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 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 289 Wadsworth, TX 77483

C. M. Canady City of Austin

Electric Utility Department 721 Barton Springs Road Austin, TX 78704

J. J. Nesrsta/R. K. Temple E. Alercon/Kevin Pollo CPS Energy P.O. Box 1771 San Antonio, TX 78296

INPO Records Center 700 Galleria Parkway Atlanta, GA 30339-3064

Regional Administrator, Region IV U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011

Steve Winn/Christie Jacobs Eddy Daniels/Marty Ryan NRC Energy, Inc.

211 Carnegie Center Princeton, NJ 08540

Mr. Nate McDonald County Judge for Matagorda County

\1700 7 th Street, Room 301 Bay City, TX 77414

A. H. Gutterman, Esq.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004 E. D. Halpin, Site Vice President STP Nuclear Operating Company South Texas Project Electric Generating Station P.O. Box 289 Wadsworth, TX 77483

S. M. Head, Manager, Licensing STP Nuclear Operating Company P.O. Box 289, Mail Code: N5014 Wadsworth, TX 77483

C. T. Bowman, General Manager, Oversight STP Nuclear Operating Company P.O Box 289 Wadsworth, TX 77483

Ms. Marilyn Kistler Senior Staff Specialist, Licensing STP Nuclear Operating Company P.O. Box 289, Mail Code 5014 Wadsworth, TX 77483

Environmental and Natural Resources Policy Director P.O. Box 12428 Austin, TX 78711-3189

Mr. Jon C. Wood Cox, Smith, & Matthews 112 East Pecan, Suite 1800 San Antonio, TX 78205

Director, Division of Compliance & Inspection Bureau of Radiation Control Texas Department of State Health Services 1100 West 49th Street Austin, TX 78756

Mr. Ted Enos 4200 South Hulen Suite 422 Ft. Worth, TX 76109

South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2 12/5/2007

Mr. Brian Almon Public Utility Commission of Texas P.O. Box 13326 Austin, TX 78711-3326

Ms. Susan M. Jablonski Office of Permitting, Remediation and Registration Texas Commission on Environmental Quality MC-122 P.O. Box 13087 Austin, TX 78711-3087 Mr. Ken Coates, Plant General Manager STP Nuclear Operating Company South Texas Project Electric Generating Station P.O. Box 289 Wadsworth, TX 77483

Mr. Anthony P. Jones, Chief Boiler Inspector Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Boiler Division E.O. Thompson State Office Building P.O. Box 12157 Austin, TX 78711