ML19208B106
| ML19208B106 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 07/19/1979 |
| From: | Penn J AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| To: | Hendrie J NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19208B101 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7909190058 | |
| Download: ML19208B106 (2) | |
Text
2 I
JOHN J. PENN 35 PLEASANT STREET DARIEN, CONN.
06820 July 19, 1979 Chairman, Dr. Joseph M. Hendrie Nuclear Regulatoy Commission 1717 H Street NW Washington, D. C.
20555
Dear Sir:
I would 1.1ke to make a couple of suggestions relative to design and operr. tion of nuclear plants.
I hope that you appreciate that I am ca the outside looking in and not knowing fully what you have.
I am a qualified engineer with considerable experience in operating process industries and feel that my suggestions are worthy of your consideration.
I am suggesting that inst 9ad of back up systems for your critical systems such as the reactor cooling system that you have three parallel systems. Each system is a duplicate of the other and you operate #1 for one month, then #2 the second month and #3 the third month and then back to #1 on the fourth month.
The advantage of alternate parallel circuits is that each one is maintained in operating condition and maintenance work is done in each system's down cycle. This also gives you two operative systems at all times.
Also, you know they work because they worked the previous month or repairs are made.
I am also suggesting you have inspection teams from the NRC to go to each nuclear plant and make the operators demonstrate that the critical systems can be operated ar.d that there is at least one additional system that is immediately operative. This ties in with the previous suggestion.
I would suggest an inspection team go in every six months.and that the interval between inspections be stretched out based on the performance of a given plant.
Also, I recommend that you do not have the same inspectio: te am make two consecutive inspections.
This will prevent them,etting complacent as the operating people.
c86 055 Continued.....
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i page 2 Nuclear Regulatory Commission July 19, 1979 I would also recommend that you have teams of emergency specialists that you can draw these from whatever source within the industry you want to.
The purpose of these emergency inspection teams is when a problem develops at a given plant these people immediately go there and become the eyes and ears of the NRC in the given emergency.
I know that when the local operators are fighting a " fire" or have a real critical problem, they don' t have time to make out repcrts as to what is happening.
I feel very strongly that we as a country and many other countries are going to be dependent in the future on nuclear energy as a power generation source.
It is therefore imperative that the technical specialists develop systems that the public will have confidence are safe and nuclear plants can be safely operated for long perieda of time.
Sincerely, M
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