NRC urges US nuclear plants be checked for leaks. On 9 August the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) urged operators of US nuclear power plants with pressurized water reactors to further inspect the top of their reactors for possible cracks and leaks. Instead of relying only on visual inspections to find any problems, the agency said reactor operators should also use ultrasound, electric currents, and liquid dyes to check for cracking and corrosion in a reactor's metal head. The NRC said it issued the bulletin in response to cracked and leaking nozzles found at several reactors and significant corrosion discovered in the reactor vessel head at the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant in Oak Harbor, OH. Of the 103 nuclear reactors operating in 34 states, 69 facilities are of the pressurized water type. (Reuters, 9 Aug) Broken airline fueling system disrupts hundreds of travelers at Phoenix airport. Hundreds of travelers faced delayed and canceled flights to all parts of the nation on 10 August because the airplane fueling system serving all airlines at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport stopped working for two hours. The system delivers jet fuel through underground pipelines to the gates at all three of Sky Harbor's terminals, said Suzanne Luber, spokeswoman for the nation's fifth busiest airport. An estimated 150 flights and 1,500 passengers were affected, including 12 flight cancellations. Officials suspect the cause of the shutdown was an electrical problem. (Associated Press, 10 Aug) Airlines alerted to impostors - thieves take uniforms; crews report stalkings. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has warned airlines to be on the lookout for impostors wearing stolen uniforms trying to gain access to planes or airports, citing a series of recent thefts from flight crews. Agency officials would not comment on the confidential warning issued 22 July, one week after burglars took airline uniforms, keys, and identification tags from the New York apartment of two Delta Airlines flight attendants. The warning does not cite any particular case, saying only that the TSA "continues to receive reports" about such thefts. It adds, "recent reporting also suggests a possible trend in the thefts of uniforms, vehicles, and other items used by police, firefighters, and emergency response personnel." The warning urges airport security officials to be vigilant about checking employee identification cards. (Washington Post, 10 Aug) Freight train spills hazardous chemical as it derails in northern New York. A freight train spilled a hazardous powder on 10 August as one car derailed and was dragged for seven miles in northern New York, authorities said. Officials declared a state of emergency in Westport, NY, a town of about 1,300 people near the Canadian border and about 100 miles north of Albany, but no evacuations were necessary, according to Ray Thatcher, the Essex County director of emergency services. State Trooper Brian Rhoney said the spill began in a residential area and ended in a rural farming area. Rhoney identified the spilled chemical as sodium chlorate, which can cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation, with serious illness possible if it is ingested. It also ignited an acre-wide forest fire, but was quickly contained. A mechanical problem was probably to blame as one of the cars in the 65-car Canadian Pacific Railway freight jumped the tracks en route from Montreal to Saratoga, said spokesman Michel Spenard. (Associated Press, 10 Aug) _______________________________________________ NIPC-daily mailing list NIPC-daily@private http://mailman.ops.nipc.gov/mailman/listinfo/nipc-daily
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