ML18092A204

Forwards Responses to Four Questions Identified in Senator Biden 840601 Note Re Plant Rept Card,Followup Investigations After Accident & Resources to Handle Problems W/Safe Plant Operation

ML18092A204
Person / Time
Site:	Salem
Issue date:	06/13/1984
From:	Dircks W NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Kammerer C NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA)
References
NUDOCS 8406210162
Download: ML18092A204 (25)

Text

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MEMORANDUM FOR:

FROM:

SUBJECT:

JUN 1 a 1984 Carl C. Kammerer, Director Office of Congressional Affairs William J. Dircks, Executive Director for Opera ti ans RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS FROM SENATOR BIDEN Enclosed are the responses to the four questions identified in your June 1, 1984 note to our office. Questions 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 were responded to by Region I and Question 3.0 was responded to by the Office of Inspection and Enforcement, supplemented by inputs from the Offices of Research and Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

Enclosures:

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QUESTION 1.

ANSWER.

GENTLEMEN, IN A BROAD SENSE, WHAT I WOULD MOST LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU TODAY IS A REPORT CARD ON THE "PROBLEM CHILD" CALLED SALEM.

FROM THE FIRST DAY OF OPERATION UP TO THE PRESENT, IT HAS SEEMED THAT THE SALEM NUCLEAR POWER PLANT HAS HAD ONE PROBLEM OR ANOTHER, BUT THE INCIDENT LAST YEAR MADE US IN DELAWARE ALL PAUSE TO WONDER WHAT POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER REALLY EXISTS AT SALEM.

DESPITE THE ATTENTION THE SALEM PLANT OPERATION RECEIVED AFTER LAST YEARS ACCIDENT, I SENSE AN UNEASE ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON THERE.

THE COMMISSION'S ANNUAL SAFETY REPORT ON SALEM, THE SO-CALLED "SALP,"

RELEASED LAST MONTH, GAVE THE CATEGORY OF "PLANT OPERATION," THE LARGEST CATEGORY EVALUATED, THE LOWEST MARK POSSIBLE, WHERE DO WE STAND WITH SALEM?

THE SYSTEMATIC ASSESSMENT OF LICENSEE PERFORMANCE (SALP) CONDUCTED BY THE NRC STAFF ON NOVEMBER 7, 1983 EVALUATED LICENSEE PERFORMANCE AT SALEM UNITS 1 AND 2 DURING THE PERIOD OCTOBER 1, REVISED 06/08/84 EIDEN/IE 06/06/84

QUESTION 1. (CONTINUED) 1982 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 1983, THE STAFF MET WITH THE LICENSEE ON DECEMBER l, 1983 TO DISCUSS THE ASSESSMENT, THE REPORT, ALONG WITH THE LICENSEE'S RESPONSE, WAS ISSUED ON JANUARY 19, 1984, THE PERIOD OF TIME ASSESSED INCLUDED THE TWO REACTOR TRIP BREAKER EVENTS AND THE DETAILED INSPECTION/REVIEW PERIOD WHICH FOLLOWED, As STATED IN THE SALP, THE VARIOUS MANAGEMENT AND EQUIPMENT ISSUES WHICH RESULTED FROM THAT SCRUTINY INFLUENCED THE CONCLUSIONS DRAWN IN THE SALP BOARD MEETING, To A LARGE EXTENT, THE DEGREE OF SCRUTINY BY OUR INSPECTORS HAS CONTINUED DURING THE SUBSEQUENT PERIOD OF OPERATION.

THE ALLOCATION OF INSPECTION RESOURCES, WHICH IS HIGHER FOR SALEM THAN MOST OTHER PLANTS IN REGION I, IS GUIDED BY THE SALP CONCLUSIONS, THE STAFF ASSESSMENT, BASED ON SALP AND THE FOLLOWUP INSPECTIONS, CONCLUDES THAT THE LICENSEE IS CAPABLE OF SAFE OPERATION, As NOTED IN THE RESPONSE TO QUESTION 2, WE ARE CONTINUING TO CLOSELY SCRUTINIZE SALEM OPERATIONS AND ASSESSING THEIR PROGRESS REVISED 06/08/84 EIDEN/IE 06/06/84

QUESTION 1. (CONTINUED) ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS THROUGH THE RESIDENT INSPECTORS AND REGIONAL SUPERVISORS AND DURING REGULAR MEETINGS BETWEEN NRC AND PSE&G MANAGEMENT.

REVISED 06/08/84 EIDEN/IE 06/06/84

QUESTION 2, ANSWER.

AFTER THE ACCIDENT LAST YEAR, THERE WERE EXTENSIVE REPORTS MADE BY THE NRC, AND THE PLANT OPERATORS PERFORMED A MANAGEMENT AUDIT OF THEIR OPERATION, As I RECALL, THE REPORTS ISSUED BY THE NRC WERE QUITE NEGATIVE TOWARD WHAT THEY FOUND AT SALEM AND ALSO EXPRESSED A GREAT DEAL OF CONCERN ABOUT SIMILAR PROBLEMS AT MANY NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS, WHEN THE NRC ALLOWED THE SALEM PLANT TO CONTINUE OPERATIONS LAST YEAR, THE RECORD SHOWS THERE WAS A CERTAIN RELUCTANCE ON THE PART OF THE COMMISSION, IN PART YOU SEEMED TO DECIDE THERE WAS LITTLE MORE YOU COULD DO IN THE SHORT TERM, BUT YOU ALSO RELIED UPON COMMITMENTS BY THE PLANT OPERATORS TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS, GIVEN THE ORIGINAL MISGIVINGS EXPRESSED BY THE COMMISSION, HAVE YOU HELD ANY FOLLOW UP INVESTIGATION ABOUT THE OPERATIONS THERE? --WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND? --AND ISN'T ONE WARRANTED IF YOU HAVE NOT?

IN ADDITION TO THE COMMITMENTS MADE BY THE LICENSEE, WHICH WERE DISCUSSED IN THE RESTART SAFETY EVALUATION REPORT INCLUDED IN REVISED 06/08/84 EIDEN/IE 06/06/84

QUESTION 2, (CONTINUED) CHAIRMAN PALLADINO'S LETTER TO YOU DATED JUNE 2, 1983, AN ORDER MODIFYING THE LICENSE WAS ISSUED ON MAY 6, 1983, THIS ORDER IMPOSED A NUMBER OF SPECIFIC LONGER TERM ACTIONS TO IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS IDENTIFIED AT SALEM DURING THE REVIEWS AND INSPECTIONS WHICH FOLLOWED THE TRIP BREAKER EVENTS, INCLUDED IN THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS WERE THIRD PARTY REVIEWS, PARTICULARLY A MANAGEMENT DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE ASSESSMENT BY THE MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS COMPANY, AND A CORRECTIVE ACTION PROGRAM ASSESSMENT BY THE BETA CORPORATION, WHICH WERE SUBMITTED TO THE NRC, THESE REVIEWS RECOMMENDED MANY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WARRANTED PSE&G ATTENTION AND LONG TERM CORRECTIVE ACTION, THE LICENSEE, IN AUGUST 1983, SUBMITTED TO THE NRC AN ACTION PLAN TO ADDRESS EACH DEFICIENCY OR RECOMMENDATION CITED IN THESE THIRD PARTY REVIEWS, THE ACTION PLAN WAS REVIEWED BY THE STAFF AND MEETINGS HAVE BEEN HELD WITH THE LICENSEE ON A BI-MONTHLY BASIS TO REVIEW PROGRESS AND PROVIDE COMMENTS ON THESE ACTIONS, REVISED 06/08/84 EIDEN/IE 06/06/84

QUESTION 2, (CONTINUED) FOLLOWUP INSPECTIONS, FOCUSING ON OPERATIONS, HAVE BEEN AND ARE BEING CONDUCTED BY THE TWO RESIDENT INSPECTORS, SUPPLEMENTED BY A COMBINATION OF TEAM INSPECTIONS AND REGION-BASED INSPECTORS.

THESE EFFORTS ARE ADDRESSING THE CONFIRMATION OF ORDER ITEM COMPLETION AS WELL AS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE ACTIONS, OUR INSPECTIONS HAVE NOTED IMPROVEMENTS IN THE AREAS OF WORK PROCEDURES, QUALITY ASSURANCE, SUPERVISORY TRAINING, PROCUREMENT PRACTICES, POST MAINTENANCE TESTING, TRIP REVIEWS, AND EQUIPMENT CLASSIFI-

CATION, MAJOR QUESTIONS REMAIN OUTSTANDING IN THE AREAS OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, INTERFACE, AND MANAGEMENT DIRECTION AND CONTROL, SINCE MANY OF THE LICENSEE'S ACTION PLAN ITEMS DEAL WITH CORE ISSUES OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS AND ORGANIZATION, PROGRESS HAS BEEN SLOW AND DELIBERATE, AS EXPECTED, To FACILITATE COMPLETION OF THESE ACTIONS, A STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH WAS DEVELOPED, WITH MILESTONES ESTABLISHED FOR STATION AND SUPPORT STAFF.

OF 81 MILESTONES DEVELOPED, 51 HAVE BEEN COMPLETED TO DATE AND ALL BUT 7 ARE SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED REVISED 06/08/84 BIDENIIE 06/06/84

QUESTION 2. (CONTINUED) BY THE END.OF THIS YEAR.

MILESTONES THAT REMAIN OUTSTANDING INCLUDE CHANGES IN BASIC ORGANIZATION, MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE AND CONTROL, THE NRC STAFF WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE TIMELINESS OF COMPLETING EACH ACTION ITEM AND, BEYOND THAT, WILL MONITOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THOSE ACTIONS THAT RESULT IN OPERATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES OVER THE COMING

MONTHS, REVISED 06/08/84 BIDEN/IE 06/06/84

QUESTION 3, ANSWER.

THE NRC DOES A GREAT DEAL OF RESEARCH AS WELL AS PERFORMING LICENSING ACTIVITIES AND INSPECTION AND SAFETY REVIEWS AT OPERATING PLANTS.

FOR YEARS, MANY EXPERTS HAVE ARGUED THAT MORE ATTENTION SHOULD BE PAID TO THE SAFE OPERATION OF EXISTING NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS, ARE YOUR RESOURCES IN THIS AREA SUFFICIENT IN LIGHT OF THE TYPES OF PROBLEMS FOUND AT SALEM?

-- IS THE NRC EQUIPPED TO ANTICIPATE PROBLEMS LIKE THOSE THAT OCCURRED AT SALEM? -- CAN IT OPERATE IN SUCH A PREVENTIVE MODE?

THE COMMISSION'S 1984 POLICY AND PLANNING GUIDANCE STATES THAT "NRC's FUNDAMENTAL TASK IS TO MAKE SURE THAT EXISTING NUCLEAR FACILITIES AND THOSE COMING ON-LINE OPERATE SAFELY.

CON-SEQUENTLY, THE HIGHEST PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN TO ASSURING THAT OPERATING FACILITIES MAINTAIN ADEQUATE LEVELS OF PROTECTION OF HEALTH AND SAFETY."

CONSISTENT WITH THIS POLICY, NRC RESOURCES HAVE BEEN AND CONTINUE TO BE FOCUSED ON OPERATING PLANTS OR PLANTS SOON TO BE LICENSED, IN RECENT YEARS, AND AS PLANTS HAVE REVISED 06/08/84 EIDEN/IE 06/06/84

QUESTION 3, (CONTINUED) BECOME LICENSED AND RESOURCES ARE MADE AVAILABLE, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TOWARD OPERATING FACILITIES.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE MANPOWER BUDGETED FOR OPERATING REACTOR INSPECTION BY NRC REGIONAL INSPECTORS INCREASED FROM A TOTAL OF 193 FTE IN 1983 TO 208 FTE IN 1984, AND WILL INCREASE FURTHER IN 1985, IN ADDITION TO THE INCREASED REGIONAL INSPECTION PROGRAM, THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION HAS IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING RESOURCES DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE SAFE OPERATION OF OPERATING REACTORS, 263 FTE AND $11,0 MILLION IN CONTRACTUAL SUPPORT IN 1983, 298 FTE AND $11.4 MILLION IN CONTRACTUAL SUPPORT IN 1984, AND ABOUT 330 FTE AND $14.5 MILLION IN CONTRACTUAL SUPPORT IN 1985, PART OF THE INSPECTION RESOURCE INCREASES IN 1984 AND 1985 ARE ATTRIBUTED TO INCREASED INSPECTIONS BASED ON LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE SALEM ATWS EVENT, WHILE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS IN ALLOWING NRC TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL PROBLEMS EARLY, WE BELIEVE THAT PRESENT RESOURCES ARE SUFFICIENT TO ASSURE THE SAFE OPERATION OF REACTOR FACILITIES, WE CONTINUE TO STRIVE TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS REVISION 06/08/84 BIDEN/IE 06/06/84

QUESTION 3, (CONTINUED) AND EFFICIENCY OF NRC PROGRAMS GIVEN THE RESOURCES MADE AVAILABLE.

As AN ADDITIONAL NOTE, WE HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED BY PRELIMINARY FEEDBACK FROM THE RESULTS OF INPO ACTIVITIES AT OPERATING LICENSEES FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF OPERATIONS AT REACTOR FACILITIES, THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION ASKED "

IS THE NRC EQUIPPED TO ANTICIPATE PROBLEMS LIKE THOSE THAT OCCURRED AT SALEM?

CAN IT OPERATE IN SUCH A PREVENTIVE MODE?"

As A RESULT OF LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE TMl-2 ACCIDENT, SPECIFIC ACTIONS WERE TAKEN TO IMPROVE THE PROCESS AT OPERATING FACILITIES FOR EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND RESOLUTION OF EQUIPMENT AND HUMAN FACTOR PROBLEMS, AS WELL AS ACTIONS TAKEN TO IMPROVE NRC RESPONSE TO EVENTS ONCE THEY OCCUR, THESE ACTIONS INCLUDED:

FORMATION OF THE OFFICE FOR ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF OPERATIONAL DATA, WHOSE PURPOSE IS TO EVALUATE OPERATIONAL DATA AND FEEDBACK THE LESSONS OF EXPERIENCE; EXPANSION OF RESOURCES IN NRC HEADQUARTERS AND NRC REGIONAL OFFICES DEDICATED TO THE REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF OPERATIONAL EVENTS; ESTABLISHMENT OF REQUIREMENTS FOR IMPROVED LICENSEE SYSTEMS FOR ANALYSIS AND DISSEMINATION OF OPERATING EXPERIENCE; AND, UPGRADING THE NRCs' SAFETY DECISION MAKING PROCESS BY IMPROVING METHODS FOR REVISED 06/08/84 BIDEN/IE 06/06/84

. QUESTION 3, (CONTINUED) PRIORITIZATION OF ISSUANCES TO BE ADDRESSED, THE NRC SYSTEMATIC ASSESSMENT OF LICENSEE PERFORMANCE (SALP) IS ANOTHER PROGRAM DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY ISSUES AT FACILITIES AND TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES BEFORE PROBLEMS OCCUR, FINALLY, INPO HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN ENHANCING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LICENSEES TO SHARE INFORMATION IN ORDER TO ALERT LICENSEES TO POTENTIALLY COMMON PROBLEMS AND TO RESOLVE THESE PROBLEMS AT AN EARLY STAGE, RESEARCH EFFORTS HAVE ALSO BEEN DIRECTED TOWARD IDENTIFICATION AND PREVENTION OF PROBLEMS AT OPERATING FACILITIES, FOR EXAMPLE, IN ORDER TO ENHANCE PREVENTION OF PROBLEMS IN POWER REACTOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, NRC IS CONDUCTING RESEARCH TO EXPLORE THE APPLICABILITY OF RELIABILITY TECHNIQUES USED IN OTHER INDUSTRIES TO COMPLEMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE, THESE TECHNIQUES MIGHT HELP LICENSEES TO STRENGTHEN THEIR PROGRAMS TO PREVENT EQUIPMENT FROM DEGRADING IN RELIABILITY DURING THE OPERATING LIFE OF THE PLANT, THE PURPOSE WOULD BE TO HELP CONTROL THE FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE OF CONDITIONS THAT CHALLENGE PLANT SAFETY SYSTEMS AND TO HELP ASSURE THAT SAFETY SYSTEMS FUNCTION RELIABLY WHEN CHALLENGED, REVISED 06/08/84 EIDEN/IE 06/06/84

QUESTION 3.

(CONTINUED) IN

SUMMARY

, THE NRC HAS SET ASIDE DEDICATED RESOURCES TO ANTICIPATE PROBLEMS AND OPERATE IN A PREVENTIVE MODE, INHERENT IN OUR POLICY IS THE GOAL TO RAISE THE QUALITY IN MANAGEMENT OF REACTOR OPERATIONS, REVISED 06/08/84 EIDEN/IE 06/06/84

QUESTION 4 ANSWER.

IN A RECENT CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT REPORT ON THE FUTURE OF NUCLEAR POWER IN THE UNITED STATES, THE EXPERTS SAID:

SAFE AND RELIABLE OPERATION OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS IS AN EXACTING TASK, WHICH DEMANDS A MAJOR COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE BY THE UTILITY.

IF A UTILITY IS UNABLE TO DEVELOP THIS COMMITMENT ITSELF, THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION AND THE INSTITUTE FOR NUCLEAR POWER OPERATIONS MUST GENERATE IT, DOES THE COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE EXIST AT SALEM, AND IF IT DOES NOT, WHAT CONTINUING STEPS HAS THE NRC MADE TO GENERATE IT?

BASED ON OBSERVATIONS AT SALEM AND ON MEETINGS HELD WITH PUBLIC SERVICE ELECTRIC AND GAS COMPANY MANAGEMENT, WE BELIEVE THERE IS A COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE AT THE CORPORATE REVISED 06/08/84 EIDEN/IE 06/06/84

QUESTION 4, (CONTINUED) LEVEL, THIS IS, IN PART, EVIDENCED BY THE EXTENSIVE INVOLVE-MENT OF THE COMPANY PRESIDENT, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT -

NUCLEAR IN SITE ACTIVITIES, EFFECTIVE TRANSLATION OF THIS COMMITMENT INVOLVES THE DEVELOP-MENT OF AN INQUISITIVE ATTITUDE OR SAFETY ETHIC AT ALL LEVELS OF THE ORGANIZATION, To EFFECT THIS DEVELOPMENT, THE LICENSEE IS USING TECHNIQUES THAT INVOLVE; SUPERVISORY TRAINING, IMPROVEMENTS IN EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF SAFETY REVIEW GROUPS, AND THE PROMPT RESOLUTION OF POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUES, BASED ON OBSERVATIONS TO DATE, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUCH A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO SAFETY IS GENERALLY EVIDENT AT SALEM, HOWEVER, INSTANCES HAVE ARISEN WHERE WE HAVE SEEN INSUFFICIENT PROBING OR QUESTIONING ON THE PART OF SOME OPERATIONS PERSONNEL, SINCE NUCLEAR SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS ARE PARAMOUNT, THESE EVENTS WARRANT A THOROUGH AIRING AND DISCUSSION BEFORE POWER PRODUCTION SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE, WHERE SUCH INSTANCES HAVE OCCURRED, RESOLUTION HAS BEEN ACHIEVED TO OUR SATISFACTION, REVISED 06/08/84 EIDEN/IE 06/06/84

QUESTION 4. (CONTINUED) WE ARE CONTINUING TO MONITOR DAILY OPERATIONS AND TO INTERJECT OUR CONCERNS WHEN THEY ARISE, SUCH INTERVENTION ON THE PART OF THE STAFF IS INDICATIVE OF THE SLOW PACE WITH WHICH SOME OF THE COMMITMENTS ARE BEING MANIFESTED AMONG THE WORKING LEVELS OF THE LICENSEE, ALTHOUGH THE STAFF IS CONCERNED WITH THE NEED TO OCCASIONALLY INTERJECT ITSELF INTO THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS, SATISFACTORY RESOLUTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN ACHIEVED.

THIS IMPLIES TO US THAT THE PROGRAM IS CONTINUING TO IMPROVE BUT THE LICENSEE HAS NOT YET ACHIEVED THE DESIRED LEVEL OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY.

THE LICENSEE'S IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM INCLUDES AN ACTION PLAN TO REVIEW THE MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE.

WORK ON THIS PLAN HAS BEEN PROGRESSING AND THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS THAT THE LICENSEE MAY INITIATE MAJOR ORGANIZATIONAL AND STAFFING CHARGES IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

IF SUCH CHANGES ARE PROPOSED, THE STAFF BELIEVES THAT THE OPPORTUNITY WILL EXIST TO PROVIDE AN INFUSION OF NEW APPROACHES THAT WILL IMPROVE THE PERSPECTIVE TOWARD SAFETY, THE STAFF HAS INDICATED ON BIDEN/IE REVISED 06/08/84 06/06/84

QUEST I ON 4 I (CONT I NUED) OCCASION THAT THE PROMOTION OF MANAGERS FROM WITHIN, TO THE EXCLUSION OF THOSE WITH A DIFFERENT BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE, APPEARS TO HAVE PRECLUDED THE INTEGRATION OF ALTERNATIVE TECHNIQUES AND METHODS IN MANAGING DIFFICULT SAFETY ISSUES OR CONCERNS.

CONCURRENTLY, IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE OVERSIGHT BY BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL REVIEW COMMITTEES SHOULD FURTHER ASSIST IN DEVELOPING AN IMPROVED QUALITY IN THE NATURE AND DEPTH OF PROPOSED SOLUTIONS TO BOTH POTENTIAL AND IDENTIFIED PROBLEMS.

IN

SUMMARY

, PUBLIC SERVICE ELECTRIC AND GAS COMPANY HAS MADE COMMENDABLE COMMITMENTS TO STAFFING, RELOCATION OF ENGINEERING SUPPORT PERSONNEL, QUALITY ASSURANCE ORGANIZATION AND STAFFING, IMPROVEMENTS IN MAINTENANCE, AND INCREASED MANAGEMENT INVOLVEMENT, THESE ATTRIBUTES ARE NECESSARY AND DESIRABLE PREREQUISITES FOR A VALID COMMITMENT TO SAFETY IN OPERATIONS, SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION OF ALL THESE ACTIVITIES WILL RESULT IN AN IMPROVED SALP EVALUATION.

REVISED 06/08/84 EIDEN/IE 06/06/84

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QUESTIONS FROM SENATOR BIDEN To all Commissioners:

1.

2.

3.

Gentlemen, in a broad sense, what I would most like to hear from you today is a report card on the 11 problem child 11 called Salem.

From the first day of operation up to the present, it has seemed that the Salem nuclear power plant has had one problem or another.

But the incident last year made us in Delaware all pause to wonder what potential for disaster really exists at Salem.

Despite the attention the Salem plant operation received after last years accident, I sense an unease about what is going on there. The Commission's annual safety report on Salem, the so-called

11SALP, 11 released last month, gave the category of 11Plant Operations," the largest category evaluated, the lowest mark possible.

Where do we stand with Salem?

After the accident last, year, there were extensive reports made by the NRC, and the plant operators performed a management audit of their operation.

As I recall, the reports issued by the NRC were quite negative toward what they found at Salem and also expressed a great deal of concern about similar problems at many nuclear power plants.

When the NRC allowed the Salem plant to continue operations last year, the record shows there was a certain reluctance on the part of the Commission.

In part you seemed to decide there was little more you could do in the short term.

But you also relied upon commitments by the plant operators to make significant improvements.

Given the original misgivings expressed by the Commission, have you held any follow up investigation about the operations there? -- what have you found? -- and isn't one warranted if you have not?

The NRC does a great deal of research as well as performing licensing activities and inspection and safety reviews at operating plants. For years, many experts have argued that more attention should be paid to the safe operation of existing nuclear power plants. Are your resources in this area sufficient in light of the types of problems found at Salem?

is the NRC equipped to anticipate problems like those that occurred at Salem? -- can it operate in such a preventive mode?

In a recent Congressional Office of Technology Assessment report on the future of Nuclear Power in the United States, the experts said:

Safe and reliable operation of nuclear powerplants is an exacting task, which demands a major commitment to excellence by the utility.

If a utility is unable to develop this commitment itself, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations must generate it.

Does the commitment to excellence exist at Salem, and if it does not, what continuing steps has the NRC made to generate it?

Biden Questions To Commissioner Gilinsky:

5.

Commissioner Gilinsky, you were the only member of the Commission last Spring who opposed restart of the plant.

In retrospect, do you believe you were correct in your judgment? -- has the slow progress toward improving the operation at Salem vindicated your view? -- what is your expert opinion on what the NRC should require in the future of a plant that has significant problems such as those experienced at Salem?

6.

In your testimony, you mention Salem to illustrate how the NRC needs to change in order to prevent future mishaps.

You also suggest that the NRC needs to have an independent safety investigator, much like the FAA 1s relationship with the National Transportation Safety Board.

How do you think this type of structure would have aided in either prevention of the problems at Salem or the NRC follow-up?

QUESTION 6.

ANSWER.

(QUEST' l!*lSTRUCT!Ot~s Atrn Fo 0 :-'1A FROM TIME TO TIME CONGRESSIONAL QUESTIONS 'ARE RECEIVED AND ROUTED TO RM (OR THE APPPROPRIATE OFFICE)

TO COORDINATE THE RESPONSES.

INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS ARE ASSIGNED TO VARIOUS OFFICES FOR ACTUAL PREPARATION OF THE ANSWERS, (A)

WHAT IS THE TYPING FORMAT FOR RESPONDING TO CONGRESSIONAL QUESTIONS?

Q&As ARE TO BE TYPED ON WORD PROCESSING EQUIPMENT CAPABLE OF COMM~NICATING WITH RM {OR THE APPROPRIATE OFFICE) VlA-DATAYHONE (I.E., IBM DISPLAYWRITER, IBM 5520, IBM SYSTEM 6 OR

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TYPE EACH Q&A ON A SEPARATE PAGE USING 10 PITCH, ORATOR OR RHETORIC TYPE STYLE, AND DOUBLE SPACING, SIDE MARGINS ARE 10 AND 75; TOP AND BOTTOM MARGINS ARE 1 INCH,*

TYPE EACH QUESTION AS A SEPARATE JOS ON THE vJORD PROCESSOR, THIS WILL AID IN LATER TRANSMISSION OF Q&AS TO THE OCA DISPLAYWRITER, Revised 02/24/84 V-4 SIMPSON/EDD

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QUESTION 6.

ANSWER.

(CUE s tJ INSTRUCT Io~~ s.l.!m FORM (B)

WHAT ARE THE PROCEDURES FOR PREPARING AND TRANSMITTING RESPONSES TO RM OR THE APPROPRIATE OFFICE?

WHEN A QUESTION IS ASSIGNED TO MORE THAN ONE OFFICE -- FOR INSTANCE, NRR/RES/NMSS -- THE FIRST OFFICE LISTED IS RESPONSIEL~

FOR SUBMITTING A REPLY THAT HAS BEEN COORDINATED WITH THE OTHER

OFFICES, THE SECONDARY OFFICES SHOULD SEND THEIR INPUT TO THE ANSWER TO THE PRIMARY OFFICE, THE PRIMARY OFF I CE *-ASS l GNED. WI.LL THEN TRANSMIT YI A DATA PHONE THE FINAL COORDINATED STAFF RESPONSE TO THE APPROPRIATE RM OR OTHER OFFICE WORD PROCESSING CONTACT, WHEN THE PRIMARY OFFICE ASSIGNED DOES NOT HAVE WORD PROCESSING EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE TO THEM, PROVIDE THE ORIGINAL (EVEN IF IT IS CUT-AND-PASTE) AND ONE COPY (EACH WITH ANY ATTACHMENTS) Tb RM OR THE APPROPRIATE OFFICE, WHERE MAG CARDS HAYE BEEN PREPARED AND DATA COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE, PROVIDE THE ORIGINAL AND ONE COPY AND THE MAG CARDS (APPROPRIATELY INDEXED) TO RM OR THE APPROPRIATE 0FFI~E.

Revised 02/24/84 V-5 S!MPSON/EDO

[DATE]

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Green Ticket #14488

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L PDR w/incoming EDO Reading OELD ORB#l Reading File K. Bowman (#14488)

D. Eisen hut W. Dircks H. Denton/E. Case J. Roe J. Funches T. Rehm V. Stello J. Heltemes L. Barry L. Underwood R. DeYoung T. Murley F. Miraglia G. Lai nas S. Varga D. Fischer w/incoming D. Nottingham (#14488)

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