ML080790207

Request for Additional Information Response to GL 2007-01, Inaccessible or Underground Power Cable Failures That Disable Accident Mitigation Systems or Cause Plant Transients (TAC Nos. MD4382 & MD4383)

ML080790207
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas
Issue date:	03/20/2008
From:	Thadani M NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLIV
To:	Sheppard J South Texas
Thadani, M C, NRR/DORL/LP4, 415-1476
References
GL-07-001, TAC MD4382, TAC MD4383
Download: ML080790207 (5)

Text

March 20, 2008 Mr. James J. Sheppard President and Chief Executive Officer STP Nuclear Operating Company South Texas Project Electric Generating Station P.O. Box 289 Wadsworth, TX 77483

SUBJECT:

SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNITS 1 AND 2 - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RE: RESPONSE TO GENERIC LETTER 2007-01, "INACCESSIBLE OR UNDERGROUND POWER CABLE FAILURES THAT DISABLE ACCIDENT MITIGATION SYSTEMS OR CAUSE PLANT TRANSIENTS" (TAC NOS. MD4382 AND MD4383)

Dear Mr. Sheppard:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has received from STP Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC, the licensee) the cable failure history for South Texas Project Electric Generating Station, Units 1 and 2 (STP), in response to Generic Letter (GL) 2007-01, AInaccessible or Underground Power Cable Failures that Disable Accident Mitigation Systems or Cause Plant Transients.@ During its review, you found no failures of power cables within the scope of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Section 50.65, ARequirements for Monitoring the Effectiveness of Maintenance at Nuclear Power Plants@ (Maintenance Rule (MR)). Please confirm that this history includes cable failures that occurred prior to July 10, 1996.

Each licensee must implement the regulations in the MR no later than July 10, 1996, in accordance with 10 CFR 50.65(c). Although some licensees have interpreted the MR to not require inclusion of events prior to 1996, the regulations in 10 CFR 50.65(a)(1) mandate that licensees consider previous failures, including events prior to 1996. If STPNOC=s response to GL 2007-01 excluded cable failures that occurred prior to July 10, 1996, please provide the data for these failures as requested in GL 2007-01.

You stated that STPNOC has no specific program for monitoring the condition of underground cables. However, STPNOC has proactively replaced and continues to replace cables based on low Megger readings recorded during motor and load center maintenance activities, prior to cable grounds developing into significant operational challenges. If STPNOC=s response excluded cable replacements for cables that were within the scope of the GL, please provide the data for each cable as requested in GL 2007-01.

The NRC provided additional guidance on how licensees should determine which cable failures are within the scope of GL 2007-01 in the NRC letter dated April 13, 2007, from Michael J. Case (NRC) to James H. Riley (Nuclear Energy Institute) (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML070940311).

Please provide a response to this request for additional information within 30 days of the date of this letter. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact me at (301) 415-1476 or email mct@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/ra/

Mohan C. Thadani, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-498 and 50-499 cc w/encl: See next page

ML080790207 *email OFFICE NRR/LPL4/PM NRR/LPL4/LA EEEB/BC NRR/LPL4/BC NAME MThadani JBurkhardt GWilson

• THiltz DATE 3/19/08 3/18/08 10/30/07 3/20/08 South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2 12/5/2007 cc:

Senior Resident Inspector E. D. Halpin, Site Vice President U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission STP Nuclear Operating Company P.O. Box 289 South Texas Project Electric Generating Wadsworth, TX 77483 Station P.O. Box 289 C. M. Canady Wadsworth, TX 77483 City of Austin Electric Utility Department S. M. Head, Manager, Licensing 721 Barton Springs Road STP Nuclear Operating Company Austin, TX 78704 P.O. Box 289, Mail Code: N5014 Wadsworth, TX 77483 J. J. Nesrsta/R. K. Temple E. Alercon/Kevin Pollo C. T. Bowman, General Manager, Oversight CPS Energy STP Nuclear Operating Company P.O. Box 1771 P.O Box 289 San Antonio, TX 78296 Wadsworth, TX 77483 INPO Ms. Marilyn Kistler Records Center Senior Staff Specialist, Licensing 700 Galleria Parkway STP Nuclear Operating Company Atlanta, GA 30339-3064 P.O. Box 289, Mail Code 5014 Wadsworth, TX 77483 Regional Administrator, Region IV U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Environmental and Natural Resources 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Policy Director Arlington, TX 76011 P.O. Box 12428 Austin, TX 78711-3189 Steve Winn/Christie Jacobs Eddy Daniels/Marty Ryan Mr. Jon C. Wood NRC Energy, Inc. Cox, Smith, & Matthews 211 Carnegie Center 112 East Pecan, Suite 1800 Princeton, NJ 08540 San Antonio, TX 78205 Mr. Nate McDonald Director, Division of Compliance & Inspection County Judge for Matagorda County Bureau of Radiation Control

\1700 7th Street, Room 301 Texas Department of State Health Services Bay City, TX 77414 1100 West 49th Street Austin, TX 78756 A. H. Gutterman, Esq.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Mr. Ted Enos 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 4200 South Hulen Washington, DC 20004 Suite 422 Ft. Worth, TX 76109

South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2 12/5/2007 Mr. Brian Almon Mr. Ken Coates, Plant General Manager Public Utility Commission of Texas STP Nuclear Operating Company P.O. Box 13326 South Texas Project Electric Generating Austin, TX 78711-3326 Station P.O. Box 289 Ms. Susan M. Jablonski Wadsworth, TX 77483 Office of Permitting, Remediation and Registration Mr. Anthony P. Jones, Chief Boiler Inspector Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Texas Department of Licensing and MC-122 Regulation P.O. Box 13087 Boiler Division Austin, TX 78711-3087 E.O. Thompson State Office Building P.O. Box 12157 Austin, TX 78711