ML19345H131
| ML19345H131 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Millstone, Calvert Cliffs, Palisades, Saint Lucie, Maine Yankee, Fort Calhoun  |
| Issue date: | 04/16/1981 |
| From: | Clark R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Groce R Maine Yankee |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19345H132 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8105010020 | |
| Download: ML19345H131 (5) | |
Text
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o g 5 Docket No. 50-309 4..
Mr. Robert H. Groce Senior Engineer - Licensing Faf ne Yankee Atomic Power Company 1671 Worcester Road Framingham, Massachusetts 01701
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Dear Mr. Groce:
In a continuing review of open licensing actions on power reactors, the staff has resumed the evaluation of the Reactor Protection System (RPS) inoperable channel condition for the Maine Yanke? Station. This iten was initiated
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by our letter to you dated December 7,1977 which requested your review of the Technical Soecification (TS) requirements for operation with an inoperable RPS channel and asked that you either aoply for a TS change to require placing an inoperable channel in the tripped conditions within one hour or request a NRC review of your existing system.
By letter dated December 1,1977, you submitted the bases for continued operation of the Maine Yankee Station with an inoperable RPS channel in the bypassed condition for an unlimited time period.
In this condition, the RPS logic is changed from a 2-out-of 4 to a 2-out-of-3 logic. On August 2,1978, a meeting was held to clarify our position on this subject and to gain an understandir.g of the licensee's position. Enclosure 1 is the minutes of the August 2, 1978 meeting.
This review has been expanded to include the Engineered Safety Features i
Actuation System (ESFAS) since a preliminary review indicates a similar i
problem exist with the TS for ESFAS operability requirements.
l Long term operation of a four channel RPS and ESFAS in a 2-out-of-3 logic configuration would be acceptable provided all four channels are sufficiently l
l independent. Powever, in order for us to make such a finding, we require l
elaboration of the independence of the four channels in each system.
l Therefore, we request that you provide, within 90 days of your receipt l
of this letter, the results of your investigation into the adequacy of both physical and electrical separation to determine charnel independence of the l
four sensing channels. This investigation should include separation of the l
parameter sensors, transmitters and cable runs from the transmitters to the l
RPS and ESFAS cabinets in the control room. Channel independence within i
the cabinets and other enclosures which house the plant protection system i
should also be reviewed.
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2-As you know, our staff conducted an on-site RPS review at the Calvert Cliffs and St. Lucie units. A copy of the resultant Safety Evaluation for St. Lucie, presenting the finding of the RPS review (pages 3 to 5),
is provided for your inforution as Eiiclosure 2.
Our conclusion was that allowing indefinite bypass of one of the four RPS is not justified, but since the four channel CE system does have some independence, bypassing for 48 hours5.555556e-4 days <br />0.0133 hours <br />7.936508e-5 weeks <br />1.8264e-5 months <br /> during testing or maintenance of one RPS channel is justified.
As an alternative to the requested review of RPS and ESFAS channel separation, we will consider issuance of the Calvert Cliffs and St. Lucie type TS for your RPS and ESFAS if you provide an apolication including documentation ofdesign similarity to those of Calvert Cliffs and St.
Lucie. Enclosure 3 provides sample TS for your use. Any such application should be submitted within the same 90 days of your receipt of this letter.
If your have questions on this subject, please contact your NRC Project Manager.
Sincerely, Cr:;i.Sa si;ned by:
Robert A. Clart, Chief Operating Reactors Branch 43 Division of Licensing
Enclosures:
1.
Minutes of meeting 2.
Safety Evaluation for St. Lucie 3.
Calvert Cliffs TS cc: See next page DISTRIBUTION:
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Docket No. 50-309
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- r. Robert H. Grace Senior Engineer - Licensing Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company 1671 Worcester Road Framingham, Massachusetts 01701
Dear Mr. Groce:
In a continuing review of open licensing actions on power reactors, the staff has resumed the evaluation of the Reactor Protection System (RPS) inoperable This item was initiated channel condition for the Maine Yankee Station.
by our letter to you dated December 7,1977 which requested your review of the Technical Specification (TS) requirements for operation with an inoperable RPS channel and asked that you either apply for a T one hour or request a NRC review of your existing system.
By letter dated December 1,1977, you submitted the bases for continued operation of the Maine Yankee Station with an inoperable RPS channel in the In this condition, the bypassed condition for an unlimited time period.
On August RPS logic is changed from a 2-out-of-4 to a 2-out-of-3 logic.
2,1978, a meeting was held to clarify our position on this subject and to is the minutes gain ar. understanding of the Itcensee's position.
of the August 2,1978 meeting.
This review has beer expanded to include the Engineered Safety Features Actuation System (ESFAS) since a preliminary review indicates a similar problem exist with the TS for ESFAS operability requirements.
Long tem operation of a four channel RPS and ESFAS in a 2-out-of-3 logic configuration would be acceptable provided all four channels are sufficiently However, in order for us to make such a finding, we require independent.
elaboration of the independence of the four channels in each system.
Therefore, we request that you provide, within 90 days of your receipt of this letter, the results of your investigation into the adequacy of both pnysical and electrical separation to detemine channel independence of the This investigation should include separation of the four sensing channels.
parameter sensors, transmitters and cable runs from the transmitters to the Channel independence within RPS and ESFAS cabinets in the control room.
the cabinets and other enclosures which house the plant protection system should also be reviewed.
I
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. our staff conducted an en-site RPS review at the Calvart As you know, A copy of the resultant Safety Evaluation Cliffs and St. Lucie units.
for St. Lucie, presenting the finding of the RPS review (pages 3 to 5),
Our conclusion was is provided for your information as Enclosure 2.
that allowing indefinite bypass of one of the four RPS is not justified, but since the four channel CE system does have some independence, bypassin; for 48 hours5.555556e-4 days <br />0.0133 hours <br />7.936508e-5 weeks <br />1.8264e-5 months <br /> during testing or maintenance of one RPS channel is justified.
As an alternative to the reauested review of RPS and ESFAS channel separation, we will consider issuance of the Calvert Cliffs and St. Lucie type TS for your RPS and ESFAS f f you provide an application including documentation of design similarity to those of Calvert Cliffs and St.
Lucie. Enclosure 3 provides sample TS for your use. Any such application should be submitted within the same 90 days of your receipt of this letter.
If your have questions on this subject, please contact your NRC Project Manager.
Sincarely,
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Robert A. Clark, Chief I
Operating Reactors Branch #3 Division of Licensing
Enclosures:
1.
Minutes of meeting 2.
Safety Evaluation for St. Lucie 3.
Calvert Cliffs TS cc: See next page l
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Maine Yankee Atomic Power Comany cc:
E. W. Thurlow. President Mrs. L. Patricia Doyle, President Maine Yankee Atemic Power Co@any SAFE POWER FOR MAINE Edis:n Drive Pest Office Sex 774 Augusta, Maine 04336 Camden, Maine 04843 Mr. Donald E. Vandenburgh First Selectman of Wiscasset Vice President - Engineering Municipal Building Yankee Atomic Electric Co@any U. S. Route 1 20 Turnpike Road Wiseasset, Maine 04578 Westboro, Massachusetts 01581 Stanley R. Tu;per, Esq.
John A. Ritsher, Esquire Tupper and Bradley Ropes & Gray 102 Townsend Avenue 225 Franklin Street Boothbay Harbor, Maine 04538 Boston, Massachusetts 02110 David Santee Miller, Esq.
Mr. John M. R. Paterson 213 Morgan Street, N. W.
Assistant Attorney General Washington, D. C.
20001 State of Maine Augusta, Maine 04330 Mr. Paul Swetland Resident Inspector / Maine Yankee Mr. Nicholas Barth c/o U.S.N.R.C.
Executive Director P. O. Box E Sheepscot Valley Conservation Wiscasset, Maine 04578 Association, Inc.
P. O. Box 125 Mr. Charles B. Brinkman Alan, Maine 04535 Manager - Washington Nuclear Operations Wiscassett Public Library Association C-E Power Systems High Street Combustion Engineering Inc.
Wiscasset, Maine 0457B 4853 Cordell Avenue, Suite A-1 Bethesda, Maryland 20014 Mr. Torbet H. Macdonald, Jr.
Office of Energy Resources Director, Criteria and Standards D1 Vision Stata House Staticn #53 Office of Radiation Programs (ANR-460)
Augusta, Maine 04333 U.S. Envircnmental Protection Agency Washington, D. C.
20460 l
Robert M. Lazo, Esq.
Chairman Atomic Safety and Ln msing Board U.S. Envircamental Protection Agency U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Region I Office Washington, D. C.
20555 ATTN: EIS COOP.DINATOR JFK Federal Building i
Dr. Cadet H. Hand, Jr., Director Boston, Massachusetts. 02203 Bodega Marine Laboratory University of California' Bodega Bay, California 94923 Mr. Gustave A. Linenberger Atomic Safety and Licensing Board State Planning Officer U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Executive Department Washington, D. C.
20555 189 State Street Augusta, Maine 04330 l
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