ML023310658

G20020577/LTR-02-0646 - Norman Cohen Ltr Re 2.206 - Salem, Unit No. 2

ML023310658
Person / Time
Site:	Salem
Issue date:	11/27/2002
From:	Zwolinski J NRC/NRR/DLPM
To:	Cohen N UNPLUG Salem Campaign
Fretz, R, NRR/DLPM, 415-1324
Shared Package
ml023310668	List: ML022880268 ML023310658
References
2.206, G20020577, LTR-02-0646, TAC MB6508
Download: ML023310658 (5)

Text

November 27, 2002 Mr. Norm Cohen, Coordinator The UNPLUG Salem Campaign Coalition for Peace and Justice 321 Barr Avenue Linwood, NJ 08221

Dear Mr. Cohen:

Your petition dated October 8, 2002, addressed to Chairman Meserve has been referred to the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 2.206 (10 CFR 2.206). You requested that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) require PSEG Nuclear LLC (PSEG), the licensee for the Salem Nuclear Generating Station (Salem), to replace the Salem, Unit No. 2 steam generators now, and not wait until the planned replacement date of 2006. If the NRC denied this request, you stated that you would consider agreeing to PSEG replacing the steam generators during the Salem, Unit No. 2 refueling outage in 2004 if the NRC can guarantee, in writing, that the steam generator tubes in Unit 2 will not rupture between now and 2004. In addition, you requested that the NRC require PSEG to use Alloy 690 tubing in the replacement steam generators, and questioned the NRC staffs progress on completing tasks associated with the Steam Generator Action Plan (SGAP). As the basis for your requests, you stated that:

NRC inaction led to the accidents at Indian Point (steam tube rupture) and Davis Besse (almost a [loss of coolant accident] LOCA). NRC allowed both nuclear plants to operate too long in an unsafe condition. We are concerned that allowing PSEG to put profits before safety by waiting until 2006 to replace Unit 2's steam generator is an unnecessary safety risk, especially coupled with the risk of a multiple steam tube rupture which NRC's own ACRS [Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards] committee agrees is possible.

On October 29, 2002, our petition review board (PRB) met with you via a telephone conference call to discuss your petition. The results of that discussion have been considered in the PRBs determination of whether or not the petition meets the criteria for consideration under 10 CFR 2.206.

During the PRB meeting, you provided additional basis for your request. Specifically, you referred to a former PSEG employee who once worked at Salem. This is the same individual who you have mentioned on several occasions as an expert on water chemistry and steam generators, and was at one time involved in discussions about Alloy-600 at Salem. You further recommended that the NRC contact the former PSEG employee since you believe this person has additional information to support your request, and thus may wish to participate in your petition. The NRC staff recently communicated with this individual to discuss your petition in order to determine whether or not he/she had any new information to share concerning Salems steam generators. Based on this conversation, however, the NRC staff understands that the former PSEG employee has declined to participate in your petition.

N. Cohen Therefore, the PRB has concluded that your submittal does not meet the criteria for consideration under 10 CFR 2.206 because you have not provided sufficient information to support the actions you requested. Section 2.206 of 10 CFR states that petitioners must provide facts that constitute the basis for the request. Additionally, Management Directive 8.11, Review Process for 10 CFR 2.206 Petitions, requires that supporting facts be credible and sufficient to warrant further inquiry.

Finally, you concluded the PRB conference call by commenting that you were unsure about the final disposition of the public meeting on steam generators that was held at your request last year. Although I believe the NRC previously sent you a copy, I am enclosing a copy of the summary associated with the August 16, 2001, meeting. The meeting summary addresses, in detail, many of the issues you have raised concerning Salem, including the NRC staffs position on the use of Alloy 600 tubing in steam generators and information on the SGAP. The meeting summary (ADAMS Accession No. ML012760177) is also available for inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland, and from the ADAMS Public Library component on the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

Please feel free to contact Mr. Robert Fretz at 301-415-1324 (rxf@nrc.gov) to discuss any questions related to this petition.

Sincerely,

/RA by SRichards for/

John A. Zwolinski, Director Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-311

Enclosure:

As stated cc: See next page

ML012760177) is also available for inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland, and from the ADAMS Public Library component on the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

Please feel free to contact Mr. Robert Fretz at 301-415-1324 (rxf@nrc.gov) to discuss any questions related to this petition.

Sincerely,

/RA by SRichards for/

John A. Zwolinski, Director Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-311

Enclosure:

As stated cc: See next page DISTRIBUTION: See next page ACCESSION NO. ML023310658 PACKAGE ACCESSION NO. ML023310668 INCOMING ACCESSION NO. ML022880268 OFFICE PDI-2/PM PDI-2/LA PDI-1/SC PDI/D DLPM/D NAME RFretz LCox JAndersen SRichards SRichards for JZwolinski DATE 11/26/02 11/26/02 11/26/02 11/26/02 11/26/02 Distribution for Green Ticket #G20020577 dated November 27, 2002 PUBLIC WTravers WKane CPaperiello PNorry JCraig SCollins/JJohnson BSheron JGoldberg, OGC SBurns, OGC KCyr, OGC OGC OPA OCA EDO Reading File NRR Mailroom (GT #G20020577)

NRR/ADPT Secretary (KJohnson)

TMarsh LCox SRichards JAndersen RFretz (hard copy)

PDI-2 Reading File HMiller, Region I GMeyer, Region I BPlatchek Region I RSubbaratnam/DSkay cc: See next page

PSEG Nuclear LLC Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 cc:

Mr. Harold W. Keiser Lower Alloways Creek Township Chief Nuclear Officer & President c/o Mary O. Henderson, Clerk PSEG Nuclear LLC - X04 Municipal Building, P.O. Box 157 Post Office Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Dr. Jill Lipoti, Asst. Director Mr. David F. Garchow Radiation Protection Programs Vice President - Operations NJ Department of Environmental PSEG Nuclear - X04 Protection and Energy P.O. Box 236 CN 415 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Trenton, NJ 08625-0415 Mr. John T. Carlin Richard Hartung Vice President - Nuclear Reliability and Electric Service Evaluation Technical Support Board of Regulatory Commissioners PSEG Nuclear - N10 2 Gateway Center, Tenth Floor P.O. Box 236 Newark, NJ 07102 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Regional Administrator, Region I Mr. Gabor Salamon U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Manager - Nuclear Safety and Licensing 475 Allendale Road PSEG Nuclear - N21 King of Prussia, PA 19406 P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Senior Resident Inspector Salem Nuclear Generating Station Jeffrie J. Keenan, Esquire U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission PSEG Nuclear - N21 Drawer 0509 P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Ms. R. A. Kankus Joint Owner Affairs PECO Energy Company Nuclear Group Headquarters KSA1-E 200 Exelon Way Kennett Square, PA 19348