ML20132G795

Ack Receipt of Re Plans to Conduct Readiness Review Program.Due to Resource Constraints,Unit 3 Will Only Be Reviewed in FY86-87.Unit 1 Review Planned for After FY87. NRC Roles in Program Encl

ML20132G795
Person / Time
Site:	Washington Public Power Supply System, Satsop
Issue date:	07/12/1985
From:	Dircks W NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Mazur D WASHINGTON PUBLIC POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM
Shared Package
ML20132G799	List: ML20132G795 ML20132G808
References
NUDOCS 8507190462
Download: ML20132G795 (8)

Text

__- _

ja arc

1. oq%, UNITED STATES

[' .- i NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION E WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 g6 a

% . .'. .# .f / JUL 121985 Docket Nos. 50-460 and 50-508 Washington Public Power Supply System P. O. Box 968 3000 George Washington Way Richland, Washington 99352 Attention: Mr. D. W. Mazur Managing Director Gentlemen:

Subject:

Supply System Nuclear Project Nos. I and 3 Readiness Review

Reference:

Letter G01-85-0118/G03-85-0270 to W. J. Dircks, dated May 22, 1985 Thank you for your letter of May 22, 1985, regarding plans to conduct a Readiness Review Program at the WNP-1 and WNP-3 projects. I appreciate your initiative in proposing and planning such a progra:n to assess the Supply System's Compliance with NRC requirements and your commitments to the NRC, and to assess your readiness to operate WNP-1 and WNP-3 once construction resumes on these projects. This program will potentially provide NRC the opportunity to review WNP-1 and WNP-3 activities in a structured and timely manner. It also provides the potential for strengthening the bases for timely NRC decisions on issuance of an operating license.

-In your letter you requested that NRC agree to participate in the readiness review program. We have reviewed your proposal and based upon the discussions that were conducted at the meeting in Region V on May 22, 1985, between Supply System personnel and representatives from NRR, IE and Region V, we have concluded that we will participate in your readiness review program. However, because of resource constraints, we will only be able to review WNP-3 in FY 1986-1987 and would plan to initiate the review of WNP-1 after FY 1987.

Your principal NRC contact should be Mr. J. B. Martin,' Regional Administrator, '

Region V, who I have designated as the responsible NRC manager for the WNP-1 and WNP-3 readiness review programs. The respective roles of the NRC staff are as outlined in the Enclosure to this letter.

l hD h!O 60 A PDR

r-Washington Public Power Supply System You should continue to use your normal and routine contacts with the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation in matters associated with the licensing process or with the Office of Inspection and Enforcement and Region V in matters associated with inspection or enforcement.

Sincerely, C?g tSWJ m J.D rcks William J. Dircks Executive Director for Operations

Enclosure:

NRC Office Roles and Responsib111 ties WNP-1 and WNP-3 Readiness Review Program E

l .

/

Y3 f. ,

E6 Reg.V eE s

E p

(/

Faul entierry JMartin GAnkrum rimes J d 4')1ia FP$1 )

6/ /85 g 6////85 6///85 // 6//[ 85 l

' DLk HThomphon ONRR DGEisenhut

/ ONRR HDenton EDO WJDirck

[

6/4/85 6/ /85 6/ /85 g////85 L .

1 Distribution:

WJDircks l JRoe TRehm VStello JTaylor HDenton JMartin GCunningham EDO 673 PDR LPDR

e e l

NRC OFFICE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WNP-1 AND WNP-3 READINESS REVIEW PROGRAM O

I . , .

WNP-1 AND 3 READINESS REVIEW PROGRAM

Background

The construction permit (CP) for WNP-3 was issued in April 1978, and the application for operating license (OL) was docketed August 27, 1982. With construction about 76.5% complete, the Supply System suspended construction on WNP-3 in July 1983. The draft Safety Evaluation Report (DSER) which will be issued in June 1985 will document the status of our safety review and, where appropriate, will identify open items and related information or changes needed for resolution.

The CP for WNP-1 was issued in December 1975. When construction was about 63% complete, the Supply System's letter of April 30, 1982, advised the NRC l

that construction was being stopped for two to five years and requested that our review continue through docketing of the OL application. In support of I

the docketing request, the Supply System's ietter of June 11, 1982, committed l that the final design of WNP-1 will satisfy the requirements of any further regulations promulgated between the date of docketing and the resumption of l . construction of WNP-1 from which WNP-1 would otherwise be grandfathered by virtue of the date of docketing. The application for OL was docketed July 16, l

l 1982. The NRC's acceptance letter identified additional information I

needed for OL review. It also stated that at such time as the Supply l

System intends to resume substantial construction activities at WNP1, the NRC l would schedule a meeting with the appropriate Supply System management personnel to review the construction schedule and discuss details of the OL licensing process as it will apply to WNP-1. The safety review for OL for WNP-1 has been of limited duration and apart from our July 16, 1982 letter,

! does not provide for identification of open Itcensing issues.

1 i

1 I

l

By letter dated May 22, 1985, the Supply System requested NRC participation in the Readiness Review Program for WNP-1 and 3. The WPPSS Readiness Review Program will be a two stage process. Phase I will be the NRC pilot program for applying the Readiness Review concept for the restart of construction on a previously delayed project. Phase II commences after the resumption of construction and is expected to be patterned af ter the Vogtle Readiness Review Pilot Program for plants under construction.

Phase I, for WNP-3, will begin approximately July 1, 1985, and be complete prior to resumption of construction, currently expected at the end of calendar year 1987. This phase of the reviews would focus on the design and construction completed to date and would also include review of the Preservation Program. It would assess the design and constametion processes and sample the products of both processes so that conclusions can be drawn about the adequacy of the completed work. Phase I of the Readiness Review process for WNP-1 will begin after September 1987 and would utilize the experience gained from the performance of reviews at WNP-3.

Phase II of the Readiness Reviews will begin following resumption of construction and will include all aspects of new or changed design and construction, and readiness for operations. The goal of Phase II will be to alve additional assurance that the projects are ready to operate by conducting a series of reviews that address the adequacy of the design and construction processes used to complete the projects, patterned after the Vogtle Pilot Program.

The readiness review program being proposed by WPPSS does not change the traditional NRC position that the licensee is completely responsible for the design, construction, and operation of the nuclear power plant in accordance with applicable standards, regulations, and licensing commitments. .

The readiness review program also does not alter the parallel NRC responsibility to assure that the licensee fulfills its responsibilities for design, construction, and operation of the nuclear power plant in a manner consistent with the protection of public health and safety. The readiness review program provides a structured, systematic, and auditable tool for WPPSS and NRC to ensure that these responsibilities are fully carried out.

The WPSS readiness review program must ensure that all plant design, construction, and operation activities necessary to assure safe operation are included in one of the readiness review modules (completeness). WPPSS must also ensure that the implementation of the readiness review program does not result in deviations from their commitments and design criteria in the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) or to submit any changes to the FSAR by amendment following the normal licensing process.

NRC Office Roles and Responsibilities The NRC staff proposes to concentrate its efforts on WNP-3 until the WNP-1 plans become more firm.

Reaion V: The Regional Administrator, Region V, is the responsible NRC manager for the WNP 1 and 3 pilot project. This role will require the Regional Administrator to coordinate the scheduling of all Regional, IE, NRR, and ELD activities related to NRC's participation in the readiness review pilot program.

WPPSS correspondence to NRC on the pilot program will be addressed to Region V.

Region V will coordinate with IE and NRR, to identify the NRC activities necessary to support NRC review, inspection, resolution and final acceptance of each readiness review module submitted by WPPSS. For each readiness review module Region V will prepare a schedule for Region V, NRR and IE readiness review activities. The schedule will be concurred in by NRR and IE. In the review of each module, Region V will have primary responsibility for the inspection and verification of WPPSS implementation of programs (hardware installation, testing,etc.).

Region V will be the recipient of primary and secondary reviewers (NRR, IE, l and ELD) comments / input. Region V will prepare and communicate the results of NRC review findings to WPPSS. The letter from Region V to WPPSS giving the results of NRC staff review of a readiness review module (and identifying, as appropriate, any open items and the schedule for resolution) will be concurred in b9 NRR, IE, and ELD.

l

l.

l NRR: NRR will be responsible for review of WPPSS commitments and interpretation of commitments contained in each readiness review module. NRR will compare l the commitments against previous approvals, for example, SER positions, or will identify the current status of any open or unresolved items. For Phase I, the review will confirm conformance with commitments in the PSAR, as amended. For Phase II, it is contemplated that the SER review schedule will coincide with the Readiness Review Module schedule, and therefore, that the review will confirm conformance with commitments in the FSAR and

( SER positions.

The pilot program will not affect routine contacts and normal processes of NRR and the licensee incident to the established FSAR review and licensing '

process.

IE: IE will be responsible for developing procedures for the implementation of the Readiness Review Program. IE will provide input to the review of the WPPSS readiness review modules in its area of review responsibility (for example, design reviews, QA, and emergency preparedness).

IE will also prepare Commission status reports on the program development and provide revised regulatory guidance for inspection programs, as appropriate, to reflect lessons learned in the pilot program.

ELD: ELD will provide legal advice to support the pilot program as appropriate.

Public Involvement NRC will make written communications between WPPSS and NRC on the pilot progran a matter of public record; this will include the WPPSS submittal of the readiness review module and the NRC written comments, resolution, and acceptance of the final module. Meetings between WPPSS and NRC to discuss the pilot program status and schedule will be open to the public following normal NRC practices.

pn ua [b

+4 'o UNITED STATES E' 'S NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION h $ WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555

%, . . . . . f EDO PRINCIPAL CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL FROM: DUE: 06/11/85 EDO CONTROL: 000673 DOC DT: 05/22/85 D. W. MAZUR FINAL REPLY:

7 WASHINGTON PUBLIC POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM .,

TO:

DIRCKS FOR SIONATURE OF ** OREEN ** SECY NO:

.DEttTOtt-M /

DESC: ROUTINO:

SUPPLY SYSTEM NUCLEAR PORJE.CT NOS. 1&3 DIRCKS READINESS REVIEW ROE REHM l DATE: 05/28/85 STELLO ASSIONED TO:_ Ng g CONTi .CT: DENTON TAYLOR

_ __ _ _ . . _ J/. - . - - - - . - - -

JMARTIN l

GCUNNINGHAM

, SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

l

! NRR RECEIVED: 05/29/85 ACTION: DL,H.T40MPSON l qw.u euiJJ l

ROUTING: DENTON/EISENHUT" PPAS Glry,.C,.L3/d~I.~ -

.