ML19261B982

Requests Exemption from Testing Requirement of Section III.A6(b) of 10CFR,App J.Corrective Action Plan Provides Greater Assurance of Continuing Containment Integrity & Should Be Accepted as Alternative to Stds

ML19261B982
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png
Issue date:	03/02/1979
From:	Mayer L NORTHERN STATES POWER CO.
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
790305, WVY-79-25, NUDOCS 7903090241
Download: ML19261B982 (1)

Text

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~1 LM VERMONT YAN KEE NUCLEAR POWER CORPORATION SCVcNTY SCVEN OROVE STRCCT B.3.2.1 RuTLAso, VERMONT 05701 REPLYTO:

ENGINEERING OFFICE TURNPaKE ROAD WESTBORO. M ASS ACHUSETTS 01581 j

TELEPHCNE 617 366 9011 WVY 79-25 March 2, 1979 United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D. C.

20555 Attention: Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Reference:

(a) License No. DPR-28 (Docket No. 50-271)

(b) VYNPC letter WVY 75-8 to USNRC dated January 28, 1975 (c) VYNPC letter WVY 78-98 to USNRC dated November 17, 1978

Subject:

Primary Containment Leak Rate Testing This letter is written pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12 to formally request an exemption from the testing requirement specified in Section III.A6(b) of Appendix J to 10 CFR 50.

References (b) and (c) contein test reports that include data and test results that identify a condition, whereby two consecutive periodic Type A test failures have occurred. As a result,Section III.A.6(b) of Appendix J to 10 CFR 50 requires that a Type A test be performed at each refueling outage or approximately every 18 months until two consecutive tests meet the accep-tance criteria. Vermont Yankee believes that arbitrarily increasing the frequency of conducting subsequent Type A tests without focusing attention on the cause(s) of the inability t.o meet the acceptance criteria will not necessarily provide greater assurance of continuing containment integrity.

In accordance with the above position, Vermont Yankee incorporated a Corrective Action Plan in the test report transmitted by Reference (c).

This Cotrective Action Plan focuses attention on the cause of the latest test failure and, upon implementation will provide greater assurance of continu-ing containment integrity. This exenption request endorses the Corrective Action Plan as an acceptable alternative-to the aforementioned testing re-quirement of Appendix J to 10 CFR 50.

We trust that the referenced information is sufficient for your review and approval.

Should you require additional clarification or information, please feel free to contact us.

This exemption request has a direct impact on planning for the 1979 Refueling Outage, tentatively scheduled for Septem-ber, 1979. For this reason, we would appreciate an expeditious response.

Very truly yours, VERMONT YANKEE SUCLEn POWER CORPCRATION rWeL W.! Johnson Vice President 700s 000 M/