NRC Generic Letter 85-13, Transmittal of NUREG-1154 Regarding The Davis-Besse Loss of Main And Auxiliary Feedwater Event
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WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
August 5, 1985
TO ALL REACTOR LICENSEES AND APPLICANTS
Gentlemen:
SUBJECT: TRANSMITTAL OF NUREG-1154 REGARDING THE DAVIS-BESSE LOSS OF MAIN AND AUXILIARY FEEDWATER EVENT (Generic Letter No. 85-13)
On June 9, 1985, Toledo Edison Company's Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant experienced a loss of all feedwater event while the plant was operating at 90% power. Shortly after the event, the NRC Executive Director for Operations directed that an NRC Team be sent to Davis-Besse, in conformance with the staff-proposed Incident Investigation Program, to investigate the circumstances of this event.
The NRC Team has now completed its investigation and has documented the factual information and their findings and conclusions associated with the event (see c enclosed NUREG-1154, entitled "Loss of Main and Auxiliary Feedwater Event at the Davis-Besse Plant on June 9, 1985"). The report indicates that a total loss of feedwater is a significant event; and that it can have severe consequences if actions to ensure prompt and effective recovery are not taken. The consequences and significance of the June 9 event could have been far different had additional equipment failed, had additional errors been made, or had recovery otherwise been delayed. Thus, there are many possibilities and differing sequences which could have affected the safety significance of this transient.
In terms of their principal conclusion, the team concluded that: the underlying cause of the loss of main and auxiliary feedwater event of June 9, 1985, was the licensee's lack of attention to detail in the care of plant equipment; the licensee's history of performing troubleshooting, maintenance and testing of equipment, and of evaluating operating experience related to equipment in a superficial manner and, as a result, the root causes of problems are not always found and corrected; engineering design and analysis effort to address equipment problems has frequently either not been utilized or has not been effective; and that equipment problems were not aggressively addressed and resolved beyond compliance with NRC regulatory requirements.
You should review the information for applicability to your facility. In addition, you should ensure that the information in NUREG-1154 is made available to your plant staff as part of your training program in connection with the Feedback of Operating Experience to Plant Staff (TMI Action Plan Item [.C.5).
8508020493On August 5, 1985, the Executive Director for Operations (EDO) identified and assigned responsibility for generic and plant-specific actions resulting from the investigation of the Davis-Besse event. Some of the generic actions may be applicable to your facility. A copy of the EDO memorandum is included for your information.
This generic letter is provided for information only, and does not involve any reporting requirements. Therefore, no clearance from the Office of Management and Budget is required. The enclosed report is currently under NRC review. Any generic requirements stemming from the report will be transmitted at a later date following completion of the appropriate procedural steps.
Hugh L. Thompson, Jr., Director Division of Licensing
Enclosures:
- 1. NUREG-1154
- 2. EDO Memorandum of August 5, 1985
- 3. List of Generic Letters