ML20210L321

Responds to 860321 Request for Comments on Newspaper Article Addressing Adequacy of Certain Portions of Plant HVAC Sys to Withstand Tornado Missiles.Certificate of Svc Encl.Related Correspondence

ML20210L321
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas
Issue date:	04/25/1986
From:	Gutterman A HOUSTON LIGHTING & POWER CO., NEWMAN & HOLTZINGER
To:	Bechoefer C, John Lamb, Shon F Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel
References
CON-#286-950 OL, NUDOCS 8604290297
Download: ML20210L321 (5)

Text

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Charles Bechhoefer, Esq. /

Chairman, Administrative Judge -b' Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 Dr. James C. Lamb, III Administrative Judge 313 Woodhaven Road Chapel Hill, N.C. 27514 Mr. Frederick J. Shon Administrative Judge Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 Re: Houston Lighting & Power Co., et al.

South Texas Project, Units 1 & 2 Docket Nos. 50-498 OL, 50-499 OL

Dear Members of the Board:

At the seventh prehearing conference conducted on March 21, 1986, the Board stated that it might request comments from the parties regarding,p newspaper article served by CCANP during the Phase II hearings- which addressed, among other things, the adequacy of certain portions of the STP HVAC system to As described below, withstand tornado missiles. Tr. 15907-08.

the information referenced in the newspaper article is already addressed in the record.

The article referred, in particular, to findings of a 1984 HL&P " investigation" regarding " inadequate calculations for such things as the impact of tornado winds on air vents and walls" and to "Bechtel's reported failure to consider" tornado winds on certain parts of the ventilation system . . . .

OAttachment to letter of L. Sinkin to the Board, dated June 26, 1985.

98 PDR T bO 3

NawxAw & Het.Tztwran, P. C.

Charles Bechhoefer, Esq.

8 Dr. James C. Lamb, III Mr. Frederick J. Shon April 25, 1986 Page Two The article described a portion of the deposition of Mr. Thomas J. Jordan, HL&P's Project QA Manager, in connection with the Brown & Root lawsuit and the HL&P " investigation" was an HL&P audit of HVAC activities conducted in August through September, 1984.

The " inadequate calculations" mentioned in the article apparently refer to findings of an HL&P QA Corrective Action Report (CAR G-531) written as a result of the audit, which stated that " missile protection for the [MEAB] outside air intake tornado dampers has not been provided." The HL&P auditor also stated that without proper operation of the dampers, the negative pressure created by a tornado could cause a loss of HVAC system function and that, overload internal MEAB walls.-pressure dif ferentials could The air intake tornado dampers referenced in CAR G-531 are the MEAB HVAC louvers addressed in HL&P's January 10, 1986 letter to the Staff regarding " Tornado Depressurization Structural Effects Near the MEAB HVAC Louvers," and about which the Board, in its January 28, 1986 conference call, requested updating information. Both Applicants and Staff submitted updating ,,

affidavits in response to the Board's January 28, 1986 request.--7

• /Several other CARS were written as a result of the audit relating to the dampers, but none involved concerns regarding tornado missiles, ot'ter than the CAR discussed above. Mr.

Jordan's statement, quoted in the article, that " systems could possibly be o.edered and fabricated and installed and not be in compliance with the design criteria for the plant,"

was made in response to an inquiry regarding one of those CARS. Additionally, one " concern" was noted which requested objective evidence supporting the location of main supply fans on the IVC roof in light of potential tornado missiles.

All of the CARS and concerns were satisfactorily dispositioned by Bechtel and closed by HL&P QA.

• • / Applicants submitted the af fidavit of R. Bruce Linderman on February 18, 1986, and the Staff submitted the affidavit of Jerry N. Wilson on February 28, 1986.

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N2wxAx & Hot.Tztw::ar. P. C.

Charles Bechhoefer, Esq.

3 Dr. James C. Lamb, III Mr. Frederick J. Shon April 25, 1986 Page Three CAR G-531 identified the fact that the dampers were not tornado missile protected, and Bechtel Engineering dispositioned the CAR based upon its determination that the probability of a tornado missile striking the dampers was sufficiently low that redesign for tornado missile protection was not warranted.

The CAR was closed by HL&P on the basis of Bechtel's analyses in April, 1985, and the Staff reviewed and approved Bechtel's handling of the matter in section 3.5.2 of the draft SER (trans-mitted by letter dated January 9, 1986 from P. Kadambi to J.

Goldberg).

In short, the newspaper article refers to HL&P QA's original identification of the matter referenced in the January 10, 1986 correspondence between HL&P and the Staff, subsequently discussed in the Board's January 28 conference call and addressed fully in Applicants' and Staff's updated affidavits.

Respectfully Lubmitted, h

Alvin H. Gutterman 1615 L Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20036 Finis E. Cowan 3000 One Shell Plaza Dated: April 25, 1986 Houston, Texas 77002 NEWMAN & HOLTZINGER, P.C. ATTORNEYS FOR HOUSTON LIGHTING &

1 6 1 5 L S t r e e t ,- N . W . POWER COMPANY, Project Manager of Washington, D.C. 20036 the South Texas Project acting herein on behalf of itself and BAKER & BOTTS the other Applicants, THE CITY OF 3000 One Shell Plaza SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, acting by and Houston, Texas 77002 through the City Public Service Board of the City of San Antonio, CENTRAL POWER AND LIGHT COMPANY, and CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD In the Matter of )

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HOUSTON LIGHTING & POWER )

COMPANY, ET AL. ) Docket Nos. 50-498 rL

) 50-499 OL

)

(South Texas Project, )

Units 1 and 2) )

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that copies of " Applicants' Letter to the Board, dated April 25, 1986" has been served on the following individuals and entities by deposit in the United States mail, first-class, postage prepaid, on this 25th day of April 1986.

Charles Bechhoefer, Esq. Brian Berwick, Esq.

Chairman, Administrative Judge Assistant Attorney General Atomic Safety and Licensing For the State of Texas Board Panel Environmental Protection U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Division Commission P.O. Box 12548, Capitol Station Washington, D.C. 20555 Austin, TX 78711 Dr. James C. Lamb, III Kim Eastman, Co-coordinator Administrative Judge Barbara A. Miller

, 313 Woodhaven Road Pat Coy Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Citizens Concerned About Nuclear Power Frederick J. Shon 5106 Casa Oro Administrative ~ Judge San Antonio, TX 78233 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Lanny Alan Sinkin, Esq.

Washington, D.C. 20555 Christic Institute g

1324 North Capitol Street Mrs. Peggy Buchorn Washington, D.C. 20002 Executive Director Citizens for Equitable Ray Goldstein, Esq.

Utilities, Inc. Gray, Allison & Becker Route 1, Box 1684 1001 Vaughn Building Brazoria, TX 77422 807 Brazos Austin, TX 78701-2553 l

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Oreste Russ Pirfo, Esq.

Robert G. Perlis, Esq.

Office of the Executive Legal Director U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 Atomic Safety and Licensing Board U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Board U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 Docketing and Service Section Office of the Secretary U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission -

Washington, D.C. 20555 A41/r " - -

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