ML20126F376
| ML20126F376 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Trojan File:Portland General Electric icon.png |
| Issue date: | 12/17/1992 |
| From: | Murley T Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Joshua Wilson DO IT YOURSELF COMMITTEE |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9212300274 | |
| Download: ML20126F376 (4) | |
Text
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-3" UNITED STATES n
3-i NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION J
WASHINGTON D.C. 20506
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December 17, 1992.
Mr. Jerry Wilson Soloflex, Inc.
570 N.E. 53rd Hillsboro, Oregon 97124
Dear Mr. Wilson:
I am responding to your letter of November 24, 1992,- to the Commissioners of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
In your letter you_ requested "a public hearing" prior to the restart of Trojan Nuclear Plant and expressed concerns about the status of its steam generators.
As you may know, the staff held a meeting at the Trojan site in Rainier, Oregon, on December 1,1992, to discuss the cause and repair of 'the steam generator primary-to-secondary tube leak that occurred on November 9.-1992.
This meeting was held to provide an opportunity for Portland General Electric (PGE) to inform the NRC staff on the issues raised in the Confirmatory Action Letter, dated November 13, 1992. The meeting was attended-by NRC' headquarters'-
personnel, NRC Region V personnel, PGE, and members of the media and general-public.
The meeting also included a discussion of-the proposed emergency technical specification change that-was prepared by the licensee.
The licensee recently withdrew its request for the emergency technical i
specification change and is conducting-augmented steam generator tube-inspections.
It.is our understanding that.the-licensee is evaluating the_
l steam generator tube inspection data and they are considering a range of possible actions that depend on the results of the data evaluation. The=NRC staff is following-the inspection process and any subsequent request for.
technical-specification amendment closely.
As a result of this information and the interest that you have expressed, 1 have directed my staff to put you on the service list for-the Trojan Nuclear Plant. As such, you will receive all outgoing correspondence:related to Trojan. Additionally, I have directed my staff to' inform you by telephone if' any technical specification amendment request-is. submitted-by the: licensee on the current steam generator-issue so that you may be aware of-the current :
status of the issue and your rights to request a hearing with-respect to any requested license amendment. This.should enable you to file a timely j
application for a formal-hearing on any requested; amendment.
i I would advise you to consult Title 10,- Code of Federal-Reaulations (10 CFR),
for an understanding of your rights and responsibilities regarding a. hearing; request; specifically, refer to-10 CFR 50.91, and 10 CFR_ 2.714. -In generrl, you may. file a petition for leave to intervene and request-a hearing during.
the notice period on any. licensing action proposed by the licensee, or you may
-make any public comment on'the no significant hazards determination without.
requesting a hearing and filing a ' petition for leave to intervene.
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finally, you may petition-the ~ staff pursuant 10 -10 CFR 2.206 to modify, suspend, or revoke a license, provided you specify the action-requested and.
set-forth the facts that constitute the basis for the request.
However, a-petition pursuant to 10 CFR 2.206 is not a request for a hearing.-
The staff welcomes informed participation in the licensing process.
Sincerely,
^ee'n $
$1 Thomas E. Murley, Director %
Office of Nucle:r Reactor Regulation -
i i
. j :.-
L.Mr. Jerry Wilson
- December.17, 1992' Finally,_ you may petition the staff-pursuant to 10 CFR 2.206 to modify,
- suspend, or-revoke-a license, provided you specify the. action requested _ and.
set forth the facts _that constitute the basis for the request. -However, a petition pursuant to 10 CFR 2.206 is not a request for a hearing..
=
The staff welcomes informed participation in the licensing process.
Sincerely, Original BignM mmm E. MurleY Thomas E. Murley, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 1
DISTRIBUTION:
Docket. File;(50-344'w/ incoming)
NRC & Local PDRs (w/ incoming)
'ED0f 8342 PDV Action File J. Taylor J. Sniezek J. Martin, RV K. Knubel T. Murley/F. Miraglia J. Partlow.
J. Roe M. Virgilio W. Russell F. Gillespie-PDV Reading File (w/ incoming)
D. Crutchfield T. Quay OCA L. Kokajko D. Foster 0GC-(15B18)
OPA (2GS)
SECY (92-0991)
NRR Mail Room (EDO# 8342 w/ incoming)
T. Gibbons C. Hawes
- 8. Clayton K. Pe'rkins, RV.
'*See Previous Concurrence 0FC -
PDV/LA s.
PDV/PM PDV/D _
TECH ED*-
OGC*
NAME DFosterklJdkd TQuay MMejac RMB '-
DATE Al//7/92 thM)/92 11/ 0 /92 12/07/92-12/14/92 0FC AD45/DRPW*-
D/DRPW*-
ADP/NRR*
DD/NRR*-
N NAME' HVirgilio JRon JPartlow-FMiraglia Murley DATE 12/14/92 12/15/92 l'2/15/92 12/15/92
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EDO Principal Correspondence' Control FROM:
DUE: 12/09/92 EDO CONTROL: 0008342 DOC DT: 11/24/92 FINAL REPLY:
Jorry Wilson Soloflex, Inc.
4 TO:
Chairman Selin 1
FOR SIGNATURE OF:
- GRN CRC NO: 92-0991 Murley DESC:
ROUTING:
REOUEST FOR MEETING BEFORE RESTART OF TROJAN Taylor Sniezek DATE: 11/30/92 Knubel JHartin, RV ASSIGNED TO:
CONTACT:
NRR Murley SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKb:
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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET PAPER HUMBER:
CRC-92-0991 LOGGING DATE: Nov 25'92 ACTION. OFFICE:-
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AUTHOR:
Jerry Wilson AFFILIATION:
ADDRESSEE:
Chairman Selin LETTER DATE:
Nov 24 92 FILE CODE:
SUBJECT:
Request for public hearing before restart concerning steam generator problems at Trojan ACTION:
Direct Reply DISTRIBUTION:
Chrm., Comrs., OGC, DSB, RF SPECIAL HANDLING: None t
CONSTITUENT:
NOTES:
DATE DUE:
Dec 9 92 SIGNATURE:
DATE SIGNED:-
AFFILIATION:
1 EDo --- 008342
- (.. c 15 p. 6 e-o
i tov 24 '92 17:24 G3RD ST.ADVERTISIt4
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November 24,1992 Ivan Selin, Chairman United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555
Dear Chairman Selin,
Along with the facsimile transmission of this letter (which is being followed up by a
'hard copy" mailing) is a fax of a newspaper story from today's edition of The Oregon 40 newspaper. The story reveals that an internai NRC document has warned aEalnst greatly
~
increased dangers of a core meltdown at the Trojan nuclear reactor in Oregon, as a result of that plant's current problems with degraded steam generator tubes.
I am sure that you and the other NRC commissioners are aware of Trojan's problems, since your organization relaxed its rules to allow the plant to continue operating with an above-standards percentage ofits steam generator tubes in disrepair. I believe that the waiver of the rules is up for tuview in March of 1993. %e intemal NRC drument alluded to in the oreconian reflects some of your own staff's objections to that waiver of rules.
We at the Do It Yourself Committee have been tracking the situation at Trojan for several years. This year, we were the chief sponsors of ballot Measure 6 to close the Trojan plant by voter initiative. Earlier this month, our measure received hundreds of thousands of.
votes, and was endorsed by the lugest environmental groups in Oregon and many politicians and business people, in light of the serious steam generator problems at Trojan and the alarming dissenting opinions within the NRC as to the safety of the plant, we ask that a public hearing be held in Portland, Oregon -- attended by NRC staff from_ Washington, D.C. -- before you make any decisions that would allow Trojan to restart. Such public meetings were granted for citizens concerned about the Yankee Rowe nuclear reactor last year. We would likc~ similar public hearings. so the people of Oregon can discuss vital Trojan safety issues with NRC staff.
- Please share our request with your fellow commissioners Rogers, Curtiss, Retnick and de Planque and have someone from NRC staff get back to us about our request. Currently, the operators of Trojan, Portland General FJectric Company, hope to restart the plant within the next two weeks. We are requesting a public meeting as early as next week, before the plant is reopened. This is a matter of grave concern to thousands of Oregonians, as it is to the Nuclear Regul tory Commission.
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- TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24,1992*
NRCdissent challenges rules waiver given Trojan.
_ r JAMES LONG S
elIM CVeponanstae,
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Com:
An NRC review of the diuent -
beause the reactor < ore water is mission's relaxation of rules on the document that Po!!ard paned rascactively contaminated, a prime flawed steam tubes at Westingboase-along to the me&a - 6d not and concern of plant operstors and the '.
I designed nuclear power plants such the scenario farfstched NRC is making sure the water is e,
as Trojan greatly increases the risk
. C.J. Heltames Dr., deputy director kept Haled in the mbes. This is '
of a reactor core meltdown, an inter-of the Omce of 1/uclear Regulatory, why Pollard sald, the dissenting h nal NRC document pys.
Research, passed the nport directly NRC staff members protested the Such an occurrence would be cat.
to Frank P. Gillespie, $rsetor of pro-walvers allowing Trdan and other s astrophic, releasing radioactive grarn management for the Omca of, plants to have tubes with Daws e materials to the environment, the Nuclear Raaetor Regulatnon.
naching more than 40 percent of the /
is High." Heltames said in a cover, }
"The prelimina27 priority ranking way through the stoet.
report said.
i
'The safety systems... are only :
The Union of. Concerned Scien tists. a Washington, D.C., publie in.
ing memo to Gillespie.
designed to prevent a mehdown of the reactor oore if only one tube in terest group. obtained the dxument Pollard said it was unusualfor the,.
and released it Monday, head of NRC's research amee to one steam generator ruptures," Pol,[
"TrW n has been plarued with~-
pass such a document direc0y to the '
lard said. *1f the plant is running with cracked and weakened senera,,
(tuk cracks) for lo yean." sald Rob.
chjefregulator.
Mr tubes, a bnak in the nnain Haam ert D. PoDard, i former NRC nucle.
GregoryN. Cook,anNRCregional, pfpe could cause several of the,,
.ar engineer noa with the Union of spokesman in San FrMem said,) as 10 Nbn mpmn radm however,that the ngencyconaldered weakened Nbes 2 mptum.If asiew Concerned Scientists. *NRC's re-sponse has been to kwp relaxing the Trojan safe and that the " Difference.
rules. Now it's gone so far that even of Professional Opin!cs)" document.
ter nG be && charged &nedy ink,
the NRC stdis object!ng."
contained no information to change.
the envirorunent. Moreover, the,,
.Without nam!ng Trojan specifkale that stance, wate argency con g
ly, the document said a waiver that, Cook said the NRC's walvers for 8
P'hM 2r con nmedt NRC granted last February to allow-Trqan wen tailormade for the '
Trojan to continue operating despite plant and were granted only after
- tubes and m2 not be cycled back '
,,N,,.t.o continue coollag the fue n,umerous flawed tubes in its steam. meticulous study of the exact Daws '
g generators had increased the chance.
In individual tubes and how they an I.as he hd h !
a of a r,erious accident from 1 per mil. were'to be axed.
Nov. 9 because 6f a botc!)ed eff 8-lion per year - or virtuaDy noe still, he sajd, the NRC would fol. weM a Mbe crack
- 6 chance - to a plausible 1in 3.000.
low up carefuDy on the dLuent and Nationally, there are 52 pressurt.
take any action deemed memy.
j sed water reac' ors similar to Trojan.
David W. Heintzman, a PGE 4 or about half of all the nation't nu-spokesman, said the utibty also con-clear plants.
sidered Titan safe. "If we didn't,".
But Pollard sald it was the walver-he said,"we wouldn't operate it."
for Trojan that had touched off the.
Trojan and sim!!ar plants sener e ' J internal NRC fight about atcam ate electricity by beating water to,
tubes.
more than 600 degreesFahrenheitin 4 The NRC decided to let Trojan opJ. their nuclear reactor cores, pump-erate despite microscopic defects' ing it under intense pressure,
discovered in 428 of about 13.000? through stainlesssteel tubes that -
heat exchange tubes connecting the. loop out of the core like oven el
- reactor with four steam generators.
ements.
According to the papers that Pol
- Trojan has 13.22 such tubes that
- lard obtained, at least three uniden ' protrude into four separate cham-ttfled NRC std memt>ers esagreed bers, where they cause other water oath the waiver and filed a formal' to flash to steam and spin genera-dissent within the agency known as tors to make electricity.
a " Differing Professional Opin!on." '
One of the staff members argued' that "a main steam line break out.'
side con'.alament could trigger mul-tiple steam generator tube failures which would then result in core melt because of depletion of cool-
'u"
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