ML20137Q864

Summary of 970331 Meeting W/Util Re Util Graded QA Application.List of Attendees Encl

ML20137Q864
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas
Issue date:	04/09/1997
From:	Alexion T NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
References
NUDOCS 9704110154
Download: ML20137Q864 (5)

Text

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jang h jc , p k. UNITED STATES L s j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 30006 4001 j

gc April 9, 1997 LICENSEE: HOUSTON LIGHTING'AND POWER COMPANY _(HL&P)

FACILITY: South Texas Project, Units l'and 2 (STP)

SUBJECT:

SUN 4ARY OF MARCH 31, 1997, MEETING ON HL&P'S GRADED QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA) APPLICATION

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On March 31, 1997, HL&P net with Nuclear Regulatory Commission-(NRC) to discuss the above subject, at the request of HL&P. Meeting attendees are i listed in:the attachment.

NRC opened the meeting with a brief summary of the status of l'L&P's March 28,

1996, Graded QA application,.as follows. On July 24, 1996, NRC met with HL&P at NRC headquarters to discuss'the content of the application and the results 1

. .of preliminary staff review. On August 16, 1996, NRC issued a large request  !

for additional information (RAI) that focused on HL&P's desire for maximum flexibility to-(1) select and implement quality elements, and (2) to classify systems, structures, and components.(SSCs). On August 21-22, 1996,-NRC met .

with HL&P at STP to observe their Working Group and Expert Panel meetings. On  !

i October 30, 1996 HL&P responded to the probabilistic risk assessment (PRA)

! portion of the RAI. On January 21, 1997, HL&P provided their response to the remainder of the RAI and changed the format of their application.: Instead of describing a separate program of QA controls for SSCs falling in the Basic i Program, HL&P provided a f. ingle program description applicable to SSCs in both the Full and Basic Programs with an attachment that indicates the.

applicability of the various QA elements in Regulatory Guides and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standards to each program.

HL&P stated that as a pilot plant for Graded QA, they are attempting to develop a plan that justifies their continued participation. However, they find this difficult in light of various uncertainties, namely (1) when the F draft Graded QA Regulatory Guide will be issued by NRC, (2) what level of 1'

detail the NRC expects in the application, and (3) when NRC will complete its

review of HL&P's application. Their objective is for NRC's review and

approval to be completed by June 1997 so that implementation may begin.

I NRC replied that the draft Graded QA Regulatory Guide and associated L regulatory guidance documents should be to the Commission for review within the next day or so (and therefore may be released for public comment soon) and that the draft Regulatory Guide was recently revised to provide increased flexibility relative to the version discussed at the March 1997 Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) meeting. NRC also mentioned that there is another RAI for STP in draft, scheduled for issuance within the next week or so, and a planned visit to STP in late April. The next RAI and subsequent site visit will clarify what elements of the draft Regulatory Guide will be applied to the STP Graded QA Program including where revisions need to be made, which items are missing, and the minimum level of detail that must be provided. NRC also provided some examples of where the application is very non-committal on what QA controls will actually be applied in the STP Graded yfd QA Program.

1. NRC FILE CENTER COPY \'

9704110154 970409 9 PDR ADOCK 05000490 P P,DR

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.2-HL&P replied that they may want to discontinue participation as a pilot plant if, in their view, the staff's expectations for acceptability of a Graded QA program are excessive. In such an event, HL&P will likely opt to ratain their current QA program and take full advantage of all presently included areas of flexibility. Also, HL&P's position is that there is no advantage in being a pilot unless both NRC and HL&P continue to push for timely resolution of the issues.

NRC closed by stating that it has benefitted from HL&P's pilot Graded QA application and progress is being made (even though the progress isn't at the pace HL&P expected). NRC also added that it would like to see the Graded QA process continue because ultimately it will improve plant safety.

ORIGINAL SIGNED BY:

Thomas W. Alexion, Project Manager Project Directorate IV-1 Division of Reactor Projects III/IV Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-498 and 50-499

Attachment:

List of Meeting Attendees cc w/att: See next page DJSTRIBUTION: . .

H8ED COPY E-MAIL Docket File. SCollins/FMiraglia (SJC1/FJM) RZimmerman (RPZ)

PUBLIC JRoe'(JWR) EAdensam (EGAl)

PD4-1 r/f- TAlexion (TWA) CHawes (CMH2)

OGC WBeckner (WDB) WMcDowell (WDM)

ACRS AThadani (ACT) BBoger (BAB2)

PGwynn (TPG) RSpessard (RLS)

SBlack (SCB) RGramm (RAG)

WHaass (WPH)- SDinsmore (SCD1)

MRubin (MPR)

Document Name: STP33197.MTS *See previous-concurrence OFC PM/PD4- M BC/HQMB* (A)BC/SPSB 4 NAME TAlexf M k SBlack MRubin D /

DATE (7I/97 04/08/97 7 / 6'//97 COPY YN/NO YES/NO YES/b0 v 0FFICIAL RECORD COPY 4

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l HL&P replied tuat they may want to discontinue participation as a pilot plant if, in their view, the staff's expectations for acceptability of a Graded QA ,

program are excessive. In such an event, HL&P will likely opt to retain their i current QA program and take full advantage of all presently included areas of flexibility. Also, HL&P's position is that there is no advantage in being a pilot unless both NRC and HL&P continue to push for timely resolution of the  ;

issues.

l NRC closed by stating that it has benefitted from HL&P's oilot Graded QA l application and progress is being made (even though the progress isn't at the pace HL&P expected). NRC also added that it would like to see the Graded QA process continue because ultimately it will improve plant safety.

t

@TbW 'I t Thomas W. Alexion, Project Manager ,

Project Directorate IV-1 l

Division of Reactor Projects III/IV Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-498 and 50-499

Attachment:

List of Heeting Attendees cc w/att: See next page e

d

i Houston Lighting & Power Company South Texas, Units 1 & 2 '

I cc

- Mr. 'Da' rid P. Loveless Jack R. Newman, Esq.

Senior Resident lospector Morg6' Lewis & Bockius U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1800 i' Street, N.W. )

P. O. Box 910 Washington, DC 20036-5869 Bay City, TX 77414 1 Mr. Lawrene.e E. Martin )

Mr. J. C. Lanier/M. B. Lee General Manager, Nuclear Assurance Licensing i City of Austin Houston Lighting and Power Company  !

Electric Utility Department P. O. Box 239 721 Barton Springs Road Wadsworth, TX 77483 Austin, TX 78704 Rufus S. Scott Mr. M. T. Hardt Associate General Counsel Mr. W. C. Gunst Houston Lighting and Power Company City Pablic Service Board P. O. Box 61867 P. O. Box 1771 Houston, TX 77208 San Antonio, TX 78296 Joseph R. Egan, Esq.

Mr. G. E. Vaughn/C. A. Johnson Egan & Associates, P.C.

Central Power and Light Company 2300 N Street, N.W. ,

Washington, DC 20037 P. O. Box 289 l Mail Code: N5012  :

Wadsworth, TX 74483 Office of the Governor ATTN: Andy Ba ;att, Director INP0 Environmental Policy Records Center P. O. Box 12428 700 Galleria Parkway Austin, TX 78711 Atlanta, GA 30339-3064 Arthur C. Tate, Director 4 Regional Administrator, Region IV Division of Compliance & Inspection U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Bureau of Radiation Control 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Texas Department of Health Arlington, TX 76011 1100 West 49th Street Austin, TX 78756 Dr. Bertram Wolfe 15453 Via Vaquero Texas Public Utility Commission Monte Sereno, CA 95030 ATTN: Mr. Glenn W. Dishong 7800 Shoal Creek Blvd.

Judge, Matagorda County Suite 400N Matagorda County Courthouse Austin, TX 78757-1024 1700 Seventh Street Bay City, TX 77414 Mr. William T. Cottle Executive VP & General Manager Nuclear Houston Lighting & Power Company South Texas Project Electric Generating Station P. O. Box 289 Wadsworth, TX 77483

,I .

t MEETING WITH HL&P AND NRC ON GRADED QUALITY ASSURANCE March 31, 1997  ;

l HAmg Oraanization L. Martin HL&P A. Thadani NRC .

B. Boger NRC R. Spessard NRC S. Black NRC R. Gramm NRC W. Haass NRC l l

S. Dinsmore NRC W. McDowell NRC l T. Alexion NRC l

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ATTACMENT I

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