ML19208C039
| ML19208C039 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 07/25/1979 |
| From: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Lepeltak L AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7909240441 | |
| Download: ML19208C039 (5) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY cot.if.11SSION
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'O JUL 2 51979
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Ms. Lisa Lepeltak 65 Carmel Avenue #3 Pacifica, CA 94044
Dear Ms. Lepeltak:
This concerns your letter of May 2,1979, to the Secretary of the Department of Energy, which was referred to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on July 10.
Subsequent to the Three Mile Island accident, other operating nuclear power plants of similar design were shut down for short-term modifications of equip-ment, training, and procedures.
Long-term changes are under active considera-tion.
The fiRC has established task forces to (1) give direct support to Three Mile Island on such matters as core cooling, cleanup and recovery operations, (2) review responses by electric utilities to flRC orders and bulletins, (3) identify, analyze, and recommend changes in licensing requirements and in the licensing process based on lessons learned from Three Mile Island, (4) assure the continued safe operation of operating plants, and (5) complete work on unresolved safety issues.
The result will be new or revised itRC regulations concerning E.uch matters as the training of operators, operating procedures, emergency planning, instrumentation and design. Priority is being given to plants that the flRC has ordered to shut down, plants that are operating, and plants that are near to being ready for operation.
flew requirements.will also apply to other plants under construction, where there is more time available for making changes.
As to regulatory research, you may be interested in the attached pages 179-180 from the NRC Annual Report for 1978.
We assure you that every effort is being made to ensure the continued protec-tion of the health and safety of the public at all nuclear power plants.
Sincerely,
.A 4
Harold R. Denton, Director Office of fluclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosure:
As stated cc:
A. J. Pressesky, Director Division of PMlear Power Development Department of Ene gy 1005 200 Washington, DC 20545 7 909240
From NRC Annual Report for 1978
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Regulatory Research NRC's regulatory research program expanded considerably during fiscal year 1973 in both scope and productivity. Under a provision of the 1978 Appropriations Authorization Act (P.L.95-209), the Commission's Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research undertook to move its reactor research efforts a step beyond the prior confines of " confirmatory research" as stipulated in the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974. As man-dated, an initiallong-term plan was developed in the form of a report to the Congress (NUREG4438)in April 1978, deal-ing with development of new or improved safety systems for nuclear power plants. The research described in the report was carefully defined so as to ensure that its purpose is the im-provement of reactor safety and not the enhancement of the economic attractiveness of nuclear power as opposed to alter-native energy sources. A required annual update of that report is contained in the final section of this chapter.
In 1978 NRC's research program was broadened by the development of plans for cooperative efforts with Germany and Japan, and the initiation of negotiations for formal agreements on the use of facilities in those countries, together with advanced U.S. computer codes and instrumentation. (In-ternational research exchanges are discussed in Chapter 9.)
Benefits deriving from 1977 agreements between NRC and DOE, dealing with the coordination and management of research facilities and projects, began to emerge during 1978.
Advanced reactor safety research programs have been careful-ly coordinated in continuing discussions to ensure (h tt DOE programs, aimed principally at accident preventior., and NRC programs, which primarily address the course of events if ac-cid:nts occur, are not duplicative. Similar coordination in safeguards research assures that DOE rerponsibility for developing cost-effective safeguarps systems is kept clearly separate from NRC's responsibility to create models for evaluating the effectiveness of those systems. In the fie!ds of fuel cycle safety research and research on waste management, transportation, the environment, and health, liaison between NRC and DOE technical staffs and exchanges of research plans and other infornution also are aimed at preventing overlap and effecting economics.
A report by the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (NUREG4392), which reviewed and evaluated NRC's 1005 201
100 research program as part of an annual require-ment set forth in PL-95-209, suoported the need
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for NRC research on improved safety. concepts, RESEARCil OILIECTIVES and made additional recommendt.tions to guide the research program.
The NRC research program provides technicalin-Research highlights in 1978 includ:d (1) the formation, independent of the nuclear mdustry, to initiation of a new PtoSram to evaluate safety define with greater precision the safety margms pro-margins in seismic design methodology for vided in nuclear facilities. The broad objectives of power reactors; (2) a ;riajor step forward in the program are:
water reactor safety rewarch by bringing the To preside objectively evaluated safety data loss-of Fluid-Test (LOFT) facility in Idaho to and analytical methods that serve the needs full power; (3) the availability of production ser-of regulatory activities.
sions of major systems, component and contain-To provide better quantined estimates of the ment codes; (4) development of the technical margins of safety for reactor systems, fuel cy-1:ases for NRC certification of plutonium air-c!e facilitics, and transportation systems.
shipment containers; (5) the first integral systems to estsblish a broad and coherent exchange a
test in the full-length MOD 3 Semiscale facility; of safety research information with other (6) initial operation of the newly upgraded An-government agencies, with industry, and with nular Core Research Reactor (ACRR)(formerly foreign gosernment< and organizations.
the Annular Core Pulse Reactor) at its upgraded Safety research is largel> directed toward deGning design power; and (7) completion of a program precisely the safety margins.mposed in the licensing to resolve issues raised by ACRS regarding process. In general, these divide into two types: (1) pressure vessel loading. Additionally, in the risk engineering safety margins which allow for both nor-mal and abnormal variations in operating parameters assessment area, a seven-member independent plus an ample degree of conservatism, and (2) the ad-review group issued a report to the Commtssion ditional safety margins which allow for lack of (NUREG/CR-0400) on its year-long evaluation knowledge of accidet proecsses due to lack of acci-of the Reactor Safety Study (WASH-1400),
dent experience.
These and other research activities and ex.
The former twe of research encompasses the com-m n sense protections which are speciGed in codes periments conducted by the NRC are discussed and regulations imposed by state and Federal govern-m this chapter under the following sub-program ments, including those of the NRC. The NRC headings:
research program works to provide additional deGni-tion to both types of margins but places heavy con-Water Reactor Safety Research - to pro-centration on the latter type.
vide additioaal or independent information regarding margins of safety used, or recommended to be used, in licensing ac-basic data on such varied fields as fuel tions on current families of light water facility operations, transportation of reactors.
radioactive materials, routine reactor Advanced Reactor Safety Research - to operations, and disposal of radioactive wastes.
develop an independent NRC capability, Safeguards Research - to develop data for through use of a family of safety codes.
to assess the safety of advanced reactor the assessment of alternative policy options concepts (i.e., breeder reactors, gas-cooled as well as strategies and procedures dealing reactcrs, etc.).
with safeguards regulation, and for the General Reactor Safety Rescarch - three evaluation of safeguards proposals from research activities not specific to other applicants or licensees.
Risk Assessment Research - to develop specialized programs or cutting across two or more programs: Site Safety Research, and improve risk assessment methodology Mechanical Engineering Research, and for application in regulatory decision-Structural Engineering Research.
making.
improvement of Reactor Safety - to plan Fuel Cycle, Environmental and Waste e
Management Research - to produce com-for the development of new or improved puter models which address or confirm safety systems for nuclear power plants.
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..g Department of Energy Washington, D.C. 20545 Ms. Lisa Lepeltak 65 Carmel Avent Apt. 3 Pacifica, CA 99044
Dear Ms. Lepeltak:
This is in response to your letter of May 2,1979, to the Secretary, James R. Schlesinger.
Your closing comment states that the Three Mile Island accident indicates a need for more safety research.
The Department of Energy initiated a program to improve the safety of light water reactors in 1978. The plans for this program are curre1tly being re-evaluated in detail to ascertain changes in emphasis, priorities, and new work elements needed as a result of the experience from the Three Mile Island accident. Additionally, the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comnission (NRC) has programs in nuclear safety research.
Your other comments address areas which are under the purview of the NRC. Accordingly, by copy of this letter, I am forwarding your letter to the NRC for their information and any response they consider appropriate.
y Sincerely, cr! *
- c.: 1 :- f ;:ei by Andrew J. Frc.303ky A. J. Pressesky, Director Division of Nuclear Power Development cc:
L. V. Gossick, NRC y%
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Xr. James R. Sc:llesinger Department of Energy i.'ashington, D.C. 20545
Dear Mr. Schlesinger:
As a result of the Three Mile Island incident I, like many other Americans, have done a great deal of think-ing and research on the use of nuclear power.
I find it difficult to understand how nuclear plants are kept open after such incidents.
In April, 1978 there was an accident at the Trojan nuclear plant in Oregon.
This accident resulted from the violation of -
six safety regulations.
This just should not happen.
I realize that even stricter regulations cannot elimi-nate all the problems, but enforpement could prevent accidents such as this one.
The shutting down of the eight other plants with sini-lar cooling systems, designed by Babcock and Wilcox, should be done until cause and solution of the problem are definitely established.
I feel that we should find out what happened after the plants have been closed to pro-vent sinilar occurrences.
I found it very ' disturbing that the I;uclear Regulatory Comnicsion found in February that a reviec' of cooling systems was in order but did not carry this out.. There have been several reports of aalfunctions in the cooling systems designed by Babcock and Wilcor.
The fact that the accident at Three Mile Island was total-ly unforeseen and that those who had to deal with it weren't sure how to do t sho-ts a need for more safety research.
Thank you for your considera tion. #
Li.a Lepeltak
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