ML20236L092
| ML20236L092 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png |
| Issue date: | 07/06/1998 |
| From: | Collins S NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20236L087 | List: |
| References | |
| 2.206, NUDOCS 9807100217 | |
| Download: ML20236L092 (3) | |
Text
,
~
7590-01-P U. S. NUCI FAR REGULATORY COMMISSION VERMONT YANKEE NUCl EAR POWER CORPORATION VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION DOCKET NO. 50-271 RECEIPT OF PETITION FOR DIRECTOR'S DECISION UNDER 10 CFR 2.206 Notice is hereby given that by Petition dated May 27,1998, Mr. Jonathan M. Block, on behalf of the Citizens Awareness Network, Inc. (CAN or Petitioner), requested that the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) take immediate action with regard to the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station. The Petitioner requested that the NRC take immediate enforcement action by suspending the operating license for Vermont Yankee until the entire facility has been subjected to an independent safety analysie review similar to the one conducted at the Maine Yankee Atomic Power Station. As an attemative, the Petitioner requested that the NRC immediately act to modify the operating license for the facility by l
requiring that, before restart (1) Vermont Yankee management certify under oath that all backup safety systems and all security systems are fully operable, and that all safety systems l
l and security systems meet and comply with NRC requirements; (2) Vermont Yankee be held to compliance with all of the restart criteria and protocols in the NRC Inspection Manual; (3)
Vermont Yankee only be allowed to resume operations after the NRC has conducted a " vertical slice" examination of the degree to which the new design-basis documents (DBDs) and FSAR accurately descrit e at least two of the primary safety systems for the Vermont Yankee reactor; (4) once operation resumes, Vermont Yankee only be allowed to continue operation for as long i
as it adhered to its schedule for coming into compliance and completing the DBD
,IFSAR project; and (5) the NRC holds a public hearing befcre restart to discuss the changes to the torus, Vermont Yankee DBD and FSAR projects, and Vermont Yankee's scheduled completion 9007100217 900706 E
PDR ADOCK 05000271
$e H
l i
2 of these projects in relation to operational safety.
j i
As the basis for this request, the Petitioner raised concerns about the operation of the Vermont Yankee facility, including challenges to the single-failure criterion, inadequate safety evaluations, potential overreliance on Yankee Atomic Electric Company analyses, an inadequate operational experience review program, high potential for other serious safety l
problems, and lack of adequate perimeter security. The Petitioner also attached four l
documents prepared by the Union of Concemed Scientists (UCS). One UCS document, dated 1
May 14,1998, provided a review of Vermont Yankee Daily Event Reports (DERs) made over I
1 the previous year as requested by CAN. DERs are verbal reports made by licensees under 10 CFR 50.72 to the NRC and put in written form by the NRC. Another UCS document, dated January 29,1998, was addressed to the NRC Region i Senior Allegation Coordinator; it discussed a specific concern with NRC Daily Event Report 33545 of January 15,1998, associated with Vermont Yankee water hammer on certain systems. The third document, a UCS letter dated May 5,1997, to the NRC Chairman and Commissioners, discussed mislocated fuel bundle loading errors. The final UCS document attached was titled " Potential l
Nuclear Safety Hazard Reactor Operation with Failed Fuel Cladding," dated April 2,1998. By letter dated June 9,1998, Petitioner renewed the request for relief based on the events occurring on June 9,1998, at Vermont Yankee and reported by the licensee in DER 34366.
This event involved the automatic shutdown of the reactor due to problems in the feedwater system. The Petitioner states that this event indicates a lack of reasonable assurance that safety-related systems at Vermont Yankee will perform adequately.
The request is being treated pursuant to 10 CFR 2.206 of the Commission's regulations.
The request has t,een referred to the Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. As
3 provided by Section 2.206, appropriate action will be taken on this pet sonable time.
)
By letter dated July 6
)
,1998, the Director denied Petitioner's request for immediate action at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station A copy of the petition is available for inspection at the Commission's cument Room at 2120 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 and at the local public document room located at Brooks Memorial Library,224 Main Street, Brattleboro VT 0 FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 3
Fe&NM Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day of July
,1998.