ML20154H272

Safety Evaluation Describing Relationship of Util Nuclear Performance Plan,Vol 3,Part Ii,Section 2.6, QA to TVA-TR75-1A, QA Program Description for Design,Const... W/Proper Implementation,Qa Program Description Acceptable

ML20154H272
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry
Issue date:	04/19/1988
From:	NRC OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROJECTS
To:
Shared Package
ML20154H227	List: ML20154H225 ML20154H272
References
NUDOCS 8805250284
Download: ML20154H272 (3)

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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

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SAFETY EVALUATION BY WE CFFICE OF SPECIAL PRCJECTS OF BRCWS FERRY CCALITY ASSLTWEE PROGRN4 TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY BRCWS FERRY NUCLEAR PLA!(r, UNITS 1, 2 AND 3 DOCKET NOS. 50-259/260/296 1.0 IN'IROOLCTION The TVA organization for quality assurance (QA) that has been in use since mid-1976 is described in a topical report, TVA-TR75-1, entitled "QA Program Description for Design, Construction, and Operation of TVA Nuclear Power Plants." mis report contains organization charts, a description of the organization, and the QA responsibility assignments. As the QA organization has changed over the years, the NRC has been informed. 3e staff has reviewed and approved each organizational arrangement reported by T/A. However although the staff accepted each CA program described by TVA, problems were encountered in program execut. ion, and the staff's systematic assessment of licensee performance (SALP) reports for TVA nuclear activities free 1980 through mid-1985 showed a need to improve QA.

As noted in the revised Browns Ferry Nuclear Performance Plan, TVA's nuclear QA and quality control (QC) functions nad not been offectively unified in a single department. One nuclear QA organization was responsible for conducting corp: rate-level audits, a separate nuclear QA group within the construction division was responsible for inspection construction activities, and a third nuclear QA group within engineering was responsible for conducting audits of engineering activities. To further coepound the pecblem, each nuclear site had its own QA group responsible for QA/QC activities at that site. As a

. result, r/A's nuclear QA activities were not conducted according to a consistent set of program.s and procedures, and the QA groups reported to various canagement groups witnin 7/A, thereby diminishing the visibility and importance of these activities to tcp-level management. As a result, the staff believes that the CA program has not always been implemented en an effective, consistent basis.

2.0 EVALUATION

. l The staff evaluation of TVA's Browns Ferry Quality Assurance Program is based on a review of Section 2.6, "Quality Assurance" in Revision 1 to Browns Ferry hbclear Performance Plan (Volume 3) Part II dated June 1987.

Under the new organization, the responsibility for all nuclear QA/QC functions has been consolidated under the Director of Nuclear Quality Assurance, wno reports directly to the Manager of Nuclear Powr This responsibility includes all QA/QC activities related to engineering, corw.cuction, and cperations, as well as QC inspections of construction and raintenance/ modification activities.

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i A standardized TVA QA program, nuclear quality standards and directives, and m u l CA procedures for the sites are being developed. D e standard nuclear CA program is to be implemented at each site, with site-specific adjust.ents allowed only if (1) they do not degrade the level of quality provided by the standard program and (2) they are approved by the Director of Nuclear cuality Assurance.

D e staff concludes the overall revisions to the TVA nuclear quality assurance program as generally described in the revised Browns Ferry Nuclear Perforrance i I

Plan represent CA programatic improvements and if properly implemented are acceptable. ,

TVA sutaitted a revised and upgraded version of its QA topical report, (TVA-TR75-

, lA) for NRC review on May 1, 1986, h e report described the then-current organ-ization and QA procedure system. After a review of the report and a meeting with TVA representatives, the staff forwarded a request for addir.ional informatien to TVA cn August 1, 1986. TVA revised the topical report to address these staff questions and to fully reflect the organization of the Office of Nuclear Power which was conditionally approved by NRC letter of January 30, 1987 to TVA.

Determining if the changes in the TVA CA topical report will resolve past ,,

problems can only be done by oeserving TVA's parformance over an extended ,( ,

period. As noted above, the pr<alems in TVA's nuclear activities occurred under a previously approved CA progra .. h6vever, that program was not implemented the way it was described. Thus, it is important to note that the staf f's review and acceptance of the QA tcpical report means only that TVA's comitments l meet the programatic requirements of 10 CFR 50, Appendix B, as described in Section 17 of the NRC Standard Review plan (NUREG-0800). ne staff will assess whether these comitments are fully and effectively eet in its ongoing over-sight and inspection of TVA's technical and CA programs. Because of TVA's pa.st pecblems in the CA area, the staff approved this revisien (Revision 9) to the QA topical report on January 30, 1987 for a period of two (2) years. The .

staff's decision on extending the approval of the topical report will depend en new effectively TVA implements the program. i l

3.0 C.nelusion  !

On the basis of the NRC staff review of the Browns Ferry Quality Assurance i Program provided in the Brovus Ferry Nuclear Performance Plan (Volume 3) Part II dated June 1987, the staff finds that with proper imple=entation the Quality l Aasurance Program description is acceptable, i

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Principal Contributor: J. Gilray Dated:

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, Mr. S. A. White Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant

' Tennessee Valley Authority Units 1, 2, and 3 cc:

General Counsel Regional Adninistrator Region 11 Tennessee Valley Authorit) U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission r 400 West Sumit Hill Drive 101 Marietta Street, N.W.

Ell B33 Atlanta, Georgia 30323 Knoxville, Tennessee 37902 Resident inspector / Browns Ferry NP Mr. R. L. Gridley U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Tennessee Valley Authority Route 12, Box 637 SN 157B Lookout Place Athens, Alabama 35611 Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402-2801 Mr. Richard King Mr. H. P. Pomrehn c/o U.S. GA0 Tennessee Valley Authority 1111 North Shore Drive Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Suite 225, Box 194 P.O. Box 2000 Knoxville, Tennessee 37919 Decatur, Alabama 35602 Dr. Henry Myers, Science Advisor Mr. M. J. May Comittee on Interior Tennessee Valley Authority and Insular Affairs Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant U.S. House of Representatives P.O. Box 2000 Washington, D.C. 20515 Decatur, Alabama 35602 Mr. D. L. Williams Tennessee Valley Authority 400 West Summit Hill Drive W10 B85 Knoxville, Tennessee 37902 i Chairman, Limestone County Commission P.O. Box 188 ,

Athens, Alabama 35611 )

Claude Earl Fox, M.D.

State Health Officer State Department of Public Health State Office Building Montgomery, Alabama 36130 i

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