ML19256F886
| ML19256F886 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 10/31/1979 |
| From: | Gossick L NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Loeffler T HOUSE OF REP. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19256F887 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7912270033 | |
| Download: ML19256F886 (3) | |
Text
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[j UNITED STATES
% %g f h NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION j
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 j
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The Honorable Tom Loeffler United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C.
2515 Cear Congressman Loeffler:
Your letter of September 11, 1979 to Mr. Carlton Kammerer has bee 1 referred to me for a reply.
In your letter you state that ycu have received an inquiry from a Mr. Tye Schlegelmilch of San Antonio, Texas concerning the
" licensing of niaclear power plants built from the same cesign as the plant at Three Mile Island after the incident at Three Mile Island".
You request that we provide you with a status report as to any such requests.
We interpret that Mr. Schlegelmilch's inquiry pertains to nuclear power plant designs which incorporate a nuclear steam supply system designed and built by Sabcock and Wilcox. In addition to the two Three Mile Island units, there are a number of plants which utilize or plan to utilize a nuclear steam supply system by Babcock and Wilcox (see Enclosure 1). These include plants which have been granted operating licenses, those which have been granted construc-tion permits but have not yet completed the licensing stage of review, and those which are still in the construction permit stage of review.
As you are probably aware, both units of the Three Mile Island plant are currently shut down. With regard to possible future operation of Unit 1, the NRC has ordered that a public hearing be conducted to determine if, and under what conditions, restart of this unit would take place. During the hearing, technical issues which are appropriate to assure the health and safety of the public will be addressed. With regard to Unit 2, it will be some time in the future before any decision will be made on possibly restarting this unit.
With regard to the other operating plants which utilize a Babcock and Wilcox nuclear steam supply system, a number of immediate actions were taken after the Three Mile Island accident. Specifically, full time inspectors have been assigned to each of these plants. In addition, all these plants were shut down and the licensees of these plants were instructed to provide us with adaitional information about their facilities in light of the Three Mile accident. After re.new of the informaticn provided, orders were issued to the licensees that re@ ired them to nake immediate plant modifications, to ;rovide additional 0;eretor training and to revise certain ooerating procedures. Adci icnal long-i
- ct ons were orcered to further upgrade certain plar.: systers, as well as t e r-cperator training and procedures. All of these plants
.1 ave c;mpliec with the orders and'have been permitted to resume operation.
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s The Honorable Tom Loeffler Cur review of the implications of the Three Mile Island accicent has continued. A substantial effort has been and is being expended within the NRC to evaluate the factors which contributed to the Three Mile Island accident and to prevent a similar occurrence in the future.
Over the past several months following the Three Mile Island accident the NRC staff has been conducting an intensive review of the desicn and pera-tional aspects of nuclear power plants and the emercency precedures for copine with potential accidents. The purpose of these efforts was to identify reasures that should be taken in the short-term to reduce the likelihood of such accidents and to improve the emergency preparedness in responding to such events. To carry out this review, efforts within NRR were established in four areas:
(a) licensee emergency preparedness, (b) operator licensing, (c) bulletins and orders followup (primarily in the areas of auxiliary feed-water systems reliability; loss of feedwater and small break loss-of-coolant accident analysis; emergency operating guidelines and procedures) and (d)
Short-Term Lessons Learned.
Letters have been sent to all operating plants, incl,uding the Babcock and Wilcox plants, setting forth further requirements established to date as a result of these efforts. Additional requirements may be developed as the staff's Lessons Learned Task Force completes its Long-Term Requirements.
In addition, Comission review of the results of other investigations, includ-ing the Presidential Commission and the NRC's Special Inquiry Group, can be expected to ead to additional requirements.
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'The staff has proposed to the Comission that similar requirements be placed on all operating license applicants and construction permit applicants. The Connission may add to or modify these staff positions for these applications after their review.
I am pleased to have had this opportunity to respond to your request.
If you have any.other questions regarding this matter please let me know.
Si ncerely, uno...a agued by a. G. smith Lee V. Gossick Exect.ti ce T re: cr f:r C:sraticns Enc!csure:
,s Sta:ec 1642 162 00h10h0h0kQ e
s ENCLOSURE Listing of Plants With Designs Which Include a Babcock and Wilcox Nuclear Steam Succly Syster Plants With Operating Licenses (0L)
Lccation Arkansas, Unit 1 Pope County, Arkansas Crystal River, Unit 3 Citrus County, Florida Davis Sesse, Unit 1 Ottawa County, Ohio Cconee, Units 1, 2 and 3 Oconee Ccunty, South Carolina Rancho Seco, Unit 1 Sacramento County, California Three Mile Island, Units 1 and 2 Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Plants In the OL Stage of Review Bellefonte, Units 1 and 2 Jackson County, Al abama Midland, Units 1 and 2 Midland County, Michigan
. Plants With Construction Permits (CP)
Which Have not Started the OL Stage of Review North Anna, Units 3 and 4 Louisa County, Virginia WPPSS, Units 1 and 4 Benton County, Washington Plants In the CP Stage of Review Davis Eesse, Units 2 and 3 Ottawa County, Ohio Erie, Units 1 and 2 Erie County, Chio
- reene Ccunty, Jnit 1 Greene County, Law York Creem.ocd, Units 2 anc 3 5
- . Claire County, Michigan Cebble Springs, Units 1 ar.d 2 G'llian Ccunty, Oregon j
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