[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 245 (Thursday, December 22, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-31444]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: December 22, 1994]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

 

In the Matter of All Reactor Licensees With Installed Thermo-Lag 
330-1 Fire Barrier Material Receipt of Petitions for Director's 
Decision Under 10 CFR 2.206

    Notice is hereby given that by separate letters dated October 21, 
1994, the GE Stockholders' Alliance and Dr. D.K. Cinquemani; by letter 
dated October 25, 1994, the Toledo Coalition for Safe Energy; and by 
letter dated October 26, 1994, R. Benjan (Petitioners) request that the 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) take action with regard to the 
use of Thermo-Lag by all reactor licensees and that their letters be 
treated as Petitions pursuant to Sec. 2.206 of Title 10 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations (10 CFR).
    Dr. Cinquemani and Toledo Coalition for Safe Energy request that 
the NRC immediately shut down all reactors where Thermo-Lag is used 
until it has been removed and replaced. GE Stockholders' Alliance 
requests shutdown of all reactors where Thermo-Lag is used until it has 
been removed and replaced with fire-retardant material meeting NRC 
standards. R. Benjan requests immediate shutdown of all reactors where 
Thermo-Lag is used.
    As the bases for their requests, the Petitioners state, either 
individually or collectively, that
    (1) the widespread use of Thermo-Lag, in more than 70 reactors, 
presents a safety crisis;
    (2) the NRC has known since 1982 that Thermo-Lag fails NRC 
performance standards for material that protects vital electrical 
cables for ampacity rating and fire resistance;
    (3) Thermo-Lag has failed not only NRC tests, but almost all other 
independent tests;
    (4) Thermo-Lag is combustible, contrary to NRC regulations, and is 
an ineffective fire barrier;
    (5) the use of Thermo-Lag could lead to shorts, to failure of the 
cables in an emergency, and to fire;
    (6) Thermo-Lag is faulty in that fraudulent ampacity ratings 
allowed utilities to use smaller cable than permitted by design 
requirements, causing the cable to overheat and its insulation to 
deteriorate;
    (7) the NRC has stated that fire at some nuclear power plants can 
contribute as much as 50 percent of the risk to a core meltdown, and a 
typical reactor will have three to four significant fires during its 
licensed lifetime;
    (8) Thermal Science, Inc., the manufacturer of Thermo-Lag, and its 
president were indicted by Federal grand jury on seven criminal charges 
related to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Government in regard to the 
effectiveness of Thermo-Lag; and
    (9) the hourly fire watches at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power plant 
operated by Toledo Edison do not replace fire barrier material and do 
not prevent fires.
    The Petitions are being treated pursuant to 10 CFR 2.206 of the 
Commissions regulations and have been referred to the Director of the 
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. As provided by 10 CFR 2.206, 
appropriate action will be taken on these petitions within a reasonable 
time. By letter dated December 15, 1994, the Director denied the 
requests of GE Stockholders' Alliance, Dr. Cinquemani, Toledo Coalition 
for Safe Energy, and R. Benjan for immediate suspension of the 
operating licenses of all reactors where Thermo-Lag is used.
    Copies of the Petitions are available for inspection at the 
Commission's Public Document Room at 2120 L Street, NW, Washington, DC.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day of December 1994.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
William T. Russell,
Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 94-31444 Filed 12-21-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M