The Legacy of Davis-Besse: Jack Grobe Interview
Web Exclusive - Posted December 22, 2004
ideastream’s Karen Schaefer spoke with Jack Grobe at his last 0350 panel meeting in December of 2004 about the legacy the Davis-Besse plant leaves behind in the industry and the NRC.

Davis-Besse Post Restart
April 9, 2004
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says the start-up of the Davis-Besse nuclear plant has gone smoothly. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.
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Davis-Besse Power
April 5, 2004
The Davis-Besse nuclear plant is once again generating electricity at full power, after a two-year shutdown. ideastream's Karen Schaefer has more.
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Davis-Besse Comes to Life
March 9, 2004
Yesterday, federal regulators gave owners of the Davis-Besse nuclear plant the green light to restart the facility after a two-year shutdown. Over the next couple of weeks, operators will work to get the plant back on-line. But opponents say they're still not convinced that Davis-Besse can operate safely. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

Davis-Besse Anniversary
March 5, 2004
Tomorrow/Saturday marks/marked the two-year anniversary of the shutdown of the Davis-Besse nuclear plant by federal regulators. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.
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Davis-Besse Tour
February 27, 2004
Journalists were given a rare tour inside the Davis-Besse nuclear plant today. FirstEnergy officials were eager to show off the improvements they've made over the plant's two-year shutdown, as ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.
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Davis-Besse Lessons Learned
February 27, 2004
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says it's making progress on reforming its oversight programs in the wake of damage at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

The federal agency says it has completed about one-third of the recommendations made by a special task force building on lessons learned from the Davis-Besse plant. But it warns the other two-thirds of recommended internal agency reforms may take at least another year or two to complete. Both the agency itself and its internal watchdog were harshly critical of lapses in oversight, training of inspectors, and communications between staff after regulators missed signs of unprecedented corrosion damage discovered at the Toledo plant two years ago. Davis-Besse was forced to replace the head of its reactor at a cost of 50-million dollars. Nuclear reactor researcher Bill Bateman says increased inspections of other high-risk plants have produced results.

Davis-Besse Restart
February 13, 2004
The electric utility blamed by a government task force for causing last August's blackout is asking regulators for permission to re-open the Davis-Besse nuclear plant. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.
Davis-Besse has been shutdown for nearly two years, after workers found a football-sized hole in the reactor. Plant owner FirstEnergy Corporation says it's made more than 600-million dollars in repairs and is now ready to restart. Chief Nuclear Officer Gary Leidich says the company's strong commitment will ensure safe future operations. The damage at Davis-Besse has occasioned intense government oversight. Regulators admit they've seen marked improvement in plant operations and worker performance. But they say they still need more time to consider their decision. It could still be several weeks before authorization to re-open is granted. Karen Schaefer, 90.3.

Davis-Besse Operations
January 23, 2004
Federal regulators say FirstEnergy is making progress on improving operations at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant, but are still questioning whether the company can maintain that performance. ideastream's Karen Schaefer has more.
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Davis-Besse Pumps
October 21, 2003
FirstEnergy officials told federal regulators today/yesterday they've perfected a new design for high-pressure emergency cooling pumps at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant. ideastream's Karen Schaefer has more.
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Davis-Besse Test
October 9, 2003
Managers at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant say a crucial test of the reactor went off relatively smoothly. ideastream's Karen Schaefer has more.
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Davis-Besse Safety Culture
September 30, 2003
Federal regulators will meet this afternoon with operators of the Davis-Besse nuclear plant to discuss long-term changes in their safety culture. ideastream's Karen Schaefer has more.
The meeting is considered key to efforts by Davis-Besse owner FirstEnergy to restart the plant. Weaknesses in management's attitude toward safety were identified both by the company and federal regulators as the primary cause of unprecedented corrosion damage that shut the plant down 18 months ago. Since then, a mostly new management staff has placed new emphasis on safety among plant employees. They say that includes a program where employees can raise safety concerns without fear of reprisal. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says it won't allow the plant to restart until it is satisfied FirstEnergy is putting safety first. The company will spend several hours discussing the results of recent safety culture changes and their plan for long-term compliance. Karen Schaefer, 90.3.

Davis-Besse Test
September 29, 2003
A crucial test of the repaired reactor at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant has suffered another delay, but operators say it shouldn't push back completion by more than a day. ideastream's Karen Schaefer has more.
The reactor pressure test was interrupted again on Thursday night, this time for a timing failure of one of the plant's two auxiliary feed-water pumps. FirstEnergy spokesman Richard Wilkins says after initial efforts to fix the problem failed, the test was halted until repairs were made. The test was originally expected to end Sunday night, but Wilkins says the extra day shouldn't throw off scheduling of test results. It was leakage on the top of the reactor that caused the massive corrosion damage that closed the plant 18 months ago. The pressure test is a dress rehearsal for both the plant and its employees. Federal regulators will talk Wednesday with FirstEnergy about changes in its safety culture. And next week, the company will share results of the reactor test at a public meeting in Camp Perry. Karen Schaefer, 90.3.

NOW with Bill Moyers covers Davis-Besse - click here to learn more about the show.

Davis-Besse Exposure
February 21, 2003
Federal regulators say the owner of a Toledo-area nuclear plant that let workers carry radioactive particles out of the plant to sites in three other states will not be fined. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports:
Earlier this year the Nuclear Regulatory Commission concluded that the plant's managers had broke regulations when they sent workers to do routine repairs inside the reactor's steam generators without adequate protection. Now agency officials say they won't levy fines against plant owner FirstEnergy, because the particles posed no health risk to workers or the public. FirstEnergy managers claim they didn't require the workers to wear protective breathing gear, because the bulky equipment would slow them down and cause longer exposure. Detectors later showed the five men had particles on their clothing, and two had inhaled them. The men left the plant last February and the tiny particles were later found in hotel rooms and homes in Ohio, Texas, South Carolina, and Virginia. Regulators are still investigating acid leaks that ate a six-inch hole through the steel lid of the reactor. The leak was discovered during a refueling outage a year ago and has been shut down ever since. Karen Schaefer, 90.3.

Davis-Besse Documentary
December 27, 2002
At a time when the Bush administration has been calling for new sources of electricity, the troubles at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant near Toledo have been a thorn in the side of operators, lawmakers, and regulators alike. The reactor with a hole in its head has made national headlines and its impact may be even more far-reaching. For the last nine months, ideastream's Karen Schaefer has been following events at the plant. She prepared an in-depth look at what's been happening at Davis-Besse - and what the outlook for the future might be.

Davis-Besse Restart
December 11, 2002
Federal regulators say owners of the damaged Davis-Besse nuclear plant near Toledo are making good progress on getting the plant back in operation. But they say it will probably take at least six more months. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports:
Davis-Besse has been under intense scrutiny from federal regulators since last March, after a hole the size of a football was found corroded nearly through the top of the reactor. At a meeting last night with local residents, Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials said plant owner FirstEnergy is making steady progress toward approval for restart. The company has already spent more $400 million for repairs and replacement electricity. Last week FirstEnergy president Peter Berg told Wall Street he wouldn't support pouring money into the plant indefinitely. That alarmed many plant workers and local government leaders, who now say their confidence in the ability of the Davis-Besse management to operate the plant safely has been restored. NRC senior manager Bill Dean concedes the company does have a shot at re-opening relatively soon. But Dean says FirstEnergy still has numerous issues yet to resolve, most important of which are changes in its safety culture. Karen Schaefer, 90.3.

Lessons Learned From Davis-Besse
December 2, 2002
It's been nearly a year since the Davis-Besse nuclear plant near Toledo was shutdown due to unprecedented corrosion damage. It may still be several months before plant owner FirstEnergy is ready to ask federal regulators for approval to reopen. But the lessons learned by what happened at Davis-Besse are already having an impact on the U.S. nuclear industry. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has at least temporarily increased its oversight of the 68 other nuclear plants that could develop Davis-Besse's problem. And FirstEnergy is planning major design innovations that would be the first of their kind in the U.S.. But critics say some lessons have yet to be learned, much less passed on. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

Davis-Besse Leaks
November 27, 2002
Owners of the damaged Davis-Besse nuclear plant near Toledo plan to test for possible leaks at the bottom of the reactor. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports:
FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company says it will use a small amount of nuclear fuel to bring the reactor up to pressure and temperature to check for possible leaks. Trails of rust and boric acid are what led investigators to look for leakage. It was boric acid leaking out of cracked control rod nozzles on top of the reactor that ate away 70 lbs. of steel, shutting the plant down since March. If no leaks are found, the company will proceed with other repairs in preparation for restart. But if even one leak is discovered, the NRC's Brian Sheron says that opens up the question of whether there are other leaks still waiting to be discovered. FirstEnergy says it won't be ready to start the test until late January or early February. They hope to install new leak detection monitors before Davis-Besse re-opens, a technology that's new to U.S. nuclear plants. Karen Schaefer, 90.3.

Davis-Besse React
November 21, 2002
ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports:
Last night the Nuclear Regulatory Commission held a public meeting to discuss an internal review of its oversight of the Davis-Besse nuclear plant near Toledo. NRC officials say the Lessons Learned Task Force report revealed the agency had recognized the potential for severe boric acid corrosion a decade ago, yet failed to prevent unprecedented corrosion damage at the Davis-Besse plant. But local residents were more concerned about what the agency left out of its review. Residents charge that federal regulators failed to look into a 17-year history of allegations of safety violations at the plant. They also say the review failed to recommend changes that would return public confidence to the agency. The NRC will review 51 changes in regulation and reactor oversight recommended in the report and make their findings public before the end of the year.

Report Leaked
November 21, 2002
A confidential report leaked from the nuclear industry's internal oversight group warns that a focus on safety over production at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant could be a broader problem within the industry. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports:
Reports of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations are not usually shared outside the industry. But yesterday's New York Times reports that a 9-page INPO document marked Code Red: Immediate Attention is receiving a close reading by owners of the nation's 103 nuclear power plants. In it, the report says "the lessons learned from the Davis-Besse event are universal and should be reviewed by all nuclear stations." Plant owner FirstEnergy has admitted that putting profit over safety is what led to massive corrosion damage that's kept Davis-Besse shut down since March. Nuclear industry watchdogs have warned for several years that pressure to compete in a deregulated market could lead to a lowered concern for safety consciousness. Karen Schaefer, 90.3.

NRC Staffing
November 21, 2002
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says endemic staffing problems at the agency made oversight of the damage to the Davis-Besse nuclear plant more difficult. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports:
NRC officials say a shortage of resident and regional nuclear plant inspectors around the country weakened inspection programs at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant near Toledo. They say inspectors were unable to conduct the usual number of inspections during a critical period while the plant was developing coolant leaks that led to massive corrosion damage on the reactor. In a review of its own oversight of the plant, federal regulators admit the failure of their inspection programs played a major role in not catching the corrosion before it ate away 70 lbs. of steel. The NRC's Art Howell, who led the review, says the agency has been having staffing problems for years. Howell says the agency has recently hired more than a hundred new employees, about 4% of its total staff. Karen Schaefer, 90.3.

Davis-Besse Briefing Wrap
October 25, 2002
An Ohio Congressman says he won't support re-opening of the Davis-Besse nuclear plant near Toledo until more questions have been answered. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports:
Congressman Dennis Kucinich held a field briefing in Cleveland yesterday to ask questions he says his constituents still have about the damaged reactor. The Ohio Democrat sits on the House subcommittee on energy policy, which has oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Both the NRC and plant owner FirstEnergy have admitted to failures that led to the unprecedented corrosion damage that has kept the plant shut down since March. Kucinich says he wants FirstEnergy to succeed in making repairs, but not at the expense of public safety.
Dennis Kucinich: I want clarity before I'll ever support the re-opening of any nuclear plant that's had the problems Davis-Besse has.
Kucinich says he'll hold additional briefings until he's satisfied the plant should be re-opened. Karen Schaefer, 90.3.

Radiation Exposure
October 17, 2002
Federal regulators say operators of the Davis-Besse nuclear plant near Toledo failed to adequately check five workers before letting them leave the plant with radioactive particles on their clothing. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports:
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says the particles posed no threat to the public. But the NRC is blaming plant owner FirstEnergy Corporation for failing to assess the risk of radiation exposure to five contract workers. The men had been working on the plant's steam generators in March, when they set off radiation detectors. They were later allowed to leave the plant, but carried at least 16 radioactive particles with them. The NRC's Tom Kozak says two of the workers may have inhaled significant doses of radiation. The NRC still doesn't know how much radiation the workers received. In Oak Harbor, Karen Schaefer, 90.3.

Davis-Besse Hopes to Power Up
October 17, 2002
Owners of a damaged Ohio nuclear plant say they now hope to have the plant ready to restart early next year. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports:
FirstEnergy Corporation had orginally hoped to get the Davis-Besse nuclear plant near Toledo back on-line this fall. But company officials say they're about a month behind their projected schedule and need more time to make repairs. The plant was closed last March after workers found that leaking boric acid had eaten a hole nearly through the lid of the reactor. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has since cited FirstEnergy for multiple violations, but says the company is making progress in correcting the problems that led to the damage. But NRC investigator Jack Grobe says the company must still demonstrate a change in the safety culture at the plant. FirstEnergy must still complete a 7-part checklist before federal regulators will decide the plant can re-open. In Oak Harbor, Karen Schaefer, 90.3.

Davis-Besse Retooling Wrap
October 2, 2002
An Ohio activist group wants owners of the Davis-Besse nuclear plant to consider switching to another source of power. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports:
Ohio Citizen Action says the Davis-Besse nucelar plant would be safer and better serve stockholders if it converted to coal or gas instead. Davis-Besse has been shut down since February after workers found major corrosion damage on the reactor. Owner FirstEnergy is spending more than $280 million in repairs and replacement electricity costs, with no guarantee that federal regulators will allow the plant to re-open. Ohio Citizen's Amy Ryder says a few other companies have made the switch. The group has a launched a public campaign to get the utility to consider moving to another power source. They say it's an issue all aging nuclear plants must eventually face. But FirstEnergy has dismissed the idea. Karen Schaefer, 90.3.

Davis-Besse Exposure Wrap
October 2, 2002
Federal regulators are investigating whether radiation exposure was higher than originally estimated for workers who accidentally carried radioactive particles out of the Davis-Besse nuclear plant. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports:
Last February, five contract workers at the Davis-Besse plant near Toledo carried radioactive particles out of the plant that were later discovered in hotel rooms and homes in at least three other states. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has since determined that a device used to screen workers had been improperly set. Both the NRC and plant owner FirstEnergy agree the tiny, low-level particles posed no threat to the public. But now the NRC's Jan Strassma says the agency wants to know more about the workers' exposure. The NRC says the radioactive particles are not related to corrosion damage which has kept the plant shut down since February. Karen Schaefer, 90.3.

Regulating the NRC
September 24, 2002
Last March, a football-sized hole was found in the lid of the reactor at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant near Toledo. The first question on most people's lips was, how could this have happened? Answers to that question have slowly emerged over the last six months. But there is still no answer to a second question being asked by residents, government officials, and nuclear industry critics... why didn't federal regulators' oversight of Davis-Besse find the problem sooner? This month, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is expected to release a report that may provide some answers. But there's little likelihood the report will satisfy everyone. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

Protesting Efforts At Davis-Besse
August 2, 2002
Local residents and activists groups are beginning to organize protests over efforts to repair the damaged Davis-Besse nuclear plant near Toledo. Many would like to see the plant shut down for good. Others don't believe their voices are being heard by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. They say they've lost faith with the lack of corporate responsibility shown by owner FirstEnergy. They've also lost faith in federal regulators' ability to oversee the safe operation of the nation's nuclear power industry. 90.3 WCPN®'s Karen Schaefer reports.

Davis-Besse Repair Meetings
April 10, 2002
Last week, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission held a public hearing to present its preliminary findings on the damage at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant near Toledo. In March, plant operator FirstEnergy found that leaking acid had eaten a football-sized hole in the lid of the reactor. The NRC's findings make it clear the company should have detected the damage sooner. Now the Commission must decide if FirstEnergy's proposed repair plan will meet operational and safety guidelines. It's meeting with the company today outside Washington. But nuclear industry watchdogs say any repair would be an experiment, since it's the first time this kind of damage has ever been seen. They're calling for replacement, not repair. 90.3 WCPN®'s Karen Schaefer reports.

Update on Inspection of Davis-Besse Hole
April 1, 2002
Federal regulators will brief the public this week on their inspection of the Davis-Besse nuclear plant near Toledo. Last month it was discovered that severe corrosion had eaten nearly all the way through the 6-inch thick lid of the plant's reactor vessel. Since then plant owner FirstEnergy has admitted it failed to inform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission about earlier signs of leaking acid and corrosion. Ohio Congressional leaders are now calling for an investigation of the plant's safety. Meanwhile, energy markets are waiting to hear if the NRC will require costly inspection outages at any of the nation's other 68 nuclear plants of similar design. 90.3 WCPN®'s Karen Schaefer reports.

Hole in Nuclear Reactor Causes Concern
March 14, 2002
This week a hole was discovered in the top of the nuclear reactor at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant near Toledo. While no radiation leaks occurred, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission admits the hole could pose a significant safety risk in the operation of more than half of the country's 103 nuclear plants. The agency is investigating the cause of the damage and considering how best to repair it. But nuclear industry watchdogs say there's no quick fix for the nation's aging nuclear plants. 90.3 WCPN®'s Karen Schaefer reports.