ML19325E168

Forwards NRC Understanding of Issues Raised in Citizens for Fair Util Regulation 891016 Request for Stay That Will Be Treated as Allegation OSP-89-A-0089

ML19325E168
Person / Time
Site:	Comanche Peak
Issue date:	10/27/1989
From:	Lyons J Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Brink B CITIZENS FOR FAIR UTILITY REGULATION
References
CCS, NUDOCS 8911020163
Download: ML19325E168 (4)

Text

-

.t October 27, 1989 a

i t

i Docket NSso 50-445' and 50-446 y

Ms.BettkBrink, President Citizens for Fair utility Regulation 7600 Anglin Drive Fort Worth Texas 76119

Dear Ms. Brink:

j

Reference:

Allegation OSP-89-A-0089 j

In its Order dated October 19, 1989, the Comission directed that, prior to I

issuance of a low-power license for Comanche Peak Unit 1, the NRC staff i

address the possible safety hazards and specific technical concerns raised l

by the Citizers for Fair Utility Regulation (CFUR) in its October 16, 1989 Request for Stay. The Comission instructed the staff to. treat those issues in accordance with the Commission's procedures for handling allegations, as set forth in the NRC's Manual Chapter 0517. The purpose of this letter is to i

acknowledge the scope and nature of the issues that we will treat as " allegations,"

in accordance with those procedures.

The enclosure to this' letter documents the concerns raised in CFUR's October 16, 1989 petition, as we understand them. We have initiated actions to examine the facts and circumstances regarding these concerns; therefore, i

if this letter does not accurately reflect those concerns, please infom us in writing within ten (10) days following your receipt of this. letter.

\\

The Nuclear. Regulatory Comission is responsible for assuring that commercial i

uses of nuclear matcrials do not pose an undue risk to the public health and safety.

In closing,'let me assure you th3t every effort will be made to i

fully address your concerns.

Sir.cerely, (original signed by)

I James E. Lyons. Chaiman Allegation Review Comittee j

Comanche Peak Project Division i

Enclosure.

Concerns

+

,v l

cc w/ enclosure:.

n j Jg See.next page

?

j i

te)a. nw DIS"R:

BUT0N e

0 gg L$seclen g a M lMMal1oy

, pp7 RRC PDR

MFi eld s Local PDR CYanDenburgh i l l

wo

(. PPD Reading OGC l

ADSP Reading:

JPartlow 0

DCrutchfield EJordan a

TQuay BGrimes SEe JHWilson-ACRS(10)

[

JLyons I

RWarnick N

ON.

AD:

NRR D.CPPD:NR@TA OGC JEL CIGrimes: W DMC Jchfield 10/zf/89

,10ANf89 10M T/89 10/21/89

\\-

\\

![-..

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION e

{

]

wAswiwarom, o. c. rones j

October 27, 1989 i

Docket Nos. 50-445 l

and 50-440 t

l i

Ms. Betty Brink. President i

Citizens for Fair Utility Regulation l

7600 Anglin Drive Fort Worth. Texas 76119

}

i

Dear Ms. Brink:

[

Reference:

Allegation 0$P-89-A-0089 In its Order dated October 19, 1989, the Commission directed that, prior to t

issuance of a low-oower license for Comanche Peak Unit 1. the NRC staff addressthepossiblesafetyhazardsandspecifictechnicalconcernsraised by the Citizens for Fair Utility Regulation (CFUR) in its October 16. 1989 i

Request for Stay. The Comission instructed the staff to. treat those issues l

in accordance with the Connission's procedures for handling allegations, as j

set forth in the NRC's Manual Chapter 0517.

The purpose of this letter is to i

acknowledge the scope and nature of the issues that we will treat as " allegations."

f in accordance with those procedures.

The enclosure to this letter documents the concerns rai3ed in CFUR's-October 16, 1989 petition, as we understand them. We have initiated ~ actions to examine the facts and circumstances regarding these concerns; therefore.

if this letter does not accurately reflect those concerns, please inform us in wMting within ten (10) days following your receipt of this letter.

i The Nuclear Regulatory Comission is responsible for' assuring that commercial uses of iweloar materials do not pose an undue risk to the public health and safety.

In closing. let me assure you that every effort will be made to fully address your concerns.

[

Sincerely, t

.E M -

Ja s E.

ns. Chairman i

Allegation R w Committee l

Sqy nche Peak Project Division

Enclosure:

Concerns t

cc w/ enclosure:

See next page l

f P

i i

lis. Betty Brink '

cc:

Mr. Robert F. Warnick Jack R. Newman, Esq.

Assistant Director Newman & Noltzinger i

for Inspection Programs 1615 L Street, NW

}

Comanche Peak Project Division Suite 1000 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.

20036 P. O. Box 1029 Granbury. Texas 76048 Chief. Texas Bureau of Radiation Control l

Texas Department of Health Regional Administrator, Region IV 1100 West 49th Street

(

U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Consission Austin, Texas 78756 611 Pyan Plaza Drive Suite 1000 Arlington, Texas 76011 Hor.orable George Crump i

County Judge Ms. Billie Pirner Garde. Esq.

Glen Rose Texas 76043 Robinson, Robinson, et al.

103 East College Avenue lir. W. J. Cahill, Jr.

Appleton, Wisconsin 54911 Executive Vice President. Nuclear Texas Utilities Electric Company i

Mrs. Juanita Ellis, President 400 No. Olive Street, L.B. 81 Citizens Association for Sound Energy Dallas, Texas 75201 1426 South Polk Dallas, Texas 75224 Mr. Kendall McCook, Vice President Citizens for Fair Utility Regulation E. F. Ottney Route 1. Box 70 i

P. O. Box 1777 Tolar. Texas 76476 Glen Rose Texas 76043 Mr. Richard Lee Griffin, Attorney Mr. Roger D. Walker 600 North Main Street Manager, Nuclear Licensing Fort Worth Texas 76106 Texas Utilities Electric Company 400 horth Olive Street, L. B. 81 Dallas, Texas 75201 Texas Utilities Electric Company c/o Bethesda Licensing 3 Metro Center, Suite 610 i

Bethesda, Maryland 20814 i

William A. Burchette. Esq.

Counsel for Tex-La Electric Cooperative of Texas Heron, Burchette, Ruckert & Rothwell 1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20007 i

GDS ASSOCIATES., INC.

i Suite 720 1850 Parkway Place

[

l Marietta, Georgia 30067-8237 l

l

~

t J.

ENCLOSURE NRC STAFF UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUES RAISED IN CFUR REQUEST FOR STAY

)

4 i

1.

Risks of low-power plant operation and, particularly, the potential i

for spent fuel accidents more severe than previously thought, based i

on a study by the Brookhaven National Laboratory, dated February 5, 1987.

"Beyond Design-Basis Accidents in Spent Fuel Pools (Generic Issue 82)."

2.

Check valve failures that occurred during hot functional testing.in April i

and May 1989 were critical and would have contaminated systems outside containment.

e l

3.

Counterfeit bolts have been used throughout the plant.

\\

4.

TV Electric's response to the check valve failures was inadequate, according l

to the NRC July 10, 1989 report.

l 4

5.

Shannon Phillips, a retired NRC inspector and fomer resident inspector at l

Comanche Peak, wrote a memorandum to the Commission which raised issues l

regarding (1) that TU Electric had misled the Corsnission about constrvction problems at Comanche Peak, (2) TV Electric exerted pressure on top NRC management to downgrade his findings mlated to mpairs on the service water system piping, and (3) an internal TV Electric memo showed a pattern of shoddy inspection techniques by TU Electric.

l 6.

A group of NRC staff inspectors infomed the Commission that the pending Systematic Assessment of Licensee Perfomance (SALP) report "is neither

(

accurate nor complete." Factual infomation had been deliberately withheld, and the utility should receive a below average rating for its past year's i

perfomance.

The inspectors stated the plant is at least six months away from fuel loading.

7.

CASE settled with TU Electric because of the significant economic interest in settling the whistleblower claims and the settlement of these claims i

i was contingent on CASE withdrawing.

The individual settlement agreements i

1 l

have not been reviewed by the NRC or made public.

The settlement was not i

l based on a resolution of safety issues.

i I

. [

i i

I

?

i Y

i

._m,s

..m-

,___,,,.......-..--s-.

u.

___m,_-_._..

m.

--_