ML20155E392

Responds to NRC Bulletin 88-001 Re Defects in Westinghouse Circuit breakers.Sixty-six of sixty-seven Breakers Required New Pole Shafts Due to Failure of Welds to Meet Bulletin Requirements Resulting from Insp

ML20155E392
Person / Time
Site:	Farley
Issue date:	06/09/1988
From:	Hairston W ALABAMA POWER CO.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION & RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (ARM)
References
IEB-88-001, IEB-88-1, TAC-65955, TAC-65956, NUDOCS 8806160083
Download: ML20155E392 (2)

Text

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Allbama Power Company 600 North 18th street Post office Box 2641 Birmingham, Alabama 352914400 Telephone 205 250-1837 W. G. Hairston, lit Vice President b

aba NM ket 50-348 June 9, 1988 me scuhern electre system U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission ATIN: Document Control Desk Washington, D. C. 20555 Gentlemen:

Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant - Unit 1 NRC Bulletin 88-01:

Defects in Westinghouse Circuit Breakers (TACS 65955/65956)

NRC Bulletin 88-01 was issued on February 5, 1988 informing licensees of safety concerns with Westinghouse Type DS circuit breakers.

Licensees were required to inspect all Westinghouse DS-416 reactor trip and bypass breakers within thirty days of receipt of the bulletin and submit a confirmation letter of completion within sixty days. By letter dated April 4, 1988, Alabama Power Company submitted to the NRC a confirmation letter of completion of the Farley Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, reactor trip and bypass breaker inspections.

For all other Class lE Westinghouse Type DS breakers, licensees were requested to perform "short-term" and "long-term" inspections.

Short-term inspections refer to the three main pole levers (the left pole lever, the center pole lever, and the right pole lever). The short-term inspections were to be performed at the next available opportunity (e.g., a maintenance outage) or during the next surveillance test for the breaker, whichever is earlier. Long-term inspections refer te the inspections of the four remaining welds on the pole shaft and te the direct check of the alignment of the breaker closing mechanism. 'he long-term inspections were required to be l

I performed on the brraker prior to restart following the next refueling outage.

Alabama Power Company has performed the short and long-term inspections on all other class lE Westinghouse Type DS breakers in l

Farley Nuclear Plant, Unit 1.

These inspections encompassed a total l

of sixty-seven Westinghouse Type DS breakers. 'Ihe sixty-seven breakers include nine DS-416 Class lE breakers and fifty-eight DS-206 Class lE breakers. The results of these inspections revealed that, of the sixty-seven breake s inspected, sixty-six of the breakers required new pola shafts due to failure of the welds to meet NRC Bulletin 88-01 requirements. Of the sixty-six breaker pole shafts that were replaced, only one was identified as having improper breaket mechanism alignment. The sixty-six new pole shafts were inspected prior to installation and passed NRC Bulletin 88-01 Criteria 6.1.1, 7.1 and 7.2.

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U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Connission Page 2 Although not specifically required by NRC Bulletin 88-01, the NRC Staff has requested, in a telecon with Alabama Power Company on May 23, 1988, that details of the breaker pole shaft inspections be transmitted to the NRC. Alabama Power Company is in the process of compiling this data and will submit the data to the NRC by July 15, 1988.

This action completes the requirements of NRC Bulletin 88-01 for Farley Nuclear Plant, Unit 1.

If there are any questions, please advise.

Respectfully submitted, AIABAMA POWER COMPANY U.,b. }l

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W. G. Hairston, III WGH,III/RGW:mV4.78 cc:

Mr. L. B. Long Dr. J. N. Grace SWORN 'IO AND SUBSCRIBED BEFORE ME Mr. E. A. Reeves Mr. W. H. Bradford THIS DAY OF $4

, 1988 ur G ary Public g My Connission Expires: Q-h-

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