ML20134E544
| ML20134E544 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Maine Yankee |
| Issue date: | 02/03/1997 |
| From: | Zwolinski J NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | Herz M AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20134E546 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9702060343 | |
| Download: ML20134E544 (6) | |
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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION f
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20056 0001
.....,E February 3, 1997
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l Dr. Michael Herz Head Tide Alna, ME 04535 l
Dear Dr. Herz:
I am responding to your letter to Chairman Jackson dated December 20,1996, in which you requested that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) use its oversight authority to protect Maine citizens by requiring Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company (MYAPCo) to look at all of its safety systems, ensure compliance with NRC regulations, and obtain NRC approval prior to restarting Maine Yankee.
Subsequent to the issuance of the Independent Safety Assessment team report in October 1996, the NRC staff has conducted numerous inspections to confirm compliance with NRC rules and regulations. Concurrently, the licensee is pursuing resolution of ISA findings.
Recently, while conducting reviews associated with the NRC's Generic Letter 96-01, " Testing of Safety-Related Logic Circuits," the licensee discovered a separation problem with control wiring associated with the redundant trains of reactor manual trip push i
buttons. Conformance with certain industry electrical standards could not be verified and, thus, the licensee shut down Main Yankee on December 5, 1996, to resolve this safety concern.
l On December 18, 1996, the NRC issued a Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL) to MYAPCo, the licensee for Maine Yankee, documenting its agreement to undertake the following actions prior to restarting the facility:
Complete testing of safety-related logic circuits pursuant to NRC Generic Letter No. 96-01.
Develop a plan and methodology for expanding its review to determine the extent of the cable separation problems at the facility.
Perform, root cause evaluations that will address all hardware deficiencies identified, and utilize this information to validate the comprehensiveness of its corrective actions.
Meet with NRC representatives to describe the results and conclusions, as they pertain to the actions described above, and to gain the NRC's agreement that Maine Yankee is sufficiently prepared to restart _the facility.
l 060059 yH 9702060343 970203 PDR ADOCK 05000309 P
PDR i
l Dr. M. Herz
- t Further inspections and licensing activities have revealed several additional technical concerns in the electrical and equipment qualification areas. These recently-identified concerns have been incorporated into a supplement to the CAL and will also be the subject of a public meeting between the licensee and the staff prior to plant restart.
The NRC will decide, prior to restart, whether the licensee's corrective actions provide reasonable assurance that the plant will be operated in a j
manner that will pose no undue risk to public health and safety in accordance with the Commission's regulations.
I trust the above initiatives are responsive to your concerns.
Sincerely, b\\
v John A Zwolinski, Deputy Director i
Division of Reactor Projects - I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation l
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Dr. M. Herz February 3, 1997 Further inspections and licensing activities have revealed several additional technical concerns in the electrical and equipment qualification areas. These recently-identified concerns have been incorporated into a supplement to the CAL and will also be the subject of a public meeting between the licensee and the staff prior to plant restart.
The NRC will decide, prior to restart, whether the licensee's corrective actions provide reasonable assurance that the plant will be operated in a manner that will pose no undue risk to public health and safety in accordance with the Commission's regulations.
I trust the above initiatives are responsive to your concerns.
Sincerely, ORIGINAL SIGNED BY:
l l
l John A. Zwolinski, Deputy Director Division of Reactor Projects - I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation l
- See previous concurrences G:\\G970003.LTR PM:DRPE*
DD:DRPE*
D:DRPE*
ADPR*
D:NRR*
- 0GC OCM BMozafari JZwolinski SVarga RZimmerman FMiraglia HThompson SJackson 01/27/97 01/23/97 01/23/97 1/28/97 1/28/97 1/ 30 /97 1/
/97 01/ 31 /97 Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No 0FFICIAL RECORD COPY l
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DISTRIBUTION: for letter to M. Herz dated February 3, 1997 DOCKET File (50-309 w/ original incoming)
PUBLIC (w/ incoming)
EDO Reading (#G70003) 1 HThompson SCollins JBlaha FMiraglia AThadani RZimmerman i
TMartin PDI-3 Plant (w/ incoming)
SVarga JZwolinski t
MBoyle (email MLB4)
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EDO Principal Correspondence Control l FROM DUE: 01/15/97 EDO CONTROL: G970003 DOC DT: 12/20/96 l
FINAL REPLY:
Mich:31-Herz
! TO:
Chairman Jackson lFOR SIGNATURE OF :
ROUTING:
MAINE YANKEE Taylor l
Milhoan l
Thompson Blaha Miller, RI l
i DATE: 01/02/97 l ASSIGNED TO:
CONTACT:.
NRR Miraglia:
'SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:
Put EDO and Chairman on for concurrence.
Ch2irman's Office to review response prior j
to dispatch.
NRR RECEIVED: JANUARY 2, 1997 l
NRR ACTION:
DRPE:VARGA NP,P, ROUTING:
MIRAGLIA THADANI ZIMMERMAN SHERON TRAVERS FARTIN i
B0HRER l
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-. ~ -. - - -
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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET
'!)
PAPER NUMBER:
CRC-96-1286 LOGGING DATE: Dec 27 96 ACTION OFFICE:
EDO AUTHOR:
MICHAEL HERZ AFFILIATION:
MAINE ADDRESSEE:
CHAIRMAN JACKSON LETTER DATE:
Dec 20 96 FILE CODE: ID&R 5 MAINE YANKEE
SUBJECT:
MAINE YANKEE ACTION:
Direct Reply DISTRIBUTION:
CHAIRMAN SPECIAL HANDLING: SECY TO ACK CONSTITUENT:
NOTES:
CHAIRMAN SHOULD REVIEW RESPONSE PRIOR TO DISPATCH DATE DUE:
Jan 24 97 lb SIGNATURE:
DATE SIGNED:
AFFILIATION:
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EDO -- G970003