ML042330451
| ML042330451 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Davis Besse  |
| Issue date: | 08/17/2004 |
| From: | Tom Gurdziel - No Known Affiliation |
| To: | Smart G FirstEnergy Corp, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| LTR-04-0530 | |
| Download: ML042330451 (4) | |
Text
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET Date Printed: Aug 19,2004 14:52 PAPER NUMBER:
ACTION OFFICE:
AUTHOR:
AFFILIATION:
ADDRESSEE:
SUBJECT:
LTR-04-0530 EDO LOGGING DATE: 08/18/2004 T o bc ey, QKCL E~~'DO C\\.
DEDMRS t_)
DEDH DEDM AO DEDR Plt Tom Gurdziel NY George Smart Davis Besse Restoration ACTION:
DISTRIBUTION:
LETTER DATE:
ACKNOWLEDGED SPECIAL HANDLING:
Appropriate RF 08/17/2004 No Immediate release via SECY/EDOIDPC OCM #5735 NOTES:
FILE LOCATION:
ADAMS DATE DUE:
DATE SIGNED:
Vicki Boffino - G. Smart.doc Paae 1 l I Vicki Bollino - G. Smartdoc Paae 1 Ii 217**
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--.--.-.--"
rA.i,~iHAj P~r'fl 04 AUG 1 8 i1,111: 1 4 9 Twin Orchard Drive Oswego, NY 13126 August 17, 2004 George M. Smart Chairman of the Board FirstEnergy Corp.
76 South Main Street Akron, OH 44308
Dear Mr. George M. Smart:
As I was reading on page 13 of the FirstEnergy Annual Report for 2003, it came to me that the material in the "Davis-Besse Restoration" section did not appear to be completely in accord with my understanding of the effort there.
In paragraph 1 it said:
"The purpose of the formal inspection process is to establish criteria for NRC oversight of the licensee's performance and to provide a record of the major regulatory and licensee actions taken, and technical issues resolved, leading to the NRC's approval of restart of the plant."
I would conclude from these words that a major responsibility of the NRC was to record history. More importantly, the formal inspection process mentioned caused to be formed a special, Davis-Besse-specific committee to oversee the efforts at the plant, not simply to establish criteria.
In paragraph 2 it said:
"We installed a state-of-the-art leak-detection system around the reactor,"
If the definition of "around the reactor" means surrounds the reactor, this is not true.
What you did was install a state-of-the-art leak-detection system only at the bottom of the reactor and NOT in accordance with a typical installation drawing available even to the public on the Internet. (It calls for monitoring (tubing) loops at BOTH the reactor bottom and the top.)
In paragraph 2 it also said:
"We installed.....modified high-pressure injection pumps."
While this is literally true, it would be more complete to say: We installed high-pressure injection pumps that we modified so that they would now be operable under all accident conditions.
I Vicki Baffino - G. Smart~doc Paae 24 Vicki'Bollino - G. Smart.doc Paae 2 Also in paragraph 2 it said:
"Testing of the bottom of the reactor for leaks was completed in October 2003 and no indication of leakage was discovered."
Again, literally true. However, the (lithium) test suggested by the NRC committee chairman was NOT done; the inspection was not done at full (or near full) operating pressure; and the intent was to test the entire reactor vessel, including the new, upper reactor head. Isn't it interesting that no comment was made of leak indications in these areas? (This would include the gaskets for the CRDMs, which, I believe, the NRC Lessons Learned report stated had leaked for as long as 10 years before being replaced in the past.)
On page 14, it said in paragraph 3:
"No additional capital expenditures related to the restoration are expected."
I think I remember a promise to replace the presently installed reactor head with one of improved material. I also believe that a decent estimate of cost for it would be about 23 million dollars. Installation would be additional.
Are these present understandings of mine incorrect?
Thank you, Tom Gurdziel
Vicki Boiling - Fwd: Another Letter Page 1 From:
Sue Gagner To:
Bell, Hubert; Bolling, Vicki; Fortune, Tojuana; Waller, Antoinette Date:
Wednesday, August 18, 2004 9:31AM
Subject:
Fwd: Another Letter Attached is an e-mail that we received in the Office of Public Affairs. Mr. Gurdziel asks that we forward it to the Chairman, the Commissioners, and the Inspector General.
I therefore am forwarding it to you for such handling as you deem appropriate.
Ca
-r o