ML20138E539

Responds to Re NRC Review of TVA Environ Qualification of Equipment.Plant Will Not Be Restarted Until Completion of NRC Review & Resolution of Issues in TVA-WESTEC Svcs,Inc Rept

ML20138E539
Person / Time
Site:	Sequoyah
Issue date:	12/06/1985
From:	Palladino N NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
To:	Cooper J, Lloyd M HOUSE OF REP.
Shared Package
ML19306B153	List: ML20138E539 ML20138E556 ML20138G187
References
NUDOCS 8512130473
Download: ML20138E539 (4)

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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

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- CHAIRMAN December 6, 1985 The Honorable Marilyn Lloyd United States House of Representatives Washington, D. C. 20515

Dear Congresswoman Lloyd:

This responds to your letter of November 1, 1985 in which you expressed interest in NRC's review of TVA's Environmental Qualification (EQ) of equipment at Sequoyah Nuclear Plant. You may recall that TVA voluntarily shut down both Sequoyah units in August of this year because they concluded that compliance with 10 CFR 50.49 could not be demonstrated at those units. Since that time, the NRC staff has been in close communication with TVA regarding the status of their EQ program. This has included a review of the observations referred to in the TVA-WESTEC Services report (enclosed with your November 1 letter), a technical meeting with the licensee on September 16, 1985, and numerous phone calls among our technical staffs. On September 17, 1985, the Executive Director for Operations issued

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a request to TVA, under 10 CFR 50.54(f), for information relating to their EQ program and the qualification status of equipment at the Sequoyah facility. By letter dated November 1, 1985, TVA submitted its response to this letter. The NRC staff currently has this response under review.

Prior to resuming operation, Sequoyah must be in compliance with the requirements of 10 CFR 50.49; and, therefore, the deficiencies identified in the TVA-WESTEC Services report must be resolved. In order to ensure the above, prior to restart of Sequoyah, the NRC staff will perform a thorough review and evaluation that includes the following:

-- A review of a representative number of TVA's 81 EQ packages for Sequoyah, to determine that they contain adequate documentation to demonstrate that the equipment is environmentally qualified.

-- A physical inspection of selected equipment, to verify that the EQ documentation is applicable to the as-installed equipment.

-- A review of TVA's program for implementing the requirements of-10 CFR 50.49.

-- A review of TVA's program for maintaining the qualification of equipment during the life of the plant.

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Pending completion of this review, satisfactory resolution of the issues identified in the TVA-WESTI.C Services report, and a conclusion by the NRC staff that the plant can be operated in a safe manner, TVA will not restart either Sequoyah unit.

The Commission's current plans are to meet with TVA management and with the.NRC staff in January, 1986 regarding problems at TVA nuclear plants. NRC decisions to permit restart of the

. Sequoyah units would not be completed until after such meetings.

Sincerely,

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cwAinMAN December 6, 1985 The Honorable Jim Cooper United States House of Representatives Washington, D. C. 20515 ,

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Dear Congressman Cooper:

This responds to your letter of November 1, 1985 in which you N expressed interest in NRC's review of TVA's Environmental 4 Qualification (EQ) of equipment at Sequoyah Nuclear Plant. You may recall that TVA voluntarily shut down both Sequoyah units in -

l August of this year because they concluded that compliance with 10 CFR 50.49 could not be demonstrated at those units. Since that time, the NRC staff has been in close communication with ,

TVA regaroing the status of their EQ program. This has included a review of the observations referred to in the TVA-WESTEC s_

Services report (enclosed with your November i letter), a technical meeting with the licensee on September 16, 1985, and numerous phone calls among our technical staffs. On September 17, 1985, the Executive Director for Operations issued s a request to TVA, under 10 CFR 50.54(f), for information relating to their EQ program and the qualification status of <

equipment at the Sequoyah facility. By letter dated November 1, 1985, TVA submitted its response to this letter. The NRC staff currently har this response under review.

Prior to resuming operation, Sequoyah must be in compliance with the requirements of 10 CFR 50.49; and, therefore, the s deficiencies identified in the TVA-WESTEC Services report must be resolved. In order to ensure the above, prior to restart of Sequoyah, the NRC staff will perform a thorough review and evaluation that includes the following:

-- A review of a representative number of TVA's 81 EQ packages for Sequoyah, to determine that they contain adequate documentation to demonstrate that the '

equipment is environmentally qualified.

-- A physical inspection of selected equipment, to verify' that the EQ documentation is applicable,to the as-installed equipment.

-- A review of TVA's program for implementing the requirements of 10 CFR 50.49.

-- A review of TVA's program for maintaining the qualification of equipment during the life of the plant.

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. Pending completion-of this review, satisfactory resolution of

'the--issues identified in the'TVA-WESTEC Services report, and a conclusion.by'the NRC staff that the plant can be operated in a

- -l safe ma'nneti TVA will not restart either Sequoyah unit.

,The Commission's current plans are to meet with TVA management and with the NRC staff-in January, 1986 regarding problems at TVA nuclear plants.- NRC decisions'to permit restart ~of the Sequoyah qits would not be c'ompleted until after such meetings.

,c T' Sincerely, .

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Nunzio J. Palladino k

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