ML20035D944
| ML20035D944 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 02/24/1993 |
| From: | Shewmon P NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Selin I, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| References | |
| REF-GTECI-120, REF-GTECI-NI, TASK-120, TASK-OR ACRS-SL-0402, ACRS-SL-402, NUDOCS 9304140140 | |
| Download: ML20035D944 (8) | |
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ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON REACTOR SAFEGUARDS
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O, WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 Wf/93 i
February 2*, 19'3 i
i The Honorable Ivan Selin
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Chairman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555
Dear Chairman Selin:
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
REPORT - THREE HUNDRED AND NINETY THIRD MEETING OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON REACTOR SAFEGUARDS, JANUARY 7-8, 1993, AND OTHER RELATED ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE 4
During its 393rd meeting, January 7-8, 1993, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) eiscussed several matters and completed the following reports and letters:
Reoorts i
SECY-92-413. " Incident Investication 00tions Reportino to the Commission" j
(Report to the Honorable Ivan Selin, NRC Chairman, from Paul Shewmon, ACRS Chairman. dated January 13,1993) j i
j Proposed kesolution of Generic Safety Issue 120. "On-Line Testability of f
Protection Systems" (Report to Mr. James M. Taylor, Executive Director for Operations, from Paul Shewmon, ACRS Chairman, dated January 13, 1993; Letters Letter to The Hororable Albert Gore, Jr., President of the United States Senate, from Paul Shewmon, ACRS Chairman, reporting on the. Safety Research Program of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, dated January 28, 1993 Letter to the Honorable Thomas S. Foley, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, from Paul Shewmon, ACRS Chairman, reporting on the Safety Research Prrgram of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, dated January 28, 1993 HIGH!.IGHTS OF KEY ISSUES CONSIDERED BY THE COMMITTEL 1.
Replacement of %10o Instrumentation with Dioital Instrumentation Representatives of the NRC staff and industry discussed the following matters with regard to replacement of analog instrumentation with digital instrumentation at existing reactor plants:
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2 the reasons nuclear plant licensees are interested in converting
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their analog instrumentation with digital equipment and how digital equipment upgrades can improve safety a list of plants that have performed such modifications, both under 10 CFR 50.59 and by NRC sta review the NRC staff's basis for its proposed position that most digital-based safety systems involve an unreviewed safety questio, under 10 CFR 50.59 tne responses received during the public comment period for the
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proposed Generic Letter on analog-to-digital conversions future planned NRC staff activities to meet with industry representatives to discuss the threshold for staff review This was a briefing for information only.
No ACRS action was taken at this meeting.
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Key Policy issues for Advanced Reactor Desians The members had a preliminary discussion of the key policy issues that were identified by the NRC staff for the MHTGR, PIUS, PRISM, and CANDU 3 designs.
There are 10 key policy issues that have been identified for ACRS consideration.
These ten key policy issues will be discussed with the NRC staff at the February 11-13, 1993 ACRS meeting. Representatives of the industry and of the Department of Energy will participate in that meeting.
No Committee action was trken on this item at this meeting.
3.
Annual Report to the U.S. Conaress on the NRC Safety Research Procram and Budoet l
The Committee reviewed Craft letters regarding this matter. Section 29 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended by Section 5 of Public Law 95-209, requires the ACRS report to the Congress each year on the Safety Research Program of the NRC.
The Committee provided letters on this matter to The Honorable Albert Gore, Jr., President of the United States Senate, and The Honorable Thomas S. Foley, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, as noted above.
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Reactor Ooeratino Experience Barseback. Unit 2. Containment Soray Sumo i
Blockaoe Event The NRC staff discussed the Swedish reactor Barseback, Unit 2, containment spray sump blockage event that occurred on July 28, 1992. During a minor LOCA event, the containment sumps became clogged with pieces of insulation j
that were blown off reactor coolant system piping. Clogging of the sumps necessitated operator actions, i.e., backflushing, in order to prevent possible cavitation of the ECCS pumps being used to cool the core.
i Some U.S. plants discharge their safety relief valves to the drywcll.
Unanticipated occurrences during this event included the speed at which the sump strainers clogged (one hour versus ten hours assumed in the Swedish safety study) and the amount of insulation that was swept into the l
sumps. The NRC staff has decided that no immediate action on this matter is needed.
However, NRR has initiated a survey of all U.S. BWRs to determine their susceptibility to a Barseback-type event. The goal of the survey is to determine if these plants conform to the major elements specified in Regulatory Guide 1.82, Revision 1, that was issued in 1985 pursuant to resolution of USI A-43.
This study should be completed by mid-1993.
Plants found with potential problems will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. For the long term, PWR plants will also be evaluated for this event.
This was a briefing for information only.
No ACRS action was taken at this meeting.
5.
Generic Safety Issue 120. "Online Testability of Protection Systems" The NRC staff briefed the Commitwe on how GSI-120 originated and the approach that the staff is taking to resolve the issue.
The following matters were discussed with regard to this issue:
the focus on engineered safety features (ESFs) and " slave relays,"
associated with these systems the function of " slave relays" within the ESF and their overlapping a
testing with other components in the system the use of staggered testing as a basis for allowing certain "sle.ve a
relays" to be tested only during shutdown conditions pursuant to the new Revised Standard Technical Specifications the NRC staff's review of advanced plant designs with respect to the e
resolution of GSI-120 It was noted that General Design Criterion 21 was originally intended to apply to reactor protection systems, not ESF systems as these systems exist toda3 As ESF systems evolved, the NRC staff had to make provisions for those portions of ESF systems that could disrupt plant operations if tested while the plant was operating.
4 The Committee provided a report to Mr. James M. Taylor on this matter, as noted above.
6.
NRC Procedures for Incident Investication The Committee discussed the NRC staff's proposed options for the Incident Investigation Program described in SECY-92-413. In general, the Committee endorsed the NRC staff's proposal, but did have some comments regarding the makeup of the Incident Investigation Group (IIG) membership and the IIG reporting instructions.
The Committee provided a report to you on this matter, as noted above.
7.
Performance Indicator Reoort The NRC staff briefed the Committee on SECY-92-425, " Performance Indicator Program - Peer Group and Operating Cycle Phase Enhancements," that was j
submitted to the Commission on December 23, 1992. The NRC staff discussed i
the proposed improvement to the performance indicator program, including the operating phase effects and the comparison of an individual plant to i
its peer group instead of the industry average.
This was a briefing for information only.
No ACRS action was taken at this time.
8.
ACRS Subcommittee Activities i
ReDort of ACRS Plannino and Procedures Subcommittee Meetina on January 6.
15L93 - The items covered during the January 6,
1993 Planning and 9
Procedures Subcommittee meeting were discussed, including the status of members' appointments, the status of actions related to Mr. Stella's reappointment as a Fellow, and the ACRS budget.
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Status of Actions Related to Raymond Fraley's Retirement i
It was noted that Mr. Fraley will be retiring from the NRC on February 26, 1993.
The Committee agreed to have a retirement dinner in honor of Mr.
Fraley on the evening of February 11, 1993 9.
Future ACRS Activities Jhe following activities were scheduled for the 394th ACRS Meeting, February 11-13, 1993, Bethesda, Maryland:
Key Policy Issues for Preapolication Desians - The Committee will review and comment on key policy issues identified by the NRC staff for resolution with respect to advanced reactor designs such as the MHTGR, PIUS, PRISM, and CANDU3.
Representatives of the NRC staff, the Department of Energy, and industry will participate, as appropriate.
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FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant - The NRC staff will brief the Committee on the restart of the FitzPatrick nuclear plant following an extended shutdown for plant-and organizational changes.
Representatives of the licensee and the NRC staff will participate, as appropriate.
Research on Oroanizational Factors - The NRC staff will brief the Committee on matters regarding NRC-sponsored research on omanizational factors.
Representatives of the NRC staff and
'adustry will participate, as appropriate.
Atomic Safety and licensino Board Panel - The NRC staff will brief the Committee regarding the current and anticipated activities of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel.
Multiple System Responses Prooram -. The NRC staff will brief the Committee regarding the status of the staff's work for dealing ~with the potential generic safety issued identified in the Multiple System Responses Program.
ACRS Subcommittee Activities - The Committee will hear and discuss the status of ACRS subcommittee assignments, including use of digital instrumentation and control systems in nuclear power plants, j
the ABB-CE System 80+ design, and procedures for conduct of ACRS business.
Representatives of the NRC staff will participate, as appropriate.
Future ACRS Activities - The Committee will discuss topics proposed for consideration by the full Committee.
l Resolution of ACRS Recommendations - The Committee will discuss replies from the NRC Executive Director for Operations regarding the NRC staff reaction to recent ACRS comments and recommendations.
NRC Reculatory Review Group - The Committee will discuss the proposed charter for and activities of the NRC Regulatory Deview Group. The purpose of this group will be to conduct a comprehensive and disciplined review of power reactor reguladons and related NRC processes, programs, and implementation practices. Representatives of the NRC staff and industry will participate, as appropriate.
Briefino on Recent Chances to the Reculations on the Conduct of Government Employees - Representatives of the NRC OMice of the General founsel will brief the Committee on the impact on ACRS members of the implementation of the recent Office of Government Ethics government-wide changes to the regulation on the conduct of government employees.
Schedules of NRC Review of Proposed Advanced Reactor Desions - The NRC staff will brief the Committee on the current schedules for the NRC staff's review of proposed advanced reactor designs.
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6 Miscellaneous - The Committee will discuss information of a personal.
nature where disclosure would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy and matters discussod but not completed during previous meetings as time and availability of information permit.
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Multilateral Meetino of Advisory Committees The Committee discussed some proposed dates that were suggested by the Fren:h GPR and the German RSK for the next International Meeting of Advisory Committees.
It was noted that the French GPR, along with the German RSK, has agreed to sponsor the meeting in France in October 1993.
It has been decided that October 11-15, 1993, is the only date acceptable to all parties, i.e., the French GPR, the German RSK, the Japanese NSC, i
and the ACRS, for the conduct of this meeting during Calendar Year 1993.
l Note: A memorandum has been sent to the Commissioners' offices by way of l
Dennis Rathbun from John Larkins, Acting Executive Director of the ACRS, t
l dated January 22, 1993, informing the Commission of the tentative meeting and the scheduled date.
11.
Uporade of ACRS Conference Room i
Mark Stella, ACRS Fellow, discussed preliminary comments from ACRS members on a questionnaire that members had completed and returned to the ACRS office on matters related to features and equipment to be considered for the new White Flint building.
l This matter will be discussed again in the future.
12.
Reconciliation of ACRS Comments and Recommendations The Executive Director for Operatiuns responses to previous ACRS reports were discussed as follows:
ED0 letter, dated December 2, 1992, responding to the ACRS report dated October 16, 1992, concerning SECY-92-287, " Form and Content for a Design Certification Rule."
The EDO letter did address the Committee's comments.
EDO letter, dated December 8, 1992, responding to the ACRS report dated October 15,
- 1992, concerning
" Proposed Guidance for Implementation of the Maintenance Rule,10 CFR 50.65."
The EDO letter did address the Committee's comments.
It was r.ated that the Commis: ion has issued an SRM asking the ACRS to "...
consider how the uuintenance rule might be used as a means to address the activities required by licensees in the license renewal rule, such that the maintenance program would supplemer.t the need for much of the component-by-component analyi's expected in tha license renewal rule."
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i EDO letter, dated December 10, 1992, responding to the ACRS report i
dated November 12, 1992, concerning the staff's research program
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instrumentation and control (I&C) systems.
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i The EDO letter did address the Committee's comments; however,-it was l
suggested that the Committee follow the NRC staff's work in this l
1 area and observe what is accomplished. The ACRS staff will keep in contact with the responsible NRC staff and invite them to an ACRS l
meeting in about six months for a discussion of this work.
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EDO letter, dated December 16, 1992, responding to the ACRS report dated November 16, 1992, concerning the staff's draft Commission i
paper on risk-based regulation.
The EDO letter did address the Committee's comments.
Even though I
members of the Committee were not satisfied with the response, they did agree to follow the NRC staff's' work and reconsider the matter when the staff's work has progressed further.
ACRS member Harold i
Lewis noted that even though the EDO did say that the NRC staff's activities are " coordinated and consistent," that-the Committee has noted otherwise in various letters.
13.
Miscellaneous Reculatory Review Group Charter ACRS Member Harold Lewis noted that he has a concern with the discussion in COMIS-92-025 - Regulatory Review Paper, that has the NRC reviewing itsel f.
Mr. Gillespie, the Review Group Leader, will be briefing the Committee on this item at the February 1993 ACRS meeting.
14.
Subcommittee Meetinos During the period between the December 9-11, 1992 and the January 7-8, 1993, ACRS meetings, the following Subcommittee meetings were held:
Advanced Reactor Desions - January 6,1993 The Subcommittee discussed the key policy issues that the NRC staff has identified for the MHTGR, PIUS, PRISM, and CANDU 3 advanced nuclear power piant designs.
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Plannino and Procedures - January 6,1993 The Subcommittee discussed proposed ACRS activities, practices, and I
procedures for conducting Committee business, and related matters.
Qualifications of candidates nominated for appointment to the ACRS were also discussed.
i Sincerely, Paul Shewmon Chairman l
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