ML20138Q687
Text
a inc p
o
- J'[]$, c [oj NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION UNITED STATES
\\ WN %
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
'I"f M [/ C!
~%, [. /
June 22, 1984 MEMORANDUM FOR:
Chairman ?alladino Commissicner Gilinsky Commissioner Roberts Commissioner Asselstine Commissioner Bernthal g
FROM:
b'a rl ton Ka mme re r,
C Director ffice of Congressional Affairs
SUBJECT:
" 2ND DRAFT RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS FROM i
SENATOR BIDEN Attached for your review and comment are Commissioner comments on cuestion 1 and 2.
Please provide any comments to the Of fice of Congressional Affairs by close-of-business Wednesday, June 27, 1984
Contact:
J. Gorn, x4-1443
Attachment:
As stated cc:
OPE OGC SECY GILINSK05 437 ppy
7, Q_UESTION 1.
GENTLEMEN,
.l[l!!.?][
IN A BROAD SENSE, WHAT I WOULD MOST LIXE TO HEAR.: ROM YOU TODAY IS A REPORT CARD I
ON THE " PROBLEM CHILD" CALLED SALEM.
FROM THE FIRST DAY OF OPERATION UP TO THE PPESENT, IT HAS SEEMED THAT THE SALEM NUCLEAR POWER PLANT HAS HAD ONE PROBLEM OR ANOTHER.
3UT THE INCIDENT LAST YEAP. MADE US IN DELAWARE ALL PAUSE TO WONDER WHAT POTENTIAL FOR DISAS REALLY EXISTS AT SALEM.
DES?!TE THE ATTENTION THE SALEM PLANT OPERATION RECEIVED AFTER L YEARS ACCIDENT, I SENSE AN UNEASE ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON THERE.
IHE COMMISSION'S ANNUAL SAFETY REPORT ON SALEM, THE S0-CALLED "SALP,"
n.
.qq;i.
RELEASED LAST MONTH, GAVE THE CATEGORY OF " PLAN:
~~
i OPERATION," THE L ARGEST CATEGORY EVALUATED, TH LOWEST MARK POSSIBLE.
WHERE DO WE STAND WITH SALEM?
ANSWER.
l IHE SYSTEMATIC ASSESSMENT OF LICENSEE PE BY THE NRC STAFF ON NOVEMBER 7,1983 EVALUATED LICENS 1
AT SALEM UNITS 1 AND 2 DURING THE PERIOD OCTOBER 1, t
BIDEN/IE REv! SED 05/08/84 06/06/84
+... -
g' d 6,, $.
!.5 l
I a.
_0VESTION 1. (CONTINUED) g.im(
Q25?
1982 THROUGH SEPTEMSER 30, 1983, IHE STAFF MET WITH THE LICENSEE ON DECEMBER 1, 1983 TO DISCUSS THE ASSESSMENT.
IHE REPORT, ALONG WITH THE LICENSEE'S RESPONSE, WAS ISSUED ON JANUARY 19, 1984.
IHE PERIOD. 0F TIME ASSESSED INCLUDED THE TW EVENTS AND THE DETAILED INSPECTION / REVIEW PERIOD WHICH F AS STATED IN THE SALP, THE VARIOUS MANAGyMENT AND EQU WHICH RESULTED FROM THAT SCRUTINY INFLUENCED IN THE SALP BOARD MEETING. TO A LARGE EXTENT, THE DEGREE OF SCRUTINY 3Y OUR INSPECTORS HAS CONTINUED DURING ghafERIOD OF OPERATION.
THE ALLOCATION OF INSPECTION RESOURCES,
==
~~
WHICH IS HIGHER FOR SALEM THAN MOST OTHER PLANTS IN P,EGION 1
, IS CUIDED BY THE SALP CONCLUSIONS.
THE STAFF ASSESSMENT, BASED ON SALP AND THE FOLLOW CONCLUDES THAT THE LICENSEE IS CAPABLE OF. SAFE OP 2 NOTED W T DESPONSE TO OtfES?MN-G, N ARE CONTINUING TO CLOSELY SCRUTINIZE SALEM OPERATIONS AND ASSESSI 1L BIDEN/IE sv! SED 06/08/84 06/06/84
s QUESTION 1, (CONTINUED) 3-i::=
i===5 m==
ON A DAY TO DAY SASIS. THROUGH THE RESIDENT INSP(
SUPERVISORS AND DURING REGULAR MEETINGS BETWEEN NR!
MANAGEMENT. Th t M w m T p -- h 1 G Atas M A l
' wp Y N($ &&mw 4 R- % (qw, l
l l
l l
l sik
??i2 BIDEN/IE
,m,,,.REv ! S ED 06/08/84 paa 06/06/84
- a. r.r
~'
EtsilW 3.
THE NRC.DOES A GREAT DEAL OF RESEARCH'AS WELL AS PERFORMING LICENSING ACTIVITIES AND INSPECTION AND SAFETY REVIEWS AT OPERATING PLANTS.
POR
.Shbh YEARS, MANY EXPERTS HAVE ARGUED THAT MORE ATTENTION SHOULD BE PAID TO THE SAFE OPERATION OF EXISTING NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS.
ARE YOUR RESOURCES IN THIS AREA SUFFICIENT IN LIGHT OF THE TYPES OF PROBLEMS FOUND AT SALEM?
-- IS THE NRC EQUIPPED TO ANTICIPATE PROBLEMS LIKE THOSE THAT OCCURRED AT SALEM? -- CAN IT OPERATE IN SUCH A PREVENTIVE MODE?
ANSWER.
THE COMMISSION'S 1984 l POLICY AND PLANNING GUIDANCE STATES THAT
$$hI:"NRC'SFUNDAMENTALTASKISTOMAKESURETHATEXISTINGNU n-p FACILITIES AND THOSE COMING ON-LINE OPERATE SAFELY.
CON-SEQUENTLY, THE HIGHEST PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN TO ASSURING THAT OPERATING FACILITIES MAINTAIN ADEQUATE LEVELS OF PROTECTION OF HEALTH AND SAFETY."
CONSISTENT WITH THIS POLICY, NRC RESOURCES HAVE REEN AND CONTINUE TO BE FOCUSED ON OPERATING PLANTS OR PLANTS SOON TO BE LICENSED.
IN RECENT YEARS, AND AS PLANTS HAVE BIDEN/IE 06/06/84
. REVISED 06/08/84 n...
2"ltl pgn, w
' 00ESTION 3 (CONTINUED).
BECOME LICENSED AND RESOURCES APE MADE AVAILAELE, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TOWARD OPERATING FACILITIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE MANPOWER.BUDGElEA.F,0E__0?.ERAIlNGJEA INSEECJION
~
I BY NRC REGIONAL INSPECTORS INCRE3 SED FROM A TCTA. OF 193 PTi IN' j
1983 TO 20S -f=' IN 1984, AND WILL INCREASE FURTHER IN 1983. IN ADDITION TO THE INCREASED REGIONAL INSPECTION PROGRAM, THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION HAS IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING RESOURCES DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE SAFE OPERATION OF OPERATING REACTORS, 263 FTE AND $11,0 MILLION IN CONTRACTUAL SUPPORT IN 1983, 298 FTE AND $11,4 MILL ION IN CONTRACTUAL SUPPORT IN 1984, AND ABOUT 330 FTE AND $14.3 MILLION IN CONTRACTUAL SUPPORT IN 1983.
FART OF THE INSPECTION RESOURCE INCREASES IN 1984 AND 198~
ARE ATTRIBUTED TO INCREASED INSPECTIONS BASED ON LESSONS LEARNED
=-
FROM THE SALEM ATWS EVENT,
.=.y WHILE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS IN ALLOWING N TO IDENTIFY POTENTI AL PROBLEMS EARLY, WE BELIEVE THAT PRESENT RESOURCES ARE SU.:FICIENT TO ASSURE THE SAFE OPERATION OF REACTOR Jovever. we have had a number of unexpected events this year that V FACILITIES.
4 CONT!h6E TC 5Thive eu a w ov~t TH cr?EtTIVENE55 cre placing great de 2nds on our resources.
Among the resource intensive events that were not anticipated within our budget are: the intensive investigation of allegations at Diablo Canyon, the need to re-examine the low-power license of Grand Gulf as well as its as-built condition and its Final Safety Analysis Keport, and assessments of QA/QC problems it a number of plants nearing completion.
These unbudgated demands are beginning to stretch our ability to monitor operating plants.
L.
':";J T
'.OUeSTION 3, (CONTINUED) -
Wa continua to striva to improve the effectiveness
_ AND EFFICIENCY OF NRC PROGRAMS GIVEN THE RESOURCES MADE
...g
' ;r-AVA I LABL E,
AS AN ADDITIONAL NOTE, WE HAVE EEEN ENCOURAGED BY PRELIMINARY FEEDBACK FROM THE RESULTS OF IN?O ACTIVITIES AT O
\\
OPERATING LICENSEES FOR JMPROVING THE QUALITY OF OPERATIONS AT l
REACTOR FACILITIES.
IHE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION ASKED "-- IS THE NRC Ecu!PPED
.0 ANTICIPATE PROBLEMS LIKE THOSE THAT OCCURRED AT SALEM?
1 CAN IT OPER' ATE IN SUCH A PREVENTIVE MODE?"
AS A RESULT OF LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE TMI-2 ACCIDENT, SPECIFIC ACTIONS WERE TAKEN TO IMPROVE THE PROCESS AT OPERATING FACILITIES FOR EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND RESOLUTION OF EQUIPMENT AND HUMAN FACTOR PROBLEMS, AS WELL AS ACTIONS TAKEN TO IMPROVE NRC RESPONSE TO EVENTS ONCE THEY OCCUR.
IHESE ACTIONS INCLUDED:
FORMATION OF THE OFFICE FOR ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF OPERATIONAL DATA, WHOSE PURPOSE IS TO EVALUATE OPERATIONAL DATA AND FEEDBACK THE LESSONS OF EXPERIENCEJ EXPANSION OF RESOURCES IN NRC HEADQUARTERS AND NRC REGIONAL OFFICES DEDICATED TO THE REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF OPERATIONAL EVENTSJ ESTABLISHMENT OF REQUIREMENTS FOR IMPROVED LICENSEE SYSTEMS FOR ANALYSIS AND DISSEMINATION OF OPERATING EXPERIENCEJ AND, UPGRADING THE NRCS' SAFET,Y DECISION MAKING PROCESS BY IMPROVING METHODS FOR BIDEN/lf 06/06/84
.m-REVISED 06/08/84
' 0UEST10N 3.
(CONTINUED) :
PRIOR!T!ZATION OF ISSUANCES TO SE ADDRESSED, THE NRC SYSTEMATIC
,c;. _.
23: :
Sf"= ASSESSMENT OF LICENSEE PERFORMANCE (SALP) IS ANOTHER.:ROGRAM DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY ISSUES AT FACILITIES AND TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES BEFORE PROBLEMS OCCUR, FINALLY, INP0 HAS BEEN A:T!vE IN ENHANCING COMMUNICATION SETWEEN LICENSEES TO SHARE INFORMATION IN ORDER TO ALERT LICENSEES TO POTENTIALL" COMMON PROELEMS AND TO RESOLVE THESE PROBLEMS AT AN EARLY STAGE, RESEARCH Ep.:0RTS HAVE ALSO BEEN DIRECTED TOWARD IDENTIFICATION AND PREVENTION OF PROBLEMS AT OPERATING FACILITIES, FOR EXAMPLE, IN ORDER TO ENHANCE PREVENTION OF PROBLEMS IN POWER REACTOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, NRC IS CONDUCTING RESEARCH TO EXPLORE THE APPLICASILITY OF RELIAEILITY TECHNIQUES USED IN
.. _ ~..* "...
jf.? OTHER INDUSTR!ES TO COM LEMENT CUAL ITY ASSURANCE.
IHESE TECHNICUES MIGHT HELP LICENSEES TO STRENGTHEN THEIR PROGRAMS TO PREVENT EQUIPMENT FROM DEGRADING IN RELIABILITY DURING THE OPERATING LIFE OF THE PLANT.
IHE PURPOSE WOULD EE TO HELP CONTROL THE FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE OF CONDITIONS THAT CHALLENGE PLANT SAFETY SYSTEMS AND TO HELP ASSURE THAT SAFETY SYSTEMS FUNCTION RELIABLY WHEN CHALLENGED, 1.
BILEN/IE 06/06/84 REv! SED 06/08/84 t
ruurdi10h 6.
(CONTYNUED),
.=::e Oxp lN
SUMMARY
, THE NRC HAS SET ASIDE DEDICATED RESOURCES TO ANTICIPATE PROBLEMS AND OPERATE IN A PREVENTIVE MODE.
INHERENT IN OUR POLICY IS THE GOAL TO RAISE THE QUALITY IN MANAGEMENT OF REACTOR OPERATIONS.
g.
2 BIDEN/IE 06/06/84 REv! SED 06/08/84
.