ML20140F725

Forwards Seacoast Anti-Pollution League Comment on Proposed License Amend to Seabrook Station,Unit 1

ML20140F725
Person / Time
Site:	Seabrook
Issue date:	06/06/1997
From:	Doughty J SEACOAST ANTI-POLLUTION LEAGUE
To:	Milano P NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
References
NUDOCS 9706130215
Download: ML20140F725 (2)

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June 6, 1997 Patrick D.

Milano, Acting Director Project Directorate 1-3 Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 0-14 B 20 US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555

Dear Mr. Milano:

Enclosed is the Seacoast Anti-Pollution League's comment on the proposed License Amendment to Seabrook Station, Unit No.

1, public notice of which was published on 6/4/97 in the legal notices section of the Portsmouth Herald.

I telephoned 301-415-1457 by direct dialed call on this date and reached your voice mail and read SAPL's comment.

When 1 later noted that the instructions said "by collect call", 1 tried twice to place a collect call to your number to resubmit our comment.

Neither call was accepted.

This raises a concern that other public comments may also have been attempted unsuccessfully.

On this basis, SAPL would ask that the public comment period be extended.

Sincerely, C) = h %

Jane Doughty SAPL Staff l

Enclosure Via Certified Mail 1

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SAPL'S COMMENT ON NRC'S PROPOSED LICENSE AMENDMENT (Public Notification of which was published in the Legal Notices section of the Portsmouth Herald on

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6/4/97)

It is the Seacoast Anti-Pollution League's position that there is a significant hazards consideration.in the matter of the NRC staff # s proposed amendment to the operating license at the Seabrook Station, Unit No.

1, which would amend the Seabrook Technical Specifications to explicitly identify the Westinghouse fuel assembly design at l

Seabrook consisting of either ZIRLO or Zircaloy-4 fuel cladding material.

There is a significant hazards consideration in this matter because it has become clear that there is a problem with the Westinghouse fuel cladding in use at Seabrook Station.

The licensee has identified leaking fuel rods; two of the ZIRLO clad rods broke during refueling operations according to an event report made to the NRC on S/31/97.

This degradation of one of the principal safety barriers at the plant is a very serious matter.

If root causes are not I

identified and remedied, there is every reason to expect that this degradation will continue in future and a condition could eventuate which could lead to serious public safety consequences.

SAPL holds that the detection of a steam generator tube leak during the last operating cycle, which indicates that a second principal safety barrier at the l

plant is also degrading, is relevant to this matter.

SAPL believes that the both the probability and consequences of previously evaluated accident scenarios are increased by l

plant operation with degradeo fuel cladding.

It is clear l

that plant workers are already being subj ec ted to more hazardous working conditions as a consequence of the degraded fuel cladding.

Operation of Seabrook Station with defective fuel cladding significantly reduces the margins of public safety.

l SAPL holds that a hearing should be held and a thorough investigation be made to determine the root causes of l

existing fuel cladding degradation prior to any decisions I

being made to issue this license amendment and prior to plant start-up.

Submitted on 6/6/97 by:

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O Jane Doughty SAPL Staff 4

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