ML25196A276
| ML25196A276 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/08/1977 |
| From: | Bender M Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards |
| To: | Hendrie J NRC/Chairman |
| References | |
| Download: ML25196A276 (1) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON REACTOR SAFEGUARDS WASHINGTON. D. C. 20555 September 8, 1977 Honorable Joseph M. Hemrie Chairman
- u. s. Nuclear Regulatory Camnission Washington, o.c. 20555 REPORI' ON ACRS ACl'IVITIES:
JUNE-JULY-AUGUST, 1977
Dear Dr. Hendrie:
This is the second of a series of reports of Conmittee activities pro-vided in response to an April 11, 1977 letter fran then-Chairman Rowden.
These reports deal with the status of recent ACRS actions related to generic matters, with Corrmittee review activities of special interest, and with the Committee's expected workload for the near future. As was the case with the last previous report in this series (prepared on June 10, 1977), it is expected that this report will form the basis for future NRC-ACRS meetings.
GENERIC MATl'ERS Procedure for Review and Implementation of ACRS Recom:nendations The report requested in Mr. Chilk's meioo of July 20, 1977 to the Direc-tor, Off ice of Po~icy Evaluation (OPE), has been discussed with OPE representatives and ACRS input provided. The Conmittee believes that additional discussion is desirable before specific changes are inple-mented.
Priorities for Resolution of Generic Items and their Application to Standardized Plant Designs The Comnittee has recently received a request fran the NRC Staff for an ordering of the priorities for resolution of generic items in connection with its review of the Shearon Harris Plant. The Ccmmittee interxls to begin work on a general ordering for its list of generic items, as its schedule permits.
In this connection the Comnittee has noted the NRC's reaffirmation of its standardization policy with its recent publication of a Policy Statenent on this matter. The Conmittee believes that the effort,. now being devoted 2798
Honorable Joseph September 8, 1977 by itself and by the NRC Staff toward providing priorities for resolution of generic items should make it possible to have resolved many of these matters prior to the issuance of Operating Licenses for plants which will use reference standardized designs.
ACRS Fellowship Program The ACRS Staff is working with the NRC Administrative Office to formu-late a plan to :implement the Fellowship Program which is included in the Authorization Bill reported out by the House Corrmittee on Interior and Insular Affairs. The ACRS would like to emphasize the need for maxi-mum flexibility in recruitment, hiring and compensation arrangements to provide for the support of Committee activities as intended by the House Committee.
ACRS Review of Increases to the "Stretch" Power Level The Corrmittee was informed by the NRC Staff during its 208th meeting that action would be taken to amend the Calvert Cliffs license to permit opera-tion at a higher power level, and was provided an evaluation by the NRC Staff. Although the Corrmittee took no action in the case of Calvert Cliffs, it is currently reevaluating its role in such actions.
Decommissioning/High Level Waste Management The Decomnissioning Subcorrmittee met in Washington, DC on June 29, 1977 with members of the NRC Staff, ERDA Headquarters, the Pacific Northwest Laboratories, and t.he Atomic Industrial Forum.
Members of the Subcom-mittee and its consultants had several suggestions which, it is expected, will be discussed during future Subcommittee meetings.
The Waste Management Subcorrrnittee met in Richland, Washington on July 19, 1977 with representatives of ERDA, various ERDA contractors, and the American Physical Society. This was followed by a tour of the ERDA waste management research and development activities on July 20, 1977. Members of the Subcommittee and its consultants had several observations some of which, it is anticipated, will form the basis for future Subcorrmittee meetings.
Request for ACRS Review of ERDA Facilities In a letter to NRC dated July 29, 1977 Mr. H. Hollister, Acting Director of the Division of Operational and Environmental Safety, ERDA, noted that the legislative history of the Energy Reorganization Act made 2799
Honorable Joseph September 8, 1977 clear the intent of the Congress to make ACRS available to ERDA, as the Administrator might request. Consequently, Mr. Hollister requested that Section 1.20 of the recently published 10 CFR 1 be amemed t9 provide explicitly for ACRS review of matters referred to it directly by ERDA.
In subsequent memoranda Mr. William Shields, OGC and Mr. Martin Malsch, OELD both held that the legislative history of the Energy Reorganization Act suggests that Congress intemed that ERDA would have access to ACRS' services. It is the Comnittee's understaming that OPE is preparing recom-mendations on this matter.
It will be necessary, in implementing such an arrangement, for the Comnis-sion to provide for appropriate staff input and for scheduling of ACRS' workload to coordinate NRC and ERDA requests of the Comnittee.
The Comnittee has recently received naterial from ERDA which will enable it to resume its practice of continuing review of operations at the Hanford and Savannah River facilities. In accordance with the opinions of the OGC and OELD representatives, it is the Corcrnittee's intent to schedule such activities in the near future, unless you believe that this matter warrants additional discussion.
Implementation of Task Force Report on Improvements in the Regulatory Process The ACRS is aware that the Comnission has emorsed the principal recom-mendations of NUREG-0292 and has directed its implementation in a way compatible with an orderly licensing process. The Committee believes that implementation of this policy on a trial basis is appropriate so that any changes indicated can be made in an orderly way.
ACRS Participation on the Risk Assessment Review Group A question has been raised regarding participation by ACRS representa-tives in NRC's reevaluation of WASH-1400; the Com~ittee would prefer to present collegial opinions in written responses to questions. The Com-mittee, however, is exploring ways in which it might cooperate with the Review Group.
Annual Report on Reactor Safety Research Proposed legislation requires that the ACRS provide an annual report to Congress on reactor safety research. The first report is to be sul:mitted no later than December 31, 1977. To satisfy these potential requirements, 2800
Honorable Joseph September 8, 1977 the ACRS has organized its Subconmittee on Reactor Safety Research into six working groups. At this time, ten working group meetings have been completed and five more are scheduled for the near future.
The Committee did not believe that it could delay this sizable review effort in the face of a proposed December 31 deadline.
Nuclear Plant Security The Corrmittee has recently written to you expressing its concerns over the relative ease of access by the public to certain kinds of detailed information on the design, layout, and operation of nuclear plants. A recent order by the Hearing Board concerning the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Station Security Plan was cited. It should be noted in this re-gard that the Sandia Workshop Re:port also suggests that too detailed plant design information is accessible.
Transportation of Radioactive Materials As part of its continuing effort to follow develo:pnents in connection with possible rule-making in this area, the ACRS' Subconmittee on the Transportation of Radioactive Materials met in New York City on August 23, 1977 to review a recent Sandia study:
"Interim Report - Transport of Radionuclides in Urban Environs."
Members of the Subcomnittee and its consultants provided conments on the report.
ECCS Acceptance Criteria The ACRS Subcommittee on Emergency Core Cooling Systems has recently com-pleted the current phase of its review of the evaluation model for plants incorporating the Westinghouse Upper Head Injection System and has re-ported to the Corrmittee. The Corrmittee expects to review applications of this model to specific projects in the near future.
The Subcomnittee also held a meeting on July 26, 1977 to develop infor-mation for the review of proposed changes in Appendix K of 10 CFR 50.
ACRS REVIEW ACTIVITIES Diablo Canyon The Conmittee prepared a report to you on a nlU'flber of nonseismic technical issues during its August meeting. It is our current uooerstanding that PG&E has requested an interim operating license for this plant, based 2801
Honorable Joseph Septenber 8, 1977 on a probabilistic approach to the seismic design evaluation. The current schedule calls for ACRS review in December 1977. Full-term license review, based on established methods for seismic design evaluation, would take place some time later.
ACRS ANTICIPATED WORKIDAD 210TH ACRS MEETIN; OC'IOBER 6-8, 1977 Greene County (CP)
ONRR Safety Evaluation Report ACRS Subcorrmittee Meeting ACRS Report Pilgrim 2 ( CP)
ONRR Safety Evaluation Report ACRS Subcorrmittee Meeting ACRS Report 211TH ACRS MEETIN:;
NOVEMBER 3-5, 1977 Yellow Creek 1 & 2 (CP)
ONRR Safety Evaluation Report ACRS Subcorrrnittee Meeting ACRS Report Pebble Springs 1 & 2 (CP)
ONRR Safety Evaluation Report ACRS Subcommittee Meeting ACRS Report FNP 1-8 (ML)
ONRR Safety Evaluation Report ACRS Subcommittee Meeting ACRS Report (Continued) 2802 9/1/77 9/21-22/77 10/13/77 9/1/77 9/22/77 10/13/77 10/3/77 10/28/77 11/10/77 10/3/77 10/27-28/77 11/10/77 10/3/77 9/29/77 11/10/77
Honorable Joseph M. Heoorie 211th ACRS Meeting - Continued Atlantic Generating Station (CP)
ONRR Safety Evaluation Report ACRS Subcommittee Meeting ACRS Report Skagit 1 & 2 (CP)
ONRR Safety Evaluation Report ACRS Subcorrmittee Meeting ACRS Report 212TH ACRS MEET!~
DECEMBER 8-10, 1977 Diablo canyon 1 (OL)
ONRR Safety Evaluation Report ACRS Subcommittee Meeting ACRS Report Zimmer 1 (OL)
ONRR Safety Evaluation Report ACRS Subcorrnnittee Meeting ACRS Report SWESSAR P-1 (B&W Std. )
ONRR Safety Evaluation Report ACRS Subcorrmittee Meeting ACRS Report (Continued)
- To be*scheduled 2803 Septeni>er 8, 1977 7/7/77 8/30-31/77 10/18/77 11/10/77 9/1/77 11/10/77 11/1/77 12/16/77 11/1/77 12/16/77 11/1/77 12/16/77
Honorable Joseph September 8, 1977 212th ACRS Meeting - Continued D. C. Cook Unit 2 (OL)
ONRR Safety Evaluation Report ACRS Subcommittee Meeting ACRS Report 2804 11/1/77 12/2-3/77 12/16/77 Sincerely yours, CJ:i,.~
M. Bender Chairman