ML20203L807
| ML20203L807 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 01/28/1986 |
| From: | Stello V NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | GERMANY, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20198G759 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-86-53, FOIA-86-54, FOIA-86-55 NUDOCS 8608290186 | |
| Download: ML20203L807 (2) | |
Text
. *e
].,,'p%go UNITED STATES g
[ g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
- 7. E WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
....+
<- 6 JAN 2 81985 Director Bundesanstalt fur Materialprufung Unter den Eichen 87 D-1000 Berlin 45 Federal Republic of Germany
Dear Mr. Director:
The United States Nuclear Regulatory Comission (USNRC) is currently reviewtng a quality assurance program topical report submitted to the USNRC by General Nuclear Systems Inc. (GNSI) for its approval. GNSI is a joint venture of Chem-Nuclear Systems, Inc., a U.S. corporation and Gesellschaft fQr Nuklear-Service mbH, a Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) corporation and GNSI is now manufactur-ing commercial reactor spent fuel dry shipping and storage casks in the FRG for sale to U.S. utilities. The topical report describes the quality assurance measures, including quality control inspections, that will be undertaken in the FRG to ensure that the casks have been nanufactured and tested in accordance with USNRC-approved designs. Such measures are an essential part of the process for licensing the cask for use in the United States.
In reviewing the topical report, it appears that there are certain features of the inspection process being performed by agencies of the FRG government which could make it possible for the USNRC to substitute such inspections for many inspections ordinarily performed by the USNRC or U.S. utilities. The purpose of this letter is to confirm the descriptions of the quality assurance actions attributed.to the Bundesanstalt f0r Materialprufung (BAM) and Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in GNST Quality Assurance Topical Report No. 29004-001 Revision 1 of October 10, 1985; to inform BAM and PTB of the USNRC's plans to place reliance on the described BAM and PTB quality assuladt:e actions in its licensing and inspection process; and to request that BAM or PTB inform the USNRC of any circumstances which may arise which would affect these plans.
The GNSI Quality Assurance Topical Report No. 29004-001, Revision 1 of October 10, 1985 describes an overall quality assurance program for the manufacture of dry spent fuel shippino and storage casks. We are asking that you confirm that those portions of the topical report which describe actions taken under the auspices of PTB and BAM are accurately described and that you will inform the USNRC if those actions should be changed in the future. Given its understanding of the quality assurance and quality control inspection process as described in the topical report, the USNRC believes that it will accept the results of inspections by BAM (or its designated experts, such as TUV-Berlin) as a substitute for inspections which otherwise would have been performed by the U.S. purchasers of the casks or the USNRC. It will be necessary for the USNRC to perform an audit of the implementation of this r602290106 060019 PDR FOIA CARDE06-53 PDR f$ g$
Bundesanstalt fur Materialprufung ,
inspection process at an aarly point, and then, absent any problems, about once each three years afterwards. Should we also allow U.S. utilities to substitute inspections by BAM (or itsidesignated experts) for their own inspections, we would expect those utilities to audit the inspection process once each year if casks are being manufactured for their purchase. Your cooperation in these audits of your inspection process will be a necessary component in our ,
acceptance of your inspections in lieu of U.S.-based inspections of the '
manufacturing process.
There are two categories of BAM/PTB actions on which the USNRC will place considerable reliance. They are:
- 1. BAM (with PTB concurrence) will review and approve the cask fabrication and test plan prior to its use and assign mandatory witness and hold points. BAM (or its designated experts) will inspect or witness .
inspections at the assigned witness and hold points. BAM (or its -
designated experts) will perform a final acceptance inspection of each completed item. This inspection will include verification of the complete-ness and accuracy of assigned documentation.
- 2. BAM will issue a certificate *for each completed cask system, attesting to its manufacture in accordance with the USNRC-approved desian and the BAM/PTB fabrication and test plan.
The NRC plans to accept BAM certification (subject to periodic audits) in lieu of any further U.S. inspections of the manufacturing process. We ask that you inform us of any circumstances of which you may become aware which would adversely affect use of the casks for their intended purpose.
Sincerely,
.s ' J
/zedr *,Wco ~
ctor Stello, Jr Acting Executive irector I I .
for Operations l
l
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - - _