The Michigan Daily-Saturday, May 23, 1981- Page 5
10,000 GALLONS OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE SPILLS
Nuclear plant shuts down
From AP and UPI
ATHENS, Ala. - Nearly 10,000 gallons of radioac-
tive water gushed from a leaking reactor at the
nation's largest nuclear plant yesterday, triggering
an emergency and forcing a partial shutdown of the
$1 billion Browns Ferry power station.
Officials said the leak did not contaminate any
workers and no radiation escaped from the contain-
ment building.-
THE TENNESSEE Valley Authority, which
operates the north Alabama plant near Athens, said
the leak was stopped about 11:45 a.m., and the reac-
tor brought to a cold shutdown by noon. The alert was
canceled.
Utility officials said the reactor, which reaches a
temperature of 2,000 degrees at full power, had to be
cooled down before workers could enter the massive
steel and concrete containment building and fix the
leak.-
Technicians entering the containment after a spill
require thick suits, helmets and air tanks to protect
them. "Right now we are not sure when we will be
able to go in," TVA spokesman Lewis Gwin said.
ALTHOUGH THE cause of the leak has not yet
been determined, Gwin said, "we suspect it was a
seal on one of the circulating pumps that :circulates
cooling water through the reactor."
"It does not appear to be serious, but all accidents
such as this are serious. You have highly radioactive
water leaking," Gwin said.
TVA officials said they do not believe they will have
to vent any radioactive steam into the atmosphere to
fix the leak.
JOE GILLILAND, a spokesman for the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission in Atlanta, said there was
"no major safety problem" at the plant.
"We don't think it'severy serious in terms of our
emergency guidelines," Gilliland said. "Our
designations for anything potentially serious range
from an 'unusual event' to a 'general emergency.' It
looks like this was an 'unusual
event' ... It's something that requires immediate
attention, but it does not necessarily mean there's
any imminent danger."
In Washington; NRC spokesman Frank Ingram
said the commission was informed of the prollem
during the early morning hours as part of normal
procedures.
PLANT OPERATORS reduced power and then
shut down the unit before any of the reactor's safety
systems operated automatically, said Jim Hufham,
director of TVA's emergency control center in Chat-
tangoga, Tenn.
4 "site alert" was declared at 12:45 a.m. when
drains in an enclosed area around the reactor vessel,
called the drywell, indicated cooling water was
leaking at the rate of 21 gallons a minute, he said.
The drywell containment facility was designed to
hold leaks from the circular system that cools the
nuclear fuel rods at each unit, according to TVA
spokesman Gil Francis.
A "SITE ALERT" means an actual or potential
emergency is under way at a nuclear plant and
requires plant officials to have emergency personnel
standing by, according to TVA spokesman Bruce
Cadotte.
The plant's safety systems are capable of adding
cooling water to the reactor as rapidly as 5,000
gallons a minute, Hutham said, but Nuclear
Regulatory Commission regulations require the
reactor to be shut down for any leak larger than five
gallons a minute.
The reactor, which had been operating at full
power, was reduced to 30 percent power, then shut
down normally at 1:23 a.m., he said.
BY 3 A.M., the leak-had fallen to 15 gallons a
minute, indicating the shutdown was continuing
normally, he said.
Hufham said plant operators would open the en-
closed drywell area to examine the leak after the
shutdown was completed yesterday.
Regents
approve
'faculty
promotions
Continued from Page 1)
accommodation with the surrounding
architecture.
Also approved was a recommen-
dation for a 1000-space parking struc-
ture 'for the Replacement Hospital
Project expected to be ready for use by
October, 1982.
TO SECURE financing for the struc-
ture, a bond sale is being contemplated
in July, Brinkerhoff said. If costs
should escalate further, the deficit may
have to be financed with increased
student fees.
Baker said he objected to moving
student fees into the "hospital arena."
However; Brinkerhoff said it is normal
to use student fees as a back-up
security measure in a large financing
plan.
Also, a temporary staff parking
structure will be built near North Cam-
pus on Mitchell field by next summer.
Funding for the structure-which
shouldn't "infringe on recreation
programs"-will come from the
University Hospital.
THE REGENTS also approved
renovations of the Law School, the first
floor clinic of University Health Ser-
vice, and erection of a storage facility
for the Housing Division.
In the Law School, the eighth floor of
the Legal Research Building will be
converted to a faculty research space,
and an area on the fifth level for faculty
offices. Some of the "deteriorated"
flagstone walks on the Law Quadrangle
also have been slated for repair.
Daily staff writer Pam Fickinger
filed a report for this story.
(!Ulu~b D r0Iip EtUtEE
CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY
Huron Valley Mission
301 North Ingalls
(two blocks north of Rackham
Graduate School)
668-6113
Sunday Service-2:30 p.m.
Rev. Marian K. Kuhns
FIRST UNITED METHODIST
CHURCH
120 S. State St.
( Corner of State and Huron)
Worship Schedule:
8:30 a.m.-Holy Communion in the
Chapel.
9:30 and 11:00 a.m.-Morning Wor-
ship in the Sanctuary.
Sermon for May 24-=-"But God Meant
It For Good," by Dr. Donald B. Strobe.
Church School for all ages-9:30 ap.
and 11 a.m.
Choir Rehearsal-Thursday at 7:15
p.m.
Ministers:
Dr. Donald B. Strobe
Rev. Fred B. Maitland
Dr. Gerald R. Parker
Education Directors: Rose McLean
and Carol Bennington
LORD OF LIGHT LUTHERAN
CHURCH
(The Campus Ministry of the
ALC- LCA)
Gordon Ward, Pastor
801 S. Forest at Hill St.
Sunday Worship Service at 10:30
FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH
OF ANN ARBOR
1917 Washtenaw (corner of Berkshire)
Sunday Services at 10:30 ..
Coffee Hour andtconversation after
services.
Child Care available
Kenneth W. Phifer-Minister 665-6158
CAMPUS CHAPEL
1236 Washtenaw Ct.
A Campus Ministry of the Christian
Reformed Church
Rev. Don Postema, Pastor
10:00 am-Morning Service.
6:00 pm-Evening worship.
* * *
UNIVERSITY LUTHERAN CHAPEL
Serving the Campus for LC-MS
Robert Kavasch, Pastor
1511 Washtenaw Ave.
663-5560
Sunday Worship: 9:00 am (Summer
Hours).
ST. MARY'S CHAPEL
(Catholic)
331 Thompson-663-0557
Weekly Masses:
North Campus Mass at 9:30 a.m. in
Bursley Hall (Fall and Winter Terms).
Rite of Reconciliation-4 p.m.-5 p.m.
on Friday only; any other time by ap-
pointment.
Use Daily
Classifieds
'WHY DO THE HEATHEN RAGE?'
Psalm 2:1 and Acts 4:25
Sometime ago we received a letter from a lady saying she had a son in a
hospital In another State, and "I sure am worried about my son - I hear he
has went against God and I am so worried I can't sleep or eat." (Lady, "has
went" is bad grammar but it is o.k. with me for your statement is
understandable and I know what you are talking about, and that is the main
thing. There are multitudes that sympathize with you, and we asked all such
to offer a prayer for you and your son.)
However, I know at great numbers who have sons and daughters that have
"went against God" that are not worried or troubled. In tact, there are many
who "have went against God" along with their sons and daughters, maybe as
chaperons, paying the expenses, board and lodging and furnishing money for
'fire-water,' and fine and high-powered autos to make better time as they
"went against God!" Sad to say, often they have to pick up tabs for wrecks,
doctor, hospital and even funeral bills. Thank God the devil has not gotten
you to the place where you can observe such things and conduct without
being terribly worried and troubled. In this connection would call your
attention to the 9th chapter o Ezekiel.
This lady's worry -and trouble calls to mind same at my own worry and
trouble: ItlIs about my Uncle, MY DEAR UNCLE SAM! ALAS! ALAS! HE, TOO,
"HAS WENT AGAINST GOD!" Why, he won't let his little school children
pray to God or read God's Book in the place of learning. Uncle Sam forbids
them asking The Creator of Heavens and Earth, the Universe and all things,
for their "daily bread," to "deliver us from evil" - no wonder the devil is
catching so many of them. Mrs. John Wesley taught her boys John and
Charles their letters and to read by using the first chapter of The Bible, God's
Book. Those two boys did not turn out so bad! It sure seems to me that dear
old Uncle Sam "has went against God!"
P.O. BOX 405 DECATUR, GEORGIA 30031