Information Notice No. 79- 14, NRC Position of Electrical Cable Support Systems

IN79014 

                               June 4, 1979 

MEMORANDUM FOR:     B. H. Grier, Director, Region I 
                    J. P. O'Reilly, Director, Region II 
                    J. G. Keppler, Director, Region III 
                    K. V. Seyfrit, Director, Region IV 
                    R. H. Engelken, Director, Region V 

FROM:               Harold D. Thornburg, Director, RCI:IE 

SUBJECT:            Information Notice No. 79- 14, NRC POSITION OF 
                    ELECTRICAL CABLE SUPPORT SYSTEMS 

The subject Information Notice is transmitted for issuance on June 11, 1979.
The Information Notice should be issued to all power reactor facilities with
a construction permit. Also enclosed is a draft copy of the transmittal 
letter for this purpose. 

A copy of the memorandum R. J. Mattson to H. D. Thornburg and R. S. Boyd, 
dated February 21, 1979, is forwarded for your information. This letter 
provided the basis for this Information Notice but should not be distributed
with the Notice. 


                                        Harold D. Thornburg, Director 
                                        Division of Reactor Construction 
                                          Inspection 
                                        Office of Inspection and Enforcement

Enclosures:
1.   IE Information Notice
       No. 79-14
2.   Draft Transmittal Letter
3.   Memorandum dated 2/21/79

CONTACT:  W. Laudan, IE
          49-27551 
.

(Draft letter to all applicants for, and holders of construction permits.) 

                                           Information Notice No. 79- 14 
Addressee: 

This Information Notice is being issued to call to your attention an aspect 
of the Commission's regulations which IE inspectors have found is not always
being fully implemented. No written response is required. If you have 
questions regarding this matter, please contact me. 

                                        Sincerely, 


                                        Signature 
                                        (Regional Director) 

Enclosure:
IE Information Notice
  No. 79-14
.

                              UNITED STATES 
                       NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 
                   OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT 
                          WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 
                                     
                               June 11, 1979 

                                            Information Notice No. 79-14 

SAFETY CLASSIFICATION OF ELECTRICAL CABLE SUPPORT SYSTEMS 

Summary: 

The NRC inspection staff has found that in several cases, facilities under 
construction have not applied the pertinent quality assurance requirements 
of 10 CFR 50, Appendix B to the design, procurement, and installation of 
cable trays and their support systems for Class IE electrical cables. This 
notice is being issued to all applicants for, and holders of construction 
permits, to remind them of the Commission's regulations on this subject. 

Description of Circumstances: 

1.   In the Commission's Regulations for Licensing of Production and 
     Utilization Facilities - 10 CFR Part 50, Criterion 2 of Appendix A, 
     states in part that "Structures, systems and components important to 
     safety shall be designed to withstand the effects of....earthquakes 
     ....without loss of capability to perform their safety functions...." 

2.   The Commission's Regulations on Reactor Site Criteria, Part 100, 
     Appendix A, define a "safe shutdown earthquake," (SSE) and generally 
     identify the structures, systems and components which are required to 
     remain functional during such an earthquake. 

3.   Regulatory Guide 1.29 "Seismic Design Classification" states in 
     pertinent part: 

     "C.1. The following structures, systems and components of a nuclear 
     power plant, including their foundations and supports (emphasis added) 
     are designated as Seismic Category 1 and should be designed to 
     withstand the effects of the SSE and remain functional. The pertinent 
     quality assurance requirements of Appendix B to 10 CFR 50 should be 
     applied to all activities affecting the safety related functions of 
     these structures, systems and components." 
     
     "C1.q. The Class IE electric systems, including the auxiliary systems 
     for the on-site electric power supplies, that provide the emergency 
     electric power..." 

No written response to this information notice is required. If you have 
question's regarding the matter, please contact the Director of the 
appropriate NRC Regional Office.