ML19323E945

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Responds to Cohen & Cholmar Concerns That Facility Does Not Have Adequate Fire Protection.Nrc Performed Extensive Fire Protection Evaluation.Fire Protection Improved Significantly
ML19323E945
Person / Time
Site: Haddam Neck File:Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co icon.png
Issue date: 05/08/1980
From: Dircks W
NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To: Mckinney S
HOUSE OF REP.
Shared Package
ML19323E946 List:
References
NUDOCS 8005280219
Download: ML19323E945 (6)
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Docket Ross i

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I'.a ttson Local PDR (w/inc)~ OELD EDO Reading OCA (3) l Docket No. 50-213 NRR Reading

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@ 0 8 1980 ORB #2 Reading 11Groff STello Lftiller i.

J. Cook D.L.Ziemann HDenton HSmith I

The Honorable' Stewart S.~. McKinney ECase TVWambach United States House of Berkow/ Russell CJHeltemes, AEOD Representatives DeYo'un9 RDSilver

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Washington, D..C.

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Dear Congressman Mehinney:

RHVollmer SECY (3)

Eisenhut j

Your memorandum to Chairman Ahearne has been referred to me for reply. Your memorandum referred to concerns expressed by Messrs Cohen and Cholmar that l

the Haddam Neck Plant does not have adequate protection against fires. In particular, Messrs Cohen and Cholmar expressed ~ concern about a planned modifi-l cation of the Haddam Neck Plant to enable alternate shutdown capability.

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The NRC has performed an extensive evaluation of fire protection at the Haddahi Neck Plant. The purpose of the evaluation was to assure through a defense-in-(

depth design, that a fire will not prevent the performance of necessary safe plant shutdown functions and will not.significantly increase the risk. of radio-active' releases to the environment. The required fire protection program at j

the Haddam Neck Plant consists of fire detection and extinguishers, systems and trained personnel.. This cultifaceted defense-in-depth program is aimed at:

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a.' Preventing' fires from starting.

b.J Detecting fires quickly,' suppressing those. fires.that occu,r, putting them out, quickly and limiting their damage.

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Designing plant safety'sysiens solhab 'a fire that 'gets ~

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f started, in spite of the fire ~ protection program, ~ nd burns i

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4,.for a considerable period of time, in spite of 'the fire pro-.

. ' tectio.n activities, will not prevent. essential plant safety ~,

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function.s from being performed.

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'. An underlying philosophy ~of our requirements is that.no-one of theselechelons

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can; be per.fect or cog 1.ete by itself. ; Strengthening any' one' can cor.gensate in

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some measure for weaknesses, known or unknown, in'the others. _

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~' 0'ur~ evaluation'o'f Haddam Neckha's resulted in' numerous' required igrovenents in -

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- sthe. facilityeand in administrative controls. OBy letter' dated February 6 1978 h

we issued license requirements for existing fire protection: systems'and ~adminis -

trative controls. By lett'er of October 3,' 1978 we issued additional license

. conditions requiring.cogletion of; further'factlity. modifications and.faplemen-

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  • aMHaaaliadministration, controls. The. October 3,1978 license amend-

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! We have concluded in our safety evaluation for the October 3,1978 license amendment that significant steps are.being taken to provide additional assurance that safe shutdown can be accoglished and the plard can be main-tained in a safe condition in response to potential fire situations. Upon iglementation of the licensee's modifications to be completed this spring, we find that the fire pr tection program fulfills the following criteria:

(1) Costustibles in safety-related areas are limited to the extent practicable; (2) Fire detection and suppression systems will minimize the effects of fire on safety-related systems and will not in themselves significantly impair the capability of safety-related systems; l

(3) A fire in arty fire area will not damage safety-related structures such that they cannot perform their safety function;

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(4) A fire in arty fire area will not cause the release of amounts 'of radioactive material in excess of. those considered in previous sahty evaluations.

Before we can reach a deterwination concerning whether the fire protection program at this facility will satisfy our objectives for satisfactory long term fire protection, the alternate shutdown capability will have to be pro-vided. However, we have determined that in the interest of providing capa-bility that will achieve great.4c enhancement of overall plant safety over the long range, alternate shutdown capability should be designed utilizing.

design criteria developed in our Systematic Evaluation Program, a orogram which is examining older plants:with~ respect-to current licensing criteria. -

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In the interim.' we conclude that based upon the report of the Special Review e

i Group on the Browns Ferry fire (NUREG-0050. dated February 1976, and subse-c :.

quent acticas taken with respect.to contro of ignition sources, isposition "

of administrative controls on activities-that might affect fire safety and ' k -

emergency operating procedures for ultimate shutdown and cooling methods,

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-that there is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered. 'The.following quotation ~from the report. summarizes, '~

the basis for. cur conclusion. M@g Wsfc.,y%g Y,(gg*p :

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,.; *Eires occur:retherifrequentlyd.however. fires linvolving equipment ' ye F fire are quite infreo. C.i ' i

, >:. 2.1 unavailability camparable to the Browns-Ferry' Review Group believes %N -

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.Vgnent-(see Section 3.3 of. [MIREM3050]).d The

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'? that steps alrea$ taken since March.1975 (see Section 3.3.2.of.

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  • pn. [NUREG-00503) have reduced this frequent;y sipitficantly."-. : 41U4 3

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," Based on its review of the events transpiring _before, during and after the Browns Ferry fire, the-Review Group concludes that the probability of disruptive fires of the magnitude of the Browns Ferry.

event is, small, and that there is no need to restrict operation of nuclear power plants for publ*:: safety., However, it is clear that ruch can and should be done to reduce even further the likelihood of disabling fires and to improve assu.rance of rapf d extinguishment of fires that occur. Consideration should be' given also to features that would increase further the ability of nuclear' facilities to

. withstand large fires without loss of important functions should such fires occur."

We recognize that.t'he " Risk' Assessment Review Gruup Report to the U. S. Nuclear Rerplatory Comission" NUREG/CR-0400 (The Lewis Comittee Report), states that the.. Review Group is unconvinced of the correctness of the WASH-1400 conclusion

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that fires contribute negligibly to the overall-risk of nuclear plant operation.

I In the Comission's Policy Statement dated January 18, 1979, "NRC Statement on I

Risk-Assessment and the Reactor Safety Study Report (WASH-1400) in Light of the Risk-Assessaient Review Group Report", the Comission indicated on page 3 that it

" accepts.the review Group Report's conclusion that absolute values of the risks presented by WASH-1400 should not be used uncritically either in the fegulatory process or for public policy purposes.and has'taken and will continue to take steps.to assure that any such use' in 'the past will be corrected as appropriate..

In particular, in' light of the Review' Group conclusion on accident probabilities, the Comission does not regard as reliable the Reactor Safety Study's numerical

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estimate of. the; overall. risk.of, reactor accident."

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n In sumary, it ~1s our conclusion that the operation off the facility', pending igle-mentation of an alternate. safe shutdown capability,;does not present an undue risk,

to the health and" safety _ of.~ the public based'on our concurrence with the Browns i

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' ' Ferry Special Revies Group's. conclusions identified above,-(g1ving due consideratiq

', to.the Comission Policy, Statement) as-well. a.s the significant. igrovements in fire

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. protection alrea@ made at'the facility since the Browns Ferry fire.s These incluc l establishment of administrative controls' over conbustible ~ materials' and use of-ignition sourcesktraining and staffing of.a' fire -brigade, and issuance of technical specifications to, provide limitini conditions. operation and surveillanc; requirements for' fire protection ~: systems: as well as many modifications tof.igrove

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7 + f tre protectten tyrthe, addition';of-barriers',5firit*dagers ' fire; detectors,* fire (C.. suppression.systess, etG U*C.Mi'fjd@;j;j&, Wh$5Qbk> v C'

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??. In summary. it'is our judgement;that there has been.significant igrovement'in fir..

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. t [ protection.at Haddam Neck,'that defense-in-depth' exists and that in the long term, mig; g:n Oy.;,;

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8 safety would be best served by designing an alternate shutdown capability which I

incorporates design features addressing safety-igrovements resulting from the review of other hazards ' considered in the Systematic Evaluation Program as well as those resulting from the fire hazards review.

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1111am J. Dircks.

Acting Executive Director of Operations

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ACPOM COR5TRO L DATES CONTROLMO'bb33b FROM:

CMsLeEAQukE 2-22-80 Rep. Stewart B. f*cKinneyO ACKNOw LEoG u ENT DATE OF DOCUaENT INTERIM REPLY Undated PREPARE FOR SIGNATURE TO:

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FINAL REPLY O CHAIRMAN Ahearne FILE LOCATION Z EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OTHER:

DESCRIPTION D LETTER OMEMO O REPORT O OTHER SPECI AL INSTRUCTIONS OR REVARKS Encl. letters fm Sidney Cholmar &

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Logging Date NRC SECRETARIAT Date TO:

Commissioner XM Exec. Der./Oper.

O c.n. Coun i O cons.Li son O soiicitor O Public Affairs O secretary 0 in. e.to,. Auoito, O con.v e,sios, ion Ren Stewart McKinney incom.ng:

Constituent referral from SidneV From:

Chnlmar % Rornarri Onhan Undated Chairman Ahearne o.1, To:

sub,.ct - KHN KHMX A11eaed fire hazards at Haddam Neck reactotr

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Chaerman O Comm.i. ion.,

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  • Suspense: Feb, 14

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