ML20133H635

Forwards Newspaper Article Re Unsuccessful Drywell Structural Integrity Test at Facility,For Info.Related Correspondence

ML20133H635
Person / Time
Site:	Perry
Issue date:	08/05/1985
From:	Hiatt S OHIO CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBLE ENERGY
To:	Bright G, Gleason J, Kline J Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel
References
CON-#385-146 OL, NUDOCS 8508090431
Download: ML20133H635 (2)

Text

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RE1M O 00LKETED USNRC L

L- " A'u g u s t . 5 , '1 9 8 5 Gleason, Chairman '85 AUG -8 P12:03

. James P. ~

) Atomic Sorety ond Licensing Board b

513 Gilmoure Drive GFFicE OF SELdni M '

Silver Spetne. HD 20901 00CKETmG 4 SEPVifi  !

BRANCH Dr. Jerry it. Kline ,

A tomic . Sor e ty .ond.:Licens ing ecord U.S. IJuelear ~ Regulatory Commtssion unshington, DC 20555 Hr. Glenn 0. Bright f

Atomic Sorety ond Licensing Board U.S. tiuclear Regulatory Commission Washsngton, DC .20555 Ro Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. (Perry Nuclear Power

' Plant,. Units-1 and 2), Docket-Nos. 50-440 and 50-441 Gentlemen: ,

During' the April 30-May 3 hearing, there Was con 5iderable testimony on drywell integrity and dryuell byposs leakage. For

-your.information, intervenor Ohio Citi: ens for Responsible Energy (*OCRE')~hos attached a news article concerning the unsuccessful Perry drywell struceural integrity test.

Sincerely, SuBon L..diott OCRE-Representative.

8275 Munson Rd.

Mentor. OH 44060-(216) 255-3159

Enclosure:

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• 1 Tuesdi y,"*"'"Mie LOCAL REPORT /3 Equipment failure pushes Perry plant backa ~

actually leaving the building.

By BillSammon s things like this to happen. When you're doing "But you're getting closer and closer to 'the Nms-HeraldStatt Wnter testing, you're testing to find problems, and when Completion of the North Perry Village nuclear you find problems, you've got to stop and correct . public," Grobe said. "You're gradually cutting away .

them. At this stage of the game the schedule is going your defense-in-depth concept."

power plant will be delayed by yet 'another week The leaks could also cause an overpressurization of because equipment failed during a " major" pre- to have to remain flexible." the reactor building, causing a " crack" or " break" The problem arose when leaks were discovered in a in the building itself, Grobe said.

! operational test last week, a federal That means nuclear fuel will not be loaded into theinspector concretesaid.shell around the nuclear reactor. The shell, The leaks occurred in seals arcund pipes which first of two nuclear reactors at the plant until at Icast called a drywell, is supposed to remain airtight at a penetrate the drywell. Each seal consists of a l the first week of October, said John Grobe, a Perry pressure of 30 pounds per square inch, Grobe said.

laminated fabric boot which is attached to the inside

resident inspector from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory However, during testing, air leaked out seven times of the drywell and the outside of piping for safety-

! Commissicn. '

before the pressure even reached 13 pounds, Grobe release steam valves. The fabric tore when pressure Previously, the most recent fuel-load estimate had said. The leaks occurred last Monday, Wednesday, . reached levels as low as 7% pounds per square inch, been listed as Sept. 26 by the plant's builder, the Thursday and Friday, when CEI decided to abort the -

test, Grobe said. Grobe said.

Cleveland Electric illuminating Co., Grobe said.

"It is rather significant from a scheduling ne leaks, which are currently being repaired, are ' , The faulty type of boot, which is used to seal 16 standpoint - it's a good week delay," Grobe said. ' significant because the drywell is supposed to lock in pipes in the drywell, is being redesigned to be more CEI spokeswoman Elizabeth Shaw said she was radioactive steam in the event of an accident in which airtight, Grobe said.

not sure how the fuel-load date would be affected, coolant might be lost from the reactor. If the leaks were to remain uncorrected, such an accident could s CEI and the NRC differ on when the plant will ,

I but she stressed it is better to discover such problems -

during testing than during actual operation of the result in the release of radiation into the large begin to generate electricity. CEI says it will happen building .which houses the reactor. Other safety by the end of the year, but the NRC says it will not -

56.4 billion plant. happen until next year, possibly as late as March.

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"Better now than later," Shaw said. "We expect systems would presumably stop the radiation from e

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