ML20217J219
| ML20217J219 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/06/1997 |
| From: | Callan L NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Seale R Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20217J161 | List: |
| References | |
| ACRS-3063, NUDOCS 9708140079 | |
| Download: ML20217J219 (3) | |
Text
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- '8 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 3
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% '.~.. *,0 June 6, 1997 R. L. Seale, Chairman Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington D.C. 20555
SUBJECT:
ESTABLISHING A BENCHMARK ON RISK DURING LOW POWER AND SHUTDOWN OPERATIONS Dear Chairman Seale.
The purpose of this letter is to clanfy some of the issues discussed in our prev.ous response to your letter of April 18,1997, regarding concems related to the risk posed by low power and shutdown operations at nuclear power plants As indicated,in our previous letter we share the concerns you raised and we believe that the proposed rule on shutdown risk wesio be a first step in addressing your concerns, and therefore, we are proceeding forward in parallel with this effort, we also plan to examine, in more detail, the nsk posed by low power and shutdown operations This effort will first involve looking at what was leamed from the NRC screening studies on Icw power shutdown risk and what can be learrad from the domestic and intemational work that is being done in this area 11 is our intention to use this information in deciu'ing our future course of action in determining h6w to proceed in performing any benchmarking of this risk This plan is consistent with what the staff told the ACRS in February 1997 as the next activity in low power shutdown risk We welcome discussions with the ACRS as we move forward in this area Sincerely f.
J eph allan Exe utive Director for Operations 4
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/3
.s 9700140079 970612 PDR ACRS 3063 PDR
l Dana A. Pswers Advisory Committee on Reactor Sareguards (505) 821-2735 voice 7964 Sartan Way,NE (505) 8210245 fax Albuquerque,NM 87109-3128 FACSIMILETRANSMITIAL Please deliver the following message of 2 pages including the mver
. page to:
NAME:
ACRS MEMBERS Fax #:
Voice #:
SUBJECT:
EDO RESPONSE TO ACRS Sh'UTDOWN RISK LETTER The ACRS letter of April 18,1997 identified risks during low pwer and shutdown operations as potentially high and largely unquantified. Risks dtuing low power and shutdown operations could be as high o/ even higher than risks during pow er operations which have been so extensively studied by the NRC staff. The letter further noted that incidents during low power and shutdown operations were conoaming large amountc of NRC staff time and that some of the events wpe of high risk significance. In a response to this letter, the Executive Director of Operations acknowledged the concerns over low-power and shutdown operations and indicated that staff, too, had these concems. Bug the Executive Director of Operations indicated that an investigatio6 to quantify risks during low-power and shutdown operations wou' d be too an be costly to undertake in terms of staff resources. This statement c an, "We compared to the " pledge" made in the staff's recent Strategic P.
will focus the research on those areas with the highest safety azL regulatory signl5cance."
I
The conclusion reacneo oy tne execunve virector or vperaucuI
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concerning studies of the risk oflow power and shutdown cperations and the professed plan for research are suf5clently discordant t;ntI think it fair for the ACRS to ask for an explanation. In particuls'4 we should respond to the Executive Director's letter and ask:
. Why are the two positions consistent?
- What other research activities are addressing issues of htt$er safety and regulatory significance than shutdown and Icut. power operations?
J 93
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