ML20205P070
| ML20205P070 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 04/14/1999 |
| From: | Stewart Magruder NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | Carpenter C NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| References | |
| PROJECT-689 NUDOCS 9904200012 | |
| Download: ML20205P070 (6) | |
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY. COMMISSION Y
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20666-0001 April 14,1999 MEMORANDUM TOf Cynthia A. Carpenter, Chief Generic issues, Environmental, Financial and Rulemaking Branch Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM:
Stewart L. Magruder, Project Manager M A h
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Generic issues, Environmental, Financial and Rulemaking Branch Divisiun of Regulatory improvernent Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF DECEMBER 1,1998, MEETING WITH THE NUCLEAR ENERGY INSTITUT E (NEI) CIRCUlT BREAKER TASK FORCE On December 1,1998, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) strtf from the Electrical Engineering Branch, the Quality Assurance and Maintenance Branch, and the 8 Events Assessment and Generic Communications Branch participated in a public meeting of the NEl Circuit Breaker Maintenance Task Force at the NE! offices in Washington, DC. A list of meeting attendees is provided in Attachment 1.
The purpose of the meeting was to (1) allow the staff to provide insights from the recently completed Temporary Instruction (TI) 2515/137, " Inspection of Medium-Voltage and Low-Voltage Metal Clad Circuit Breakers," which was performed at eight plants, (2) allow the task force to give the staff a status of their activities for 1998 and the proposed activities for 1999, and (3) discuss possible avenues for resolution of circuit breaker reliability issues.
The inspection results indicate that licensee circuit breaker maintenance programs are generally acceptable, but suffer from several cornnon weaknesses. The staff summarized the identified weaknesses for the task force and noteu ; hat NRC regional offices may conduct further circuit breaker mair,tenance prog 7m inspections based on the Tl inspection module. An information notice will be issued to alert all licensees to the weaknesses.
The task force presented a summary of the activities of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Nuclear Maintenance Applications Center (NMAC) Circuit Breaker Users Groups. Users groups for all three of the ri.cjor breaker manufacturers, General Electric, Westinghouse, and Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) were established to develop separate maintenance guidelines for both medium-voltage (4-kV to 15-kV) and low-voltage (600-V and below) circuit breakers. It is
'g expected that licensees will use these guidelines to improve their maintenance programs. The
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medium-voltage gu;Jelines should be finalized and issued by the end of March 1999. Next, the 6c/
low-voltage guidelines will be issued, and later in 1999 or possible 2000, the groups will issue Q\\
H guidelines for breaker refurbishments (ovarhauls).
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C. Carpenter ' -
April 14,11999 In the afternoon portion of the meeting, the staff joined in a discussion to resolve breaker.
reliability lasues. The staff agreed that significant regulatory action was riot warranted at this-time.'. The industry appears to be taking actions to improve circuit breaker reliability by establishing guidelines to improve circuit breaker maintenance programs. In addition to the -
EPRl/NMAC users group activities, the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) issued-
' Significant Operating Experience Report (SOER) 98-2, " Circuit Breaker Reliability," on September 18,1998, requesting that utilities give prompt attention to the recommendations.in the SOER. Many of the recommendations address the weaknesses noted in the NRC Tl '
inspections.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the staff agreed to publish the insights gained from the Tl inspections and continue to monitor the industry progress in developing circuit breaker maintenance and refurbishment guidelines for the industry.
Project No. 689 Attachments: As stated t
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-2 April 14, 1999 In the afternoon portion of the meeting, the st' ined in a discussion to resolve breaker reliability issues. The staff agreed that signific<. regulatory action was not warranted at this time. The industry appears to be taking actions to improve circuit breaker reliability by establishing guidelines to improve circuit breaker maintenance programs. In addition to the EPRl/NMAC users group activities, the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) issued Significant Operating Experience Report (SOER) 98-2, " Circuit Breaker Reliability," on September 18,1998, requesting that utilities give prompt attention to the recommendations in the SOER. Many of the recommendations address the weaknesses noted in the NRC Tl inspections.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the staff agreed to publish the insights gained from the Tl inspections and continue to monitor the industry progress in developing circuit breaker maintenance and refurbishment guidelines for the industry.
Project No. 689 Attachments: As stated cc w/att: See next page DISTRIBUh0N: See attached page Document Name: g:\\SLM1\\msum1201.wpd OFFICE PM:RGEB (A)SC:RGEB NAME SMagruderY TBM _
DATE 4/t1/99 4/lQ i99 1
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..s Distribution: Mtg. Summary w/NEl Circuit Breaker Task Force Dated Abril 14. 1999.
- Hard Copy-CentralFiles PUBLIC RGEB R/F OGC ACRS SMagruder DSkeen EMail SCollins/RZimmerman BSheron WKane DMatthews SNewberry
. CCarpenter TBergman GTracy, EDO LMarsh JLyons TQuay.
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NRC/NEl CBTF Meeting LIST OF ATTENDEES December 1,1998 NAME ORGANIZATION Jim Sharkey EPR!!NMAC Bob Crosby Comed Robert Steele Washington Public Power San Shah Southern Nuclear Craig Gleason Detroit Edison Wayne Vargas Comed William Hofmeister NPPD Mike Altizer Southnrn Nuclear Rick Burris INPO Brian Masters WCNOC
- John O'Connor CP&L David Watkins First Energy Rick Sparks TVA Dave Kettering BGE Dave Modeen NEl John Butler NEl -
Don Palmrose NUS-LIS David Stellfox McGraw-Hill Amar Pal NRC/NRR David Skeen NRC/NRR Steve Alexander NRC/NRR Kamal Naidu NRC/NRR Rich Correia NRC/NRR l
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Nuclear Energy Instituts Project No. 639 I
cc:
Mr. Ralph Besdie Ms. Lynnette Hendricks, Director Senior Vice President Plant Support and Chief Nuclear Officer Nuclear Energy Institute Nuclear Energy Institute Suite 400 Suite 400 1776 l Street, NW 3
1776 i Street, NW Washington, DC 20006-3708 Washington, DC ?0006-3708 i
Mr. Alex Marion, Director Mr. Chaiies B. Brinkman, Director Programs Washington Operations Nuclear Energy Institute ABO-Combustion Engineering, inc.
'3uite 400 12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Suite 330 1776 i Street, NW Rockville, Maryland 20852 Washington, DC 20006-3708 I
Mr. David Modeen, Director Engineering Nuclear Energy Institute Suite 400 1776 l Streat, NW Washington, DC 20006-3708 Mr, Anthony Pietrangelo, Director J
Licensing i
Nuclear Energy Institute Suite 400 1776 i Street, NW Washingten, DC 20006-3708 Mr. Nicholas J. Liparuto, Manager Nuclear Safety and Regulatory Activities Nuclear and Advanced Technology Division j
Westinghouse Electric Corporation P.O. Dox 355 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230 i
Mr. Jim Davic, Director Opbraticns Nudear Energy inctite?.e Suite 400 17761 Street,.NW Washington, DC 20006-3708 t
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