ML20153C318

Ack Receipt of Re Temporary Disruption of NRC Review of Plant Allegations.Smooth Review of Remaining Allegations Reviewed

ML20153C318
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas
Issue date:	12/08/1987
From:	Condit R GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT
To:	Briggs W NRC OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL (OGC)
Shared Package
ML20153C231	List: ML20153C227 ML20153C255 ML20153C300 ML20153C318 ML20153C331 ML20153C348 ML20153C374 ML20153C393 ML20153C416 ML20153C460 ML20153C531 ML20153C547 ML20153C573 ML20153C582 ML20153C602 ML20195G452
References
FOIA-88-107 NUDOCS 8805060206
Download: ML20153C318 (4)

Text

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GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT 25 E Street, N.W., Suite 700 l Washington, D.C. 20001 (202) 347 0460 l

December 8, 1987 William H. Briggs, Jr. l Solicitor U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 i l

Dear Mr. Briggs:

This letter will acknowledge receipt of your December 7th letter regarding the temporary disruption of the NRC's review of the South Texas Nuclear Project allegations.

Essentially, I agree with the facts surrounding the problem of the December 4th Houston Chronicle article as you described them. As I understand it, the NRC is going to send a letter to l the Chronicle clarifying the situation.

You will be happy to know that by the time I received your letter, late yesterday afternoon, the NRC review team was already back in our office reviewing the allegations. I anticipate that the remaining work to be done on the initial review of the allegations will go smoothly.

Sincerely,

-n C\

ML% c- 6 Richard E. Condit Staff Attorney RC:200aa01 FoMQ-lo'7 8905060206 080420 F

08 $h PDR g

LICENSING STATUS OF SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNIT 1 The South Texas Unit 1 is a Westinghouse 4-loop reactor with a large post-tensioned concrete containment with a steel liner. It has four owners with actual management responsibility residing with the Hcuston Lighting and Power Company. The architect / engineer is the Bechtel Engineering Corporation. The unit is located in Matagorda County, Texas, approximately 90 miles southwest of Houston, Texas.

The OL application was docketed in July, 1978. The applicant's current projection for fuel lead date is June, 1987. The construction pemit for the unit expires at the end of Decerrber,1987. A Materials License has been issued on December 29, 1986.

FSAR Review The staff published the SER in April,1986 Supplement 1 thereto in September, 1986 and Supplement 2 in January,1987. The SSER 2 described 11 open items, 31 confimatory items and two license conditions. The remaining issues are being addressed by the staff and the applicant.

The South Texas Project incorporates many unique features because it is the only U.S. plant of the RESAR-41 variety. Most of the features have been reviewed and approved by the staff in the SER. The issues remaining to be resolved include some which are usual for this stage in licensing, (such as equipment (such as thequalifications and Processing Qualified Display emergencySystem planning))and . some which are unique ACRS Review The ACRS has completed its review and documented the results in a letter dated June 10, 1986. The ACRS review did not produce any new open items, although they expressed a desire to be kept inforved on two issues and recomended certain tests for the diesel fuel oil piping. The applicant has made a comitment to perfonn the tests for both units.

Envirorcental Review The Draft Environ: rental Staternent was published in March,1986 and the Final Environmental Statement was issued in August, 1986.

Hea rina_ s All scheduled hearings have been completed and the ASLB has issued a Partial

Initial Decision on August 29, 1986 authorizing issuance of operating licenses after completion of the staff's review. On October 8, 1986, in ALAB-849, the Appeal Board affinned that decision. The Comission has decided not to review this decision, and the record is closed.

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LICENSING STATUS OF 1

SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNIT 1 l l

Independent Desion verification f The applicant has embarked on a design verification effort called the Engineering Assurance Program, which the staff has accepted as being equivalent to an IDVP. ,

l The staff has conducted several inspections to ensure that the program's depth f of technical review was appropriate and that the results can be supported by the hRC. The fint1 report on the program was issued on March 31, 1987, and the staff's evaluatier, has been completed. The applicant has confirmed that all ,

l corrective actions resulting from the Program have been completed for Unit 1.

Inspections l

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The applicant reported in mid-May 1987, that construction activities were approximately 99% complete for Unit 1. The regional inspection program is '

progressing consistent with plant construction, preoperational testing and other NTOL activities. Team inspections are being conducted to facilitate i The I completion of the HC-2512, MC-2513 and MC-2514 inspection programs. I applicant has completed approximately 81% of the preoperational tests and has turned over 70 of a total of 121 systems to plant operations. Hot functional test was completed on March 18, 1987 with some rework and engineering analysis remaining to be completed. The applicant has indicated that readiness for fuel load will be achieved on or before June 30, 1987. ,

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01 Investigations _

There are four investigations nea)ing finalization with field work having j been completed.

Allec_ations Five technical allegations are currently under review. I Emergency preparedness Emergency Preparedness is identified as an open iten in the SER. A revision of the Emergency Plan, submitted by the applicant on April 21, 1987 has been reviewed by the staff and the evaluation will be published in Supplement 3 to the SER. An on site appraisal by NRC regional staff of the applicant's capability to implement the plan was conducted December 1-12, 1986. A followup meeting was held on January 8,1987 to ensure that open items necessary for licensing are satisfactorily resolved. Follow-up inspections were perfomed '

during April 20-24, and May 4-7, 1987. A full participation exercise was f conducted on April 8, 1987. The applicant's corrective actions appear to be on schedule to resolve the 15 remaining fellowup items by fuel load and/or full j power operation.

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1 LICENSING STATUS OF SOUTH TEXA5 PROJECT, UNir 1 j Security All South Texas Security Plans have been reviewed and approved. The proposed license condition was published in Supplement 3 to the SER. Security for the fuel handling building was established in anticipation of receiving the first shipment of fuel in late January, 1987. An interim security plan has been approved to cover physical protection of SNM of low strategic significance.

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