ML20147F103
| ML20147F103 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/04/1987 |
| From: | Perkins K NRC OFFICE FOR ANALYSIS & EVALUATION OF OPERATIONAL DATA (AEOD) |
| To: | Rehm T NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20147E883 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-87-737 NUDOCS 8801210275 | |
| Download: ML20147F103 (7) | |
Text
i May 4, 1987 I
NOTE TO: Thomas A. Rehm, Assistant for Operations, EDO NUCLEAR L%TA LINK STATUS As requested, enclosed is a status report on the NRC program to establish a Nuclear Data Link /Einergency Response Data System for the FY 1988-89 budget hearing. Please call ine if you have any further questions.
Original Signed By:
Thomas J. McKenna for Kenneth E. Perkins, Chief, IRB, DOA, AE00
Enclosure:
Question 10 cc:
E. L. Jordan, AE00 C. J. Heltemes, AE00 R. L. Spessard, AE00 Distribution:
V. Stello, EDO J. M. Taylor, DEDRO L. N. Underwood, ARM OCA K. E. Perkins, AEOD R. F. Priebe, AE00 hMetmas,:A3035 EDO Reading File (002803)
AEOD Reading File (87-74) 00A Reading File IRB Reading File
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QUESTION 10 Please provide a status report on the Commission's program to establish a nuclear data link system.
ANSWER.
i The concept of providing a continuous transmission of several hundred param.ters from all nuclear power facilities to the NRC, as was envisioned by the Nuclear Data Link, was reevaluated by the NRC in light of our assessment of the NRC role in an emergency at a licensed nuclear facility and the data needed to support that role.
The Commissicie has determined that NRC's primary role in an emergency is to monitor and advise.
Our monitoring role is in two areas:
- We monitor the licensee to assure that appropriate recom-mendations are made with respect to offsite actions.
- We also monitor the licensee to assure they are taking the appropriate onsite action to mitigate cons <aquences of the incident.
Chairman /AE00 04/29/87
-QUESTION 100 (Continued) '
Another aspect of our role is advisory:
'"We support both the licensee and the onsite NRC response team with technical analyses, advice, and logistical support.
- We also support offsite authorities including confirming licensees' recommendations to of fsite authorities.
Agency advice or recommendations will be made by the NRC's Chairman (or his designee) to a, licensee manager or the appropriate state or local decisionmaker.
In addition to the above, NRC is the single Federal focal point for keeping other Federal agencies and entities and the media informed on the status of the incident.
i The effectiveness of the NRC in performing its role is dependent on the quality and timeliness of the event information the agency receives.
The types of information the agtney needs for emer-gency response are:
reactor systems conditions, containment building conditions, radioactivity release rates, and the plant's meteorological data.
It may also be appropriate to provide state and local authorities with the meteorological and radiological data as this data is useful given their role and expertise.
)
Chairman /AE00 l
04/29/87 1
l
4 QUESTION 10. (Continued) Currently, the data is transmitted to the NRC from the licensee by standard voice telephone communications.
Two primary phone links are used.
One is dedicated for reactor data, the other is primarily for radiological and meteorological data.
Our experience with voice-only emergency co' munications, starting m
with the accident at Three Mile Island and reinforced numerous times since then, is that it is too slow and error prone.
Infor-mation is misunderstood, frequently creating false issues which at best divert exper' ts f rom the real problems.
Even worse, incorrect data can cause NRC to respond to the licensee or offsite officials with inaccurate or outdated advice or recommendations.
The NRC evaluation of how to address our data needs included options varying f rom the Nuclear Data Link involving extensive continuous transmission of a large quantity of parameters from all facilities to the current voice method.
The system determined to provide the data in an accurate, reliable, and timely manner while minimizing impact on the licensees was the Emergency Response Data System.
The differences between the original Nuclear Data Link concept and the Emergency Response Data System are noted on the attached table.
Chairman /AEOD 04/29/87
e QUESTION 10. (Continued) !
The EROS concept is a direct electronic transmission of selected e
parameters from nuclear power reactor licensees' electronic data systems.
The ERDS would be for use only during declared emergencies at the facilities.
It will be activated by the licensees during declared emergencies to begin transmission of the selected set of parameters to the NRC Operations Center.
We have successfully conducted tests of the ERDS concept with Duke Power Company at the McGuire f acili ty and wi th Commonweal th Edison at the LaSalle facility.
Both tests confirmed the advantages of having direct electronic transmission of a selected set of parameters.
Based on the successful tests of the concept, the NRC initiated an ERDS Requirements Analysis.
The effort consisted of visits s
i to the licensees to determine the design of the site data systems and the availability of the data requested by the NRC.
1 Based on the results of the surveys, it appears that the ERDS j
concept can be implemented with relatively little difficulty at l
essentially all sites.
Ease of implementation will vary depending on type and utilization of licensee equipment.
Implementation at some sites may require a delay until other equipment upgrades are 4
i completed.
Chairman /AEOD t
04/29/87
)
I
QUEST,10N_10. (Continued) E In view of the large potential benefit to the NRC incident response capability from the ERDS and the results of the survey indicating the relative ease of implementation, the NRC currently plans to begin implementation of the system on a voluntary basis.
The process of selecting a contractor for implementation of the ERDS system has begun, with award expected near the end of FY 1987.
Prioritization of the plants to be implemented is to be decided based on the ease of implementation, cost, coopor-l ativeness of licensee, and operational history of the f acility.
Only limited plant connections are expected the first year due to high initial costs for the processing hardware and software at Headquarters.
However, completion of the system is expected in 5 years.
Chairman /AE00 04/29/87 1
O NDL vs ERDS NDL ERDS Automatic activation based Licensee activated.
on plant parameters.
probably at Alert level.
Potential regulatory tool.
Data continuously recorded Data provided under emergency at operations center, conditions only.
Some connections direct to No direct connection.
plant sensors, potentially degrading instrumentation.
Initial data list about 400 Data list about 60 variables, variables, later reduced to comparable to SPDS set.
125.
High cost due to requirement Relatively low cost due to usage for a totally new system.
of existing systems.
Extensive backfit, requiring Minimal backfit, software for dedicated onsite computer.
data assembly and modem for transmission.
Increased data may encourage Limited data list necessary KRC to direct plant operation.
to assess plant safety.
Accuracy and reliability are Accuracy and reliability are excellent.
excellent.
Timeliness is excellent.
Timeliness is expected to be excellent. Initiation will depend on system configuration.
completeness is potentially Completeness is expected to be excellent due to parameter excellent. Site surveys have
)
availability.
indicated good parameter coincidence.
Reduces data gathering and Reduces data gathering and transmission burden on transmission burden on I
licensees, licensees. Supplemental voice i
transmissions have been reduced.
i
!