ML19344E918

Recommends Listed Steps Be Taken to Reduce Risk from ATWS Events During Interim Period Before Required Mods.Requires Submission of ATWS Emergency Operating Procedure

ML19344E918
Person / Time
Site:	Washington Public Power Supply System
Issue date:	08/27/1980
From:	Tedesco R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Strand N WASHINGTON PUBLIC POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM
References
NUDOCS 8009120099
Download: ML19344E918 (3)

Text

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UNITED STATES

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,eq'i NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

- F.. C W ASHINGTON, D. C. 20555

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gG t 7 Docket Nos.: 50-460 and 50-513 Washington Public Power Supply System ATTN: Mr. Neil 0. Strand Managing Director P. O. Box 968 Richland, Washington 99352

SUBJECT:

INTERIM ACTIONS NEEDED FOR PLANT OPERATION PENDING FINAL RESOLUTION OF ANTICIPATED TRANSIENTS WITH FAILURE TO SCRAM (ATWS)

(BABC0CK AND WILC0X PWR)

In December 1978 the Nuclear Regulato*y Commission (NRC) staff issued Volume 3 of NUREG-0460 which describes the proposed type of plant modifications the staff believes are necessary to reduce the risk from anticipated transients with failure to scram (ATWS) to an acceptable level. The NRC's Regulatory Requirements Review Committee completed its review in January 1979, and concurred with the staff's approach described in Volume 3 of NUREG-0460, insofar as it applies to your plant.

The staff has issued requests for the industry to supply generic analyses to confirm the ATWS mitigation capability described in Volume 3 of NUREG-0460. Subsequently, the staff plans to present its recommendations for rulemaking on ATWS to the Commission. The Coninission would, by rulemaking, detemine the required modifications to resolve ATWS concerns and the required schedule for the inplementation of such modifications. Your plant would, of course, be subject to the Commission's decision in this ' natter.

Based on considerations described in pages 42 through 45, Volume 3 of NUREG-0460, the staff generally concluded that plants with operating licenses can continue to operate without undue risk to the health and safety of the public during the estimated 2 to 5 year period needed to implemer' the necessary modifications.

However, the staff believes the following steps should be taken as a prudei t course prior to the issuance of an operating license in order to further reduce tha risk from ATWS eventa during the interim period before the required plant modifications as determined by the Commission are completed.

1.

An emergency operating procedure should be developed for an ATWS event, including consideration of scram indicators, rod position indicators, flux monitors, pressurizer level and pressure indicators, pressurizer relief valve and safety valve position indicators, coolant average temperature, containment temperature and pressure indicators, steam generator level, pressure and flow indicators, and any other alams 8009120099

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s Mr. Neil 0. Strand annunciated in the control room including alarms not processed through the electrical portion of the reactor scram system. The emergency operating procedure should be sufficiently simplified and unambiguous to pemit prompt ATWS recognition.

2.

The emergency operating procedure should describe actions to be taken in the event of an ATWS including consideration of manually scraming the reactor by using the manual scram buttons, and pranpt actuation of the auxiliary feedwater system. These actions must be taken imediately following the occurrence of the event. Actions should also include prompt initiation of boration by actuation of the high pressure safety injection system to bring the plant to a safe rhutdown condition.

We require that you submit your ATWS emergency operating procedure for our review. Our review may include a visit to your plant to determine the feasibility of implementing your proposed procedures through operator simulation of the steps. Our evaluation must conclude that an acceptable procedure and operator training are completed prior to the issuance of a full power operating license.

Sincerely, b44 Robert i.. Tedesco, Assistant Director for Licensing Division of Licensing cc: See next page

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Mr. N. O. Strand Managing Director Washington Public Power Supply System P. O. Box 968 3000 George Washington Way Richland, Washington 99352 cc:

Mr. B. D. Redd Jerome E. Sharfman United Engineers & Constructors, Inc.

Atomic Safety and 30 South 17th Street Licensing Appeal Board Philadelphia, Pennslylvania 19101 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Nicholas S. Reynolds, Esq.

Washington, D. C.

20555 DeBevoise & Liberman 1200 Seventeenth St., N. W.

Resident Inspector /WPPSS NPS Washington, D. C.

20036 c/o U. S. NRC P. O. Box 69 Mr. E. G. Ward Richland, Washington 99352 Senior Project Manager Babcock & Wilcox Company P. O. Box 1260 Lynchburg, Virginia 23505 Robert Lazo, Esq., Chairman Atomic Safety and Licensing Board U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Washington, D. C.

20555 Dr. Donald P. deSylva Associate Professor of Marine Science Rosenthiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science University of Miami

. Miami, Florida 33149 Dr. Marvin M. Mann Atomic Safety and Licensing Board U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Washington, D. C.

20555 Richard S. Salzman, Cha rman Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Board U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Washington, D. C.

20555 D r. J ohn H. f,t.ck Atomic Safety and Licensing Appea's Board U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Washington, D. C.

20555