ML20128B301

Responds to 710521 Telgram to Chairman Seaborg Re Plant. Forwards Commission Statement Re Current AEC Regulatory Staff Review of Recently Developed Info on ECCS of Nuclear Power Plants

ML20128B301
Person / Time
Site:	Monticello
Issue date:	06/03/1971
From:	Price H US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC)
To:	Hatling R MINNESOTA ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL CITIZENS ASSOCIATION
Shared Package
ML20128B304	List: ML20128B301 ML20128B307
References
NUDOCS 9212030622
Download: ML20128B301 (4)

Text

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,' tributions s AEC Fuelle Lveument Room Docket File, DR Feadin DEL Reading HLPrice cnwek f17 Q Doeket No. 50 263 JUN 3 YR1 va ann CHenderson SHanauer ECase HShapar PAMorris RGBoyd Mr. Russel Hatling, Director Com. Bemey Minnesota Envirmnental Control Comm. Johnson Citizens Associatite Comm. Lercon 144 Mc1 bourne benue, S.E. Secretariat (2)

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414 GErtter Chairman tear Mr. IIstlingt /

' Ibis is in respmse to your telegram to Chairman Seaborg regarding the Monticello Buclear Plant. I an enclosing a copy of the Cranissico's statement regarding the current AEC Degulatory Staff review of recently developed information on emerEency core cooling systems for nuclear pcwr plants. You will note that the review of this recent information is not regarded as the type of problem requiring the shutdown of operating nuclear power plants.

I will be glad to send you the conclusions of this review when complete.

Since rely,

'( signed ) Herod b MM Harold L. Price Director of Itegulation Ibc1caure:

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UNITED STATES -

I h ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION W A$HINGTON, D.C. 20545 i

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l No. O-80 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Frank Ingram i i Tel. 973-3446 ,

j 973-5371 (Copies) ,

l NOTE TO EDITORS AND CORRESPONDENTS: P 4

The Atomic Energy Commission has received a number of

- inquiries and has noted press interest in recent letters .

which the AEC Regulatory Staff has sent to Atomic Safety and Licensing Boards , license applicants , and other parties to public hearings, on a review of emergency core cooling, i a back-up system which is part of the " defense-in-depth" concept of power reactor safety. These letters -- which stated the staf f is re-evaluating these systems -- were sent in the last three weeks and made public at that time.

l The AEC Regulatory Staff is reviewing recently developed i information on omorgency core cooling systems to assure that i

the necessary margins of safety provided by these systems are i

! being maintained in present designs of nuclear power plants.

f Emergency core cooling systems are one of the back-up l

safety features being included in nuclear power plants. They i I are designed to provide water to cool the fuel in the event th a t , for some reason, there is a loss of the normal reactor cooling water. The likelihood that the emergency core cooling system will need to be used is very small, but AEC believes it is prudent to include such systems as part of the " defense-in-depth" which protects the public.

Nuclear plants also are equipped with many other safety systems designed both to prevent serious accidents and to limit the consequences of accidents in the remote event they should occur.

The use of recently developed, improved techniques for calculating fuel cladding temperatures following a loss of coolant accident, and the results of some preliminary safety research experiments have indicated that the predicted margins in emergency core cooling system performance for reactors may not be as large as were earlier predicted.

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' Tho AEC has for many years conducted a large number of

( tests and experiments on various aspects of reactor response to loss of coolant and power reactor safety at the National Reactor Testing Station in Idaho and elsewhere. The recent small mock-up tests at NRTS were not designed to represent the response of an actual operating nuclear power plant to a loss of coolant accident. There were significant differences in the experimental system which was tested as compared to an operating reactor. The significance of these tests to the calculational techniques used to assure the effectiveness of emergency core cooling systens in nuclear power plants is being evaluated.

The Regulatory Staff's task force of senior technical ocople is seeking to determine whether improvements are needed in emergency core cooling system design and, if so, what those improvements should be. The results of the review will be taken into account in the licensing of nuclear power plants.

The review is part of AEC's continuing effort to assure that nuclear power plant designs are evaluated in the light of the best current technical information available.

If it is determined that there should be changes in design or operation of presently licensed plants, these changes will be included as part of the regulatory process.

This is not the type of problem requiring the shut down of operating plants.

weeks.

Results of the AEC review should be available in a few There may be some delays in proceedings involving con-struction permits or operating licenses for plants now under-going licensing review, but none of these plants was expected to be producing significant amounts of power in time for this summer's " peak load" periods.

} May 27, 1971 i

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ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION ,

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. . :j . Mr. Russel Hatling, Director

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Minnesota Environmental Control

, Citizens Association '

! 144 Melbc'ttne Avenue, S.E.

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414

Dear Mr. Hat ling:

This is in response to your telegram to Chairman Seaborg rogarding the Monticello Nuclear Plant. I am enclosing a copy of the Commission's statomont regarding the current AEC Regulatory Staff review of recently developed informa-tion on omorgency core cooling systems for nuclear power ,

plants. You will note that the review of this recent information is not regarded as the type of problem requiring the shutdown of operating nuclear power plants. i Sincerely, Wk h h & ph & k ribe -

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Harold L. Prico >

Director of Regulation

Enclosure:

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