Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Athens, Ala., is shown from above.The Tennessee Valley Authority is refueling its oldest reactor this week.
The Unit 1 reactor at TVA's Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Alabama was shut down late Friday for a scheduled refueling and maintenance outage. An additional 850 TVA and contract workers are supplementing the site's regular staff of almost 1,400 employees during the outage. The project will involve more than 163,000 work-hours until the outage is completed later this month.
"The outage is a routine and carefully planned activity so fuel can be replaced and maintenance can be safely performed on key equipment and systems," said Keith Polson, Browns Ferry Plant site vice president.
Unit 1 operated continuously for 254 days during its most recent fuel cycle. Nuclear reactors typically must be refueled every 18 months.
Browns Ferry Units 2 and 3 will both continue to safely operate during the outage.
At full capacity, Browns Ferry's three units generate a combined 3,300 megawatts of electricity, which is 10 percent of TVA's total generation capacity and enough electricity to power 2 million homes.
SRG buys 20 TGIFridays
Southeast Restaurant Group (SRG), which currently operates TGI Fridays restaurants in Alabama and Louisiana, has purchased 20 of the Fridays restaurants being sold by the parent company, including restaurants in Huntsville, Ala., Nashville and Memphis. SRG, an affiliate of the KFK Group, will hire the existing restaurant workers and try to build up the Fridays brand.
"Substantially increasing our commitment to Fridays represents the continued confidence we have in this great brand and further solidifies our already successful partnership," said Elie Khoury, president and CEO of KFK Group, parent company of SRG.
The purchase does not include the TGIFridays in downtown Chattanooga, which shut down last week after the company lease was terminated. Jon Kinsey, the former Chattanooga mayor who manages the building that housed the Chattanooga TGIFridays for the past 21 years, said he is looking to locate another restaurant concept in the structure near the Tennessee Aquarium.
Nearly 4,000 benefit from drywall suit
A federal judge in New Orleans has ruled that nearly 4,000 homeowners who say Chinese drywall ruined their homes are eligible to share any further damages he may award in lawsuits against Taishan Gypsum Co. Ltd., a government-owned manufacturer that failed to show up in court.
Notices of U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon's order were sent to the homeowners in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Virginia, Texas and Alabama, attorney Leonard Davis of New Orleans said Monday. Arnold Levin of Philadelphia, another plaintiffs' attorney, said, "We're going to seek assessment of damages, which could be well in excess of a billion dollars. ... Then we're going to pursue collection, garnishment."