ML17313A484
| ML17313A484 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palo Verde  |
| Issue date: | 07/02/1998 |
| From: | Fields M NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | James M. Levine ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE CO. (FORMERLY ARIZONA NUCLEAR |
| References | |
| TAC-M92447, TAC-M92448, TAC-M92449, NUDOCS 9807100083 | |
| Download: ML17313A484 (6) | |
Text
E 9tt, REOIy 4).
ClO I
c ln cs
~O 4y*y4 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 2055&4001 Ouly 2, 1998 Sd-KPZ/WZP/m~~
Mr. James M. Levine Senior Vice President, Nuclear Arizona Public Service Company Post Office Box 53999 Phoenix, Arizona 85072-3999
SUBJECT:
GRADED QUALITYASSURANCE INITIATIVEFOR THE PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION (TAC NOS. M92447, M92448 AND M92449)
Dear Mr. Levine:
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff and the nuclear power industry have been interacting on the Graded Quality Assurance (GQA) initiative for over 3 years.
This initiative included the following GQA volunteer plants:
Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station (PVNGS),
Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, and South Texas Project Electric Generating Station. The staffs primary objective was to develop and document NRC guidelines for a GQA program at a nuclear power plant. During this period, your staff has worked with us in developing the methodology for implementing GQA at PVNGS. These interactions resulted in letters from Arizona Public Service (APS) to the NRC dated April5, 1995, and September 12 and November 13, 1996, and letters from the NRC to APS dated July 24, 1995, and January 24, 1996. The staff also issued meeting summaries dated December 4, 1995 and August 6, 1996, reporting on our visits to the PVNGS site.
On April 8, 1997, the staff sent SECY-97-077, "Draft Regulatory Guides, Standard Review Plans and NUREG Document in Support of Risk Informed Regulation for Power Plants," to the Commission.
The SECY paper requested approval to publish four draft Regulatory Guides, three draft Standard Review Plan sections, and one draft NUREG document that support implementation of risk informed regulation, including GQA. The Commission approved the staffs recommended action and the draft Regulatory Guides, Standard Review Plan sections, and NUREG document were published for public comment on June 25, 1997. A public I
workshop was held on the draft Regulatory Guides on August 12, 1997. On April 2, 1998, the staff sent SECY-98-067, "Final Application-Specific Regulatory Guides and Standard Review Plans for Risk-Informed Regulation of Power Plants," to the Commission.
The SECY paper requested, in part, the Commission's approval for publication of generic guidance documents related to GQA programs.
On June 29, 1998, the Commission approved this guidance with minor comments.
On October 6, 1997, the staff sent SECY-97-229, "Graded Quality Assurance/Probabilistic Risk Assessment Implementation Plan for South Texas Project Electric Generating Station," to the Commission. The SECY paper transmitted the staffs safety evaluation regarding a proposed revision to the Operating Quality Assurance Program that incorporated the methodology for implementation of GQA for the South Texas Project. The Commission did not object to issuance q807<00083 98 PDR ADOCK 050 P
p\\
I
/
l
Mr. James M. Levine duly 2, 1998 of the proposed safety evaluation for the South Texas Project, and it was issued to Houston Lighting 8 Power Company in a letter dated November 6, 1997.
It is our understanding that you willapply GQA at PVNGS on a limited basis with respect to the quality assurance requirements of 10 CFR 50, Appendix B. It should be noted that the NRC staff, in its letters to you, has not made any conclusions with regard to the acceptability of either (1) the GQA process to be used at PVNGS to determine the relative safety significance of plant equipment, or (2) the resulting equipment categorization for PVNGS.
Throughout our interactions with your staff we have stressed the importance of making proper changes to the quality assurance (QA) plan for PVNGS to enable the implementation of GQA in a manner consistent with the regulations (i.e., 10 CFR 50.54(a)). Any QA program changes that do reduce the commitments contained in the QA plan must be submitted to the NRC and receive NRC approval prior to implementation.
The above referenced safety evaluation for South Texas documents the staff review and conclusions of a prototypical GQA program.
We believe that similar provisions may be needed in your QA plan to enable this type of implementation of GQA at PVNGS.
With the issuance of the above referenced South Texas Project GQA safety evaluation.and draft GQA generic documents, the staff has completed its work on the NRC/Industry GQA volunteer plant initiative, and this letter closes out TAC Nos. M92447, M92448 and M92449. Ifyou have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-3062.
Sincerely,,
Original Signed By Mel B. Fields, Project Managei Project Directorate IV-2
, Division of Reactor Projects III/IV Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation jlt'8
~U and STN 50-530 Docket 'Rubin PUBLIC RGramm cc: See next page PDIV-2 Reading
'Dinsmore EAdensam (EGA1)
SBlack WBateman MFields EPeyton OGC ACRS KPerkins, RIVWCFO PGwynn, RIV DOCUMENT NAME:PV-GQA.LTR *See previous concurrence OFC PDIV-2 PDIV-2 NAME gPidgs EPeyt n
DATE 7/ / /98 7/W/98 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY BC/HQMB S Black*
6/24/98 BC/SPSB MRubin*
7/1 /98
0
/
H
Mr. James M. Levine Ou1y 2, 1998 CC:
Mr. Steve Olea Arizona Corporation Commission 1200 W. Washington Street Phoenix, Arizona 85007 Douglas Kent Porter Senior Counsel Southern California Edison Company Law Department, Generation Resources P.O. Box 800
- Rosemead, California 91770 Senior Resident Inspector USNRC P. O. Box 40 Buckeye, Arizona 85326 Regional Administrator, Region IV U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Harris Tower & Pavillion 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Arlington, Texas 76011-8064 Chairman, Board of Supervisors ATTN: Chairman 301 W. Jefferson, 10th Floor Phoenix, Arizona 85003 Mr. Aubrey V. Godwin, Director Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency 4814 South 40 Street Phoenix, Arizona 85040 Ms. Angela K. Krainik, Manager.
Nuclear Licensing Arizona Public Service Company P.O. Box 52034 Phoenix, Arizona 85072-2034 Mr. John C. Home, Vice President Power Supply Palo Verde Services 2025 N. Third Street, Suite 220 Phoenix, Arizona 85004 Mr. David Summers Public Service Company of New Mexico 414 Silver SW, ¹1206 Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102 Mr. Robert D. Bledsoe Southern California Edison Company 14300 Mesa Road, Drop D41-SONGS San Clemente, California 92672 Mr. Robert Henry Salt River Project 6504 East Thomas Road Scottsdale, Arizona 85251 Terry Bassham, Esq.
General Counsel El Paso Electric Company 123 W. Mills El Paso, Texas 79901 Mr. Robert Burt Los Angeles Department of Water & Power Southern California Public Power Authority 111 North Hope Street, Room 1255-B Los Angeles, California 90051
e
~
l L(