ML20217F857

Submits Response to Request for Confirmation of Commitment to Complete Testing of Meteorological Data Screening Criteria.Commitment Made During Exit Meeting for NRC Insp Rept 50-482/98-03

ML20217F857
Person / Time
Site:	Wolf Creek
Issue date:	03/27/1998
From:	Maynard O WOLF CREEK NUCLEAR OPERATING CORP.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
50-482-98-03, 50-482-98-3, WM-98-0022, WM-98-22, NUDOCS 9804010181
Download: ML20217F857 (3)

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~ l W$LF CREEK NUCLEAR OPERATING CORPORATION Otto L. Haynard President and Chief Executive officer March 27, 1998 WM 98-0022 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk Mail Station F1-137 Washington, D. C. 20555 heferences: Letter dated February 26, 1998, from Blaine Murray, NRC, to O. L. Maynard, WCNOC

Subject:

Docket No. 50-482: Response to Request for Confirmation of Commitment Gentlemen:

I This letter transmits Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation's (WCNOC) j formal confirmation of the commitreent to complete the testing of the I meteorological data screening criteria; to complete the development of a computer program to validate the meteorological tower instrumentation data; and to validate the meteorological ~ tower instrumentation data for 1997 by using the tested criteria and computer program. This commitment was made .

during the exit meeting for NRC Inspection 98-03, and these actions were completec by March 15, 1998, as indicated at the exit.

In the same exit meeting WCNOC also committed to provide validation of meteorological tower instrumentation data for the years 1990 through 1996, and to include this data in the 1997 Annual Radioactive Effluent Release Report, which is due May 1, 1998. A similar commitment was previously documented in the 1996 Annual Radioactive Effluent Release Report.

Attachment I to this letter contains that commitment, and a brief description of the conditions that resulted in this data validation concern.

Our investigation of the concern identified in Inspection Follow-Up Item 9617-01 determined that the data for the year 1990 was fully and correctly validated in 1991, using the computer data validation program available at that time. This data was included in Semi-Annual Radioactive Effluent Release Report #12, issued March 1, 1991, and no re-validation is necessary.

l This 1990 data will also be included in the 1997 Annual Radioactive Effluent Release Report in compliance with our commitment.

9804010181 980327 PDR P

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.vAvU P.O. Box 411/ Burlington, KS 66839 / Phone: (316) 364 8831 l An Equal Opportunny Ernployer MT/HCNET L____ _ _ _ _

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, .%' , WM 98-0022o_ >-

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The meteorological L data for the year 1991 ~ was validated .' by. L using the .'

Esame ^ computer 1 validation program for the 'early-- part of _? '1991," and a_

review of eachl instrument's' hourly strip chart points for the remainder-. {

!'>  : of ' the.. year. ..The . data validated in .this manner was included in Semi . 1

. Annual - Radioactive Effluent- Release Report #14, issued. February 28,.

'1992, ..and L is ' considered . valid and correct. This data : will also be included in the 1997- Annual Radioactive - Effluent - Release Report, ' in compliance with.our commitment.

The dataLf or years 1992 through 1996 has been validated using the'new'

, meteorological data computer validation program, and-this1 data will' be

also be included in the 1997 Annual Radioactive- Effluent Release Report. _,

'The.. completed:7new . meteorological; data _; computer validation program,

. validated data, and. controlling. program discussed'above were-reviewed by Dr. J. Blair Nicholas during NRC Inspection 98-11,Lfrom March'16 through 1

. March 20, - 1998. ;At the-exit' meeting-for this. inspection Dr._ Nicholas addressed his satisfaction with the corrective actions to the1 concerns identified in. Inspection Follow-Up Item (IFI)' 9617-01, and his intention to.close.the-IFI. .

If you have any questions regarding this response,-please contact me at-(316) 364-8831, extension 4000,.or Mr. Michael J. Angus at extension j 4077. .

Very truly 'our ,

f l- .

'. hh Otto L. Maynarc/  ;

j- OLM/jad/

Attachment ,

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.W. D. Johnson (NRC),-w/a E. W. Merschoff-(NRC), w/a' l:

J. F. Ringwald (NRC), _w /a '

K. M. Thomas _ (NRC) , w/a i

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Attachment I i I

Excerpt frca WCNOC 1996 Annual Radioactive Effluent Release Report

" Verification and Validation Process Concerns" "In 1990, the Plant Modification Request. (PMR 1479) . revised' one of our computer systems, from the Radiological Release. Information System (RRIS) to the Nuclear I Plant Information System (NPIS). The RRIS contained a computer program that was-used for meteorological data verification and validation based on Safety Regulatory-Guide 1.23 Revision 1. This verification and validation program, that was formerly

.in the RRIS system, was not subsequently included in the NPIS system. During the

'last NRC inspection-on the Meteorological System, there was a concern about the way data.was being verified. To track this concern, PIR 96-1897 was generated. While evaluating this Performance Improvement Request, . Engineering became - aware of the fact that. the " computer program for data verif2 cation and validation was dropped from the NPIS. Engineering has reviewed the Updated Safety Analysis Report Table 2.3-29b, ." Data Recovery Statistics" .for March 1980 to March 1981, and Semi and- .

Annual Radioactive Release Reports from July 1985 to December 1990 to assure that' l the data recovery percentage is greater than 90 percent. Also, the 1995 and 1996 Equipment Out ' of Service Logs, the Surveillance -Technical Specifications, and l computer down time ~was used to generate the data'being presented with this report.

WCGS is in the process of investigation and corrective ' action for this . concern, including corrective action to ensure that the program for data verification and validation is being used. . The program that will be in place, will include 'a l computer' program for the verification and validation process. It will be available before the next report is generated. The next report will have the 1997 data, as well as data from 1990 to 1996. The 1995 and 1996 data will be included since, in all probability, the data will be dif ferent^ based upon the way the new program is

. generated."

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