Discussion Of Lessons Learned Short Term Requirements (Generic Letter 79-56)

GL79056 

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

                             October 30, 1979 

(TO ALL OPERATING NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS) 

Gentlemen: 

SUBJECT: DISCUSSION OF LESSONS LEARNED SHORT TERM REQUIREMENTS 

On September 13, 1979, a letter was issued to each power reactor licensee 
which defined a set of "short term" requirements resulting from the NRC 
staff investigations of the TMI accident. Since the letter was issued, the 
staff has attempted to further define these requirements. During the week of
September 24, 1979, seminars were held in four regions of the country to 
encourage industry feedback and dialogue on each short term requirement. As 
a result of these discussions, four topical meetings were held in Bethesda 
to discuss certain issues in further detail. 

Enclosure 1 provides additional clarification of the NRC staff requirements.
It should be noted that the intent of these requirements have not changed 
throughout this process and are restated in Enclosure 1. 

Enclosure 2 is a chart of the NUREG-0578 items and their corresponding 
implementation schedules. The chart indicates which of the items require 
prior NRC review and approval and those for which post implementation NRC 
review is acceptable. 

For those items requiring prior NRC approval, your design details should be 
submitted in a timely manner so that this approval and your implementation 
of the item can be completed by the required date. For those items which do 
not require prior NRC approval, you must document your method, of 
implementation by the required completion date. These schedules assume that 
your methods are in complete agreement with the staff's requirements as 
previously documented in NUREG-0578, our September 13, 1979 letter, and 
clarified herein. Where your methods are not in complete agreement with the 
staff's requirements, a detailed description of your proposed methods along 
with justification for the differences, is required. Please provide this 
description and justification as soon as possible but no later than 15 days 
following receipt of this letter. 
.

                                 - 2 - October 30, 1979 

The schedule for completing each of the short term TMI followup requirements
is firm. Some licensees, in responding to our September 13, 1979 letter, 
have indicated an inability to meet the established implementation schedule. 
If your response was in this category you are requested to reconsider your 
implementation schedule with the purpose of improving your implementation 
dates to meet those required by the staff. Within fifteen days from receipt 
of this letter, you are requested to submit your revised schedule for 
implementation. If you are unable to commit to meeting any of the January 1,
1980 requirements, you must provide, for each item, a report on the degree 
of compliance expected on January 1, 1980, and a detailed justification for 
the delay. 

                                        Sincerely, 



                                        Harold R. Denton, Director 
                                        Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosures:
1.   Discussion of TMI Lessons Learned
       Short Term Requirements
2.   Implementation Schedule