ML17298A501

Expresses Concern W/Damage to Facility Reactor Coolant Pump & Safety of C-E Sys-80 PWR Design.Final Approval of C-E Design Should Be Delayed Until Sys Problems Can Be Thoroughly Diagnosed & Treated

ML17298A501
Person / Time
Site:	Palo Verde, 05000000, 05000470
Issue date:	08/08/1983
From:	Lowenthal J NUCLEAR INFORMATION & RESOURCE SERVICE
To:	Eisenhut D Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 8308090400
Download: ML17298A501 (5)

Text

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SUBJECT:

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<<C.E 'Sys 80 '-PNR" design, Final =-appr oval of C

E design should '-be delayed until <<sys -problems can be thoroughly diagnosed L treated.

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Nuclear Information and Resource Service 1346 Connecticut Avenue NW, 4th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 296-7552 August 8, 1983

'arrell G. Eisenhut Director Division of Licensing Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1717 H Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C.

20555

Dear Mr. Eisenhut:

I am writing to express our deep concern about two separate but related issues:

1) the serious problems recently discovered at Palo Verde 1, and 2) the pending application for a final design approval (FDA) for the Combustion Engineering System-80 PWR nuclear plant, Palo Verde's design.

Severe damage to Palo Verde's reactor coolant pumps and cracks in*the"upper guide structure of the control rod mechanism new phenomena and all of uncertain cause raise important questions about the safety of this reactor design.

Surely these design problems must be thoroughly addressed before a final design approval can even be considered.

The Palo Verde plant has incorporated many design features that are either new to U.S. plants, or new entirely.

These features include the affected reactor coolant pumps and guide tube structure.

The pumps pieces of which were found in the steam generator system and at the bottom of the reactor vessel may require design modifications.

The cracking in the guide structure will require careful analysis before any recommendations can be made.

Experts inside and outside the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have expressed their concerns regarding the possible significance of these problems for Palo Verde in particular, and for the System-80 design more generally.

However, we were extremely disturbed to find that your own staff apparently fails to share such concerns.

In fact, one staff member told us that he saw "no relationship" between the two issues.

We understand that the FDA for this CE plant design is expected within approximately a month, subject to your approval.

Therefore, we now urge you to delay approval, both to avoid making any serious errors with this design, and to prevent setting a

troubling precedent in this new process of plant standardization.

While standardiza-tion may well be admirable in principle, it must.be"more cautiously implemented with regard to':altechnology,that,.is still in its infancy.

Premature permission to stan-dardize experimental technology whether System-80, Gessar II or future designs-may streamline the approval process but at-what cost to public safety?

The Palo Verde case challenges the NRC's all-too-frequent assumption that nuclear technology can be judged innocent until proven guilty.

Any approval of the System-80 design 8308090400 830808 PDR ADOCK 05000470 PDR goo

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August 8, 1983 before Palo Verde's troubles h'ave been thoroughly diagnosed and treated would certainly be counter-productive to the long-term interests of both the industry and the public.

Sincerely, Janet Lowenthal Executive Director cc:

NRC Commissioners Representative Morris K. Udall Representative Edward J. Markey Representative Richard L. Ottinger Senator Alan K. Simpson