nuclear's Arkansas Nuclear One site, where a "significant industrial accident" Sunday at Unit 1 left one worker dead and sent eight others to the hospital, an OSHA spokesman said.

It is too early to determine the extent of the damage to Unit 1, which was already shut for a refueling and maintenance outage, or to Unit 2, which was shut automatically after the accident, an Entergy spokesman said in an interview Monday.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Monday said it had sent two extra inspectors to the plant, near Russellville, Arkansas, to assist the two resident inspectors to "determine what factors may have contributed to the event," Victor Dricks, a spokesman for NRC's Region IV, said Monday in an interview.

The agency will conduct "an additional inspection" at some future time at the plant and will evaluate Entergy's "root cause evaluation [of the accident] and their response to the incident," Dricks said.

Juan Rodriguez, an OSHA spokesman, said Monday in an interview that he could provide no details about the investigation, other than to confirm that investigators have been dispatched to the plant.

OSHA, an agency with the Department of Labor, enforces federal workplace safety regulations and "helps business protect their workers and reduce the number of workplace deaths, injuries and illnesses."

Rodriguez said that OSHA investigations are instigated if a workplace "has three injuries that require hospitalization of employees, or a fatality."

The agency's investigators investigate accident scenes, "check equipment for failure and interview witnesses [to an accident] and other employees," he said.

The agency has up to six months to conclude its investigations, he said.

If OSHA determines a company is in violation of its workplace standards, the agency can impose a penalty of up to $7,000 for each serious violation and up to $70,000 "for each willful or repeated violation," Rodriguez said.

Terry Young, an Entergy spokesman, said in an interview Monday afternoon that seven of the eight people who were hospitalized after the accident have been released. He declined to identify the worker who died during the accident. Dricks said he could not identify the workers who were injured or the deceased member of staff.
http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/ElectricPower/21894074

http://nuclear-news.net/2013/04/01/emergency-at-u-s-nuclear-plant-arkansas-plant-steam-dump/