ML031740346
| ML031740346 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Watts Bar  |
| Issue date: | 07/02/2003 |
| From: | Collins S Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Lochbaum D Union of Concerned Scientists |
| Chernoff, M H, NRR/DLPM, 301-415-4041 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML031750304 | List: |
| References | |
| 2.206, BL-01-001, G20030298, TAC MB9497 | |
| Download: ML031740346 (7) | |
Text
July 2, 2003 Mr. David Lochbaum Nuclear Safety Engineer Union of Concerned Scientists 1707 H Street NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20006-3919
Dear Mr. Lochbaum:
Your petition dated May 30, 2003, on behalf of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), and addressed to Dr. William D. Travers, the Executive Director for Operations, has been referred to me pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 2.206 of the Commissions regulations. You requested that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) take enforcement action against the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the licensee for the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, in the form of a Demand for Information. Specifically, you requested that TVA be required to provide specific information on the possible corrosion of the reactor coolant pressure boundary at Watts Bar due to the existence of defects in the stainless steel cladding applied to the interior surface of the carbon steel reactor pressure vessel. The cladding provides corrosion resistance against the borated water used as a reactor coolant. You also requested that the NRC (a) provide UCS with copies of all correspondence sent to TVA regarding this petition and the subject cladding defects at Watts Bar, (b) provide UCS with advance notice of all public meetings conducted by the agency with TVA regarding this petition and the subject cladding defects, (c) provide UCS with an opportunity to participate in all relevant phone calls between NRC staff and TVA regarding this petition and the subject cladding defects at Watts Bar, and (d) provide UCS with copies of all correspondence sent to Members of Congress and/or industry organizations (e.g., the Nuclear Energy Institute, the Electric Power Research Institute, the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations, etc.).
As the basis for your request, you cited NRCs original Safety Evaluation Report issued in 1982, and you stated that the NRC accepted the defects in the stainless steel cladding on the cold leg nozzles of the Watts Bar reactor pressure vessel. In contrast, you also stated that when defects were discovered in the stainless steel cladding of a safety injection accumulator tank, in 1993, it was not deemed permissible to leave them as-is. Furthermore, you noted that the NRC issued two bulletins: Bulletin 2001-01, Circumferential Cracking of Reactor Pressure Head Penetration Nozzles, dated August 3, 2001, requiring all pressurized-water reactor (PWR) licensees to supply information on the control rod drive mechanism nozzles; and Bulletin 2002-02, Reactor Pressure Vessel Head and Vessel Head Penetration Nozzles Inspection Programs, dated August 9, 2002, requiring all PWR licensees to undertake inspections of reactor coolant pressure boundary components and provide information to NRC.
You verbally declined the opportunity to address our Petition Review Board (PRB) concerning your petition. The PRB has determined that your request will be treated pursuant to 10 CFR 2.206 of the Commissions regulations. Your petition did not contain a request for immediate action.
D. A. Lochbaum July 2, 2003 As provided by 10 CFR 2.206, we will take action on your request within a reasonable time. I have assigned Ms. Margaret Chernoff to be the petition manager for your petition.
Ms. Chernoff can be reached at 301-415-4041 (e-mail: mhc@nrc.gov). Your petition is being reviewed by the Division of Engineering in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. I have enclosed for your information a copy of the notice that is being filed with the Office of the Federal Register for publication.
I have also enclosed for your information a copy of Management Directive 8.11, Review Process for 10 CFR 2.206 Petitions, and the associated brochure NUREG/BR-0200, Public Petition Process, prepared by the NRC Office of Public Affairs.
I appreciate your effort in bringing these matters to the attention of the NRC.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Samuel J. Collins, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosures:
- 1. Federal Register Notice
- 3. NUREG/BR-0200 cc w/encls: See next page
D. A. Lochbaum July 2, 2003 As provided by 10 CFR 2.206, we will take action on your request within a reasonable time. I have assigned Ms. Margaret Chernoff to be the petition manager for your petition.
Ms. Chernoff can be reached at 301-415-4041 (e-mail: mhc@nrc.gov). Your petition is being reviewed by the Division of Engineering in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. I have enclosed for your information a copy of the notice that is being filed with the Office of the Federal Register for publication.
I have also enclosed for your information a copy of Management Directive 8.11, Review Process for 10 CFR 2.206 Petitions, and the associated brochure NUREG/BR-0200, Public Petition Process, prepared by the NRC Office of Public Affairs.
I appreciate your effort in bringing these matters to the attention of the NRC.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Samuel J. Collins, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosures:
- 1. Federal Register Notice
- 3. NUREG/BR-0200 cc w/encls: See next page Distribution:
Public G. Caputo, OI ACRS PDII-2 R/F V. McCree, RII OCA W. Travers, EDO L. Reyes, RII OPA C. Paperiello, EDO R. Clark, NRR W. Bateman W. Kane, EDO J. Goldberg, OGC E. Hackett P. Norry, EDO S. Collins, NRR S. Cahill, RII W. Dean, EDO B. Sheron S. Burns, OGC J. Zwolinski/T. Marsh F. Congel, OE NRR DLPM Secretary T. Gorham/S. Taylor : ML021090560 EDO #G20030298 : ML011380727 Response: ML031740346 Incoming: ML031600922 Package: ML031750304 OFFICE PDII-2/PM PDII-2/LA Tech Editor PDII-2/SC NAME MChernoff BClayton PKleene AHowe DATE 06/21/2003 06/27/2003 06/18/2003 06/ 27/2003 OFFICE PDII-2/D DLPM/D ADPT/AD NRR/D NAME EHackett TMarsh for:
JZwolinski BSheron SCollins DATE 06/30/2003 06/30/03 06/30/03 06/30/03 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
Tennessee Valley Authority WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT cc:
Mr. J. A. Scalice Chief Nuclear Officer and Executive Vice President Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402-2801 Mr. Karl W. Singer, Senior Vice President Nuclear Operations Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. James E. Maddox, Vice President Engineering & Technical Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. William R. Lagergren, Site Vice President Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Spring City, TN 37381 General Counsel Tennessee Valley Authority ET 11A 400 West Summit Hill Drive Knoxville, TN 37902 Mr. Robert J. Adney, General Manager Nuclear Assurance Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Mark J. Burzynski, Manager Nuclear Licensing Tennessee Valley Authority 4X Blue Ridge 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Paul L. Pace, Manager Licensing and Industry Affairs Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Spring City, TN 37381 Mr. Larry S. Bryant, Manager Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Spring City, TN 37381 Senior Resident Inspector Watts Bar Nuclear Plant U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1260 Nuclear Plant Road Spring City, TN 37381 Rhea County Executive 375 Church Street Suite 215 Dayton, TN 37321 County Executive Meigs County Courthouse Decatur, TN 37322 Mr. Lawrence E. Nanney, Director Division of Radiological Health Dept. of Environment & Conservation Third Floor, L and C Annex 401 Church Street Nashville, TN 37243-1532 Ms. Ann P. Harris 341 Swing Loop Road Rockwood, Tennessee 37854
7590-01-P U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION DOCKET NO. 50-390 LICENSE NO. NPF-90 TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY RECEIPT OF REQUEST FOR ACTION UNDER 10 CFR 2.206 Notice is hereby given that by petition dated May 30, 2003, Mr. David Lochbaum (petitioner), on behalf of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), has requested that the NRC take action with regard to the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant. The petitioner requested that Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) be required to provide specific information relating to possible corrosion of the reactor coolant pressure boundary at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant due to defects in the stainless steel cladding applied to the interior surface of the carbon steel reactor pressure vessel to provide corrosion resistance against the borated water used as reactor coolant. The petitioner also requested that the NRC (a) provide UCS with copies of all correspondence sent to TVA regarding this petition and the subject cladding defects at Watts Bar, (b) provide UCS with advance notice of all public meetings conducted by the agency with TVA regarding this petition and the subject cladding defects, (c) provide UCS with an opportunity to participate in all relevant phone calls between NRC staff and TVA regarding this petition and the subject cladding defects at Watts Bar, and (d) provide UCS with copies of all correspondence sent to Members of Congress and/or industry organizations (e.g., the Nuclear Energy Institute, the Electric Power Research Institute, the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations, etc.).
As the basis for this request, the petitioner states that in its original Safety Evaluation Report issued in 1982, the NRC accepted the defects in the stainless steel cladding on the cold leg nozzles of the Watts Bar reactor pressure vessel. In contrast, the petitioner states that when defects were discovered in the stainless steel cladding of safety injection accumulator tank, in 1993, it was not deemed permissible to leave them as-is. Furthermore, the petitioner noted that the NRC issued two bulletins: Bulletin 2001-01, Circumferential Cracking of Reactor Pressure Head Penetration Nozzles, dated August 3, 2001, requiring all pressurized-water reactor (PWR) licensees to supply information on the control rod drive mechanism nozzles; and Bulletin 2002-02, Reactor Pressure Vessel Head and Vessel Head Penetration Nozzles Inspection Programs, dated August 9, 2002, requiring all PWR licensees to undertake inspections of reactor coolant pressure boundary components and provide information to NRC.
The request is being handled in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 2.206 of the Commission's regulations. The request has been referred to the Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. As provided by 10 CFR 2.206, appropriate action will be taken on this petition within a reasonable time. The petitioner did not request any immediate action at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant. A copy of the petition is available for inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS should contact the NRC PDR reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
/RA/
Samuel J. Collins, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of July 2003.