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CONNECTICUT COALITION AGAINST MILLSTONE

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ARCHIVE OF BULLETINS

MILLSTONE TRIES TO DROP "NUCLEAR" FROM NAME
CRACKS FOUND IN DOMINION'S VIRGINIA NUKES
ANTI-MILLSTONE COALITION RENEWS CALL FOR NATIONAL GUARD AT NUKE SITES; PUBLIC OFFICIALS JOIN COALITION'S CALL-
Anti-Millstone Coalition Holds Press Conference to Call on Governor Rowland to Send National Guard to Millstone and Connecticut Yankee Nuclear Sites
ANTI-MILLSTONE COALITION ASKS GOVERNOR
FOR NATIONAL GUARD PROTECTION AT MILLSTONE
AERIAL PHOTO OF MILLSTONE PULLED FROM WEBSITE; MILLSTONE OWNER MAKES "URGENT" REQUEST "AS A MATTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY"

 

ANTI-MILLSTONE GROUP CALLS FOR NUKE PLANT SHUTDOWNS
COALITION CALLS ON STATE TO REVOKE GRANT TO PROMOTE MILLSTONE TOURISM AND TO PULL TOURISM HANDOUTS
Nuclear Family "Fun" Trail
ACTIVISTS ATTACK COURT DECISION ON MILLSTONE
Renowned Expert Links Millstone Releases to Cancer Clusters
MILLSTONE CAUSES CANCER IN HUMANS AND FISH, EXPERTS WILL TESTIFY
ANTI-MILLSTONE COALITION SEEKS COURT ORDER TO BLOCK PERMIT TRANSFERS TO DOMINION
JUDGE TO DECIDE WHETHER TO DELAY MILLSTONE SALE
Nuke Waste Storage plan in doubt
Judge rules fishermen can sue nuke plant for killing fish
Lost fuel rods at Millstone nuclear reactor

CRACKS FOUND IN DOMINION'S VIRGINIA NUKES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DECEMBER 11, 2001

Contact: Nancy Burton 203-938-3952 Joseph H. Besade 860-442-7016

Mystic - Dominion Resources, Inc. - the parent company of Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc., which owns and operates the Millstone nuclear reactors - has discovered axial cracks in nozzle devices welded into the reactor domes at two of its Virginia reactors, the Connecticut Coalition Against Millstone reported today.

Dominion's North Anna Unit 2, located 40 miles northwest of Richmond, is undergoing an unscheduled shutdown to inspect the extent of a "through-wall crack" in a weld that connects a nozzle head to the reactor, according to Neil Sheehan, a spokesman for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Dominion's Surry 1 reactor, located near Newport News, was also discovered to have cracks.

Sheehan said the North Anna Unit 2 crack was discovered by Dominion due to NRC staff "insistence" on a more thorough examination.

All four Virginia nuclear reactors owned by Dominion have been identified by a nuclear industry trade group as being particularly susceptible to stress-related cracking in gear that penetrates the nuclear reactor heads and controls the fission process. The cracks are believed to result from metal fatigue related to stress and corrosion, triggered by high temperatures and pressures.

Two of Dominion's three other Virginia reactors were operating at reduced power today - North Anna at 11 per cent and Surry I at 82 per cent - but NRC spokesman Victor Dricks refused to say why on grounds of national security, according to the Coalition's attorney, Nancy Burton.

In response to a bulletin released last August by the NRC, the Electric Power Research Institute identified the four Dominion reactors as among 12 in the country which are potentially susceptible to such cracks. The EPRI report was based on self-reporting by the utilities.

The bulletin was issued following discoveries of cracked and leaking nozzles, including control rod drive mechanisms, at four reactors, raising concerns about the "structural integrity of [the] nozzles throughout the . . . industry," according to the NRC.

Cracks in such components, if undetected, could lead to a failure to control the nuclear fission occurring in the reactors.

According to the NRC, Dominion did not report signs of cracking at either Millstone Unit 2 or 3.

Notwithstanding the identification of a safety defects in two of its reactors apparently due to the effects of aging, Dominion is proceeding with applications to extend the operating license for each reactor by 20 years, according to information made available to the Commission by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

"Dominion's problem with cracked and aging reactors in Virginia is our problem in Connecticut as well," said Joseph H. Besade, a Coalition members and former Millstone pipefitter.

"We are very concerned that Dominion may have tried to overlook potentially serious cracking at North Anna 2 and had to be prodded by the NRC to take a closer look," Burton said.

"When Dominion's Virginia reactors have to shut down to repair cracks that result from the aging process, there is increased economic pressure to operate Millstone at full power and possibly overlook signs of metal fatigue in the Millstone reactor components," Besade added.

"The NRC has admitted that all 69 pressured water reactors - such as Millstone Units 2 and 3 - are susceptible to this kind of cracking," Besade said.

"Do we really need any better reason to shut them all down now?" he asked.

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- Media Advisory -

Anti-Millstone Coalition Holds Press Conference to Call on Governor Rowland to Send National Guard to Millstone and Connecticut Yankee Nuclear Sites

The Connecticut Coalition Against Millstone will hold a press conference on the steps of the State Capitol in Hartford on Thursday, October 18, 2001, at 11 A.M. to call upon Governor John G. Rowland to heighten the protection of the public and workers at the Millstone and Connecticut Yankee nuclear plants from terrorist attack by deploying the National Guard. The Coalition will urge Governor Rowland to follow the lead of the governors of New York and New Jersey, who have deployed National Guard combat troops to protect their nuclear reactor sites. The FBI issued a statement on October 16 that the terrorist threat "has not diminished." The Coalition will announce the support of public officials for greater security of nuclear power plants.

Contact: Nancy Burton Tel. 203-938-3952 Joseph H. Besade 860-442-7016

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At the "urgent request" of the owner of the Millstone Nuclear Power Station, an anti-nuclear group removed an aerial photo of the nuclear station from its website. In an email message titled "Urgent - remove photo of Millstone," Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc., owner of the three-reactor nuclear complex near New London, requested prompt removal of the aerial photograph "as a matter of national security." The Connecticut Coalition Against Millstone - which maintains the website www.mothballmillstone.org - promptly complied. In its place, the Coalition posted the following message:

On October 10, 2001 at 12:36 P.M., we received an urgent communication from Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc., Millstone's owner and operator, to remove an aerial photograph of the Millstone Nuclear Power Station from this website, as a matter of national security. We have promptly removed the photograph. Experts in the field recognize that nuclear power plants are among the most dangerous possible targets of terrorists because of their potential to kill thousands of innocent people and spread long-lived radioactive contamination widely. In recognition of the dangers to the health and welfare of the country, and as a matter of national security, we now call on Dominion to close the Millstone Nuclear Power Station and do all that is necessary to eliminate Millstone as a potential terrorist target. The aerial photograph was similar to aerial photographs of Millstone which have been frequently distributed by the plant's owners in promotional material. "It has taken unspeakable acts of terrorism to bring us face-to-face with the nuclear madness in our midst," said Nancy Burton, the Coalition's attorney. "In the interest of national security, we have not hesitated to take the photograph off the website," Burton said. "In return we look forward to working with Dominion to establish a timetable for the orderly closure of Millstone," she added. "As long as Millstone is generating power and radioactive waste, it will be a target for terrorists."Contact: Nancy Burton Tel. 203-938-3952

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ANTI-MILLSTONE GROUP CALLS FOR NUKE PLANT SHUTDOWNS

September 13, 2001 Contact: Nancy Burton 203-938-3952 Waterford - The Connecticut Coalition Against Millstone today called upon the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to close the nation's commercial nuclear power plants and order heightened security in light of Tuesday's terrorism. The Coalition charged that the nuclear plants have not been adequately analyzed nor designed to withstand attack by commercial jetliners operated by kamikaze pilots bent on mass destruction. The Union of Scientists joined the Coalition in expressing concern about the potential of saboteurs to target commercial nuclear facilities. "While federal regulation does require nuclear plants to be protected from radiological sabotage, the rules were not envisioned to apply to the types of attacks experienced Tuesday," said David A. Lochbaum, nuclear safety engineer with the Washington, D.C.-based U.C.S. "A 1974 study by General Electric reported a 100 per cent chance of a large plane penetrating the 18-inch thick concrete containment wall of boiling water reactors like Millstone Unit 1," Lochbaum said. "Since 1991, the NRC has been conducting force-on-force tests of nuclear plant security," Lochbaum said. "About 48% of the tests have been failures," he added. "In the years 2000 and 2001, six of the eleven sites tested resulted in the mock intruders causing core damage." Pete Reynolds, a Coalition member who worked at Millstone Unit 1, pointed out that it would not take a jumbo jet on a rogue mission to unleash the billions of curies of radiation stored at the Millstone nuclear station in the three reactors' spent fuel pools. Unlike the reactor core, which is protected by a five-foot-thick concrete roof, the spent fuel pools' lack of containment coverage makes them especially vulnerable. "During a training exercise at Millstone, mock intruders were able to penetrate Unit 1 all the way to the refueling floor before detection," Reynolds said. "The nation's commercial nuclear facilities are not prepared to withstand suicide missions," said Joseph H. Besade, a Coalition member. "What had once been dismissed as incredible scenarios have now occurred," Besade said. "We as a nation must wake up to the realities of the twenty-first century and act swiftly to protect ourselves from high-tech terrorists undeterred by concern for their own lives," Besade said.

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ANTI-MILLSTONE COALITION ASKS GOVERNOR
FOR NATIONAL GUARD PROTECTION AT MILLSTONE


For Immediate Release
October 12, 2001
Contact: Nancy Burton 203-938-3952
Waterford - The Connecticut Coalition Against Millstone issued an urgent request today calling on Governor John W. Rowland to deploy National Guard troops to protect Connecticutís two commercial nuclear reactor plants located in Waterford and East Haddam.
The Coalition also called on the U.S. Coast Guard to maintain a continuous presence at the Millstone Nuclear Power Station.
"We are in the midst of national crisis, and the health and safety of the public require more protection," said Mitzi Bowman, a Coalition member.
On Thursday, October 11, 2001, the FBI issued a stark warning that there may be more terrorist attacks in the next few days.ìThis week, the Governor of New Jersey has deployed National Guard troops to protect the Salem, Oyster Creek and Hope Creek nuclear power stations,î saidPete Reynolds, a Coalition member."ìThe troops are both combat units with special training in security and site defense"î Reynolds said.
Despite recent calls on the U.S. Government to establish a military presence at the commercial nuclear power stations, security at Millstone is limited to that provided by Millstone's owner, Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc., and its contract security force.
The Coalition expressed grave concern about the lack of sea-borne security around Millstone, which is located on the shore of the Long Island Sound. Although the U.S. Coast Guard maintained a round the clock presence yards offshore immediately after the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, in recent days there has been an infrequent Coast Guard presence,î said Nancy Burton, the Coalitionís attorney.ìA string of buoys has been set up perhaps 100 yards from Millstone, but recreational vessels have routinely been breaching the barrier, according to a local fisherman,î Burton said.
The Coalition urged stepped-up security in light of the action of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on October 11 shutting its website.
Our site is not operational at this time,î says the NRC from its website address, HYPERLINK http://www.nrc.gov www.nrc.gov

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has taken the action to shut down its website.î
The NRC website has served as the publicís primary means of obtaining information about the conduct of the nationís 103 operating reactors.
The NRCís nuclear information blackout makes it even more critical that Governor Rowland exercise the greatest caution for the protection of the public at this time, Bowman said.
The Coalition urged deployment of the National Guard both at Millstone, which has two operating nuclear reactors and a third reactor undergoing decommissioning, and Connecticut Yankee, which has a reactor undergoing decommissioning.
Both the Millstone site in Waterford and the Connecticut Yankee site in Haddam contain spent fuel pools where the tons of highly radioactive waste generated over 30 years is in storage.
One year ago, the NRC issued a technical report which concluded that one out of two aircraft flying today is large enough to penetrate a 5-foot-thick reinforced concrete wall, such as the side wall of a spent fuel pool, and drain water out to uncover the irradiated fuel.
According to David Lochbaum, nuclear engineer with the Washington, D.C.-based Union of Concerned Scientists, the NRCís report concluded that the irradiated fuel can catch on fire if uncovered even years after removal from the reactor core. ìThe NRCís report concluded that a spent fuel pool accident 10 years after a plant stops operating can still release enough radiation to kill 639 out of every 10,000 people living within 10 miles of the plant,î Lochbaum said. Six per cent of the neighboring community could die even an entire decade after the plant stopped operating, Lochbaum said.
Our call today for National Guard protection of the public from potential nuclear disaster responds to the acute crisis we are in, stated Bowman.
"At the same time, common sense calls for immediate construction of failsafe containment of the vulnerable spent fuel pools," Bowman stated. "We must proceed apace to close these nuclear targets."

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ANTI-MILLSTONE COALITION RENEWS CALL FOR NATIONAL GUARD AT NUKE SITES; PUBLIC OFFICIALS JOIN COALITION'S CALL For Immediate Release October 18, 2001 Contact: Nancy Burton 203-938-3952 Joseph H. Besade 860-442-7016 The Connecticut Coalition Against Millstone today called on Governor John G. Rowland to deploy National Guard troops to protect the state's nuclear sites and to enlist the aid of federal agencies to ensure air and sea security against terrorist attack. The Coalition announced the support of public officials in its call for enhanced nuclear site security. "Governor Rowland has fallen short of his obligation to protect the public health and safety in a time of crisis," said Nancy Burton, the Coalition's attorney. "The workers at Millstone and CY and the 100,000 people who live within 10 miles of these nuclear facilities are at risk," she said. The Coalition's comments were prepared for delivery at a press conference on the steps of the State Capitol in Hartford at 11 A.M. on October 18, 2001. Tony Bondi, First Selectman of the Town of Haddam, home to Connecticut Yankee, issued the following statement: "As First Selectman of the Town of Haddam, I throw full support to the Connecticut Coalition Against Millstone in its efforts to influence Governor Rowland to institute these changes immediately. As First Selectman of Haddam, in which resides a decommissioning nuclear facility housing high-level radioactive waste, my residents should be afforded the highest level of security possible, whether by Connecticut Yankee directly or by National Guard to preserve the peace and protect against any terrorist act that could occur at the site." Paul Eccard, First Selectman of Waterford, home to Millstone, issued a statement welcoming "further coordinated effort that would support the power plant security through necessary marine coverage and additional security force." Congressman Rob Simmons (R-Stonington) also expressed support for National Guard deployment should Governor Rowland make the call. "At a nuclear power plant, you can never have too much security," Simmons said. On October 12, State Representative Andrea L. Stillman and State Senator Melodie Peters requested a meeting with Governor Rowland to discuss deployment of the National Guard to Millstone. "The residents of Waterford and the surrounding communities are notably concerned about safety at the plant, due to any potential terrorist activity," their letter stated. "We share in the concern of our constituents and believe that we are facing new times with new concerns," the letter stated. "The perception of deterrence is vital to making the public feel as secure as possible." "Governor Rowland should have taken prompt action to deploy the National Guard to Connecticut's nuclear sites," Besade said. "His continuing failure to do so - in disregard of calls for protection from elected representatives of the people of southeastern Connecticut - is tantamount to a dereliction of duty," said Besade. The Coalition invited the support of Connecticut Attorney General Richard S. Blumenthal for greater security protection at Millstone and CY. However, Mr. Blumenthal was unavailable, according to his assistant, Justin Kronholm. The Coalition stated that the Millstone and CY sites can no longer be regarded as benign industrial facilities. "In a terrorist attack which is now credible, these nuclear facilities may become weapons of mass destruction, killing thousands and devastating huge land areas," Burton said. "Thousands of tons of high-level radioactive waste are in storage in vulnerable pools at the Millstone and Connecticut Yankee reactors," said Joseph H. Besade, a Coalition member. "They are virtually unprotected against air attack, sea attack and land attack," Besade said. "Should they be targeted by terrorists, the results could be catastrophic." The Coalition faulted the Governor and federal officials for failing to take available precautions against terrorist attack of the nuclear sites since September 11. Since the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has publicly acknowledged that the nation's commercial nuclear power plants were not designed to withstand such attacks. Yesterday, the FBI stated that the terrorist threat has not abated. Contrary to some press reports, the Federal Aviation Administration has not ordered a no-flight zone over nuclear power plants, although it is within its authority to do so. "Airplanes, large and small, are as free today as they were before September 11 to fly over Millstone," said Besade. "There are no flight height restrictions that apply to the waters of the Long Island Sound around Millstone, and there's no radar at local airports to detect the presence of a rogue flight," Besade said. "In fact, the 300-foot candy-striped stack at Millstone - used for venting radioactive gases from the nuclear power plants - continues to be used as an aerial landmark for lost aviators, just as before," Besade said. The U.S. Coast Guard, which maintained a continuous presence immediately after the September 11 attacks, makes only rare appearances in the waters surrounding Millstone these days; typically, Coast Guard vessels are stationed a half-hour away and would be unavailable to respond to a sudden emergency. "While we recognize Governor Rowland has no jurisdiction over the FAA or the U.S. Coast Guard, we urge him to use his influence to secure better air and sea protection, especially in light of recent events in Washington , D.C. which have led to the closure of Congressional offices. "When we called Senator Lieberman's office in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, a voice message said the Senator's office would be closed for the next 24 to 48 hours," Besade said. "No one has called back." "On the question of the National Guard, there's simply no excuse for the Governor's resistance to deploying troops to Millstone and CY," said Pete Reynolds, a Coalition member. "The Acting Governor of New Jersey wasted no time after September 11 to send National Guard combat troops to protect New Jersey's nuclear sites at Oyster Creek, Hope Creek and Salem," Reynolds said. "Governor Pataki ordered National Guard troops deployed at New York's nuclear reactors, Indian Point 1 and 2, James A. Fitzpatrick, Robert E. Ginna and Nine Mile 1 and 2 on October 15," Reynolds added. "In 1996, after Governor Rowland took a 45-minute tour of Millstone, he pronounced it safe and he tried to assure the public that everything was being done right," said Reynolds. "It was only two or three months later that the NRC shut all three reactors down because of rampant safety violations that had been endangering the public health and safety for years. As a result, Millstone endured an unprecedented two-year shutdown and it cost $1 billion to start it up again." "If Governor Rowland was so sure everything was right with Millstone then, how can he be so sure everything is right with Millstone now?" Reynolds asked. "Homeland security must begin here at home today," said Besade.

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Did You Know?

Millstone Nuclear Power Station Fact Sheet

Visitors to Southeastern Connecticut:

Did you know that you are entering a 10-mile nuclear evacuation zone? In the event of an accident at the Millstone Nuclear Power Station, located on Niantic Bay in Waterford, you may be required by law enforcement officials to evacuate this region.

Did you know that during routine operations of the Millstone Nuclear Power Station, levels of ionizing radiation are released into the air and water surrounding the plant? Millstone has suffered some of the highest levels of radioactive emissions into the environment of any nuclear power plant in the nation. Southeastern Connecticut suffers the highest rates of childhood leukemia, malignant melanoma, reproductive organ disorders and other diseases as compared with other areas of the State of Connecticut.

Did you know that during routine operations Millstone discharges a thermal plume that washes heated water, radioactive waste byproducts and toxic chemicals onto the shorelines of the public beaches of East Lyme and Waterford. See the attached satellite photographs taken on September 7, 1984 and November 26, 1984. These photographs were taken before Millstone Unit 3 went online in 1986. Millstone Unit 3 alone discharges more than 1 billion gallons of polluted water per day into the Long Island Sound.

Did you know that during routine operations Millstone kills hundreds of millions of fish larvae through its intake structures? This destruction of fish larvae has had a substantial impact on the population of native fish, which are at record low levels.

Did you know that Northeast Nuclear Energy Company pleaded guilty to federal felonies in 1999 involving illegal discharges of toxic chemicals into the Long Island Sound and lying to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission about the qualifications of its nuclear reactor operators?

Did you know that Millstone has run out of space to store its high-level radioactive waste which it has been accumulating onsite for 30 years. Yet it continues to generate new waste. Last October, Millstone disclosed that it had lost track of two of its highly radioactive spent fuel rods. It still has not found them, 10 months later.

Did you know that Millstone's new owner has obtained state funding to promote Millstone? This summer, Millstone's new owner, Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc., has announced an "aggressive community outreach program" in southeastern Connecticut. YOU ARE ITS TARGET.

Do you want to do something to close Millstone?

Join the Connecticut Coalition Against Millstone. Write to us at P.O. Box 184, Mystic, Connecticut 06355. Telephone us at 203-777-0627. Visit us at our temporary quarters at 161 Park Street in New Haven. Check out our website HYPERLINK http://www.mothballmillstone.org www.mothballmillstone.org .

Let your elected officials know you want to close Millstone now.

Let's make southeastern Connecticut safe for families.

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