ML20126M725
| ML20126M725 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/08/1979 |
| From: | Harrison G NRC |
| To: | Paulson W NRC |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19250G967 | List:
|
| References | |
| FOIA-81-201 NUDOCS 8106190372 | |
| Download: ML20126M725 (1) | |
Text
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- o UNITED STATES
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NUCLEA3 REGULATORY COMMISSION-n
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WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
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June 8, 1979
' NOTE'TO: IWalt Paulson, P-432-FROM:-
G. Harrison
SUBJECT:
,'RFPA' NO RES-78-220 (FIN B6302), " DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING 0F A MODEL-FOR FIRE POTENTIAL IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS" Per your.' request the subject mqcA was reviewed from the viewpoint of
' avoiding duplication.and usefulness.
The. justification,for. accepting the subject project states that only RPI-is qualified.to do the job The 'Centet for Fire Research, one of the foremost fire.research organizations in the world, is located at the National Bureau of Standards.
Located therein is a most prestigious l fire' modeling'section composed of internationally recognized, researchers, e.g. Dr. John Rocket, 'et. al. Additionally, a fire-risk systems analysis program: staffed with operations researchers, fire and reliability engi-neers, et. al, and funded in the order of millions of dollars also exists.
I,would think that Sandia Laboratories is also qualified. Th,erefore, it is hard to,see how or.why RPI is the only source for the accomplishment
-of the subject task.
Competition is not, therefore, precluded as stated in the Justification.
LCalculation of probabilities for fire initiated events has a minimal role in the-licensing proce:es. Of special interest, the GSA (the fore runner for using1 systems analysis and probabilities in fire prvcection for buildings) is now abandoning this approach altogether. Why? Fire protec-tion decision making is based under conditions of uncertainty anc not risk.
Furthermore, a research effort at Sandie in this same subject area has been previously ' turned off as of March,1979. A NUREG report is due out shortly on the work completed todate.
It is my understanding that all RES fire research effort was to have been stopped after the September,1978 UL fire test and re-structured into con-firmatory fire t'esting by order of the Commission. The subject work is not compatible with this.
Further, I do not think this effort would be supported by DDR on' DSS.
In sumary, the subject request for a fire research effort is probably duplicative ofLongoing efforts at Sandia Labs, and certainly does not
. qualify as a sole source procurement process. Mo importantly, the output would be of minimal value to the licensing proce-and issuance of fire protection SERs.
hk N a
e Gregory. Har son, P.E.
810619og 7 Q Fire " otec+' n Engineer
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