ML19209A822

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Requests That NRC Suspend or Revoke License of Util to Const Nuclear Power Plant Using Mark II Containment Design.Major Design Changes in Essential Safety Sys Are Under Review. Certificate of Svc Encl
ML19209A822
Person / Time
Site: LaSalle  Constellation icon.png
Issue date: 08/21/1979
From: Felt R, Gogol E, Nauman G
CITIZENS AGAINST NUCLEAR POWER, CITIZENS UNITED FOR RESPONSIBLE ENERGY, DEKALB AREA ALLIANCE FOR RESPONSIBLE ENERGY
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Shared Package
ML19209A816 List:
References
NUDOCS 7910050441
Download: ML19209A822 (5)


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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 7 1goj{S g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (p

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In the Matter of the nu 0*

License of Commonwealth Edison Company to Construct Docket #50373 and #50374 Units 1 and 2 of the LaSalle County, Illinois Nuclear Power Station PETITION FOR NRC TO INSTITUTE PROCEEDING TO SUSPEND AND/0R REV0KE LICENSE (1) The Petitioners - Citizens Against Nuclear Power, Edward Gogol, Director; Illinois Valley Citizens Against Nuclear Power, Jim Jenk 5 ns , Director; Citizens United for Responsible Energy, Gary Naumann, President; Appleseed, Bridget Rorem, Spokesperson; DeKalb Area Alliance for Responsible Energy, Robert Felt, Spokesperson; Society Against A Nuclear Environmen t , Kevin ",as'ey, Spokesperson; Si nni s si ppi Alliance for the Environment, Stanley E. Campbell, Spokesperson; Chiwaukee Radioactivists , Jennifer Reams ,

Spokesperson; Safe Energy Now to Save the Environment, Lola Hill, Spokesperson - are organizations concerned with protecting the public and the individuals comprising the organizations f rbm the environmental, economical and physi-cal safety hazards of nuclear energy.

(2) Commonwealth Edison Co. has previously applied for and has been granted a license to construct two nuclear power plants utilizing the Mark II containment design at LaSalle County, Illinois, Construction of these units is nearly complete, with start up of Unit 1 originally planned for 1979.

(3) According to a June 2, 1979 report in the Chicago

- Sun-Times daily newspaper, Commonwealth Edison Co. and the Nuclear Regul a tory Commi s sion (NRC) anticipate a nine month delay in the start up of the Unit I re a c t o r.. The delay is because Commonwealth Edison Co. and the NRC have, according to the Sun-Times report, " decided to ' stiffen' the design of the reactor containment structures to simultaneously withstand an earthquake and loss-of-coolant accident."

Said report is attached to this petition and is made a part hereof as Exhibit A.

(4) According to Jan Strasma, the press officer for the NRC Region III office in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and Steven Goldman, a spokesman for Commonwealth Edison i n' C h i c a g o ,

Illinois, the alterations to be performed at the reactor consist of installing metal braces on the "downcomers" piping system of the steam pressure suppression system of the containment.

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PETITION FOR NRC TO INSTITUTE PROCEEDING TO SUSPEND AND/0R REV0KE LICENSE - Page Two (5) The s ti f feni ng ' of the design of the pressure suppression system and/or reactor containment structures mandate the institution of a proceeding by the NRC to sus-pend and/or revoke the construction license previously accorded Commonwealth Edison Co.

(a) The reactor pressure suppression system and reactor containment structure are essential safety features, intended to prevent the release of radioactive m'aterial into the environment in the event of a reactor accident.

(b) NRC " confirmatory" tests of the Mark I and Mark II designs have revealed that its earlier judgment that pool swell hydrodynamics woul d be small is incorrect. These loads have n. ner been considered in the Mark II design.

(c) Confirmatory review of specific pool dynamic loads in Mark II designs will not be completed until October, 1980, according to NRC Status Summary Report -- Generic Technical Activities ,

August 11, 1978, Draft.

(d) Construction of the Unit I reactor is schedtled for completion prior to the expected completion of the NRC confirmatory review.

(e) To allow construction of the reactors to continue prior to a determination as to exactly which vital design specifications they art' to be built to, may result in the nonimplementation of such vital design specifict.tions. This has occurred before. On May 30, 1978, the NRC waived certain safety requirements for already operating Boiler Water Reactors of the Mark I design when " con-fi rma to ry" tests disclosed that such operating reactors failed to meet those NRC safety regula-tions. (structural c Tign margin of safety cut in half; less conser ive calculation of force utilized in determinia9 base for safety margin; less conservative calculation of material strength utilized in determining safety margin)

_ (f) There are presently no operative reactors utilizing the Mark II design in the United States. As such, there has been no indication whatsoever of the capabilities of the Mark II design as to pool swell hydrodynamics. -

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PETITION FOR NRC TO INSTITUTE FROCEEDING 10 SUSPEND AND/0R REV0KE LICENSE - Page Three (g) Other major design changes in the Mark 11 con-tainment system may be presently contemplated by Commonwealth Edison Co. This conclusion is warranted by the apparent discrepancy between the official ' stiffening' action represented (installation of metal brackets) and the time Commonwealth Edison Co. has said it will take to carry out such 'sti f fening' action (nine months). See paragraphs 3 and 4 of this Peti-tion. The exact nature of the other design changes which may also be contemplated for this nine month period is unknown.

(6) For reasons strted above, the Petitioners hereby request that the NRC institute a proceeding to suspend and/or revoke the construction license of Commonwealth Edison Co. as to both Units 1 and 2 of the LaSalle County nuclear power plants, pursuant to 10 C.F.R. Section 2.202. This request is filed pursuant to 10 C.F.R. Section 2.206. As major design changes in an essential safety feature of the LaSalle reactors are now being made or contemplated, it is essential that the suspension and/or revocation proceedings be made public, as the public interest is so vitally concerned here.

WHEREFORE, the Petitioners request that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission institute a proceeding, and hold public hearings, to suspend and /or revoke the license of Commonwealth Edison Co. to construct the nuclear power plants utilizing the Mark II containment design at LaSalle County, Illinois.

a ) hcv Edward Gogol4 Director CITIZENS AGAINST NUCLEAR POWER

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Jim Jenkins , Di rector ILLINOIS VALLEY CITIZENS AGAINST NUCLEAR POWER

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Gary Naumann, President CITIZENS UNITED FOR RESPONSIBLE ENERGY 1127 042

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Bridget Ro rem , Spokesperson APPLESEED

PETITION FOR NRC TO INSTITUTE PROCEEDING TO SUSPEND AND/0R REV0KE LICENSE - Page Four L% m ,_ -W-Robert Felt, Spokesperson DEKALB AREA ALLIANCE FOR RESPONSIBLE ENERGY r.,"

Kevin Casey, Spokesperson SOCIETY AGAINST A NUCLEAR ENVIRONMENT

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STf uyj,'u.L '( 0. < ec . 4 Stanley E. Campbell, Spokesperson SINNISSIPPI ALLIANCE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT 1 . ., 3

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. ': c m-Jennifer Reams, Spokesperson

. CHIWAUKEE RADI0 ACTIVISTS i

Ye Lola~ Hill, Spokesperson

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SAFE ENERGY NOW TO SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT 1127 043

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NOTICE OF FILING

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dy On August 21, 1979, I filed the attached Petition by mailing a copy of the same, with postage prepaid, to:

Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 Director of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 Director of Office of Inspection and Enforcement U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 Dr Joseph Hendrie, Chairman U.S Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 Mr. James Keppler U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Ccmmission, Region III 799 Roosevelt Road Glen Ellyn, IL Mr. Jan Strasma U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Cornission 799 Roosevelt Road Glen Ellyn, IL Mr. Cordell Reed Commonwealth Edison Company One First National Plaza Chicago, IL 60690

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JAN,L. KCDNER, Attorney for Citizens Against j Nuclear Power f

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