ML19207B141

Forwards Answers to Questions Asked During 790531 Presentation of Testimony to Presidents Commission on TMI-2 Incident

ML19207B141
Person / Time
Site:	Crane
Issue date:	07/24/1979
From:	Stello V NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE)
To:	Kemeny J PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON THE ACCIDENT AT THREE MILE
References
NUDOCS 7908230440
Download: ML19207B141 (5)

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NL JUL 2 41979 D

/syg 7k/79 The Honorable John G. Kemeny Chairman, President's Commission on the Accident at Three Mile Island 2100 M Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C.

20037

Subject:

President's Commission on TMI-2 During the presentation of testimony to the President's Commission on the TMI incident on May 31, 1979, there were some questions asked relating to areas for which the Office of Inspection and Enforcement had primary responsibility.

These questions were not answered at that time. To provide the Commissicn with that information, we have enclosed with this letter the questions asked along with the answers.

Please let me know if there is any additional information that we can provide for activities covered by the Office of Inspection and Enforcement.

Sincerely, Victor Stello Jr.

Director Office of Inspection p)}

and Enforcement i

Enclosure:

Response to President's Commission on TMI Distribution: L. V. Gossick, ED0 S. E. Bryan, IE V. Stello, IE G. R. Klingler, IE D. Thompson, IE G. Ertter, EDO N. C. Moseley L. N. Underwood, IE ED0 IE File Central File IE Rdg.

ADFC Chron. (L. DeWitt) 7/

/79 SEE PREVIOUS YELLCW FOR CONCURRENCES WPU:SD/SM Office:

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RESPONS. TO FRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON TrAEE MILE ISLAND A.

Resident Inspection l'rogram 1.

Question: Was a resident inspector assigned at TMI when the incident occurred?

Answer:

A resident inspector was not assigned to TMI at the time of the incident.

A resident inspector was scheduled for the site by late Fiscal Year 1979 or early Fiscal Year 1980.

2.

Question: When will residents be assigned at all operating reactors?

Answer:

Resident inspectors will be assigned at all sites with an operating power reactor by the end of February, 1981.

3.

Question:

Does the NRC have budget a proval for assigning residents at r

all reactors?

Answer:

Budget approval has been received for placing resident inspectors at sites with an operating power reactor.

A supplemental budget request in February, 1978, gave re-sources and approval to start recruiting personnel for this program.

B.

Insoection Program 1.

Question:

Provide a description of the IE inspection program.

Answer:

The Office of Inspection and Enforcement develops policies and administers programs for:

(a) inspecting licensees so as to ascertain both whether they are complying with Commission regulations, rules, orders and license provisions, and to determine whether these licensees are taking appro-priata actions to protect nuclear materials and facilities, the environment, and the health and safety of the public; (b) inspecting license applicants to permit recommending issuance of a construction permit or an operating license; (c) inspecting suppliers of safety-related services, compo-nents and equipment to determine whether these suppliers have established systems to assure the quality of their services and products; (d) investigating incidents, accidents, allega-tions and unusual circumstances including loss or diversion of special nuclear material; (e) enforcing Commission regu-lations, rules and license provisions; (f) evaluating, by direct observation, the effectiveness of the Commission's requirements for particular facilities, and licensed activi-ties, and where necessary, recommending corrective regulatory action; and (g) notifying licensees regarding generic-type problems to achieve appropriate precautionary or corrective action.

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. These inspection, investigation, enforcement, evaluation and notification activities are concerned primarily with two types of regulated organizations:

(1) nuclear power plants under construction and testing or in commercial operation, test reactors and research reactors; and (2) nuclear materials licensees - fuel fabrication, process-ing or reprocessing plants and processors, distributors or users of byproduct, source and/or special nuclear materials.

A somewhat smaller program is concerned with inspections of nuclear steam system suppliers, nuclear facility architect / engineers and other major nuclear system component suppliers.

The NRC inspection effort consists of a planned inspection approach and a reactive inspection approach, both of which are based on the premise that the licensee is responsible for ensuring the proper design, construction, testing and safe operation of the facility.

The planned NRC inspection effort is conducted in accordance with a defined program expressed in detailed inspection procedures and is accomplished at prescribed intervals by NRC field inspectors.

The principal objective of this inspection effort is to provide reasonable assurance that MC licensed activities are being conducted safely and in compliance with NRC requirements.

The defined program is based on the premise that its principal objective can be achieved through selective examination of systems and functions, both physical and administrative, which have an impact on the adequacy of the design, construction, testing and safe operation of nuclear power plants.

NRC inspection manpower is usually far less than that of licensees and contractors, and NRC inspectors cannot possibly inspect all components and activities.

Instead, NRC inspectors review a sample of all activities performed by the licensee and those of his contractors to determine that the licensee is discharging all of his responsibilities as relates to safety in a manner that will protect the tu alth and safety of the public and the environment.

The NRC has recognized the importance of inspecting activi-ties as they are performed and has begun the implementation of a Revised Inspection Program, with the establishment of a resident inspector at sites which have an operating power reactor. Since the resident inspector is full-time at a site, more of his inspection time can be devoted to the direct observation of licensee activities.

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. The reactive NRC inspection component is conducted in response to information received by NRC regarding conditions or events which may have occurred at licensee or licensee contractor facilities or which involve licensable activities and which may impact on public health and safety, the environment or the protection of nuclear facilities and materials. Information of such conditions or events may be obtained through the planned NRC inspection effort, may be received as a result of information or allegations from a licensee employee or other member of the public.

The resultant NRC inspection effort depends upon the significance of the particular condition, event or allegation.

The principal objective of this effort is to obtain sufficient information through independent in-depth examination to establish the significance of the particular condition, event or allegation and to effect corrective action commen-surate with the established significance.

In both the routine and the reactive components, NRC inspectors evaluate licensed operations and provide necessary information to licensees and other appropriate NRC offices of potential adverse conditions so that corrective action can be taken. This may result in changes to regulatory requirements, regulatory guides or license conditions.

The elements used in developing the detailed inspection procedures used by NRC inspectors include:

regulatory requirements, regulatory guides, industry standards and items which we believe significant enough to be included in the inspection program.

IE inspectors do inspect those activities related to specific regulatory requirements or licensee commitments.

In addition, they look for conditions which may show licensees are not meeting their responsibility to provide adequate protection.

This evaluative aspect of our inspection effort serves as a basis for recommending changes to the inspection program as well as NRC regulations, regulatory guides and license conditions.

When a potential problem is identified, inspectors, in conjunction with IE supervisory personnel, must determine whether the matter represents inadequacy of protection.

If the problem cannot be resolved except by substantial additional protec-tion and no licensee commitments or specific regulatory requirements apply, this information is promptly fed back to the appropriate NRC licensing office (NRR or NMSS) for a determination of whether requirements should be changed.

2.

Question:

How much inspection was done at TMI last year? Compare this with what was done at other facilities.

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Answer:

From the time period January 1,1978, to May 1,1979, 963 hours0.0111 days <br />0.268 hours <br />0.00159 weeks <br />3.664215e-4 months <br /> of inspection effort were accomplished at TMI Unit 1 and 1751 hours0.0203 days <br />0.486 hours <br />0.0029 weeks <br />6.662555e-4 months <br /> at TMI Unit 2.

The increase in inspection hours for Unit 2 over Unit 1 is a result of Unit 2 achieving initial criticality in March 1978.

This means inspections were performed at this unit in the preoperational and start-up testing phase as well as the operations phase; whereas, Unit 1 received inspections in just the operations phase.

The national average for inspection hours at nuclear power plants for the same time period was 818 hours0.00947 days <br />0.227 hours <br />0.00135 weeks <br />3.11249e-4 months <br /> per plant / unit.

TMI compares favorably with this national average.

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