ML20030A762

Forwards ACRS Re Review of Proposed Restart of TMI-1

ML20030A762
Person / Time
Site:	Crane
Issue date:	07/17/1981
From:	Stolz J Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Hukill H METROPOLITAN EDISON CO.
References
NUDOCS 8107280676
Download: ML20030A762 (4)

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Docket No. 50-289 DDilanni Gray File j

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Mr. Henry D. Hukill, Vice President

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and Director - TMI-l Metropolitan Edison Corpany P. O. Box 480 fx/

!!iddletown, Pennsylvania 17057

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Dear Mr. Hukill:

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SUBJECT:

LETTER FR0ft ADVISORY COMfiITTEE ON REACTOR SAFEGUARDS (REPORT ON RESTART OF THE THREE MILE ISLAND. NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT fl0.1)

Enclosed for your infomation is a copy of a letter dated July 14, 1981 concerning review by the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards of l

the proposed restart of the Three !!ile Island Nuclear Station, Unit No.1.

Sincerely, ORIGI !a sIcNo ay JOIDIF. STOLIZ'

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John F. Stolz, Chief l

Operating Reactors Branch #4 Division of Licensing

Enclosure:

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ACRS Ltr. Dtd. 7/14/81 1

cc w/ enclosure:

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~s Metropolitan Edison Company cc w/ enclosure (s):

Mr. Marvin I. Lewis Dr. Walter H.. Jordan 6504 Bradford Terrace 881 W. Outer Drive

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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19149 Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830 Walter W. Cohen, Consumer Advocate Dr.- Linda W. Little Department of Justice 5000 Hermitage Drive Strawberry Square, 14th Floor Raleigh, North Carolina 27612 Wrrisburg, Pennsylvania 17127 Ms. Gail P. Bradford Robert L. Knupp, Esq.

Anti-Nuclear Group Representing

' Assistant Solic'itor York Knupp and Andrews 245 W. Philadelphia Street P. O. Box P York, Pennsylvania 1740a 407 N. Front Street Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17108 John Levin, Esq.

Pennsylvania Public. Utilities Comm.

John E. Minnich, Chairman Box 3265 Dauphin Co. Board of Commissioners Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120 Dauphin County Courthouse Front and Market Streets Jnrdan D. Cunningham, Esq.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17101 Fox, Farr and Cunningham 2320 North 2nd Street

• Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Board Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Washington, D. C.

20555 Hs. Louise Bradford TMIA

• Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel 1011 Gr~een Street' U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Harrisbu.rg, Pennsylvania 17302.-

Washington, D. C.

20555 Ms. Marjorie M. Aamodt

• Docketing and Service Section R.D. f5 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Coatesville, Pennsylvania 19320 Washington, D. C.

20555 Ms. Karen Sheldon Robert Q. Pollard Sheldon, Harmon & Weiss 609 Montpelier Street 1725 I Street, N.W. - Suite 506 Baltimore, Maryland 21218 Washington, D. C.

20006 Chauncey Kepford Earl B. Hoffman Judith H. Johnsrud Dauphin Councy Commissioner Environmental Coalition on Nuclear Power Dauphin County Courthouse 433 Orlando Avenue Front and Market Streets State College, Pennsylvania 16801 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17101 Ms. Frieda Berryhill, Chairman Ms. Ellen R. Weiss, Esq.

Coalition for Nuclear Power Plant Sheldon, Harmon & Weiss Postponement 1725 I Street, N.W.

2610 Grendon Drive Suite 506 Wilmington, Delaware 19808 Washington, D. C.

20006 Mrs. Rhoda D. Carr Mr. Steven C. Sholly 1402 Marene Drive linion of Concerned Scientists Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17109 1725 I Street, N.

U., Suite 601 Washington, DC 2.0006

Metropolitan Edison Company Mr. Thomas Gerusky Bureau of Radiation Protection Ms. Jane Lee P. O. Box 2063 Department of Environmental Resources R.D. 3, Box 3521 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Etters, Pennsylvania 17120 17319 Karin W. Carter, Esq 505 Executive House.

Mr. G. 'P. Miller Mr. R. R.. Wilson P. O. Box 2357 P. O. Box 480 Metropolitan Edison Company Harrisburg, Pern?ylvania 17120 Middletown, Pennsylvania Honorable Mark Cohen Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 512 17057 G. F. Trowbrid Shaw, Pittman, ge, Esq.

17120 1800 M Street, N.W.Potts & Trowbridge Dauphin Co' unty Office Emergency Preparedness Washington, D. C.

20036 Court House, Room 7 Mr. E. G. Wallace Front & Market Streets Licensing Manager Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17101 GPU Service Corporation Pap 3rtment of Environmental Resou 100 Interpa Parsippany,ce Parkway ATTN:

Director, Office of Radiological New Jersey 070'i4 s

Health Mr. R. W. Conrad P. O. Box 2063 Vice President, Generation Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105 1007 Broad StreetPennsylvania Electric Company Ms.-Lennie Prou Johnstown, Pennsylvania U. S. N. R. C. gh 15907 P. O. Box 311 TMI Site Citizens for a Safe EnvironmentMs. Virginia Southard, Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 264 Walt Lemoyne,on Street Pennsylvania 17043 Mr. Robert B. Borsum State Library of PennsylvaniaGovernment Publications Sect Babcock & Wilcox Suite 420, 7735 Nuclear Power Gener Box 1601 Harrisourg(Education Building)

, Pennsylvania 17126 Bethesda, MarylandOld Georgetown Road 20014 Mr. b fid D. Maxwell Board of Supervisors, Chairman

• Ivan W. Smith, Esq.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Com Londonderry Township RFD#1 - Geyers Church Raod

. Washington, D. C.

Middletown, Pennsylvania 20555 17057 Ms. Kathy McCaughin Region III OfficeU. S. Environmental Protection Agency Three Mile Island Alert, Inc.

EIS COORDINATOR 23 South 21st street ATTN:

Curtis Building (Sixth Floor)

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17104 6th and Walnut Streets Mr. L. W. Harding Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106 Supervisor of Licensing Mr. J. G. Herbein Metropolitan Edison Company P. O. Box 480 Director, Nuclear Assurance Middletown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Edison Company 17057 P. O. Box 480 Middletown, PA 17057

Metropolitan Edison Company Mr. R. J. Toole Allen R. Carter, Chairman Manager, TMI-l Joint Legislative Committee on Energy Metropolitan Edisor Company P. O. Box 142 P. O. Box 480 Suite 513 Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 Senate Gressette Building Columbia, South Carolina 29202 Mr. W. E. Potts Radiological Controls Manager, TMI-1 Daniel M. Pell, Esq.

Metropolitan Edison Company ANGRY P. O. Box 480 32 South Begyer Street Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 York, Pen'nsyTvan'ia '17401 Mr. I. R. Finfrock, Jr.

William S. Jordan, III, Esq.

Jersey Central Power & Light Company Harmon & Weiss Madison Avenue at Punch Bowl Raod 1725 I Street, NW, Suite 506 Morristown, New Jersey 07950 Washington, DC 20006 J. B. Lieberman, Esq.

General Counsel Berlock, Israel & Liberman Federal Emergency Management Agency 26 Broadway ATTN: Docket Clerk New York, NY 10004 1725 I Street, NW Washington, DC 20472 Mr. J. J. Colitz Plant Engineering Manager, TMI-l

. ana r S e Peratiori. TMI-2 Metropolitan Edison Company P. O. Box 480 lietropolitan Edison Compar.y Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 P. O. Box 480 Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 York College of Pennsylvania Country Club Road Mr. E. D. Fuller York, Pennsylvania 17405 TMI-2 Licansing Supervisor Metropolitan Edison Company P. O. Box 480 Mr. G. K. Hovey Director, TMI-2 Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 Metropolitan Edison Company P. 0 9ox 480 Mr. Donald R. Haverkamp Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 Senior Resident Inspector (Tl1I-1)

U.S.N.R.C.

Mr. B. Elam P. O. Box 311 Manager, Plant Engineering, Unit 2 Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 Metropolitan Edison Company P. O. Box 480 Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 i

Mr. Richard Roberts The Patriot 812 Market Street

.Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105 Governor's Office of State Planning Mr. R. W. Heward and Development Manager, Radiological Control, Unit 2 ATTN:

Coordinator, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Edison Company State Clearinghouse P. O. Box 480 P. O. Box 1323 Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120

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1. o UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

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ADVISORY COMMITTEE O'N REACTOR SAFEGUARDS o

WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 July 14,1981 Honorable Nunzio J. Palladino Chairman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555

SUBJECT:

REPORT ON RESTART OF THE THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 1

Dear Dr. Palladino:

During its 255th meeting, July 9-11, 1981, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards completed its review of the proposed restart of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 (TMI-1).

The Committee had the benefit of discussions with representatives of the Metropolitan Edison Company (Licensee), General Public Utilities Nuclear Group, the Babcock and Wilcox Company, and members of the NRC Staff.

The Comittee also had the benefit of the documents listed.

This matter was the subject of Subcommittee meet-ings in Middletown, PA on January 31 and February 1,1980, and in Washington, D.C. on November 28-29, 1980, and June 25-26, 1981.

This matter was also discussed during the 248th ACRS meeting and a Status Report was issued on December 11, 1980.

The question of restarting TMI-1 cannot be separated from the important issues revealed by the accident at TMI-2.

Among these issues were signifi-cant deficiencies in the Licensee's management.

Since that time the manage-ment structure which will be responsible for operation of TMI-1 has under-gone substantial change.

These changes have included establishment of a full-time organization dedicated solely to nuclear operations and consider-able expansion of the full-time, in-house staff.

The Committee believes that i

the management of a nuclear power plant deserves the highest degree of atten-ti on.

Although we believe the current structure is sufficient for restart, we urge continued diligence on the part of the Licensee and the NRC Staff to assure the maintenance of adequate managerial capabilities for TMI-1.

In response to the requirements in NUREG-0737, " Clarification of TMI Action Plan Requirements," the Licensee is considering a variety of instruments that might be installed for detecting inadequate core cooling but has not established a plan for selecting an appropriate device.

The Licensee and the NRC Staff should act promptly to establish a basis for selecting a suit-able monitoring system at TMI-1 taking into account the questions raised by the ACRS in its letter to Mr. Dircks of June 9,1981, concerning the condi-tions under which such a system would be of use.

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Honorable Nunzio J. Palladino July 14,1981 Currently the Licensee has a number of studies underway in response to suggestions of the Committee and to requirements of the Action Plan. These studies include a reliability assessment of the plant as modified, an identi-fication of possible events which might lead to the loss of both battery trains, and evaluations of outages of emergency core cooling systems to indicate areas where improvements in availability can be made.

The Licensee has made some limited progress in each of these areas.

We believe these studies should be concluded in a timely manner, but need not be conditions for restart, with the exception of those studies required by the NRC Staff prior to restart.

Recently the security system for TMI-1 was reviewed by a team of specialists from the Los Alamos National Laboratory and a fomal report detailing neces-sary improvements was issued.

The Licensee indicated that the recommended changes are being addressed and will be implemented over the next few months.

Because of the decontamination operations underway within TMI-2, and the large number of people present, we recommend that plant security continue to be given special attention.

One of the primary deficiencies noted in reviews of the TMI-2 accident was the inadequacy of the exchange of infomation among the Licensee, state, and local organizations and federal agencies, such as the NRC. Although infoma-tion reported by the Licensee to state and federal authorities during the course of the TMI-2 accident was incomplete and misleading with regard to the severity of the accident, the deficiencies which contributed to this problem have been addressed in thr. revised organization and in the improved procedures for collecting, evaluating, and reporting infomation during the course of an accident.

Other improvements have included an upgrading of procedures and emergency response capabilities at all levels, emergency including the periodic conduct of drills and exercises, and the development of better mechanisms.for keeping those agencies infomed who have responsi-bility for alerting the public in case of an ac;.1 dent.

These steps rep-resent significant progress and are considerr.d by the Committee as suffi-cient for the restart of TMI-1.

The Licensee has proposed a start-up test program for TMI-1 similar to that The Comalittee being conducted at the near-term operating license plants.

agrees that such a program is desirable, particularly in view of the length of time that IMI-1 has been out of service and the number of modifications made.

Such a program should also provide useful additional operator train-ing and experience.

The review of this program by the NRC Staff is no*, yet compl ete.

Those issues remaining should be resolved to the NRC Staff's satisf action.

The Committee believes it ii, acceptable to allow TMI-1 to complete the re-mainder of the required Action Plan items as outlined by the NRC Staff on a schedule consistent with other operating reactors.

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Honorable Nunzio J. Palladino 3-July 14, 1981 The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards believes the Licensee has dem-onstrated reasonable progress toward completion of those requirements neces-sary to restart this f acility. Subject to the satisfactory completion of the NRC Staff review and the comments noted above, the Committee believes that Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 can be restarted and operated with-out undue risk to the health and safety of the public.

Sincerely, 1

J. Carson Mark Chairman A

References:

1.

Metropolitan Edison Company, " Report in Response to NRC Staff Recom-mended Requirements for Restart of Three Mile Island Nuclear Station Unit 1," Volumes 1-3, and Amendments 1-24.

2.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Offica of Nuclear Reactor Regu-lation, "TMI-1 Restart, Evaluation of Licensee's Compliance with the Short-and Long-Term Items of Section II of the NRC Order Dated August 9, 1979, Metropolitan Edison Company, et al., Three Mlle Island Nuclear Station Unit 1, Docket 50-289," NUREG-0680, June 1980 and Supplements 1, 2, and 3 dated November 1980, March 1981, and April 1981, respectively.

3.

U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Inspection and Enforce-ment, " Emergency Preparedness Evaluation for TMI-1, Metropolitan Edison Company et al., Three Mile Island Nuclear Station Unit 1, Docket 50-289,"

NUREG-0746, December 1980 and Supplement 1 dated May 29, 1981, 4.

U.S. Nuclear Re5ulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Reactor leg"la-tion, " Control Room Design Review Report for TMI-1, Metropolitel Edison Company, et al., Three Mile Island Nuclear Station Unit 1 Docket 50-289," NUREG-0752, December 1980 and Supplement 1 dated April 1981.

5.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regu-lation, " Clarification of TMI Action Plan Requirements," NUREG-0737, November 1980.

6.

U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, "NRC Action Plan Developed as a Result of the TMI-2 Accident," Vols.1 & 2, May 1980, revised August 1980.

7.

Two letters from J. Stolz, NRC, to H. D. Hukill, Metropolitan Edison Company, transmitting " Safety Evaluation Reports for Items Contained in NUREG-0694 and Enclosure 1 to NUREG-0737 Outside of the Content of the Commission's Orders of August 9,1979 and March 6,1980 Required by Restart (October 1981)," April 22,1981.

8.

" Report of the Presidential Commission on The Accident at Three Mile Island - The Need for Change:

The Legacy of TNI," October,1979.

9.

"Three Mile Island -- A Report to the Commissioners and to the Public" Vols. I & II, Nuclear Regulatory Commission Special Inquiry Group, January 1980.

Honorable Nunzio J. Palladino July 14, 1981 References Cont'd:

10. Memorandum to Chaiman Ahearne, NRC, from Mitchell Rogovin and George T. Frampton, Jr., Special Inquiry Group,

Subject:

Questions Submitted by Congressman Udall, March 4,1980.

11.

Staff Studies " Nuclear Accident and Recovery at Three Mile Island, A Special Investigation, Subcommittee on Nuclear Regulation for the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works," July 1980.

12.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Inspection and Enforce-ment, " Investigation Into the March 28, 1979 Three Mile Island Acci-dent by the Office of Inspection and Enforcement," NUREG-0600, August 1979.

13.

U.S. Nuclear Regu'atory Commission, Office of Inspection and Enforce-ment, " Investigation Into Information Flow During the Accident at Three Mile Island,' NUREG-0760, January 1981.

14. Memorandum for William J. Dircks, Executive Director for Operations, from Carlyle Michelson, Director, Office of Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data,

Subject:

Investigations Into Information Flow Concerning the TMI Accident, February 20, 1981.

15.

' Reporting of Infomation Concerning the Accident at Three Mile Island,"

A Report Prepared by the Majority Staff of the Committee 'on Interior and Insular Affairs of the U.S. House of Representatives, Ninety-Seventh Congress First Session, March 1981.

16. Letter from Congressman Morris K. I!d:ll. Chairman, Connittee on Interior and Insular Af fairs, U.S. House of Representatives, to Dr. D. W. Moeller, Chairman, Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Subcommittee on Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1, enclosing information for the record of the June 25, 1981 meeting of the TMI-1 Subcommittee, July 6, 1981.

17.

Letter from Marvin Lewis, member of the public, to Richard Major, ACRS Staff, regarding the restart of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station Unit 1, undated. received April 1981.

18. Letter 'rca Marvin Lewis, member of the public, to M. Plesset, Chairman, ACRS, regarding the restart of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station Unit 1, undated, received December 31, 1980.

19.

Letter from Marvin Lewis, member of the public, to M. Plesset, Chaiman, ACRS, regarding the restart of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station Unit 1, December 31, 1980.

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