ML20128D440

Forwards Answers to Questions Raised During 921022 Briefing on Activities at Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant

ML20128D440
Person / Time
Site:	Turkey Point
Issue date:	11/25/1992
From:	Rathbun D NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA)
To:	Graham B SENATE, ENVIRONMENT & PUBLIC WORKS
References
CCS, NUDOCS 9212070279
Download: ML20128D440 (9)

Text

__ _ - ______ _ _ ___ _.-____-__-___

paneop /

' g'o, UNITED STATES 8, c NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHING TON, D. C, 20$55

,j . ,I

/

%~.....

November 25, 1992 The Honorable Bob Graham, Chairman Subcommittee on Nuclear Regulation Committee on Environment and Public Works United States Senate Washington, D. C. 20510

Dear Senator Graham:

Enclosed are answers to questions from members of your Subcommittee staff which arose during our October 22, 1992, briefing for your staff on our activities at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant.

If I can be of further assistance, please lot me know.

Sincerely, .,

./ N7[ g8 ~

Dennis K. Rathbun, Director Office of Congressional Affairs

Enclosures:

As Stated cc: Senator Alan K. Simpson 9212070279 921125 -) g ADOCK0500gO {q R

- - aa A Lu4.- - - . - ---- a--s-. --,,s.- J, 9

e

i

, j#  %

UNITED STATES

!? *

)

'n NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

{- WASHING TON, D. C. 205%

c y

November 25, 1992 The Honorable Bob Graham, Chairman Subcommittee on Nuclear Regulation Committee on Environment and Public Works United States Senate Washington, D. C. 20510

Dear Senator Graham:

Encloced are answers to questions from members of your Subcommittee staff which arose during our October 22, 1992, briefing for your staff on our activities at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant.

If I can be of further assistance, please let me know.

Sincerely, ,

}w x(Q W-Dennis K. Rathbun, Director Office of Congressional Affairs

Enclosures:

As Stated cc: Senator Alan K. Simpson l

l 1

1 l

l I

l r

et f 9212070279 921125 R ADOCK 05000250 pna

(,/) [' g;

t l

[ 'o UNITED STATES I' e NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

.i WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555

% . . . * ,~

November 25. 1992 The Honorable Bcb Graham, Chairman Subcommitto's on Nuclear Regulation Committee on Environment and Public Works United States Senate Washington, D. C. 20510

Dear Senator Graham:

Enclosed are answers to questions from members of your Subcommittee ctaff which arose during our October 22, 1992, briefing for your staff on our activities at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant.

If I can be of further assistance, please let me know.

Sincerely, ,

, }~nff Dennis K. Rathbun

~

Director office of Congressional Affairs

Enclosures:

As Stated cc: Senator Alan K. Simpson O I 9212070279 921125 R ADOCK0500gO [q.

-)! g:

i 3 -j ~

OVEST10N. Does FP&L have the flexibility to change their procedures for precautionary shutdown (as a storm approaches) regarding the amount of time in advance of the storm?

ANSWER.

Florida Power & Light Company (FP&L) has the flexibility to change their procedures for precautionary shutdown regarding the amount of time in advance of the storm. Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50.59, " Changes, Tests and Experiments," permits the holder of a license authorizing operation of a utilization facility to, among other activities, make changes in procedures as described in the safety analysis report without prior Commission approval, unless the proposed changes involve changes in the technical specifications incorporated in the license or an unreviewed safety question, An unreviewed safety question is defined in 10 CFR 50.59(a)(2).

Specifically with respect to emergency preparedness, the Commission's rules in 10 CFR 50.54(q) allow licensees to make changes without Commission approval only if the changes do not decrease the effectiveness of the plans and the plans, as changed, continue to meet the standards of s 50.47(b) and the requirements of Appendix E to-this part.

In accordance with Tec..nical Specification (TS) 6.8.1 which requires that

" written procedures shall be established, implemented, and maintained..."

covering various activities including emergency planning, FP&L has-developed a set of Emergency Plan Implementing Procedures (EPIPs). FP&L procedure EPIP 20106, addresses their emergency plan during a severe weather disturbance which results in Emergency Plan activation. Additionally, FP&L Procedure

2-0-0N0P-103.3 " Severe Weather Preparations" provides instructions on preparations of the site for severe weather conditions not resulting in an implementation of the Emergency Plan. Changes to these procedures are subject to the licensee's technical review and approval prior to implementation as required by TS 6.8.2 and 6.5.3 and the licensee's administrative procedures.

i QM11T10N. Are these procedures subject to regulatory and/or Tech Spec requirements?

&NSWER.

Turkey Point Units 3 and 4 Technical Specification (TS)'6.8.1 requires that-

" written procedures shall be established, implemented, and maintained..."

covering various activities including the emergency planning. TS 6.8.2 states that "Each procedure of specification 6.8.1 (a through h) and changes thereto shall be reviewed and approved prior to implementation and reviewed periodically as set forth in specification 6.5.3 and administrative procedures." Accordingly, changes to the Emergency Plan Implementing Procedures (EPIPs) are subject to the licensee's technical and administrative review and approval process prior to implementation.

.n..-. . - . - . - _. - ... -

OVESTION.- Will the Task Force look at the two items abo'se on a general basis (i.e. what is the "right" amount of time in advance of a storm to begin shutdown)?

Answer.

The Task Force Charter directs the team to fact finding rather than development of recommendations. Industry and NRC will subsequently use the factual report to describe the lessons learned and if warranted as a basis for general recommendations. For example, the Task Force is expected to develop information regarding uncertainties of weather service projections of storm direction, arrival time of hurricane force winds and intensity as well as actual storm progress and impact. That information from the Task Force report will be of-value to plants in locations subject to hurricanes regarding lead time- for-precautionary shutdown.

Initial information from the utility and the NRC Resident Inspectors who were on site during the storm indicate utility actions were appropriate and that the principal systems to prevent or mitigate an accident remained operable.

OVESTION_. What time did the nuclear reactions cease in each reactor when shutting down prior to the storm?

ANSWER.

The reactor is considered shutdown when the nuclear reactions are not self sustaining, which, with respect to Technical Specifications, is when the reactor is in Operational Mode 3 (see the table below). At the Turkey Point site, at 6:00 p.m. on August 23, 1992, Unit 3 started shutdown /cooldown operations, and at 8:05 p.m., Unit 4 started shutdown /cooldown operations.

The licensee planned to have both units in Mode 4 prior to Hurricane Andrew's arrival. Unit 3 entered Mode 3 at 7:40 p.m. on August 23, and Unit 4 entered Mode 3 at 10:45 p.m.-on August 23. At 3:12 a.m., Unit 3 reached Mode 4 and at 4:05 a.m., Unit 4 reached Mode 4.

The self sustaining nuclear reaction had ceased at least 9 hours1.041667e-4 days <br />0.0025 hours <br />1.488095e-5 weeks <br />3.4245e-6 months <br />, for Unit 3, and at least 6 hours6.944444e-5 days <br />0.00167 hours <br />9.920635e-6 weeks <br />2.283e-6 months <br />, for Unit 4, prior to the arrival of hurricane force winds.

~ '

. The following is a summary of the various operational modes:

REAClIVITY  % RATED AVERAGE COOLANT MDDL (ONDITION. K,n IB_E_RR%L POWER TEMPERATURE

1. POWER OPERATION a 0.99 > 5% a 350'F

2. STARTUP 2 0.99 s 5% a 350*F

3. HOT STANDBY < 0.99 0 a 350*F

4. HOT SHUTDOWN < 0.99 0 350*F > T ,

> 200*F

5. COLD SHUTDOWN < 0.99 0 s 200*F

6. REFUELING s 0.95 0 s 140 F Note: The nuclear reactions are less than self sustaining when the reactor is in Operational Mode 3 (i.e.- REACTIVITY CONDITION, BLn, <0.99).

l l

l DLIEST M L Inspection Reports reflecting the activities that the Deputy l V

Regional Administrator briefed on.

AlllEE The following Inspection Reports (Ik)- which cover the activities on which the Deputy Regional Administrator briefed, were provided to your staff by our Office of Congressional Affairs.

JffSfLC110N REPORT NLMBLB .LQPICS Of THE INSPECTION REPORT 50 250,251/92 20 Hurricane Preparation and Recovery

- 50 250,251/92 21 Radiation Protection and Emergency Preparedness

- 50-250,251/92-22 Security / Safeguards 50 250,251/92 23 Fire Protection / Prevention Program Additio.. ally, the summary of a September 22, 1992, meeting that addresses the stability of the remaining fossil unit stack was also previously provided.

t

.,y....,....,. . . . . . , . , , , , _ . , , _ , . , , , , . - . _ . . , _ _ _ . . , - , _ , , - , ,,...-.m

?

. DOESTION. Reoort of the hurricane lessons-learned task force.  :

8SiWifL 1

6 The on site review by the lessons learned task force was performed November 3-7, 1992. The report is scheduled to be completed by the end of December 1992. A ,

copy of the report will be transmitted to Senator Graham's office upon {

i completion.  :

i a

L t

T 4

)

- , , - , -r,,,,..,.-e-w-y---r- ,,,-y-, --.--r.y .,we--.-,y__, a c - .- 3 g y n . - r-

- - . _.- - . - . - ._ - . - . - - . ._ - - - . _~ . - . - . . - - _.._ - _- -

t CONGRESS!cNAL CORAESPONDENCE SYSTEM DOCUMENT PREFAAATICM CEECKLIST This checklist is be submitted with ensk desument (or group of I Q /As) sent for e 'ing ist.e the CCS, '

/

1. amIEr DEscatrTION oF DoccMENTts) MLt2 n'd

2. TT73 or- - / cerrompendesse. Eer.ringsy Me/ halt

3. DOCUMENT CoarraoL __ sensitive (W3C caly) Nem-sear ?.kre

4. CONORE85!0 MAL COMMITTEI and SUBCOMMITTEES (if applicable)

Congressional Casaittee ,

subcommittee 4

5. SU5 JECT CODES (a) ,

(b)

(c)

6. SOURCE or DOCUMENT 5 (a) 5530 (document asse (b) [/ eaa. 8 . (c) V Atlashmeate '

(4) , nakey (e) Other 7 SYSTT,X 108 D&TES (a) NO kN2 _ Date OCE seat document to CCS (M Date CCS. receivees doessaat (a) _ Date returned- to Och for additional information

~

Date reenheitted by-0CA to CCS <

(d)

(e) Date entered inte CCS by (f) _,

Date OCA notified that document is in CCS

.. CoxNE ,. 00uoi .

,c4 s M zm sL h,GS, y A

_, - . -