In January, I posted a thread with the following information:

On 1-16-99 the Raleigh News & Observer reported that the 860 megawatt Shearon Harris nuclear generation plant automatically shut down on the morning of 1-14-99 after two technicians cut power to two of the three cooling pumps. Fortunately, the control rods "dropped automatically into the reactor core and the plant went dead." Carolina Power & Light's explanation according to the journalist: "...two workers put a piece of paper as required inside power equipment they were testing to block contact and forgot to remove the paper when they were done." According to the article the last automatic shutdown at the plant was in 1995.

The News & Observer of Wednesday, March 10, 1999, reported that a failed valve in a steam generator was "discovered" on Friday, March 5. "When a second valve failed late Saturday [March 6], managers decided to reduce power output to 3 percent to allow maintenance workers into the reactor. The repairs, which were conducted in a radioactive environment, took most of Sunday..."

No shutdowns for 4 years. Two shutdowns in 2 months. Red truck syndrome?

-- Puddintame (dit@dot.com), March 12, 1999

Answers

Yeah, and this is how they operate BEFORE y2k...

Let's have some creative spin control from our experts Robert and Ken.

-- a (a@a.a), March 12, 1999.

Expect to see MUCH more of these "coincidences" at refineries, nuke plants, elecrticiy generating stations and the like througout the remainder of this year. Expect to see Bhopals and Three Mile Islands worldwide.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), March 12, 1999.

Puddintame,

Here is the URL for the NRC site by which you can access the event notifications. The March incident you mention is in there but not as a shutdown and the description is technical. The January incident is also posted. I do think that you must beware, as you mentioned, of the "Red Truck" syndrome. Follow this site and you will see what I mean. Good luck.

-- ~~~~ (~~~~@~.~), March 12, 1999.

Yeah.... but Robert said that they aren't dangerous.... So... Puddintame.... you have no fears... go back to sleep

-- (just4fun@here.now), March 13, 1999.

To quote little ole "me" - they are safe when operated properly - and in this case - the safety features shut them down when the operators erred. Neither problem was year 2000-related - neither involved computer interfaces, both were mechanically induced.

Look for fines from this series of errors.

Now, just how many fossil plants have tested and are Y2K compliant? Nuclear and hydro remain the most likely plants to be reliable post-2000.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), March 14, 1999.