BWR Control Rod Failures (Generic Letter 80-03)

GL80003 

                               UNITED STATES 
                       NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 
                          WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 

                              January 10 1980 

Docket No. 50-298 

     Mr. J. M. Pilant 
     Licensing and Quality Assurance 
     Nebraska Public Power District 
     P. O. Box 499 
     Columbus, Nebraska 68601 

     Dear Mr. Pilant: 

     In response to our letter of August 29, 1978, you provided information 
     on your 1977 experience of control rods failing to fully insert. We 
     evaluated your response along with those provided by other BWR owners. 
     We concluded that such events are general and that the frequencies of 
     occurrence vary among the BWRs, apparently because of different 
     maintenance programs. 

     Our August 29, 1978 letter recommended that you maintain an ongoing 
     tabulation of any additional such events. To determine whether or not 
     the frequency of these events has changed for a given plant, we now 
     request that you report your more recent experience. This report should
     include the experience from the time of the last reported occurrence 
     through 1979. In addition please provide a summary of other control rod
     drive malfunctions, such as unlatchings, for the same time period. 

     The information should be provided within 90 days. for each event, 
     identify the number of rods not fully inserted, the position of the 
     rods, the cause for failure to fully insert, and any related 
     maintenance activities. 

     This request for additional generic information is in accordance with 
     the GAO blanket clearance number B-180225 (R0536) which expires June 
     30, 1981. 

                                        Sincerely, 


                                        Thomas A. Ippolito, Chief 
                                        Operating Reactors Branch #3 
                                        Division of Operating Reactors 

                                                                 8002130200 
.

Mr. J. M. Pilant
Nebraska Public Power District     - 2 -

cc: 

Mr. G. D. Watson, General Counsel
Nebraska Public Power District 
P. O. Box 499 
Columbus, Nebraska 68501 

Mr. Arthur C. Gehr, Attorney
Snell & Wilmer
3100 Valley Center
Phoenix, Arizona 85073 

Cooper Nuclear Station
ATTN:     Mr. L. Lessor 
          Station Superintendent
P. O. Box 98
Brownville, Nebraska 68321 

Auburn Public Library
118 - 15th Street
Auburn, Nebraska 68305