City Council Minutes 12-12-2011 SpecialMINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING — MONTICELLO CITY COUNCIL
Monday, December 12, 2011— 6 p.m.
Mississippi Room, Monticello Community Center
Present: Clint Herbst, Lloyd Hilgart, Tom Perrault, Brian Stumpf
Absent: Glen Posusta
Others: Jeff O'Neill, Tim O'Connor and Pat Thompson (Xcel Energy)
1. Call to Order
Mayor Herbst called the meeting to order at 6 p.m, and welcomed Tim O'Connor and Pat
Thompson from Xcel Energy.
2. Purpose of Meeting
Xcel Energy presentation about Monticello Nuclear Plant
3. Xcel Energy Presentation
Site Vice President, Tim O'Connor, was introduced by Pat Thompson. Mr. O'Connor
explained that he has responsibility for operations at Monticello Nuclear Plant and the
business plan for those operations. He will be talking about the Monticello Nuclear
Generating Plant (MNGP) and how it compares to the Fukushima Plant in Japan. The
Monticello plant is a boiling water reactor which produces power. They are on a 22-
month refueling cycle with outages scheduled during each cycle. Mr. O'Connor
discussed the focus of the Monticello plant which has always been their philosophy:
• Nothing is routine
• Take the time to challenge uncertainty
• No Risk option — first choice
• Stop /Engage when we hear justifications
• Methodical fact -based decision making
• Risk activities are clearly identified with clear owners
• Verify commitments in detail and follow through
Mr. O'Connor showed a slide of the 6 reactors that make up the Fukushima plant. When
the earthquake took place on March 11, it was followed by a huge tsunami, which caused
immense damage to the power plant. Emergency diesel generators started up but failed
with the tsunami. Battery power did not last long enough to sustain operations when the
battery power was depleted. Due to the circumstances surrounding the loss of power, the
reactors themselves eventually failed.
It is unlikely that the Monticello plant would be hit with both an earthquake and tsunami
at the same time. The plant is designed to cope with loss of off -site power and
emergency diesel generators and can withstand earthquakes, tornadoes and floods. Mr.
Special City Council Minutes— December 12, 2011 Page 1
O'Connor covered a variety of defenses that are provided for safety in the Monticello
plant.
• Defense in Depth Operating and Design philosophy with multiple barriers of
protection
• Containment design and improvements since 1979
• Security Upgrades
• Procedures and Training
• Natural Disasters — can withstand earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, fire, extreme
cold (dry cask storage is also protected)
• Operating Experience
• Emergency Preparedness
Mr. O'Connor reviewed some of the measures taken by U.S. power plants in the wake of
events in Japan.
Clint Herbst asked why European power plants haven't taken some of the measures that
the U.S. plants have taken. Mr. O'Connor explained that there are different standards and
different philosophies in Europe. There is a world regulatory body that is trying to
standardize plants around the world by incorporating lessons learned from the Japan
experience.
Mr. O'Connor stated that he is very confident that the Monticello plant would be able to
withstand whatever disaster might come their way. Jeff O'Neill asked about fuel pool
management and whether that has changed since the Fukushima incident. Mr. O'Connor
noted that there have been a number of changes in the processes and practices to maintain
water coverage in the fuel pool. Jeff O'Neill asked Mr. O'Connor to comment on the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and how they affect the plant. NRC is the
agency that issued the operating license for the MNGP. They are very complete in their
inspections and compliance checks. The NRC is an independent agency that provides
oversight for nuclear plants in the United States.
Mr. O'Connor noted that whenever there is some type of concern, he contacts the Mayor
to apprise him of the situation. He welcomes Council to take a tour of the plant and
contact him if they would like more information.
4. Adiournment
Mayor Herbst adjourned the special meeting at 6:38 p.m.
Recorder: Catherine M. Shuman Cpij.i
Approved: January 9, 2012
Attest:
City Administrator
Special City Council Minutes— December 12, 2011 Page 2