Information Notice No. 88-46, Supplement 2: Licensee Report of Defective Refurbished Circuit Breakers

                                   UNITED STATES
                          NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
                      OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C.  20555

                               December 30, 1988 


Information Notice No. 88-46, SUPPLEMENT 2:  LICENSEE REPORT OF DEFECTIVE 
                                                 REFURBISHED CIRCUIT BREAKERS 


Addressees: 

All holders of operating licenses or construction permits for nuclear power 
reactors. 

Purpose: 

This information notice supplement is being provided to present additional 
information regarding the supply of surplus or refurbished electrical equip-
ment such as circuit breakers (CBs) to nuclear power plants as discussed in 
NRC Information Notice (IN) No. 88-46 including Supplement 1.  It is expected 
that recipients will review this information for applicability to their faci-
lities.  However, suggestions contained in this information notice do not 
constitute NRC requirements; therefore, no specific action or written response 
is required.  

Description of Circumstances: 

Information Notice No. 88-46 discussed a report by Pacific Gas and Electric 
(PG&E) that defective refurbished CBs were supplied to PG&E's Diablo Canyon 
Nuclear Power Plant by a California electrical supplier.  Supplement No. 1 to 
IN 88-46 provided a list of shipments of circuit breakers to nuclear power 
plants or nuclear utilities by five California companies that may have 
supplied defective refurbished electrical equipment. 

The NRC has conducted followup inspections and investigations at selected CB 
distributors and at companies suspected of selling used or refurbished circuit 
breakers.  Additionally, nuclear utility sales information related to poten-
tially refurbished CBs has been voluntarily provided to the NRC by 
distributors of electrical equipment.  This information is summarized in 
Attachment 1.  Sev-eral utilities identified in the Attachment have already 
been contacted by the NRC concerning specific licensee procurements and 
disposition of the equipment involved. 

The NRC staff does not have any specific information on the condition of the 
equipment provided by these companies; however, the activities observed at 
some of the companies visited by the NRC were not considered sufficient to 
assure breaker functionality and quality.   




8812280051
.                                                       IN 88-46, Supplement 2
                                                       December 30, 1988
                                                       Page 2 of 2 


No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.
If you have any questions about this matter, please contact one of the 
technical contacts listed below or the Regional Administrator of the 
appropriate regional office. 




                              Charles E. Rossi, Director
                              Division of Operational Events Assessment
                              Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical Contacts:  J. B. Jacobson, NRR 
                     (301) 492-0996 

                     K. R. Naidu, NRR 
                     (301) 492-0980 

Attachments: 1. Shipments of Circuit Breakers to Nuclear 
                  Power Plants or Nuclear Utilities 
             2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
.                                                       Attachment 2
                                                       IN 88-46, Supplement 2
                                                       December 30, 1988
                                                       Page 1 of 1

                             LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED
                            NRC INFORMATION NOTICES 
_____________________________________________________________________________
Information                                  Date of 
Notice No._____Subject_______________________Issuance_______Issued to________

88-101         Shipment of Contaminated      12/28/88       All holders of OLs
               Equipment between Nuclear                    or CPs for nuclear
               Power Stations                               power reactors. 

88-100         Memorandum of Understanding   12/23/88       All major nuclear 
               between NRC and OSHA                         materials 
               Relating to NRC-licensed                     licensees and 
               Facilities (53 FR 43950,                     utilities holding 
               October 31, 1988)                            CPs and OLs. 

88-99          Detection and Monitoring      12/20/88       All holders of OLs
               of Sudden and/or Rapidly                     or CPs for PWRs. 
               Increasing Primary-to-
               Secondary Leakage 

88-98          Electrical Relay Degradation  12/19/88       All holders of OLs
               Caused by Oxidation of                       or CPs for nuclear
               Contact Surfaces                             power reactors. 

88-97          Potentially Substandard       12/16/88       All holders of OLs
               Valve Replacement Parts                      or CPs for nuclear
                                                            power reactors. 

88-96          Electrical Shock Fatalities   12/14/88       All holders of OLs
               at Nuclear Power Plants                      or CPs for nuclear
                                                            power reactors. 

88-95          Inadequate Procurement        12/8/88        All holders of OLs
               Requirements Imposed by                      or CPs for nuclear
               Licensees on Vendors                         power reactors. 

88-94          Potentially Undersized        12/2/88        All holders of OLs
               Valve Actuators                              or CPs for nuclear
                                                            power reactors. 

88-93          Teletherapy Events            12/2/88        All NRC medical 
                                                            licensees. 

88-92          Potential for Spent Fuel      11/22/88       All holders of OLs
               Pool Draindown                               or CPs for nuclear
                                                            power reactors. 
_____________________________________________________________________________
OL = Operating License
CP = Construction Permit 
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