March 19th, 2011 – NRC does not want to be viewed as managing Fukushima accident – Complications with 4 train seawater system original cost was $750k but then Bechtel upped it to $9.6 million

From: Franovich, Mike
Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2011 10:25 PM
To: Ostendorff, William
Cc: Nieh, Ho; Warnick, Greg; Kock, Andrea; Zorn, Jason
Subject: UPDATE: 2000 Telecon on Fukushima Daiichi Event

Brian Sheron led the call (Virgilio on the line). A much improved briefing that lasted 40 minutes this evening.

* Earlier this afternoon, Borchardt met with representatives from the U.S industry, Naval Reactors, and DOE. The purpose was to discuss having industry mobilize with their Japanese counterparts to take a leadership role in the accident management and follow-up. The NRC does not want to be viewed as managing this accident. Industry reps are engaged with Japanese nuclear industry. GE and Westinghouse worked through the Hitachi and Toshiba companies in Japan as the conduits to Japan nuclear industry.

* Industry will have a meeting at INPO on Monday, actions measure in days not weeks. Will propose to NRC plan.

* Brian was on a 4 pm call with NSC and other agencies involved. Status summary provided by each agency. Pete Lyons came to NRC and sat in with Brian on the call.

* 6:00 pm call with USAID on some complications with the 4 train seawater system to’be shipped to Fukushima on a C17 transport from Australia. Original cost of systems would be $750k but then Bechtel said it would be $9.6 million. USAID does not have that money and so the shipment was stopped. During conference call USAID asked if the equipment will still be needed. NRC said now not needed as first line of defense but would be a backup if the current equipment on site failed. Some political implications if we don’t send anything. So USAID worked with DOD (DOD has money) but one train will be shipped for now based on NRC recommendation. Waiting on DOD paycom approval.

* PMT update: No new info. Our last aerial data is now 36 hours old. No new data available on dose rates at the Daiichi site.

* PMT RASCAL runs being redone assuming a “realistic” worst case even though plant conditions are improving but staff still including 100 meltdown of Unit 4 SFP. The source term that was used for the NRC 50 mile evacuation Press Release also assumed no water in Unit 4 spent fuel pool.

* No new info on 1-131 levels at San Onofre and Diablo Canyon.

* Daiichi units status in the LIA report. Covered again on phone call. Also Unit 3 completed a 13 hour sprays of the top of Rx Building using a 70 foot boom for the sprayers off an unmanned fire truck. Appears to be effective. Unit 4 spraying now in progress. Restarted spent fuel pool cooling at Unit 5.

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