Information Notice 1986-97, Emergency Communications System

Emergency Communications System

ML031250219
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, Monticello, Calvert Cliffs, Dresden, Davis Besse, Peach Bottom, Browns Ferry, Salem, Oconee, Mcguire, Nine Mile Point, Palisades, Palo Verde, Perry, Indian Point, Fermi, Kewaunee, Catawba, Harris, Wolf Creek, Saint Lucie, Point Beach, Oyster Creek, Watts Bar, Hope Creek, Grand Gulf, Cooper, Sequoyah, Byron, Pilgrim, Arkansas Nuclear, Three Mile Island, Braidwood, Susquehanna, Summer, Prairie Island, Columbia, Seabrook, Brunswick, Surry, Limerick, North Anna, Turkey Point, River Bend, Vermont Yankee, Crystal River, Haddam Neck, Ginna, Diablo Canyon, Callaway, Vogtle, Waterford, Duane Arnold, Farley, Robinson, Clinton, South Texas, San Onofre, Cook, Comanche Peak, Yankee Rowe, Maine Yankee, Quad Cities, Humboldt Bay, La Crosse, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Zion, Midland, Bellefonte, Fort Calhoun, FitzPatrick, McGuire, LaSalle, 05000000, Zimmer, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant, Skagit, Marble Hill
Issue date:	11/28/1986
From:	Jordan E NRC/IE
To:
References
IN-86-097, NUDOCS 8611240083
Download: ML031250219 (4)

SSINS No. 6835 IN 86-97 UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 NOVEMBER 28, 1986 IE INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 86-97: EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

Addressees

All nuclear power reactor facilities holding an operating license and the fol- lowing fuel facilities: Nuclear Fuel Services of Erwin, General Atomics, UNC

Montville, B&W LCR Lynchburgh, and B&W Lynchburgh.

Purpose

This notice is being issued to more clearly define the emergency communications

system (i.e., the emergency notification system and health physics network) and

to provide guidance on the operation and testing of the system. No specific

action or written response is required by this information notice.

Discussion:

Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 50, Appendix E, Paragraph E.9, requires that the licensee have an emergency communications system. The system

currently in use and acceptable to the NRC consists of two subsystems - the

emergency notification system (ENS) and the health physics network (HPN).

These networks are funded by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The ENS

is an automatic ring-down service that provides dedicated telephone service to

the NRC Operations Center. Originally, the HPN system was a dial-up dedicated

circuit between the licensee's facilities, the regions and the NRC headquarters.

The HPN requires special equipment that has been subject to reliability and

maintainability problems and can no longer economically provide the necessary

level of service. The NRC is replacing the original HPN equipment with normal

commercial dial-up service pending a permanent solution.

The ENS portion of the emergency communications system is designed to (1) facil- itate the licensee's timely notifications to the NRC of off-normal incidents

affectina the facility and (2) provide information concerning the operation and

status of the plant to the NRC Operations Center. The HPN is designed to provide

health physics and environmental information to the NRC Operations Center in the

event of an ongoing emergency. Licensees must provide qualified personnel to

maintain an open, continuous communications channel with the NRC Operations

Center upon request by the NRC, as required by 10 CFR 50.72(c)(3). The licensee

is responsible for supplying timely, reliable information concerning an event to

the NRC via the Operations Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Members of the NRC

will not relieve the licensee of this responsibility.

8611240083

IN 86-97 November 28, 1986 The ENS system is exercised each morning, usually between the hours of 0400 and

0800 Eastern time, by the Headquarters Operations Officer's placement of a call

to each licensed facility to collect status information. However, this call does

not fully satisfy 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix E, Paragraph E.9.d., which requires

each licensee to perform monthly testing from the control room, the technical

support center (TSC) and the emergency operations facility (EOF).

The monthly tests of the ENS and HPN instruments from all installed locations

except the NRC Resident Inspector's Office should be done at the initiative of

the licensee. It should be noted that it is not necessary to conduct monthly

tests of the ENS and HPN instruments to the NRC regional office because that

connection is made through the Operations Center. In the case of the ENS, it

is necessary for the licensee to call from each ENS location and establish

contact with the NRC Headquarters Operations Officer. The Headquarters Oper- ations Officer should be requested to return the licensee's call at each of

the locations. The licensee also should be aware that on occasion it may be

necessary to delay a particular test because of the heavy volume of traffic

being experienced at the NRC Operations Center. All HPN instruments installed

at the licensees facilities should be tested by placing a local call to any

other telephone and request a call back to ensure the instrument is working.

No call to the NRC Operations Center is required. Documentation of the monthly

test for the entire emergency communications system is required to be maintained

by the licensee.

The following information is provided to the licensee in recognition that the

new commercial service for the HPN has raised questions about its use and oper- ation:

The new system is standard commercial telephone service and requires no

complicated or sophisticated operating instruction. It is only necessary

to lift the receiver and dial (301)-951-1212 to get the NRC Operations

Center. This telephone is installed and operated at the expense of the

NRC. Its intended use is to permit licensee personnel to transmit health

physics and environmental information to the NRC through the Operations

Center in Bethesda, Maryland in radiological events and exercises. No

other licensee use. other than required testing is permitted. Licensees

must take appropriate precautions to ensure that the telephone is readily

available for the purpose described here and for the monthly tests.

Licensees should ensure that the system is not used for other purposes.

The development and implementation of appropriate precautions is left to

the discretion of the licensee, but should be consistent with the general

administrative controls and procedures of the individual facility.

The HPN telephone instrument, manufactured by ITT, is a distinct ash/almond

color, and is identified as "HPN Telephone." Stickers are attached to each

instrument providing the primary and backup phone numbers of the NRC Opera- tions Center. Most facilities have installed these instruments in the TSC

and EOF, although some plants will need to deviate from those locations

based on where protective measure information is centrally collected.

IN 86-97 November 28, 1986 Should either or both of the emergency communications subsystems (ENS and HPN)

fail, the Operations Center in Bethesda, Maryland, should be so informed over

normal commercial telephone systems by calling 301-951-0550 or one of the

following backup numbers:

301-427-4056

301-427-4259

301-492-8893 A collect call to any of these numbers will be accepted. NRC will make arrange- ments to have the failed system returned to normal operation. At the time the

failure is reported, the licensee should be prepared to supply the following

information to expedite repair: (1) name of contact at location of failure,

(2) commercial phone number of contact, (3) location of contact (i.e., street

address, building number, room number, etc.), and (4) any other information

that would expedite repair.

No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.

If you have questions about this matter, please contact the Regional Adminis- trator of the appropriate regional office or the technical contact listed below.

Edward Jordan, Director

Divisio of Emergency Preparedness

and Engineering Response

Office of Inspection and Enforcement

H. Michael Hawkins, IE

301-492-4145 Attachment: List of Previously Issued IE Information Notices

Attachment 1 IN 86-97 November 28. 1986 LIST OFRECENTLY ISSUED

ic ,;.FRMATICN . i.

uste or

ni- -A - - - - usto or

Noti ce No. Subject Issue .

Issued to

Heat Exchanger Fouling Can 11/20/86 All power reactor

86-96 Cause Inadequate Operability. facilities holding

Of Service Water Systems an OL or CP

86-95 Leak Testing Iodine-125 11/14/86 All NRC licensees

Sealed Sources In Lixi, Inc. authorized to use

Imaging Devices and Sons Lixi. Inc. imaging

Mineral Analyzers devices

86-94 Hilti Contreta Expansion 11/6/86 All powaer reactor

Anchor Boits facilities holding

an OL or C?

86-93 IED 85-03 Evaluation Of 11/3/85 All power reactor

Motor-Oporators Identifies facilities holding

Improper Torque Switch an OL or CP

Settings

88-82 Failures Of Scram Discharge 1V4/85 All power reactor

Rev. 1 Volume Vent And Drain Valves facilities holding

an OL or CP

86-92 Pressurizer Safety Valve 1V4/86 All PWRfacilities

Reliability holding an OL or CP

Limiting Access 11V3/86 All powe reactor

S6-91 facilities holding

Authori zations

an OL or CP; fuel

fabrication and

processing facilities

Requests To Dispose Of Very 1V3/86 All powr reactor

Low-Lavel Radioactive Waste facilities holding

Pursuant to 10 CFR 20.302 an OL or CP

86-39 Uncontrolled Rod Withdrawal 10/16/86 All SWRfacilities

Because Of A Singhe Failure holding an OL or CP

86-05 Main Steam Safety Valve Test 10/16/86 All power reactor

Failures And Ring Setting facilities holding

Sup. 1 an OL or CP

Adjustments

OL = Operating License

CU a Construction Permit

UNITED STATES FIRST CLASS MAIL

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PERMIT ie 047 OFFICIAL BUSINESS

PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE. $300

13357510300 1 lCOlCY1FB11A1 NUS CORP

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