ML20214W812

Responds to to CC Kammerer Requesting Review of D Harrison Concerns Re Safety Record & Insps for Facility. NRC Actions to Assure Safe Design,Const & Operation of Plants Addressed

ML20214W812
Person / Time
Site:	Comanche Peak
Issue date:	06/08/1987
From:	Stello V NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Bensten L SENATE
References
NUDOCS 8706160193
Download: ML20214W812 (2)

Text

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'* ' drag o UNITED STATES g

'I o ' NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION gi E . WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555

%*....+a Jl#18 W The Honorable Lloyd Bentsen

United States Senator

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961 Federal Building Austin, Texas 78901

Dear Senator Bentsen:

This is in response to your April 23, 1987 letter .to Carlton C. Kammerer

, ' requesting NRC's thorough review of concerns raised by Mr. Dan Harrison about

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the safety record'and inspections for Comanche Peak and the South Texas Project.

Mr. Harrison's letter to you refers to an internal NRC document which appears to be the basis for many of his concerns. The report referred to was prepared by NRC's Office of Inspector and Auditor (0IA) and addresses allegations of Region-IV management wrongdoing. relative to inspection activities at Comanche.

Peak. The report does not expressly address any other facility, such as the South Texas Project.

With the approval of the Commission, the Comanche Peak Report Review Group.

(CPRRG), consisting of senior NRC managers, was established and charged with conducting a comprehensive review of the issues raised in the OIA report and.

making recommendations to address these issues. The Chairman of the CPRRG was given special authority to draw upon whatever staff and consulting resources were necessary to comprehensively address the issues. Extensive efforts by i

senior management and other staff personnel resulted in the CPRRG Report dated March 12, 1987. On April 14, 1987, I transmitted to the Commission my recom-mendations and proposed actions and, on April 16th, I briefed the Commission and requested approval-to implement the recommended actions. Because the Commission's actions are not yet complete, further details cannot be provided at this time.. I can assure you,'however, that the issues raised by the OIA

. report are receiving the closest scrutiny and appropriate actions will be taken, as they are approved by the Commission. I should also mention that

aspects of the OIA report are already under review by several Congressional

! Committees.

i The Commission has initiated special actions at Comanche Peak to provide increased regulatory emphasis on licensing and inspection of the facility.

Effective March 1,1987, a new Office of Special Projects was established to manage all aspects of the NRC's licensing and inspection efforts for the

. Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station and for nuclear power plants owned by the Tennessee Valley Authority. This new office is responsible for assuring that the design and construction related problems identified at Comanche Peak are resolved satisfactorily prior to licensing the plant for operation.

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8706160193 87060B 5 i DR ADOCK O

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The Honorable Lloyd Bentsen. 2 For.the South'. Texas. Project, the NRC's Region IV Office is continuin'g inspections N and evaluations in accordance with the established.NRC inspection program.1This.

entails detailed' evaluations.of the facility,'. including construction, testing,

.and..overall readiness-for operation. Over the past several. years,-the inspection -

program at South Texas has been more extensive than would be conducted under the-normally; prescribed inspection program, primarily due to problems identified early-in the plant's construction history. Nevertheless. in conjunction with .

the recommendations from the CPRRG described.above,'the Comission has initiated efforts to broadly examine the inspection programs for all Regions and to. _.

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specifically examine inspection activities in Region IV. Based on these findings, the Commission will take any necessary and appropriate actions to ensure _ the

- completeness of'the inspections for all facilities, . including South Texas.

- I want to assure you .that the' NRC will devote whatever resources are required

' to assure that the Comanche Peak and South. Texas' Project nuclear facilities are  :

designed and constructed in compliance.with NRC regulations lso that safe' plant operation can be assured.

Sincerely,-

Original signed by yiotor Stello Victor Stel'lo, Jr.

Executive Director for Operations Distribution: ,

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• SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCE

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JKeppler :LChandler :RMartin DATE ':5/26/87 :5/26/87 :5/27/87 :5/27/87 :5/28/87 :5/28/87 0FC-  :*NRR:D :EDT :CA  :  :  :

________________:_.1 ._________:. 4. _______:______________:. ___.....____:. ____ ...___

.______:TMurley

_NAME  : :VS 11o  :  :  :  :

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LDATE :5/29/87- :6/$/87 :6/( /87 '

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