ML20003A057
| ML20003A057 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Big Rock Point File:Consumers Energy icon.png |
| Issue date: | 08/08/1974 |
| From: | Ray D US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC) |
| To: | Milliken W MICHIGAN, STATE OF |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8101290377 | |
| Download: ML20003A057 (3) | |
Text
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I AUG 8 1974 l
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I Honorable Willima C. Millikan i
Governor of Michigan l
Lansing, Michigan 48933 l
Dear Governor Milliken:
i I understand from recent newspaper reports that Mr. Ralph Neder has I
written to you concerning the safety of a nuclear plant which the AEC has licensal to operate in the State of Michigan - Consumers Power Company's
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Big Rock Point Nuclear Plant in Charlevoix County.
l Apparently, Mr. Nader has misunderstood or misused information about reac-tor pressure vessels contained in reports issued by the Advisory Comnittee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) and the AEC Regulatory staff, and in corre-spondence with Mr. Mader from the Chairman of the ACRS, Dr. Willian R.
Stratton, and the Director of Regulation, Mr. L. M. Huntzing. Copies of these documents and correspondence are enclosed for your reference. Iho ACRS and the Regulatory staff xeports deal primarily with reactor vessels designed and f abricated in acmrdance with today's nuclear pressure vessel codes. Mr. Huntring's May 2 latter discussed ten early gener.f. ion vessels that were designed and constructed to preasure vessel codes in effect during the period of manufsecure, and that are still continuing to operate safely in nuclear power plants.
These earlier pressura vessel codes contained rules that reflected the satisfactory experience with vessels in nunerous fossil-fueled power plants throughout the United States.
In fact, the construction of the earlier vessels was guided also by nuclear standards and codes developed by and used in the Naval reactors program. Older reactor vessels, such as the one at Big Rock Point Nuclear Plant, are not less safe to operate than the vessels bu'_1t to today's codes. The current nuclear pressure vessel codes merely reflect requirements that include advances in the pressure vessel technology since the period of manufacture of the earlier reactor vessels.
Both the ACRS and the Esgulatory staff reports conclude that the proba-bility of a disruptive failure of any reactor pressure vessel is exceediagly small. In fact, recent tests supported by the AEC have P o m o371 OF FICE >
SURNAME)
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Form AEC-318 (Rev. M3) AECM 0240 Cv. s.vs e=.s=,.eu.e omca i.,o-....a se
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9 Honorable William C. Milliken. demonstrated that vessels which were deliberately flawed withstood pres-
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sures almost twice as great as they are designed to sustain in operation.
Nevertheless, as a matter of conservative Regulatory practice, the staff requires that all remetor pressure vessels, including the one at Big Rock Point Nuclear Plant, he subject to stringent inspection, surveillance and testing programs. 1he conduct and results of these programs are carefully monitored and evaluated by the Regulatory staff. Despite this, I under-stand that Mr. Nader has suggested to you that such programa do not exist and that you should take appropriate action.
If it would be helpful, I would be pleased to have appropriate masbers of the Regulatory staff discuss this matter with you and/or members of your staff. In the meantime, please let me know if I can provide you with additional information about the AEC's Regulatory responsibilities for Protecting the public health and safety.
Sincerely.
Original signed by Dixy Lee Ray Chcirman
Enclosures:
1.
Ept to AEC fu ACRS dtd January 14,1974, WASU-1285 2.
I tr im ACRS, Stratton to riader Dis tributien
$O -/56) dtd March 13, 1974 FDR 3.
Ltr fu AEC, Huntzing to Nader LPDR's dtd May 2, 1974 OGC 4.
Technical Report by AEC Reg. Staff SECY (3) dtd May 1974, WASH-1318 OCR (3)
LMMtntzing ec w/encis:
EGCase FSchroeder Senator Philip A. Hart Senator Robert P. Criffin DR Reading File Central Files Representative Philip E. Ruppe FLIngram, OIS DRGL
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Lach doubly encapsulcted source will be equipped with a spring-loaded, bayonet intch locking device to permit it to bc locked into e corner fuc1 rod position in a fuel bundic."
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Peter A.1: orris, Director Division of Reactor Licet ing.
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s FEE 2 21971 schot No. 5u.155 Consuncrs Power Cocrpany ATTN:
Mr. Gerald J. Walke b
Nuclear Fucl Management
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Administrator 212 West Michigan Avenue
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Jackson, liichigan 49201 Change No. 23 Centlenen:
License No. I)PR-6 Your Proposed Change no. 25 dated January 18, 1971, and TWI supplements thereto dated February 1 and 9 requested changes to the Technical Specifi,
cations of Facility License No. DPR-6 to perv.it operation of the Big Rock i
Point Nuclear Reactor with two auxiliary antimony-beryllium neutron sources inserted in the reactor core. The auxiliary neutron sources would be con -
tained in removable fuel rod positions in two fuel bundles to increase the startup count rate. We have iedssighased scutTreques t Proposed: Ch'ange No. 23.
We arrec that the design of the aur.iliary neutron sources is conservative and tnat safety may be enhanced by the insertion of end operation with
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cne proposed two sources because of the greater ability to nessure neutron count rates. We hcvc concluded that the propcsed c'innge does not incrcase tac probability of or change the consequcaccs of the design basis accident acr docu it involve cignificent ha::ards considcrcticas not described or inplicit in the Safety Analysis Loport. There is reasont.ble assurcnce that the health nud safety of tae public will not be endangered by oper-ation of the Big Rock Point Nuclear Reactor with two auxiliary antimony-beryllium neutron sources in the reactor core in the canner proposed.
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i Accordingly, pursuant to Section 50.59 of 10 CFR Part 50, Section 5.1.6 of tne Technical Specifications of Facility License No. DPR-6 is hereby changed to read es follows:
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Consumers Power Cocpany E2iM "Section 5.1.6 Sources i
Type Antinony Berylliun Quantity 2 initici Sources and up
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to 2 Auxiliary Sources i
Location
- The initial neutron cources shall be placed in Core Positions 02-59 and 09-52 as shown in Figure 5.1.
i The two auxiliary neutron sources may each be con-I$
tained'in a removable rod in a fuer bundle located one fuel bundle position from the outside of the core, symmetrically near the E-W line through the center of the reactor core.
l Physical Description The initial neutron sources shc11 consist of a steel Jacketec antieony pin,1 inch dicreter by 12 inchna long, centrclly located on the verticcl cris of a steel jacketed (Typc 304 SS) berylliu= cylinder 5-1/?. OD by 16 incacs long. Tuc entire a:sctuly, including support structure, is c cylir. der 79-7/16 inches long by 6 inches dicncter which rests on a special orifice in a standard support tube and fuel channel. A lif ting bail shall be i
provided for handling purposes. The assc=bly b
design shall allow adequate cooling along the i
surface of the source pin and the outer surface i-of the assembly.
The auxiliary neutron sources shall each consist of'a homogeneous 50-50 nixture of anticony-berylliua first encapsulated in a steel tube (Type 304 SS),
- With in-vessel low-level neutron detectors in service, one operating source may be temporarily relocated as the operator deems appropriate.
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a bcc: Attached Li..
Consolidated Edison Company 3.c Consumers Power Company n _fgg-of New York, Inc.
ATTN: Mr. Ralph B. Sewell ATTN: Mr. William J. Cahill, Jr.
Nuclear Licensing Administrator Vice President 212 West Michigan Avenue 4 Irving Place Jackson, Michigan 49201 New York, New York 10003 Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation Dairyland Power Cooperative tr o - vo ?
ATTN: Mr. Philip D. Raymond ATTN; Mr. John P. Madgett Vice President - Engineering General Manager 300 Erie Boulevard West 2615 East Avenue, South Syracuse, New York 13202 93-22o La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601 Jersey Central Power & Light Company
- "' # ' i ATTN: Mr. E. R. Finfrock, Jr.
Vice President - Generation Madison Avenue at Punch Bowl Road Morristown, New Jersey 07960
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Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Comapany 3,uals ATTN; Mr. D. C. Switzer President P. 0. Box 270 Hartford, Connecticut 06101 Yankee Atomic Electric Company ard-2 9 t-
' ATTN:
G. Carl Andognini, Assistant to the Vice President 20 Turnpike Road Westboro, Massachusetts 01581 So'thern California Edison Co.
3r -a o 6 ATTN: Mr. Jack B. Moore Vice President 2244 Walnut Grove Avenue P. O. Box 800 Rosemead, California 91770 Comomealth Edison Company s a,/.)
ATTN: Mr. J. S. Abel Nuclear Licensing Administrator Boiling Water Reactors P. O. Box 767 Chicago, Illinois 60690 Pacific Gas & Electric Company
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ATTN: Mr. Fredrick T. Searls Vice President and General Counsel 77 Beale Street San Francisco, California 94106 i
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