ML18039A885
| ML18039A885 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Browns Ferry  |
| Issue date: | 10/08/1999 |
| From: | Dicus G, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Lochbaum D UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9910180026 | |
| Download: ML18039A885 (8) | |
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CHAIRMAN Mr. David A. Lochbaum Nuclear Safety Engineer Union of Concerned Scientists 1616 P Street, N.W., Suite 310 Washington, D.C. 20036-1495 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 October 8, 1999 Distribution:
MTravers CPaperiello FMiraglia PNorry JBlaha
- SCollins, NRR
- RBarrett, NRR
- KCyr, OGC
- MKane, NMSS
- AThadani, RES MSpringer, ADM G19990454.
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Dear Mr. Lochbaum:
I am responding to your letter of September 3, 1999, regarding an event last year at Browns Ferry Unit 3, where a rise in spent fuel pool water temperature went undetected for approximately two days. The Browns Ferry event is relevant to our ongoing assessment of risk associated with decommissioning activities, and we willconsider its significance in our technical assessment of spent fuel pool risk.
Your letter expressed concern about non-conservativeness in the industry's approach to risk-informed regulation and encouraged the staff to continue diligently guarding against unwarranted erosions of safety margins.
The NRC intends to ensure that risk-informed initiatives are implemented in a manner that maintains safety margins, preserves defense-in-depth, and retains the capability to monitor safety performance.
With regard to your hope that the NRC willconsider all industry experience as it continues on the road to risk-informed regulation, I want to assure you that the agency is committed to the use of current and accurate operating experience in all regulatory activities. The NRC's Accident Sequence Precursor (ASP) program has demonstrated that probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) is one of the most consistent and objective method for the analysis of operational experience.
Moreover, much of the reliability and availability data that form the basis of PRA analyses are derived directly from operating experience.
Our efforts to establish risk-informed regulatory activities willcontinue to be guided by the most significant and relevant operating experience.
Please contact Richard Barrett of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation at 301 -41 5-31 83, if you have any further questions or wish to discuss this issue further.
Originated by:
)RBarrett, NRRj 99i0180026 991008 CF ADGCK 050002'P6 PDR Sincerely,
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D. A. Lochbaum availability data that form the basis of PRA analyses based directly on operating experience.
Our efforts to establish risk-informed r ulatory activities willcontinue to be guided by the most significant and relevant operating exp rience.
Please contact Richard Barrett of my staff at 1-415-3183 if you have any further questions or wish to discuss this issue further.
Sincerely, DISTRIBUTION:
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/99 O/ 3/99 DOCUMENT NAME: A:FGT990454Lochbaum.wpd qfp y g OFFICIALRECORD COPY This correspondence addresses policy issueis:previously resolved by the Commission, transmits factual information, or restates Commission policy.
EDO Principal Correspondence Control PROM:
DUE: 09/20/99 EDO, CONTROL: G19990454 DOC DT: 09/03/99 FINAL REPLY:
David A. Lochbaum Union of Concerned Scientists TO:
Chairman Dicus FOR SIGNATURE OF Chairman DESC-
DATE: 09/09/99 ASSIGNED TO:
CONTACT:
NRR Collins SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:
INADEQUATELY MONITORED SPENT FUEL POOL TEMPERATURE AND OPERATOR RESPONSE TIMES AT PERMANENTLY CLOSED PLANTS Travers Knapp Miraglia Norry Blaha Burns Paperiello,NMSS
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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET PAPER NUMBER:
CRC-99-0421 LOGGING DATE: Sep 8 99 ACTION OFFICE:
EDO AUTHOR:
AFFILIATION:
ADDRESSEE:
LETTER DATE:
SUBJECT:
DAVID LOCHBAUM DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CHAIRMAN DICUS Sep 3 99 FILE CODE:
INADEQUATELY MONITORED SPENT FUEL POOL TEMPERATURE AND OPERATOR RESPONSE TIMES AT PERMANENTLY CLOSED PLANTS ACTION:
DISTRIBUTION:
Signature of Chairman CHAIRMAN, RF SPECIAL HANDLING: SECY TO ACK CONSTITUENT:
NOTES:
DATE DUE:
SIGNATURE:
AFFILIATION:
OCM 44526 "CHAIRMAN'S CORRESPONDENCE" Sep 22 99 DATE SIGNED:
EDO --G19990454