ML19246C427

Forwards Results of Preliminary Review of Licensee Responses to IE Bulletins 79-06,06A & 06,Amend 1.Meeting W/Owners of Operating Plants Having Westinghouse-designed Sys Scheduled for 790530 in Bethesda,Md

ML19246C427
Person / Time
Site:	Farley
Issue date:	05/22/1979
From:	Schwencer A Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Barton A ALABAMA POWER CO.
References
NUDOCS 7907240592
Download: ML19246C427 (4)

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UNITED STATES 8'

'i NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 3.,,

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WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 6;k s.... + s[

May 22, 1979 Docket No. 50-348 Mr. Alcn R. Barton Senior Vice President Alabama Power Company Post Office Box 2641 Birmingham, Alabama 35291

SUBJECT:

NRC STAFF REVIEW 0F RESPONSES TO I&E BULLETINS 79-06 AND 79-06A We have completed a preliminary review of the licensee responses to I&E Bulletins 79-06,79-06A, and amendment 1 to 79-06A.

The purpose of this letter is to advise you of the preliminary results of that review, with particular emphasis on potential problem areas, and to identify related concerns which we believe require your further examination.

We have scheduled a meeting with the owners of all operating plants having Westinghouse designed nuclear supply systeus. This meeting will be held on May 30, 1979, in rooms P-110/ll4 at our Phillips Building office in Bethesda, Maryland.

You are expected to attend the meeting and be prepared to discuss those matters identified below along with a schedule and procedure for providing the information needed by NRC to complete the review of these issues.

(1) Our preliminary review of the Bulletin responses indicates that a number of the Bulletin items are,10t yet satisfactorily resolved. provides a summary of our current assessment of the responses to the Bulletins issued on Westinghouse plants.

(2) In certain instances, licensee responses differ, without apparent justification, from the Westinghouse recommendations for individual Bulletin items. We expect to resolve each such difference, as well as licensee exceptions to specific Bulletin responses, prior to our approval of the Bulletin responses. A copy of the Westinghouse recommendations is provided as Enclosure 2.

(3) The Westinghouse advice is prescriptive on resetting of the high pressure injection system and incomplete as to the need for keeping the reactor coolant pumps running.

610 Ro2_.

7 9072405943

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Mr. Alan R. Barton Alabama Power Company (4) We are finalizing a generic report on TMI-2 matters related to Westinghouse operating plants. Although this report is not yet complete, among other things, we expect that it will recommend further analyses of transients and small reactor coolant system breaks, the develocment of appropriate written procedure guidance to operators in the use of these new procedures.

(5)

In certain instances, licensees are using fuel a:1d relying on safety analysec. nich were not provided by Westinghouse. As a result, it is not clear to us what the respective roles of the licensees, Westinghouse, the fuel suppliers, and/or other parties should be in implementing those requirements described in item (4) above. We need a clear and concise definition of their respective roles in these cases.

(6) The Advisory Committee on D actor Safeguards (ACRS) has issued five letters to the Commission as a result of their examination of the TMI-2 accident. We need a clear and concise position from all licensees with respect to each of the recommendations contained in these letters. A summary of the ACRS recommendations is provided as Enclosure 3.

(7)

Individual licensees have indicated an interest in meeting directly with the staff regarding the Bulletin items for their facilities.

Experience to date has demonstrated that the staff does not have time to meet individually with each licensee to resolve these items.

It is clear that there are a significant number of technical issues yet to be resolved for a large number of Westinghouse operating plants. There are limited resources available within the NRC staff to perform the necessary work. This situation is exacerbated by the need to conduct similar and concurrent activities with those owners of B&W, C-E, and GE designed operating plants. At the same time, there is a need to resolve these matters promptly.

To resolve the issues described above in a prompt and expeditious manner, we believe there is a compelling need to establish an owner's group for Westinghouse operating plants. We expect that such a group would be needed for the remainder of calendar year 1979. Owner's groups have worked effectively in the past in minimizing staff and industry resource requirements to resolve other generic problems. We strongly urge you to meet with other owners of Westinghouse operating plants to consider the formation of such a group prior to our meeting on May 30.

This will be one of the principal agenda items at that meeting.

MO2CG c m,o no u~u -

Mr. Alan R. Barton 3-Alabama Power Company Please note that investigation of a number of areas related to the THI-2 accident, including the long-term ACRS recommendations and long-term action items from NUREG-0560, will be specifically included as part of the future " Lessons Learned" staff activity.

You can expect additional correspondence in the future on these items.

If you require any clarification of the matters discussed in this letter please contact Patrick D. O'Reilly, the staff's assigned project manager for these activities on Westinghouse plants. Mr. O'Reilly may be reached on (301) 492-7745.

Sincerely, i

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A. Schwencer, Chief Operating Reactors Branch #1 Division of Operating Reactors

Enclosures:

As Stated cc: w/ enclosures See next page 620204

Mr. Alan R. Barton Alabama Power Company 4_

cc:

Ruble A. Thomas, Vice President Southern Services, Inc.

Post Office Box 2625 Birmingham, Alabama 35202 George F. Trowbridge, Esquire Shaw, Pittman, Potts and Trowbridge 1800 M Street, N.W.

Washington, D. C.

20036 John Bingham, Esquire Balch, Bingham, Baker, Hawthorne, Williams and Ward 600 North 18th Street Birmingham, Alabama 35202 Edward H. Keiler, Esquire Keiler and Buckley 9047 Jefferson Highway River Ridge, Louisiana 70123 George S. Houston Memorial Library 212 W. Berdeshaw Street Dothan, Alabama 36303 E20205

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