Issuance Of NUREG-0313, Rev 1, "Technical Report On Material Selection And Processing Guidelines For BWR Coolant Pressure" (Generic Letter 80-06)

GL80006 

                                JAN 18 1980 

TO ALL BWR APPLICANTS 

SUBJECT:  ISSUANCE OF NUREG-0313, REV. 1, "TECHNICAL REPORT ON MATERIAL 
          SELECTION AND PROCESSING GUIDELINES FOR BWR COOLANT PRESSURE 
          BOUNDARY PIPING" 

Attached for your review and comment is the "For Comment" edition of NUREG-
0313, Rev. 1, "Technical Report on Material Selection and Processing 
Guidelines for BWR Coolant Pressure Boundary Piping." The report constitutes
the staff's resolution of the NRC's Generic Technical Activity A-42, "Pipe 
Cracks in Boiling Water Reactors," which was an "Unresolved Safety Issued" 
pursuant to Section 210 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974. 

This report, NUREG-0313, Rev. 1, identifies NRC requirements resulting from 
the recent publication, NUREG-0531, "Investigation and Evaluation of Stress-
Corrosion Cracking Piping of LIght Water Reactor Plants," by the NRC Pipe 
Crack Study Group (PCSG). The Study Group was specifically chartered to 
reexamine our previous conclusions and recommendations on this subject in 
view of cracks recently discovered in large diameter pipes, to evaluate the 
significance of safe end cracking at Duane Arnold relative to similar 
material and design aspects at other facilities, and to examine detection 
capabilities. 

NUREG-O313, Rev. 1 sets forth the NRC staff's revised acceptable methods to 
reduce the intergranular stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of BWR 
ASME Code Class 1 & 2 pressure boundary piping and safe ends. For plants 
that cannot fully comply with the material selection, testing, and 
processing guidelines of this report, varying degrees of augmented inservice 
inspection and leak detection requirements are presented. 

At this time public comments are being solicited from interested 
organizations, groups, and individuals. Any comments you may have should be 
forwarded to Dr. C. Y. Cheng, Engineering Branch, Division of Operating 
Reactors, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D. C. 20555. 

At the completion of the 60-day public comment period, the staff will 
evaluate the comments received and, if needed, modify our positions in 
NUREG-0313, Rev. 1. At that time, the staff will inform you of our final 
requirements. Since we believe that our final requirements will not be 
substantially different from our positions in the "For Comment" edition of 
NUREG-0313, Rev. 1, we suggest that it would be in your best interest for 
you to (1) begin to review all of the pressure boundary piping, safe end, 
and fitting material, including weld metal, in your facility to determine if 
it meets the material selection and processing guidelines set forth in the 
enclosed report, (2) lay out plans and schedules for any replacements of no-
conforming materials, and (3) start to 

8007230386 
.

                                 - 2 -                         Jan 18 1980 

prepare submittal to the staff to demonstrate that implementing the staff's 
guidelines specified in Part II of the enclosed report would result in undue
hardship. Hardship requests will be reviewed on a case by case basis 
starting at the time we issue our final requirements and will be considered 
only for plants that have been issued a CP and are in the later stages of 
construction. Since we anticipate issuing our final requirements by late 
March 1980, construction factors included in you hardship requests will be 
considered only if they exist prior to that time. 

                                        Sincerely, 


                                        D. F. Ross, Jr., Acting Director 
                                        Division of Project Management 

Enclosure:
NUREG-0313, Rev. 1

cc: Service List