NRC Generic Letter 80-06, Issuance of NUREG-0313, Rev 1, "Technical Report on Material Selection and Processing Guidelines for BWR Coolant Pressure"

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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 toJan 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