ML20205J945

Submits Petition Per 10CFR2.206 Requesting That LaSalle County Nuclear Plant Be Immediately Shut Down & OL Suspended or Modified Until Such Time That Facility Design & Licensing Bases Are Properly Updated

ML20205J945
Person / Time
Site:	LaSalle
Issue date:	04/05/1999
From:	Lochbaum D UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS
To:	Travers W NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
References
2.206, NUDOCS 9904120273
Download: ML20205J945 (3)

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'amas UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS April 5,1998 Dr. William Travers Executive Director for Operations United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001

SUBJECT:

PETITION PURSUANT TO 10 CFR 2.206, LASALLE COUNTY NUCLEAR PLANT

Dear Dr. Travers:

The Union of Concemed Scientists submits this petition pursuant to 10 CFR 2.206 requesting that the I.aSalle County Nuclear Plant in Illinois be immediately shut down and its operating license suspended or modified until such time that the facility's design and licensing bases are properly updated to permit operation with failed fuel assemblies or until all failed fuel assemblies are removed from the reactor core.

Background

On April 2,1998, UCS provided the Nuclear Regulatory Commission with a copy of our report titled

" Potential Nuclear Safety Hazard / Reactor Operation with Failed Fuel Cladding. We concluded:

UCS considers nuclear plants operating with fuel cladding failures to be potentially unsafe and to be violating federal regulations.

Last year UCS submitted petitions on the River Bend and Perry nuclear plants after learning that these plants were operating with known fuel lenkers. The NRC has yet to respond to our report, which is now over a year old, or to issue a decision on our petitions, which are now 6 months and 5-months old respoetively. At the informal hearing held on February 22,1999. regarding the River Bend and Perry petitions, UCS presented our case, including our concerns that the NRC had improperly evaluated the issues.

On Friday, April 2.1999, UCS was notified ths' the LaSalle nuclear plant was operating with known fuel damage, nat report was confirmed by Mr. Jan Strasma of NRC Region !!! on Monday, April 5,1999. O As detailed in UCS's Apnl 1998 report on reactor operation with failed fuel cladding it has not been demonstrated that the effects from design bases transients and accidents (i.e., hydrodynamic loads. fbel enthalpy changes, etc.)

prevent pre-existing fuel failures from propagating, ne available information for the laSalle plant suggests that y either the original fuel failure is propagating an&or there is a common-mode fa!!ure mechanism degrading cladding integrity. It is therefore possible that significantly more radioactive material wi" be released to the reactor coolant p-9904120273 990405  %~

PDR ADOCK 05000373 Od O PDR Washington OWicm 1618 P Street NW Suite 310 . Washington DC a00361495 e 202-332-0900 e FAX: 2e2-333490s Camt> ridge Headquaners: Two Brattia Square . Cambridge MA 02238-9105 e 617 547-f 552 . FAX: 817 864-G40$

California Office; 2397 Shattack Avenue Suite 203 . Berketoy CA 94704-1567 510-843-1872 . FAX: $10-843-3785 EDO --G19990178 l

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April 5,1999 Page 2 of 2 systent during a transient or accident than that experienced during steady state operation. Thus, the existing design bases accident analyses for Perry do jg bound its current operation with known fuel claading failures.

In addition to operating with non bounding design bases accident analyses, it appears that the LaSalle licenax is also violating its licensing basis for worker radiation protection under the as low as is reasonably achievable (ALARA) program.

According to NRC Information Notice No. 87-39. " Control of Hot Particle Contamination at Nuclear Plants:"

A plant operating with 0.125 percent pin-hole fuel cladding defects showed a five fold increase in whole-  !

body radiation exposure rates in some areas of the plant when compared to a sister plant with high-integrity fuel (<0.01 percent lenkers). Around certain plant systems the degraded fuel may elevate radiation exposure rates even more.

Indusny experience demonstrated that reactor operation with failed fuel cladding increased radiation exposures for plant workers. "Ihe Perry licensee informed the NRC about potential fuc! cladding failures. It could shut down the facility and remove the failed fuel assemblies from the reactor core. Instead, it continues to operate the facility with higher radiation levels that are known to provide greater risk to plant workers.

Since it appears that operation with one or more failed fuel assemblies is not permitted by its design and licensing bases,1.aSalle must be immediately shut down. The facility must remain shut down until:

O The licensee removes the failed fuel assemblies from the reactor core.

-OR-o The licensee properly updates the plant's design and licensing bases to permit the plant to operate with known fuel damage.  ;

Basis for Requested Action UCS is a non protit, public-interest organization with sponsors across the United States, including Ohio. l UCS monitors performance at nuclear power plants in the United States against safety regulations l promulgated by the NRC to protect the public and plant workers. When real or potential erosion of mandated safety margins is detected, as is currently indicated at this time at LaSalle, UCS engages the NRC, the media, and other authorities to resolve the safety concerns.

Requested Actions UCS petitions the NRC to require the LaSalle nuclear plant to be immediately shut down and that the l facility remain shut down until all of the failed fuel assemblies are removed from the reactor core. l Attematively, the plant could be restarted ane.t as design and licensing bases were properly updated to reflect continued operation with failed fuel assemblies.

Sincerely, Ah d David A. Loc una Nuclear Safety Engineer enclosure: April 2,1998, report

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UNION OF CONCERNED .

scisunsrs l 1616 ? A NW, Suite 310, Washington DC 20036 Phone: 202.333.0900 Fax: 202.332.0905 DATE: N - r -99 TO:

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