ML20214M833

Responds to 860731 Request for Surprise Insp of Facility.No Extraordinary NRC Action Needed Due to Util Ongoing Review of Concerns & Knowledge of Technical Issues.Members of Public Not Included in Facility Insps

ML20214M833
Person / Time
Site:	Arkansas Nuclear
Issue date:	09/03/1986
From:	Martin R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
To:	Bland B ARKANSAS NUCLEAR SAFETY FIRST PROJECT
Shared Package
ML20214M835	List: ML20214M833 ML20214M856 ML20214M864
References
NUDOCS 8609110313
Download: ML20214M833 (2)

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Docket No.: 50-313 The Arkansas Nuclear Safety First Project ATTN: Bob Bland, Project Director i 8015 Brandon Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72204 Gentlemen:

This refers to your letter dated July 31, 1986, requesting a surprise inspection of Arkansas Nuclear One - Unit 1 (ANO-1) in which you, and others you designated, would participate. We have reviewed your expressed concerns and suggestions.

Through our periodic inspections at ANO, and day-to-day interface by the resident inspectors with the licensee and observations of facility activities, we remain cognizant of the conditions that exist at ANO. Our resident inspectors inspect the facility daily and our region-based inspectors perform unannounced inspections, including independent measurements of radiation and contamination levels at ANO. There are currently no known high levels of radioactivity in the " turbine building area." There are, however, small amounts of radioactive material within the secondary cooling systems located in the turbine building. Areas surrounding these systems are conservatively marked by the licensee for control purposes and provide no hazard to the public ANO employees, or contractor personnel.

As with most pressurized water reactor power plants, the turbine building is an open building with windows, doors, and ventilation penetrations. During normal operations and under abnorrial and emergency conditions, there is reasonable assurance that the turbine building will not be a source of significant airborne radioactive releases.

The residual radioactive material in the secondary system is the result of primary cooling system to secondary cooling system leakage at ANO-1 in the past. These events are documented in reports available to you in the public document room in Russellville. These events did not result in radioactive releases that were in excess of regulatory limits. The leaks were repaired and there is currently no detectable primary to secondary system leakage at either ANO unit. Leakage limits are specified in the Technical Specifications portion of the NRC Operating License and the operating procedures for the ANO reactors. The licensee has an ongoing program for monitoring the reactor coolant systems for leakage.

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Arkansas Nuclear Safety First Project The NRC will continue to perform routine inspections which will monitor the radiation levels at ANO, including the turbine building and the primary to secondary leakage. Should future conditions warrant action, we would require appropriate corrective action by the licensee to assure continued operation within the conditions of their operating license and in conformance with the radiation safety regulations of the NRC.

With regard to your concern that a rupture of steam generator tubes concurrent with a loss of coolant accident could lead to a grave event, I believe you are referring to the studies by the NRC staff of the response of pressurized water reactors to coincident steam line break, steam generator tube rupture, and small-break loss of coolant accident. The results and conclusions of these studies are contained in NRC Report NUREG 0937, " Evaluation of PWR Response to Main Steamline Break with Concurrent Steam Generator Tube Rupture and Small-Break LOCA." We are obtaining an additional copy of this report and will forward it to you under separate cover.

Based on our review of your concerns and our knowledge on the technical issues, we see no need for extraordinary HRC action at this time. In conducting our routine inspection activities at licensee facilities it is not our practice to include members of the general public.

Sincerely, o : nt 't

. 't liul S. bhMk Robert D. Martin Regional Administrator bcc:

MEEmerson, RIV CEWisner, RIV RRI POR SectionChief(RPB/0)

H. Hurphy