Safety Concerns Associated with Pipe Breaks in the BWR Scram System (Generic Letter 81-34)

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

                               August 31, 1981

TO ALL GE BWR LICENSEES (EXCEPT HUMBOLDT BAY) 

Gentlemen: 

SUBJECT:  SAFETY CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH PIPE BREAKS IN THE BWR SCRAM 
          SYSTEM (GENERIC LETTER 81-34) 

On July 7, 1981 the NRC staff sent a letter to all BWR licensees informing 
them that the generic review of this issue had been completed. We indicated 
that a NUREG report describing the results of this review would be issued. 

This letter forwards NUREG-0803, "Generic Safety Evaluation Report Regarding
Integrity of BWR Scram System Piping," dated August 1981. Section 5 of 
NUREG-0803 presents the staff's generic conclusions on this issue. Briefly, 
the staff has concluded that the SDV piping system design is acceptable, 
provided certain conditions are satisfied on a plant specific basis. The 
staff further concluded that the safety concerns associated with a 
postulated failure of the SDV piping system do not represent a dominant 
contribution to the risk or core melt, provided certain assumptions used in 
the risk assessment are validated on a plant specific basis. 

NUREG-0803 provides the staff's guidance and schedule for implementation. As
provided in our July 7, 1981 letter, plant specific responses should be 
provided within 120 days of the date of this letter. Plant specific 
responses conforming to the guidance contained in NUREG-0803 will satisfy 
the information requested in our April 10, 1981 letter. 

As indicated in our April 10, 1981 letter, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.54(f), 
provide your plant specific response within 120 days of the date of this 
letter. 

                              Sincerely, 


                              Darrell G. Eisenhut, Director 
                              Division of Licensing 
                              Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 

Enclosure
As Stated

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