ML19257D146
| ML19257D146 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Point Beach  |
| Issue date: | 01/07/1980 |
| From: | Burstein S WISCONSIN ELECTRIC POWER CO. |
| To: | James Keppler NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| References | |
| IEIN-79-37, NUDOCS 8002010377 | |
| Download: ML19257D146 (2) | |
Text
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-T0 Wisconsin Electnc eowen couesur 231 WEST MICHIG AN, MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN 53201 January 7, 1980 Mr. James G. Keppler, Director g gg
/
Office of Inspection and Enforcement U.
S.
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Region III 799 Roosevelt Road Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60137
Dear Mr. Keppler:
IE INFORMATION NOTICE 79-37 POINT BEACH NUCLEAR PLANT This is to express our concern with IE Information Notice 79-37 received with your letter of December 28, 1979.
While we intend to make a more complete report on the matter of Westinghouse low-pressure turbine discs at Point Beach, we particularly call your attention to the errors and statements in this IE Information Notice, which, we believe, give a distorted and erroneous impression.
The IE Information Notice states that "an anonymous" letter was received by the Director of the Office of Inspection and Enforcement, on November 17, 1979, which alleged possible violations in respect to turbine problems.
Such a reference implies that this was the NRC's first knowledge of this matter.
This, of course, is not true.
At a meeting on November 5, 1979, Wisconsin Electric staff advised the NRC Staff of concerns in respect to low-pressure turbine discs.
This advice was confirmed by the notes of this meeting prepared and issued by a representative of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, who was present at the November 5 meeting.
We do not understand why the NRC chooses to give credibility to an anonymous letter and apparently ignores information provided by a licensee.
We urge you to withdraw and correct this IE Information Notice for this reason alone.
While we are not intimately familiar with the inspection results of the Zion Unit 1 low-pressure turbine of Commonwealth Edison Company, we understand that indication of cracks found on the disc bore area was on the outlet side of the discs and not on the inlet side, as stated in Paragraph 2 of IE Information Notice 79-37.
1855 348 JA N 111980 8002010:3 77
Mr. James G. Keppler January 7, 1980 t
Further, in Paragraph 3 of the bulletin, reference is incorrectly made to Point Beach Unit 2 rather than Point Beach Unit 1.
Also, Point Beach Unit I returned to power following disc inspection on December 1, not December 23. to the IE Information Notice, under Category AA, lists Point Eeach Units 1 and 2 as those turbines which appear to have the earliest need for inspection.
As you know, Unit 1 has already been inspected and returned to service, as described on Page 1 of this notice.
We do not understand the inclusion of Unit 1 in Category AA.
We also note that the NRC Staff incorrectly continues to identify Wisconsin Michigan Power Company as the utility owning or operating Point Beach Units 1 and 2.
As we have iniicated above, we are preparing a report in respect to the examination of the Unit 1 low-pressure turbine rotors at Point Beach.
We believe, however, that you should rescind and reissue this Information Notice to correct 'che obvious errors and unfortunate implications.
Very truly yours, r
/ _
L_ :,
Ex utive Vice President Sol Burstein Copy to Mr.
C. M. Trammell 4
1855 349
.