Platts - Monday, May 17, 2004
http://www.platts.com

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STP-1 wins top industry award

New Orleans (Platts)--14May2004

STP Nuclear Operating Co. received top honors as the
nuclear industry's "Best of the Best" yesterday for its
handling of first-of-a-kind leaks found last year on
pressure vessel bottom penetrations at South Texas
Project-1. The utility's solution was "a model for our
industry," Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) President and
CEO Joe Colvin said in presenting the Top Industry
Practice award at the NEI Nuclear Energy Assembly in New
Orleans. STP-1 resumed operations four months after the
leak was found, allowing it to avoid millions of dollars
in costs associated with extended outages. The utility
also devised new equipment to deal with the problem.
Practice runs that crews performed on a mockup of the
bottom head also led to a plant design change that
significantly lowered the exposure rates for removing
and replacing vessel insulation. Colvin also praised the
utility for regularly informing federal and state
regulators and the public as repairs progressed.

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WANO celebrates 15th anniversary

London (Platts)--14May2004

The World Association of Nuclear Operations (WANO) will
celebrate its 15th anniversary tomorrow as an
organization promoting the highest levels of safety and
reliability for nuclear power plants. WANO was
officially established on May 15, 1989 in Moscow, with
the backing of 144 nuclear utility executives from
around the world. The 1986 accident at Chernobyl
prompted the formation of the organization. "WANO has
achieved excellent records which few people could have
expected," WANO Chairman Hajimu Maeda said in a
statement today, "but there still remains a lot for WANO
to attain in the field of nuclear safety." Over the
years, WANO has conducted more than 220 peer reviews of
members' nuclear facilities, among various other
activities, such as workshops, document exchanges, and
tracking plant performance industry-wide, it says.

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