ML18116A373
| ML18116A373 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Surry  |
| Issue date: | 07/31/1979 |
| From: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Allen J NORTH ANNA ENVIRONMENTAL COALITION |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7908170219 | |
| Download: ML18116A373 (6) | |
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JUL 3 1 1979 Docket Nos. 50-280 and 50-281 1.suu1mw oocim mt co?~
Mrs. June Allen, President North Anna Environmental Coal it ion 412 Owens Qrive Huntsviile, l\\labama 35801 Cori1r:1i ssi oner Brad foni has asked that the staff respond to the issues raised in your Ma.'/ 5, *1979 letter to him regarding tile Surry stearn g,2nerator repair prograr:1; a*nd that our response be fon1arded directly to you.
First, you requested a transcri~t of the May 2, 1979 steam 2enerator briefirJi:J*
- .'\\ fOPY of that transcript is _enclosed.
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S(~cond you cited a VEPCO ffgure of 55,580,000 gallons of radioactive water for l jquJd re1 eases into the James Ri *Jer as a result of Surry stear:i generator tube reactor coolant leakage over nine months in 1976.
You state this disproves a Huntsville Times statement that NRC technicians said "almost all radioactive i*iater frm the pipes rer.iains inside the steam generators" (sic).
~*'e have no reason to dispute either of the statements that you have ahr.ibuted to VEPCO and a ne\\~S article. Certainly, the p-lant shutdm*ms that have b,3en necessary to pl u9 h~aki n11 steum ~Jem~rator tub(-:S have
- contributeJ significantly to the amount of water that has been processed through the 1 iqutd radHaste syste:a at Surry.
For 197G the total vol une of liquid w~ste from all sources was about 89 million gallons.
In 1977 this incr,~ased to about ll~O iT!i1lion gallons.
Hm*:ever) the volur,1e of processed liquid t 1aste released does not indicate the a::1ount of radio-active vmter in the plant systems o*r the arnount of radioactive i,,ater that is rernov,~d from these systems.
t*Jith respect to the nev;spaper article stat2r1ent* that alr:iost al 1 radioactive
\\Riter fro:n the pipc~s remains inside the steau, g;.~nerators, the r.iaxirnurn al i owab 1 e reactor cool ant leakage through the* st,~am qenerator tu hes ( the
- reactor must be in cold shutdown in i:4 hours if the 1 eakage exceeds 0. 3 ~pm per -.steam generato1~ or 0. 9 '.-JPm for all three s:team generators), t-Jhen compartx!
~*:ith the tota*1 reactor coolant flm,1 (26~-i,500 9pr;1), is indeed a srnall fraction (3.39 x 10-6.).
Expressed in other tems, as of a fraction of the totul
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. or 0.018 pc:r 2 hours2.314815e-5 days <br />5.555556e-4 hours <br />3.306878e-6 weeks <br />7.61e-7 months <br />).
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me FORM-318 (5'-76) NRCM 0240
...,,S. GOVERN.MENT PRINTING OFFICE: ~-9?8 - 265 - 769 l
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Mrs. June Allen Third, you contend 11that the NRC staff failed to tir.1ely attend tc condenser influence upon steam g~nerator degradation and fai1ed t9 regulate inadequate f*
condenser materials _antl\\.perfoii11atice - failures which have 1 ed to serious steam generator damage 11~~ Certainly, exp~rience has showh that there have been condenser leakage prob lerns a_t a number of reactor facilities which have probably contributed :Jsi9nificantly to inability to maintain secondary water free of um.,,anted i npurit ies and hence to steam generator tube damage at some of fhese facilities.
This is not a certainty, however.
For example (as we reported in NUREG-0523 "Summary of Operating Experiences 1,;ith Recirculating Steam Generators"), at Maine Yanke~ tube denting has occurred in spite of the rigorous and significant efforts to h:ep secondary water relatively free of impurities.-
Also~ the phosphates type of secondary t1ater chemistry treatment, whicll was used initially in some of the plants including 'the Surry Units, ~ppeared to be assoc,i ated with the observed steam gener~tor damage - in~'eµendent of the typ\\? of condenser tubing used.
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11' At the! time the Surry plant~ were designed and 1bui1t, 90/10 Cu-Ni was (and sti11 is) considered to be.~' relatively good ma'teria1 to resist th~ effects of brackish ~*wter or saltwater.
We would not disapprove of Hs use today based on our present knowledge.
The 1 icensee believes, however, that a more recently avail ab le condenser tube material wi 11 reduce condenser 1 eakage at Surry.
Future operating experience vd11 provide data from which it may be determined \\i*ihether *t'itaniurn
- wi 11 reduce this 1 eakage.
OFP'ICll:..
further, although we have identified condenser 1 eakage as a source of contamination that should be minimized, the complete elimination of such leakage js not a realistic goal. Recognizing this, we are stressing the need to mai ntafo a close watch on secondary water chemistry, to rrii nimi ze the concentrations of um*1anted impurities such as chlorides.
Finally~ the redesign of the \\1estinghouse steam generators, as described in some detail in our December 15, 1978 SER related to this issue, when coupled with *the 1 icensee' s use of a carefu11y supervised all volatile treatment (JWT) secondary water chemistry program is expected to eliminate the potent i a 1 for the var"ious forms of tube deg rad at ion observed to date.
~Hth regard to wy denial of your request for a hearing on this matter, this is currently before the Commission.
Sincerely,
~rigina! Signe~ bf l ~- R. Denton
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- i lff.C FORM 318 (9!76Wm~lo116J. Steam Generatra.n.. CllOV.,RNMl!NT PRINTING OPl'IC<,:,.,..... -709
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ffllC JllOOM 318 (9*76) NRCM 02~
e DISTRIBUTION Docket Fil es 50-280 and 50-281 NRC PDR (2)
Loca 1 PDR NRR Rdg ORBl Rdg EDD Reading Chairman Hendrie Commissioner Gilinsky Commissioner Kennedy Commissi-0ner Ahearne Samuel J. Chilk Al Kenneke Len Bickwit H. Denton E. Case PSS R. Boyd/D. Vassallo D. Mull er R. Mattson D. Eisenhut R. Vollmer J. Mullin (EDD 06519)
W. Gammill M. Stine Attorney, OELD OCA (3)
G. Ertter (EDO 06519)
M. Groff E. Peyton B. Grimes J. Carter.
A. Schwencer D. Neighbors P. Kreutzer V. Noonan J. Butts U.9. QC,VCIRNMIENT PRINTING 0.. fl'ICK: I 97i
- 2*15 - 789
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Docket Nos. 50-280.
and 50-281 Mrs. June: Allen~ President JUL* 3 1 1979 North Anna Environmental Coalition 412 Owens Drive Huntsvtlle, Alabama 35801 Oear Mrs. Allen:
Commissioner Bradford has asked* that the staff respond to the tssues raised in your May 5,
- 1979* letter. to *him regarding the Surry steam generator repair program, and that our response be fon,,ardef-1 direetly to you.
First, you requested a transcript or the aay 2, 1979 ste.am Jenerator briefing.
A copy of that transcript is.enclosed* *.
Second you cited a-VEPCO ffgure of 55,500 >000 ga_ll ans of radioactive, water*_for 1 jquid releases into the James River as a result of Surry steam generator tube reactor coolant leakage over Tti ne. months in 1976.
You state this disproves a Huntsville Times.statement that NRC technicians said "almost a11 radioactive water frcm the pipe*s remains inside* the steam generators" ( sfc)..
- We have no *_reason to dispute either-of the statements tliat you have attributed to 1/EPCO and a news arttcle~
Certainly,- the p-lant shutdowns that have been necessary to plug. leaking steam generator tubP.s *have contributed* significant1y to the amount of ~*,ater that has been processed through the 1 iquid radwaste-system *at Surry.
For 1976 the total vol 1ir.1e of liquid. waste from all sources was about 89 intllion gallqns.
In 1977 this increased to about 140 mi1lion gallons.
Ho\\11ever> the volume of processed liquid ~*1aste rel eased does not indicate the amoun:t of radio-active \\*tater in the plant systems or the a1:10unt of radioactive i-,,ater that is remov~d fran these systems.*
'ditn respect to the newspaper article statement* t:1at alr.mst all radtoactive
\\'later fi-001 the pipes remains inside the steam generators, the r:,axhum al 1 owab Te, reactor cool :mt 1 eaka']e t~rough the* steam 1Jenerator tunes* ( thP.
reactor must be fn cold shutdown in 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> jf the leakage exceeds 0.3 ~pin.
per -.steam generator or-a. 9 Jpn for al r t~ree steam generators),.;.,hen comoar~
with the tota-l* reactor coolant flow(265,500 gpm), is indeed a sr,1al1 fracticn (3.39 x 10-6). Expressed in other tems,. as of a fraction of the total t..u
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NRC PORK 318 (9-76) NROI oz,40- *
- .Je$, C.OVKIINMaNT,_,.INTING O~~ICS: f'9?1
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e Mrs. June Allen Third, you contend athat the NRC staff failed to timely attend to condenser infl ue nee upon steam g~nerator deg rad at fon and failed to regu 1 ate f nadequa te condenser materials.and\\.perfon;nance - failures which have led to serious steam generator damage 11 *. Certa.inly, experience has shown that there have been condenser l eakaga problems at a number of reactor facilities which have probably contributed significantly to fnabflity to 111afntafn secondary water free of unwanted fnpurft fes and hence to steam generator tube damage
- at some of t"hese 1'acilitfes. This is not a certainty, however.
For example (as we reported fn NUREG-0523 "Sunvnary of Operating E.:cperfences With Recirculating Steam Generators 11), at Maine Yankee tube denting has occurred in spite of the rigorous and significant efforts to keep secondary water rel atiYely. free of impurft fes *. - Al so, the phosphates* type of secondary tlfater chemistry treatment, which was used fnft1ally f n some of *the plants including. the Surry Units, appeared to be associated with the observed steam. generator da111age - indeperxient of the 't'jpe: of condenser tubing used.
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-:0,t the time the Surry plants were designed and built,. 90/10 Cu-Ni was (and st111 fs) considered to be a relatively-good=materi*al to resist the effects of brackish water or saltwater.
We would not disapprove of its use today based on our present knowledge.
The licensee believes, however, that a-more. recently available condenser tube material will reduce condenser leakage at Surry.
Future operating experience wil 1 provide data* fran which it may be. detennined whether titanium wi 11 reduce this 1 eakage.
Further, although we have identif1ed condenser leakage-as a source of contamination that should be minimized, the complete elimination of sucrr leakage,fs not a* r-ealfstic goal. Recognizing this, ':'le are stressing the need to maintain a *close watch on secondary water chemistry, to minimize the concentrations of unwanted fmpur1t ies such as col orides.
Finally, the.redesign of the Westinghouse steam generators, as described in some detail frt our December 15, 1978. SER related to this issue, when coupled i1ith *the lfcensee 1 s use of a carefully supervised all volatile treatment (AVT)* secondary water chemistry prOgram is expected to el imfoate the potentfal for the various forms of tube degradation observed to date.
With rf!9ard to my denial of your request for a hea M ng on this matter, this fs currently before_ the Coounission *.
Sfncerely, Original Signe!! bl1.
l H. R. Denton.....
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MIC l'Ollll 311 (,-76) Ml.CM OU.
DISTRIBUTION Docket Files 50-280 and 50-281 NRC PDR (2)
Local PDR NRR Rdg ORBl Rdg EDO Reading Chairman Hendrie Commissioner Gilinsky Conmissioner Kennedy Commissioner Aheaf'one
- Samuel J. Chilk Al Kenneke Len Bickwit H. *Denton*
E. Case PSS R. Boyd/D. Vassallo D. Muller R. Mattson-
- 0. Eisenhut R. Vollmer J. Mullin (EDO 06519)
W. Gammill M. Stine Attorneys OELD OCA (3)
G. Ertter (EDO 06519)
M. Groff E. Peyton B. Grimes J. Carter A. Schwencer D. -Neighbors P. Kreutzer V. Noonan J. Butts u *** QieYaftNM*NT.... INTINO OPll'tC:*: **.,. -1*1
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