ML20035C525
| ML20035C525 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Pilgrim |
| Issue date: | 02/17/1993 |
| From: | Eaton R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Mccree V NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| References | |
| 2.206, NUDOCS 9304080067 | |
| Download: ML20035C525 (5) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES
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February 17, 1993 Docket No. 50-293 MEMORANDUM FOR:
Victor M. McCree, Region I Coordinator Office of the Executive Director for Operations THRU:
Walter R. Butler, Director Project Directorate I-3 Division of Reactor Projects - I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM:
Ronald B. Eaton, Senior Project Manager Project Directorate I-3 Division of Reactor Projects - 1/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
SUBJECT:
CONSIDERATION OF STATEMENT SUBMITTED BY MARY C. OTT, CO-CHAIRMAN OF CITIZENS URGING RESPONSIBLE ENERGY (CURE) AS A SUBMITTAL PURSUANT TO 10 CFR PART 2.206 On February 3,1993 at a public meeting in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Ms. Mary C. Ott, Co-Chairman of CURE, read and submitted the enclosed statement to the NRC representatives chairing the public meeting. The last sentence of the statement says, "Accordingly, we request that the NRC err on the side of caution and issue a shutdown order, effective immediately, until a deliberate course of action is defined." This request for shutdown is based upon concerns in the following areas:
- 1) the BECo fix of tightening the fittings did not work, 2) operator examination results indicate a generic weakness in the subject, 3) NRC statements seem to indicate more concern than the public is led to believe, 4) the BEco issue manager's employment, (Mr. Hudson) should be evaluated against the NRC's Code of Conduct, and 5) recent changes in BEco management are of concern.
The requester has not provided any new information that the staff was not already aware of, or had not already considered in determining the current course of action. They represent issues that the NRC staff has addressed and found to be acceptable. Moreover, staff documents dealing with the course of action on the technical issues are a matter of public record. Nonetheless, the request does appear to meet the intent of the subject regulation and could be considered a request pursuant to 10 CFR Part 2.206.
CONTACT:
R. Eaton THIS COPY REPLACES AN EARLIER 504-3041 COPY DISPATCHED W/0 ENCLOSURE.
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- Victor M. McCree Fe W U R 1993 Pursuant to NRR Office Letter No. 600, I recommend that the attached request be forwarded to OGC for determination of the subject consideration.
t Original signed by:
Ronald B. Eaton, Senior Project Manager Project Directorate I-3 Division of Reactor Projects I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosure:
Statement by Mary C. Ott cc w/ enclosure:
J. Partlow S. Varga A. Thadani J. Calvo DISTRIBUTION:
I Docket File PDI-3 Reading WButler REaton TClark I Liby; He 3
OFFICE PDI-3:LA PDIf:)[,31-PDI-3:D l TClar$h RElton:mw WButler h NAME DATE 3/N/93 t//7 /93 A /f '7/93 0FFICIAL RECORD COPY Document Name: A:\\0TT b
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i Victor M. McCree.
February 17, 1993 Pursuant to NRR Office Letter No. 600, I recommend that the enclosed request be forwarded to OGC for determination of the subject consideration.
o ald.B. Eaton, Senior Project Manager Project Directorate 1-3 Division of Reactor Projects - 1/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosure:
Statement by Mary C. Ott cc w/ enclosure:
J. Partlow S. Varga A. Thadani J. Calvo i
l
03/30'o3 11:33 U.$ ItB. C $ilsTel 1 VJ]M ~
,s.
j Citizens Urging Responsible Energy J
Tit.n trme n1 *nnhmi t I serl hy toa rte r OT4. Co Chairmun at 4ha February 3, 1993 Nuclear Regulatory Commission Meeting in Plymouth, Massachusetta r
The last time the NRC conducted a masting..on.t.ho _subj or-t.raf _.
)
Pilgrim'a reactor vessel water level instrumentation problemn in August, 1992, we vere assured that 1.
L1.m.
-nw a om=11 11 k t-111svud of uuen a prooAem occurring 2.
that reactor operators had received special training to compensate for the fact that the plant hart no back.up.
measuring device to ensure that the fuel was covered to prevent a meltdown.
3.
that you were studying Lhe ps.ub2nm Monton T.d i son in t.w i l i ng Pilgrim
- c nuichhnre t b a t-thn.
absence of this device is merely a nuisance, akin to having your checx book out of haiance.
rhny say they have fixed the problem by tightening " fittings".
Ao the sme vuntissued tu au t u cty " this non-problam, chim problom happened again, during a shutdsvn e,n - Oc tolar' 24 tl..
l The NRC han airco j ust issued an examination report on ths.rnnults of tasting t o initisi gentua a pp11 ca si t.n. e.s.u3 2 c.t=spsa li f i ca t ion avtahv unamlanatlunu to %.6.nrtem
.'.rn 7.
......- pnws y.,rtme d. e--- - -
May. 1902.
mi.$ 4d b-rrh e e e ne., t nai s atha fel l o.;i.u.ub]
vt.
4.
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least 40% or the applicants evaluated on the subj ects indicuting generic weakness in the subj ect a '-
et thnn gonn a
on go Cit.a 14 critical creas of concern Which are f u n d a m tesa t a l to analyzing and responding to a control' room emurgency - yet the NRC passed all but one operator!
As to whether this is a non-issue, CURE has obtained a copy of January 15, 1993 General Electric'Mnmo nant to tha noilinn water Heartnr ovners Grnnn abann a maatino with the IJit C '. !J u v i v o a Rwavtv4 Regulativu 5t c asch via the. m u b ) n:t. est reactor vessel vatar level ind$ cation.
GK says, in part:
walle Thadani (NER) ana his staff appearea to be impressac witn tne apparent insignts arrorosa by the experiment, thbar statements, comments, and questions indicated the following important points:
u ? F31cv6 t di a /
M,, -.,., w uu x.cu ry, s se w se esause c Ls u t.) h 4 e-uvt vr I i cea asow /. es.c A
- 03/30 93
~11.34 U.9 H.R.C.' REGIO 4 1 k!H
-003-6 l
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%'Ns 1
- (a) The overall ached-se iur coming to a conclusign regarding resolutinn of thn 4S.uw to ecruefully expressed unwillingness
'itxed'..rnacani Commission or the congrossional to inforna withet tha delay.
Thadani's frequent oversight committees of any-expression of concern such an eventuality clearly sh ygd hnth the polibidal regarding legal impliuations 9
Ior the ataff."
and
"(b) The program must plainly explain the Pilgrim data."
"(c) I4 wi23 1.,w very dif ficult to convince Nuclear beactor Regulation (and, by implication, the Commission) that the inoue is of such inconsequence that plant modifications) no actions (including ohowing a2e necessary.
-The-bvrdeu "ut"cuch' a
^
also stated tnat,is clearly and completely on the industry.
if any utilities conclude
'Thadani in npproprince, he that n e bution-wants to find out about it as early as
- possible, i.e., ' don't tell me as late as.1uly."
(d) The staff is quite conecrned regarding from the further impacts forthcoming public meeting it relaten regarding the istuo ao to the ri1941m' plant.
I i
Now this sounds like a whole lot
+
of concern to us.
Additionally, we have discovered that the individual! heading Boston Edison's program to resolve the instrumentation problems vas, in fact, a former NRC resident inspectpr at the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Plant from 1982-1986 the site of major radioactive spills in 1981, 1985 and 1986. !9inoa the NBC'r. Pnda ne onndu-t ify present NRC employees 1.wAuae$ restriet3cea un eteninq futura m yluyment post-employment and on NRC evaluated Mr.activitiea by former NRC employooc, had Mdm Hudson's regard to these employment at Boston Edison with regulations prior to February 3, 19927 Finally, the engineering anduntimely passing of Pilgrim's head of the recent resignation of Pilgrim's Senior Vice-President Nuclear are of great concern us.
to i
We cce a lack of stability on all effectively deal with this fronts necessary to dangerous situation at Pilgrim.
Accordingly, we request that the NRC err on the caution and side of issue a chutdown order, effective immedfabely until a deliberate course of action in defined.
i Thank you.
i i
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