FPL shuts down St. Lucie reactor due to flooding

The Palm Beach Post reports that FPL has shut down an 839-megawatt nuclear reactor unit at its St. Lucie power plant due to flooding from Tropical Storm Fay.

The report cited an FPL spokesperson as saying the St. Lucie 1 reactor was taken offline early Wednesday morning, while the 839- megawatt St. Lucie 2 reactor continues to work at full capacity.

Read the full PB Post report online, here.

Turkey Point Unit 4 nuclear reactor shut down

FPL has blamed a "small leak" of reactor coolant for the shutdown Friday of a nuclear unit at Turkey Point, according to news reports.

A report at Sun-Sentinel.com by Julie Patel, quoted FPL spokesman Mayco Villafana as saying the reactor was shut down "to repair a connection between two small pipes that lead to a valve. The valve is used for equipment testing when the unit is offline for refueling."

A report in the Miami Herald by John Dorschner said that the leak occurred on Unit 4 of the nuclear plant and caused the unit to be turned off through Sunday. The Herald story ("FPL nuclear reactor taken off-line") also said:

The event report filed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said the shut-down was ''required by technical specifications'' after a leak developed from a "structural weld crack. . . . The cause of the crack is being evaluated.''

The full Herald Story can be read online at Everglades Earth First!

FPL's Miami-Dade Lobbyist List: courtesy of Eye on Miami

For the record, Eye on Miami has published the most recent registered list of FPL lobbyists who work the Miami-Dade Commission and County government and who are required to register with the County each June.

This follows on Eye on Miami's post on 2008 registered FPL lobbyists statewide, which we posted to this site in March.

This most recent list at County level is a lengthy roll-call of expensive attorneys and others who lobby Miami-Dade to get their client's way on everything from "Permitting and Zoning Matters" for the Turkey Point Nuclear Units 3 & 4, to electric power generation to "unusual use" applications (hmmm ... wonder what that might be!)

Full list is online here and well worth a read, as are the various FPL-related posts at Eye on Miami that you can find with a quick "FPL" search of the site. In the spirit of "open source," we're taking the liberty of reposting the list for Stop FPL readers, below:

JEFFREY BERCOW
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 3 & 4 6/9/2008
Open
RAMON FERRER
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 3 & 4 6/9/2008
Open
MICHAEL A GIL
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 3 & 4 6/9/2008
Open
BARBARA P LINKIEWICZ
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 3 & 4 6/9/2008
Open
MICHAEL RADELL
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 3 & 4 6/9/2008
Open
PAMELA RAUCH
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 3 & 4 6/9/2008
Open
MANNY RODRIGUEZ, JR.
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 3 & 4 6/9/2008
Open
STEVEN SCROGGS
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 3 & 4 6/9/2008
Open
MICHAEL TAMMARO
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 3 & 4 6/9/2008
Open
JEFFREY BERCOW
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 6 & 7 6/9/2008
Open
RAMON FERRER
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 6 & 7 6/9/2008
Open
MICHAEL A GIL
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 6 & 7 6/9/2008
Open
BARBARA P LINKIEWICZ
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 6 & 7 6/9/2008
Open
MICHAEL RADELL
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 6 & 7 6/9/2008
Open
PAMELA RAUCH
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 6 & 7 6/9/2008
Open
MANNY RODRIGUEZ, JR.
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 6 & 7 6/9/2008
Open
STEVEN SCROGGS
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 6 & 7 6/9/2008
Open
MICHAEL TAMMARO
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 6 & 7 6/9/2008
Open
MELISSA TAPANES LLAHUES
MISCELLANEOUS PERMITTING AND ZONING MATTERS
TURKEY POINT UNITS 6 & 7 6/9/2008
Open

And here is a list of Lobbyists who registered earlier, but their contracts are still in play:

GUILLERMO OLMEDILLO
NONE 10/10/2006
Open
ALBERT DOTSON, JR.
TURKEY POINT ZONING ISSUES 3/13/2007
Open
CARTER N MCDOWELL
TURKEY POINT ZONING ISSUES 3/13/2007
Open
STANLEY PRICE
TURKEY POINT ZONING ISSUES 3/13/2007
Open
JEFFREY BERCOW
ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATOR 3/14/2007
Open
MANUEL J ECHEZARRETA
ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATOR 3/14/2007
Open
MICHAEL A GIL
ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATOR 3/14/2007
Open
MICHAEL RADELL
ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATOR 3/14/2007
Open
MELISSA TAPANES LLAHUES
ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATOR 3/14/2007
Open
ROB CURTIS
ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATOR 3/15/2007
Open
STEPHEN W CARNEY
ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATOR 3/16/2007
Open
JEFFREY BERCOW
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
Open
STEPHEN W CARNEY
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
Open
ROB CURTIS
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
Open
MANUEL J ECHEZARRETA
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
Open
RAMON FERRER
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
Open
MICHAEL A GIL
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
Open
MICHAEL RADELL
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
Open
MANNY RODRIGUEZ, JR.
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
Open
MELISSA TAPANES LLAHUES
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
Open
JOAQUIN E VARGAS
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/23/2007
Open
PAMELA RAUCH
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/31/2007
Open
STEVEN SCROGGS
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/31/2007
Open

How FPL tries to fool customers with 'Sunshine Energy" surcharge

Great post over at Eye on Miami titled "How electric utilities abuse us"

Ol' Gimleteye ponders how FPL tries to get its customers to pay extra through a "Sunshine Energy" surchage on our monthly bills to provide clean energy, which is of course "something FPL should have been doing for its customers all along."

Noting that while the FPL-touted reputation as the largest wind energy producer nationwide does nothing for Floridians (that's generated by FPL in Texas, not here in the home state), Gimleteye goes on to ask pointedly how one would know if the extra charge would be "going to serve its stated purpose: development of alternative energy in Florida by FPL?"

And, citing a story in the Palm Beach Post, goes on to respond that the Florida Public Service Commission apparently has the same question ...

As reported by The Palm Beach Post last week, a probe of FPL’s “Sunshine Energy” program “began in September with requests to the company for documents and explanations. FPL repeatedly responded by filing records under seal, saying the related documents were “proprietary business information” and “contractual vendor data”. Finally, FPL opened its books.

“The bulk of the $9.5 million raised in FPL’s Sunshine Energy Program between 2004 and 2007 was paid to a contractor in Texas for salaries, office expenses, business travel, research, marketing and a public relations consultant to administer the program.” (Palm Beach Post, June 20, 2008, “Bulk of FPL money for renewable energy goes to start-up costs”)

“In the final report, released May 30, all of the findings were blacked out at the request of FPL. However, in papers filed with the state this week, FPL asked the commission to keep only a few sentences confidential because it is “proprietary business information”.

We wouldn't want to steal any more of the punch from this great Eye on Miami post, so we suggest one go on over and read it in its entirety, here.

FPL fined $130,000 for Turkey Point security lapses

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has fined Florida Power & Light $130,000 for security failures at the Turkey Point nuclear facility in Miami-Dade County.

In a letter dated April 9th and addressed to Mr. J. A. Stall, Senior Vice President, Nuclear and Chief Nuclear Officer at FPL, the commission's Acting Regional Director, Victor M McCree, cited "multiple incidents of inattentiveness" on the part of Wackenhut private security guards at Turkey Point during 2004-06 as the root cause of the fine.

What's more, McCree wrote, the "security officers at Turkey Point were willfully inattentive to duty, or served as lookouts such that other security officers could be inattentive while on duty.

"The NRC considers this matter to be a significant security concern on several levels. Inattentive security force members have a potential negative impact on the ability of FPL to provide high assurance that its security response strategy can be effectively implemented. The willful aspects, and the complicity and facilitation by other security personnel of inattentive behavior on the part of fellow security personnel on duty, is of particular concern to the NRC and cannot be tolerated. In addition, the fact that multiple examples were identified indicates that this behavior was more than an isolated occurrence during the 2004-2006 timeframe."

After previous notifications by the commission, the letter said that FPL was given the opportunity to provide evidence that the security problems had been corrected. But, the letter continued:

"... insufficient information was provided to permit the NRC to conclude that the FPL has determined the root and contributing causes of the violation examples, such that it can conclude that prompt and comprehensive corrective actions were taken that will prevent violations of similar root causes. In particular, based on the docketed correspondence, FPL failed to thoroughly evaluate and address the root and contributing causes of security force inattentiveness and the complicity and facilitation by other security personnel of inattentive behavior, while on duty. In addition, FPL provided insufficient detail as to specific corrective actions that have been taken or planned to address recurring problems with its lack of managerial oversight of its onsite security contractor."

Read the full text of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's letter online, here.

FPL lobbyists at State and Miami-Dade County levels

Amazing post earlier this year at Eye on Miami: Who are the lobbyists for Florida Power and Light, published by Genius of Despair.

The list is reposted herewith, but comments by Eye on Miami co-blogger Gimleteye at the original post are also very well worth the read for those seeking additional insight into how many resources FPL pours into "having its way" with our State and Miami-Dade elected officials.

State Lobbyists for Florida Power & Light 2008:

Ballard, Brian D.
Bryan, Patrick M.
Chamizo, Jorge
Clark, Susan F.
Dickinson, Fred O., III
Dunbar, Peter M.
Hamilton, Paul W.
McKinley, William T.
Parrish, Louis B.
Parrish, Ralph B.
Poole, Van B.
Smith, Jim
Turbeville, William Gregory
Williams, J. Larry

State Lobbyists for Florida Power & Light 2007:

Aleksander, Deborah R. —WD—09/28/2007
Arnall, Joe H. —WD— 09/04/2007
Ballard, Brian D.
Blanton, Travis W.
Book, Ronald L.
Bryan, Patrick M.
Chamizo, Jorge
Clark, Susan F.
Dickinson, Fred O., III
Dunbar, Peter M.
Edenfield, Martha J.
Ericks, David L.
Gomez, Fausto B.
Hamilton, Paul W.
Johnson, Jon E.
Matthews, Frank E.
McKinley, William T.
Parrish, Louis B.
Parrish, Ralph B.
Poole, Van B.
Reyes, Manuel (Manny)
Sanford, Paul P.
Smith, Jim
Turbeville, William Gregory
Williams, J. Larry
Wilson, Richard P.
Wilson, W. James
Woods, Andrew L.

At the County:

JEFFREY BERCOW
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
STEPHEN W CARNEY
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
ROB CURTIS
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
MANUEL J ECHEZARRETA
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
RAMON FERRER
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
MICHAEL A GIL
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
MICHAEL RADELL
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
MANNY RODRIGUEZ, JR.
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
MELISSA TAPANES LLAHUES
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/17/2007
JOAQUIN E VARGAS
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/23/2007
PAMELA RAUCH
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/31/2007
STEVEN SCROGGS
TURKEY POINT UNUSUAL USE APPLICATION 5/31/2007

Residents say FPL 'massacres' trees in Coconut Grove

Residents of Coconut Grove have blown the whistle on what they say is the "massacre" of trees along Main Highway.

Reported at Coconut Grove Grapevine, one resident of 26 years said that "along Main Highway the incredible trees that once covered the road now how gaping holes."

Apparently, the Reuters news agency has picked up the story and there's more to come ...

Statewide power blackout: Turkey Point or substation the cause?

FPL gave differing reports Tuesday about the cause of a power outage that left an estimated 3 million Floridians from Daytona to the Florida Keys without power.

According to a story posted at the website of NBC-6, the cascading blackout shut down Turkey Point nuclear plant and left about a fifth of the state's population without power, snarling evening rush-hour traffic for many commuters. But, FPL issued differing reasons for the blackout:

An FPL spokesman initially said its nuclear plant caused the outages. But the utility's nuclear spokesman, Dick Winn, later said the electric grid problems caused both Turkey Point reactors to shut down.

For great video footage and the full story at the NBC-6 website, click here.

FPL's St. Lucie wind-turbine plan illegal, says Commissioner

St. Lucie County Commissioner Doug Coward has said flat out that FPL plans to put wind turbines on public conservation land within the county is illegal.

In a story this week published online at TCPalm.com, Coward was quoted as saying FPL plant to put six wind turbines "on property it owns and three on Blind Creek Park — state-owned environmentally sensitive land leased by the county" is illegal because voters never authorized construction of the turbines on the conservation property.

In 1994, St. Lucie County voters agreed by referendum to pay additional taxes so the county could acquire environmentally significant land for recreation and the protection of wildlife habitat. Coward read the ballot language to residents, which he called clear and unambiguous.

"If you notice there is no mention of an industrial wind turbine in that referendum language," Coward said. “The county attorney has reviewed the proposal, and he has determined the use of this site (Blind Creek) is illegal. What are we debating? Let’s all go home.”

Read the full story online, here.

UPDATE: FPL drops bid to put wind turbines on public land

Videotaped protest over sleeping Turkey Point guards costs Wackenhut CEO's job

Video of a group of South Florida activists protesting at FPL headquarters in Juno Beach over repeated instances of Wackenhut security guards caught sleeping at Turkey Point nuclear plant from 2004-06 has apparently helped prompt the resignation of Wackenhut CEO Gary Sanders.

The video was posted by Miami multimedia journalist Carlos Miller online at his website and also to YouTube, here.

Miller said on his site that within hours of his posting the video to YouTube yesterday, Wackenhut CEO Gary Sanders resigned.

Sun-Sentinel questions FPL on more Turkey Point nukes

Eye on Miami has published a South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial in Sunday's paper that refreshingly calls into question the FPL push for more nuclear reactors at Turkey Point.

The entire editorial is reprinted at Eye On Miami, so we won't spoil it for readers ...

But here's the editorial's bottom line: "Nukes might be needed, but renewables must not get shortchanged. "

The Eye on Miami post is here.

Bury those lines, Coconut Grove tells FPL

Coconut Grove Village Council Village Council has unanimously voted to have the FPL lines along 27th Avenue buried and called on the city of Miami or Miami-Dade County and FPL to pay all costs, reports Coconut Grove Grapevine.

It's the latest in the ongoing saga on what to do about unsightly power lines along 27th Avenue in the Grove. Residents wanted the lines buried, but FPL says it's "too costly" and just wants to move the concrete poles back.

Read the Grapevine post online at:

http://coconutgrovegrapevine.blogspot.com/2007/09/27th-ave-saga-continues.html

And stay tuned for more ...