ML19212A431
| ML19212A431 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/25/1979 |
| From: | Rehm T NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| WIR-790921, NUDOCS 7910090741 | |
| Download: ML19212A431 (27) | |
Text
l Seotember 25, 1979 Fo :
The Cor:missioners From:
T. A. Rehm, Assistant to the Executive Director for Operations
Subject:
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 21, 1979 l
1 A sumary of key events is i:1cluded as a convenience to those i'
Commissioners who may prefer a condensed version of this report.
Contents Enclosure Administration A
Nuclear Reactor Regulation B
Standards Development C
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards D
Inspection and Enforcement E
Nuclear Regulatory Research F
sensa Executive Legal Direct G
i International Prograi..
H l
6 State Programs I
Management and Program Analysis J
Controller K
Calendar of Significant Events L
Items Approved by the Commission M**
Status of Nuclear Power Plants N
lT.7 A. Ren.,
. eant to the i
Executive Director for Operations l
Contact:
T. A. Rehm 49-27731 I
- Deleted from Comissioners and PDR copy.
$810 0 90 797
SUMMARY
OF KEY EVENTS WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 21, 1979 San Onofre, Unit 1 Southern California Edison (SCE) has continued surveillance of cracked areas temporarily strengthened by pipe clamps as reported in a September 11, 1979 highlight. On Friday, September 14, 1979, SCE discovered perceptible leakage from the cracks and initiated shutdown of the reactor. The defective pipe section is being replaced with one of identical size and material without change in configuration.
On September 17, 1979, while performing planned inspections of other stainless steel piping systems during this shutdown, SCE found cracks.in one of the three safety injection lines located outside containment.
Replacement of the defectise storage tank discharge pipe and safety injection pipe has been compl eted.
SCE expects to return Unit 1 to operation on Friday, September 21, 1979.
St. Lucie, Unit 1 The site beach dunes and mangrove area were inspected to determine if significant damage had occurred during hurricane David, the first hurricane to directly strike a nuclear power plant; no substantial erosion were observed.
The safety signifi-cance of the dunes and mangrove area lies in their ability to prevent erosional damage from reaching safety-related structures.
NFS-Erwin Inventory Difference On September 17, NFS-Erwin reported a Highly Enriched Uranium Inventory Difference in excess of NRC limits. The plant was ordered to shutdown production operations in preparation for an immediate reinventory. The Director, Division of Safeguards is on-site to super _y.ise NMSS and IE investigation efforts.
Core-Debris-Coolability Test D-4 Test D-4 of the in-reactor experiment series on the coolability limit of a bed of particulate core debris in sodium was successfully performed in the ACRR test reactor at Sandia Laboratories on September 17 and 18.
If the core sodium can successfully remove the po'st-accident fission-product decay heat from the core debris within the vessel following a severe LMFER core disassembly accident, then melting of the core debris through the vessel and the contairment cannot Occur.
Less of Fluid Test Consideration of LOFT tests to address the pump-c:eration question during a small break LOCA has led to the ccnclusien that no useful test can be done in the immediate future.
The test plan is, therefore, to proceed with two cold-leg small-break s" ulitions to be done in the November 79 - January 80 time frame while preparing ftr ; reliable and dependable test to be done in March 1980 which would address the cump-operation question.
State Programs - Progran Develoament Washington signed a one year contract with NRC and COT to monitor radioactive materials, particularly TMI waste, being transpcrted into, through or within the State.
Florie also entered into a transportation surveillance agreement.
There are five other States currently in the program: Georgia, Illincis, Michigan, Kentucky and South Carolina.
1117 096
OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION Week Ending September 21, 1979 ADMINISTRATION OF THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT STATUS OF REQUESTS Initial Appeal of Request Initial Decision Received 422 28 Granteo 288 9
Denied 67 12 Pending 67 7
ACTIONS THIS WEEK Received Richard Lee Boyd, Requests a copy of the bid abstract for North American Reporting RS-SEC-79-350.
(79-383).
i (An NRC employee)
Requests the names of individuals and their (79-384)
Candidate Evaluation Certification and Selection Record for Vacancy Announcement No.79-245.
Requests the "EOD" dates (entry on duty) and the (An NTEU Steward)
(79-385) dates of conversion from temporary to permanent status, for three named NRC employees.
Thomas V. Vakerics, Requests all documents related to economic or market Attorney-At-Law studies concerning the r' ;iopharmaceutical industry.
(79-386)
Marilyn Zarski Requests six categories of documents relating to (79-387) routes for shipping spent fuel rods from the San Onofre plant to Morris, Illinois.
Gerald D. Stoltz, Requests information related to three detonated Attorney-At-Law blasts on Amchitka Island in the Aleutian Island (79-388)
Chain in Alaska in 1965, 1969 and 1971.
Rick Trombetta Requests information en nuclear weapons made from (79-389) nuclear wastes and a September 14, 1977 document concerning the detonation of a low grade plutonium bomb in 1962.
CONTACT:
J. M. Felton 492-7211 1117 097 ENCLOSUPE A
t 2
l Received, Cont'd Gian Richard Cassarino Requests information regarding the disposal of (79-390) radioactive wastes and the methods in which the waste water from the TMI plant was removed.
(An NRC employee)
Requests a copy of the transcript of the closed (79-391)
Comission meeting regarding the conversion of i
GS-16s to the SES.
Granted i'
Laurie Burt, In response to a request for documents relatfog to Assistant Attorney WASH-1400 and SECY-78-137, made available General, State of 39 documents.
(79-131) i Steven J. Handler, In response to a request for records relating to i
Attorney-At-Law incidents, accidents or mishaps at the Zion, Illinois (79-192) plant operated by Commonwealth Edison Company, informed the requester this information is available lj in the LpDR in Zion, Illinois.
V1ctor M. Glasberg, In response to a request for documents relating to th Attorney-At-Law North Anna nuclear power plants, informed the requester this information is available in the LPDRs !
(79-214) in Charlottesville and Louisa, Virainia.
f Samuel A. Simon, In response to a request for documents relating to National Citizens Comittee any NRC findings or current investigations concerning for Broadcasting General Electric Company's violations of any law (79-335) or regulation administered by the NRC, made available 11 documents and informed the requester other related records are available in the pDR.
l Corky Johnson, In response to a request for documents filed at the Northern Kentucky recent public hearings in Cincinnati on the Zimer University plant relating to safety hazards surrounding (79-360) plant construction, informed the requester this information is available in the LpDRs in Batavia, Ohio and Alexandria, Kentucky.
1117 098 ENCLOSURE A i
4 3
Denied R1 chard Ben Cramer In response to a request for transcripts or reports Knight-Ridder Newspapers of interviews conducted by NRC and the report of (79-111)
Metropolitan Edison's Internal Investigation Committee, denied portions cf the transcripts of interviews, the disclosure of which would reveal the identity of a confidential source.
Informed -
the requester the NRC cannot locate any report of Metropolitan Edison's Internal Investigation Comni ttee.
Robert Ruby, In response to a request for documents relating to The Sun the Three Mile Island, Unit 2 incident, made (79-117) available documents in the PDR.
Denied five documents in their entirety and porticns of 89 documents (primarily those relating to personal privacy).
f!f[
C99 ENCuCSURE A
DIVISION OF CONTRACTS Week Ending September 21, 1979 IFB'S ISSUED IFB RS OIE-79 'c37 Title - Region III Mobile Laboratory Description - Special vehicle designed to be used for conducting the confirmatory measurements program to evaluate the capability of the licensee to measure radioactivity in effluents.
Period of Performance - 120 days Sponsor - Office of Inspection and Enforcement Status - IFB issued September 19, 1979.
Bids are due September 27, 1979.
PROPOSALS UNDER EVALUATION I
1.
RFP RS-NRR-80-101 Title - Advanced Reactor Accident Delineation and Assessment Description - This project will provide technical assistance to the NRC in the areas of safety and licensing associated with advanced reactor concepts.
Period of Performance - Three years Sponsor - Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Status - Proposals submitted to Source Evaluation Board on September 17, 1979 for evaluation.
2.
RFP RS-RES-79-200 Title - RES/ PAS Fuel Cycle Review Description - Technical assistance for peer review to critique the published products from the project, " Risk Assessment Methodology Development for Waste Isolation in Geologic Media" an ongoing study by Sandia Laboratories.
Period of Performance Three years Sponsor - Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research Status - FY 79 RFPA withdrawn.
Will be converted to an FY 80 action.
Proposals are under evaluation.
CONTRACT AWARDS 1.
NRC-01-79-002 Title - Standards for Psychological Assessment of Security Personnel Cescription - This study is intended to result in the establishment of standardized criteria for the assessment of the psychological attributes of emotional stability and reliability, particularly as they apply in high-stress situations.
Period of Performance - One year Sponsor - Office of Standards Development Status - A cost-plus-fixed-fee contract in the amount of $89,389 was executed on September 13, 1979 with Assessment Designs, Inc.,
Winter Park, Fla.
1117 100 ENct0SuaE A
2
'2.
NRC-04-79-193 Title - Steam Generator Tube Rupture Iodine Transport Mechanisms Description - Under Task I, the contractor shall experimentally measure the amount of atomization and characterize the drop size distribution of superheated water flashing through a crack-like orifice into a saturated steam environment.
Under Task II, the contractor shall develop (or modify an existing) a computer program to model important iodine transport and removal mechanisms under steam generator tube rupture accident conditions.
Period of Perfomance - One year Sponsor - Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research Status - A cost-plus-fixed-fee contract whs awarded to Battelle Columbus Laboratories on September 21, 1979, in the amount of $132,054.
3.
NRC-04-79-203 Title - NRC Monitor for Heissdampfreaktor Seismic Tests Description - Assistance in monitoring earthquake investigations at the t
superheated steam reactor (Heissdampfreaktor) at the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center in Germany.
The contractor shall assist in formulaticn of pretest predictions and observation of intermediate level explosive, shaker and snap back tests.
Period of Performance - Two years Sponsor - Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research Status - A cost-plus-fixed-fee contract was awarded to ANCO Engineering, Inc.,
on Septemoer 19, 1979 in the amount of $149,630.
CANCELLATIONS RFP RS-RES-79-183 Title - Limiting Conditions for Operations Description - Develop a methodology to calculate allowable ratios of LC0's based on probabilistic approaches. To apply the methodology, system logic models such as fault trees will be constructed for specific safety systems in nuclear power plants and the allowable values for the LC0's will be calculated using available reliability data.
Period of Performance - Anticipated to be two years Sponsor - Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research Status - Project cancelled due to changes in program emphasis and priorities in FY 80 and FY 81.
I ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS On September 11, 1979, agreement was reached with the Borough of Middletown, Pa., concerning feir and reasonable settlement to ccmpensate the Borough for rental of its faci'ities during the THI incident.
Purchase Order Cl-79-1689 was accepted by the Sorough in the amount of $7500 as full and complete settlement of its claim.
l117 10i tNCt0SuRe A i
3 There still remain several claims for reimbursement from other Government agencies, principally the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Forest Service, to name a few.
Discussions continue to facilitate the expeditious settlement of these outstanding claims.
1117 102 I
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t ENCLOSURE A l
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DIV:SION OF SECURITY Items of Interest Week Endino Sectember 21, 1979 On September 18, 1979, the NRC Division of Security officially received its
~
awards for first and third place in the 1979 American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) annual security education poster and film contest. The poster entitled " Leave the Office at the Office" was awarded first place and the
" Questions About Security" poster was awarded third.
Richard A. Dopp from the Division of Security was present at the ASIS luncheon in Detroit, MI, to receive the awards for NRC.
W.
1117 103 l
ENCLOSURE A
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTUR REGULAiiun WEEKLY ITEMS OF INTEREST (Week Ending September 21,1979)
P00ROR]NAL San Onofre, Unit 1 Southern California Edison (SCE) has continued surveiiiance of cracked areas in the low pressure discharge piping of the refueling water storage tank.
These cracked areas had been temporarily strengtaened by pipe clamps as reported in a September 11, 1979 highlight.
On Friday, September 14, 1979 SCE discovered perceptible leakage from the cracks.
SCE promptly initiated shutdown of the reactor for repair of the pipe defects.
The plant was brought to cold shutdown by noon, September 15, 1979.
The defective pipe section is being replaced with one of identical si:e and material (8 inch - schedule 10, stainless steel) without change in configuration. On September 17, 1979, while performing planned inspections of other stainless steel piping systems during this shutdown, SCE found cracks in one of the three safety injection i
lines located outside containment.
Replacement cf the defective storage tank discharge pipe and safety injection pipe has been completed.
SCE expects to return Unit 1 to operation on Friday, September 21, 1979.
Coocer At 1711 on Septe ber 15, 1979, Cooper resumed generating electrical power after an unscheduled outage which becan September 13, 1979, to repair leaking recirculation pump seals.
North Anna, Unit No. 1 North Anna, Unit No.1, effective September 14, 1979, has been transferred to Operating Reactors Branch =1.
Pending availability of a Project Manager, A. Schwencer will be acting Project Manager.
On Se:: ember 14,1979, w2 granted an extension to October 5 as the last date i
by whi:5 certain surveillance testing must be performed. This request was granted based on a September 11, 1979 letter from VEPC0 which indicated tha' cperatien of North Anna 1 would be stretched to 0:teber 5.
Shutdown for refueling had previously been planned for September 15.
Granting of this extensien had the affect of allowing VEPC0 to stretch out the operation until Surry 1 is. returned to power operation.
Eatch Unit Nos. I and 2 Tne Georgians Against Nuclear Energy (MNE) have filed with the Co mission a
- atition for Leave to Intervene (dated September 14,1979) in the proposed increase in spent fuel capacity for Hatch Unit Nos. I and 2.
GANE's principle
- ncerns involve potential financial, health, safety and environmental
- r:biems, associated with spent fuel storage.
1117 104 ENCLOSURE S
Trojan In an Order dated September 18, 1979, the At'omic Safety and Licensing Board (Trojan Control Building Proceeding) cancelled the hearing scheduled for September 20, 1979, in Bethesda.
The hearing was scheduled to hear oral argument on the NRC staff's motion for postponement of the hearing due to currently unresolved items which resulted in delay in issuance of the SER related to modifications to the Control Building to restore its intended seismic cacability.
The Board granted the staff's motion for postponement, and cancelled all schedules.
Future schedules will hinge on issuance of the SER.
Surry Power Station, Units 1 and 2 The Surry Power Station, Units 1 and 2 Fire Protection Program was approved by amendments on September 19, 1979.
Five items were incomplete and will j
be addressed in a supplement to the SER.
These items are the Auxiliary Boiler Room, Fire Campers, Safe Shutdown, Charcoal Filter Hazard and In-Situ Testing.
j Crystal River & Farlev The Incident Response Center was staffed on September 12 and 13 as hurricane Frederic approached the sou~theastern states in the Gulf of Mexico. The initial consideration was the Crystal River plant. A storm surge estimate and an estimated time of arrival were calculated.
As the burricane continued on its course, it became apparent that the storm would pose no threat to Crystal River; however, the Farley plant appeared to be in the hurricane's path.
Esti-mates of hurricane indtced ficod water levels in the Chatahoochee River, and wind speeds at the plant were cbtained.
On September 13, the hurricane, which had degenerated into a tropical storm, was no longer a threat.
St. Lucie. Unit 1 The site beach dunes and mangrove area were insptected to determine if t ;,1-sicnificant damage had occurred during huricane David, the first hurricane i
to directly strike a nuclear power plan:; no substantial erosion were ob-
' ~
served. The safety significance of the dunes and mangrove area lies in e
their ability to prevent erosional damage frcm reaching safety-related structures.
A beach survey which is recuired by the Technical Specifications, will pro-vide the final determination of damage to the dunes and mangroves.
1117 105 4
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ENCLOSURE B X
..::= - - - - - -
L
- Susauehanna P. Leech and D. Sells attended meetings of the Susquehanna Wiver Basin Comission on Se >tember 12-13.
During the meetings the status of the Cowanesque Lake Project (COE floodcontrol dam) and PP&L's, Pond Hill Reservoir Project for Susquehanna, Units 1 and 2 were discussed.
It appears that SRBC will support both of these projects to provide water storage for the basin.
9 i
- Z 1117 106
_f
' h.
1 i
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C',
-O
OFFICE OF STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT IMPORTANT EVENTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING SEPTEM5ER 21,1979 1.
Denial of Petition PRM 20-12: By letter of September 13,1979, Lee V.
Gossick denied a petition filed by Louis Ray Urciuolo on October 17, 1978.
The petition requested the NRC to amend its regulations to require posting as a radiation area any area that could not meet 10 CFR Part 20 requirements on levels of radiation in unrestricted areas. After careful consideration of the petition and the public comments, the NRC staff concluded that the petition should be denied, principally because there did not apptTr to be any reduction in risk associated with the petitioned change.
Indeed, there was a potential for unnecessary exposure of workers as a result of less posting under the petitiened change. The notice of denial being published in the Federal Recister also noted there would be an increase in cost to the industry associated with backfitting facilities to meet lower instantaneous or steady-state dose rates involved, changing present posting, and instructing workers as to the significance of the petitioned posting. The cost to the NRC and other regulatory agencies to change their regulations and implement the changes was also recognized.
Mr. Gossick denied the petition in accordance with 10 CFR 1.._40(o) on the basis that it was of a minor or nonpolicy nature where the grounds for denial do not substantially modify existing precedent.
Publications Issued Durino the Week of Sectember 17-21, 1979 Reg. Guide 3.42, Rev.1 - Emergency Planning for Fuel Cycle Facilities and Plants Licensed Under 10 CFR Parts 50 and 70 [ Issued to Reflect Comments]
Draft Regulatory Guide and Value/ Impact Statement: Proposed Rev. 2 to Reg.
Guide 1.94, " Quality Assurance Requirements for Installation, Inspection, and Testing of Structural Concrete, Structural Steel, Soils, and Foundations During the Construction Phase of Nuclear Power Plants, Task RS 908-5 [ Comments requested by November 23, 1979]
1i17 i07 ENCLOSURE C
i i
0FFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS Items of Interest Week Endina September 21, 1979 NFS-Erwin Inventory Difference On September 17, 1979, NFS-Erwin reported a Highly Enriched Uranium Inventory Difference in excess of HRC limits for continued operation. The plant was i
ordered to shutdown production operations in preparation for an immediate re-l inventory. The Director, Division of Safeguards is on-site to supervise NMSS and IE investigation efforts.
U.S. Action Plan l
Representatives of NMSS attended a September 18, meeting at the State Department in support of the U.S. Action Plan to improve IAEA safeguards.
It was reported that a cable has been sent to foreign embassies requesting information on physical security programs for nuclear material and state systems for nuclear material accountina and control. Members of the Action Plan Working Group are preparing a progress report sum?.arizing recent accomplishments in activities to strengthen international safeguards.
Information Acouisition Representatives from NMSS and IP met with officials of the Betac Corporation on September 14 to discuss Betac's contract with the Department of State I
to collect and compile informatica on the nuclear programs of individual i
countries.
Initially, one or two countries will be covered by their Phase I I
contract.
Information needs of the NRC were identified and contacts were established for contract activities.
Process Monitoritiy Study The Division of Safeguards personnel held an initial meeting with Pacific Northwest Laboratories on the Process Monitoring Study on September 18-20, 1979.
Process monitoring data currently is used by licensees to provide cuantity and quality control on products.
The study by PNL is exploring the use of process monitorirg data for safeguarding SSNM.
Two licensed facilities (B&W-Leechburg and S&W-Lynchburg) will serve as model facilities in the study.
i i
1117 108 l
ENCLOSL'RE D 1
I I
I Items of Interest 2
Waste Manacement Licensino Study Xerox copies of the Report were transmitted to the Congress September 10.
The Report is now being pr4r.ced, and the bound volumes are expected to be in the distribution system by September 21.
I Post-Licensing Evaluatian Material Licensing Branch personnel accompanied Region I, IE inspectors, on an early morning (3:00 a.m.) license inspection of Pharmatopes, Inc., a Washington, D.C. nuclear pharmacy. This was the first time licensing staff have been able to observe a nuclear pharmacy in full operation as most have rade the rajority of distributions by 8:00 a.m. each day.
Knowledge gained during such visits to licensees permits the licensing staff to determine first hand the effectiveness of license requirements in achieving radiation sa fety.
i Quality Assurance (QA) Procrams for Transoortation Activities Thirty-one (31) licensees who had previously registered as users of NRC approved package designs were notified that their authorization to deliver l
licensed material to a carrier for transport was terminated.
This was because the licensees did not file or have an approved quality assurance (QA) program, t
It will be necessary for these licensees to obtainan approved QA program i
prior to their being registered as a package user or delivery of licensed caterial to a carrier for transport pursuant to 10 CFR Part 71.
Site Visit to Marouez Uraniun tiill Site i
NRC staff members participated in a site visit to the Marque: Uranium Mill j
site in Sandoval County, New Mexico, on September 11, 1979.
The visit l
allowed state officials from the Environmental Improvement Division, NRC staff and consultants to review the new conceptual design for below-grade tailings dispcsal being proposed by the mill owner, Bokum Resources Corporation.
The new disposal scheme is being proposed by Sokum as an alternative to the original dcsign because of NRC and State of New Mexico uranium mill licensing staff concerns about the original design and because the State of New Mexico denied Bokum a groundwater discharge permit for the application submitted.
1117 109 ENCLOSURE D
Items of Interest 3
ACRS Meeting On September 18, 1979, staff of NMSS, SD, &nd RES briefed the ACRS Waste l
Management Subcommittee and their consultants on the waste management regulatory, technical assistance, and research programs. The briefings addressed proposed regulations and draft criteria being developed by the licensing and sundards staff in the areas of high-level waste, low-level waste, and mill tailings.
EIS for Low-level Waste Reculation The contract with Dames and Mcore to perform an environmental impact statement in support of low-level waste regulation has been signed and the EIS is underway.
Solidification Capability Meetino NMSS and NRR staff met with representatives of ten utilities en September 18 and 19,1979, to discuss the capability of those utilities to meet a strict interpretation of the no free standing liquid requirements for the disposal of low-level radioactive wastes. The capability of the utilities to solidify resins and sludges was also discussed in the meeting. A report on the meeting results will be prepared and presented at the State Programs meeting on October 3-5, 1979.
1117 110 ENCLOSURE D
OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT Items of Interest Week Ending September 21, 1979 1.
United Nuclear Corporation, Wood River Junction, RI - Civil Penalty Action -
On September 14, 1979, the licensee submitted a response to the Notice of Violation and Notice of Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalties in the amount of S15,750 issued on July 16, 1979. The licensee has requested that the civil penalties be remitted. The reoly is being evaluated.
2.
Preliminary Net'fications relating to the following actions were dispatched during the past week:
a.
PNO-79-383B National Bureau of Standards - Radioactive Surface Contamination (Updated Information) b.
PNO-79-3973 Comanche Peak Unit 2 - Inadvertent Omission of Reinforcing Steel in Reactor Containment Wall c.
PNO-79-411A San Onofre Unit 1 - Pipe Cracks in Safety-Related Stainless Steel Piping d.
PNO-79-421 This number was inadvertently omitted from the series and was not used.
e.
PN0-79-422 Braidwood Units 1 & 2 - Termination of Construction at Braidwood f.
PNO-79-423 Summer - Main Feedwater Restraint System Design Inadequacy g.
PNO-79-424 Palisades - Incorrect Positioning of Containment Byoass Valves h.
PNO-79-425 & 425A Dresden Station - Apparent Leak in Ccoling Lake i.
PNO-79-425 Crystal River Unit 3, Hatch Units 1 & 2, Turkey Point Unit 3 -
PNO-79-427 & -427A Palisades - Preliminary Indication of a Crack in the Feedwater to Steam Generator Nozzle k.
PNO-79 428 Davis-Besse Unit 1 - Turbine-Reactor Trip 1.
PNO-79-429 Consolidated X-Ray Service Corporation, Callas, Texas -
Aoparent Overexposure of Assistant Radicgrapher m.
PN0-79-430 Zimmer Unit 1 - Alleged Deficiencies in Structural Steel n.
PNO-79-431 Saxton Reactor - Contaminated Soil Outside of the Restricted Area o.
PNS-79-101 Summer - Bomb inreat lil7 ill ENCLOSURE E
. p.
PNS-79-102, -102A & -102B Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc., Erwin, TN -
Inventory Difference in Excess of License Condition 3.
The following Informatico Notices were issued:
a.
IE Information Notice No. 79-21, " Transportation and Commercial Burial of Radioactive Materials," was issued on Seotember 7,1979 to all materials and fuel facility licensees and to all power and research reactor facilities with an operating license, b.
IE Information Notice No. 79-22, " Qualification of Control Systems," was issued on September 14. 1979 to all power reactor facilities with an operating license or construction permit.
i F
0 1117 112 i
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i ENCLCSURE E i
700RORBEL OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REGULATORY RESEARCH Important Items - Week Ending September 21, 1979 Core-Debris-Coolability Test D-4_
Test D-4 of the in-reactor experiment series on the coolability limit of a bed of particulate core debris in sodium was successfully performed in the ACRR test reactor at Sandia Laboratories on September 17 and 18.
If the core sodium can successfully remove the post-accident fission-product decay heat fran the core debris within the vessel following a severe LMF3R core disassembly accident, then melting of the core d6eris through the vessel and the containrent.tonot occur.
Test D-4 was the first in this series of unique in-reactor experiments to be perforned since the shutdown of the ACRR to upgrade its performance.
In i
these experiments, tne post-accident heating of fuel debris by fission-product decay is simulated by fission-heating of fuel debris in the ACRR experiment cavi ty.
In test D-4 the increased steady-power capability of the upgraded ACRR was used to test the coolability limits of a relatively thin bed of core debris. The experimental results are being analyzed and compared with previcusly developed models of core-debris coolability, l
At the time of the TMI-2 accident, a debris coolability model based on the l
results of the three previous D-series in-reactor tests was used to analyze the coolability of fragmented TMI-2 core debris by the water in the core.
j Less cf Fluid Test Consideration of LOFT tests to address the pump-operation question during a sr.al break LOCA has led to the conclusion that no useful test can be done i
in the irrediate future.
The test plan is, therefore, to proceed with two cold-leg small-break simulations to be done in the November 19 - January 80 time frame while preparing for a reliable and dependable test to be done in March 1980 which would address the pump-operation question.
preparations for tne first powered small-break tests are continuing.
Installation of new instrumentation needed for small-break testing is causing some delays, but this test is still expected to take place in the latter part of N'ovember.
i i
1117
!13 ENCLOSURE F
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE LEGAL DIRECTOR ITEMS OF INTEREST FOR THE WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 21, 1979 Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 On September 19, the Appeal Board (ALAB-563) dismissed an appeal from the intervenor, Citizens Against Nuclear Dangers, since insufficient cause was shown to grant review of discovery and scheduling orders of the Licensing Board.
Allens Creek Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 1 In ALAB-564, a pro sfL petitioner for leave to intervene filed an interlocutory appeal challenging the deadline established by the Licensing Board for the filing of contentions in the Allens Creek proceeding. Although 10 CFR 92.714 permits amendments to contentions to be filed up to 15 days prior to the first prehearing conference, the Licensing Board had issued an order which indicated that only amendments to contentions filed up to 30 days before the prehearing conference would be considered timely.
The Appeal Board, on September 19, denied the requested relief, citing the general prohibition [10 CFR 92.730(f)] on interlocutory appeals. The Appeal Board observed, however, in a footnote, that 10 CFR 52.711(a) allcws a Board, for good cause, to alter time periods otherwise established in the Rules.
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Ii17 !l4 e
ENCLOSURE G
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ITEMS OF INTEREST OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 20, 1979 INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION Arrangement Activity IP this week drafted an information paper to advise the Commission of the
~
status of NRC's international regulatory information exchange Arrangements proposed for first-time signature or renewal.
It will be forwarded later this week.
- Foreign Reports Deleted from Commissioners and PDR copy.
1117 115 ENCLOSURE H
. NEA Working Group Meeting On September 18-19, H. Faulkner, IP and W. Russell, NRR attended the second meeting of the NEA Working Group on Exchange of Information on Operating Experience of Thermal Reactors. The scope of the exchange and reporting procedures were agreed upon in principle. The final report of the Working Group will be presented to the NEA Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) for their action in November 1979.
Formal international agreement could likely be concluded in 1980. The meeting were attended by representatives of eleven countries and the Commission of the European Communities.
EXPORT / IMPORT AND INTERNATIONAL SAFEGUARDS Meeting with Scanish Officials On September 19, William Upshaw and Marvin Peterson, IP, met with representatives from the Spanish Embassy and the Zorita Power Plant in Spain to discuss the processing of retransfer for reprocessing requests.
During the meeting the Spanish representatives stated that since the Zorita pool is located inside the containment, they are concerned that an accident like the one that occurred at Three Mile Island may deny them access to the spent fuel.
They therefore believed that timely approval of retransfer requests and early removal of the fuel would lessen the impact of such an accident, should one occur.
I We advised the representatives of our concerns with regard to previous Spanish retransfer requests and suggested ways the Spanish may be able to assist in expediting consideration of such requests. Among these was the suggestion that they combine their retransfer requests and thereby reduce the volume of case-by-case requests that must be considered. We also advised them of NRC's concerns regarding the progress that has been made toward the reracking of the Zorita pool.
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?iRC Visit by Ocoosition Grouo to Philiocine Reactor On September 18 IP was visited by several members of the opposition in the Puno Philippine reactor hearings.
The visit was arranged (on very short notice) by Mr. Lindsay Mattison, Director of the Washington-based Center for Development Policy (CDP).
The visitors included Mr. J. Guerrero, lawyer for the Bataan Bar Association (one of the three opposition groups), Thomas Asher (attorney for CDP),
Heherson Alvarez (Movement for a Free Philippine) and Virginia Foote (CDP).
The ourpose of the visit was to exchange views on several technical areas, including site seismicity ard volcanicity, which they believed to be unresolved at this time, and to leave with us several technical documents and papers.
Mr. Guerrero and the others plan to return for a second visit on September 24 1117 116 ENCLOSURE H
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OFFICE OF STATE PROGRAMS ITEMS OF INTEREST WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 21, 1979 Emercencv Precaredness With the blessing of FEMA, SP concurred in the Nebraska radiological emergency plan on September 21.
We expect final concurrence on the Virginia plan shortly after a meeting scheduled for Richmond on September 25.
State Acreements The meeting of All Agreement States will be held October 3-5 in the Silver Spring offices.
Representatives of the 25 Agreement States and Rhode Island will attend.
Commissioner Kennedy will present opening remarks.
Procram Develorment September 12-14 OSP and SD conducted a workshop for State comment on NRC's decommissicning policy in Columbia, South Carolina.
The workshop was, attended by 85 State government officials and 60 members of the public.
On September 17, staff met with the National Association of Attorneys General in Raleigh, North Carolina to discuss NRC's responsibilities in radioactive materials transportation and waste management.
On September 20 and 21', Frank Young and Robert DeFayette, respectively testified before the Arizona Legislature.
The principal areas of discussion were the' NRC authority and scope of responsibilities, State role in che regulation of nuclear activities and emergency preparedness.
Washington signed a one year contract with NRC and DOT to monitor radioactive materials, particularly TMI waste, being transported into, through or within the State.
Florida also entered into a transportation surveillance agreement.
There are fi re other States currently in the program:
Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky and South Carolina.
11i7 !!7 ENCLOSURE I
i OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAM ANALYSIS Items of Interest WEEK ENDING - Septenter 21, 1979 Congressional Correspondence Drafted, for Chairman's signature, letters to Reps. Brooks and Moffett on our reaction to Moffett's subcommittee's recommendations on changes to NRC's emergency planning program.
Drafted response, for Chairman's signature, to Sen. Javits on health implica-tions of TMI accident.
MIS Publications Issued Operating Units Status Report (Gray Book)
Systematic Evaluation Plan (SEP Book)
Program Summary Report (Brown Book)
Emergency Plannina Met with EDO to discuss development of a Commission action paper en organiza-tional options.
Due downtown mid-October.
1117
!18 ENCLOSURE J
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Office of the Controller l
Items of Interest Week Endina September 21, 1979 OMS Budoet Review The OMB staff has indicated that during the next couple of weeks they plan to continue discussions with the NRC staff regarding the NRC budget submissions.
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Reorocrammino Procedures The Senate Appropriations Committee staff, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, has provided the Office of the Controller with oral approval of the reprogramming procedures we are now using with' the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development.
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CALENDAR OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS For Two Week Period Endino October 9,1979 Oc:cber 5, 1979 Palo Verde 1, 2 & 3 CL Applica:icn tencered.
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Octcber 5, 1973 Callaway 1 OL Application tendered (first of SNUPPS plants).
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E.1CLCSURE L
STATUS OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANYS AUG. 31,1979 Number
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Rated Capacity Of Units (MWe)
- 70 LIC ENS E D TO O PER ATE..................................
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51,000 4
- 91 CO NSTR U CTlO N PER MIT G RANTED................................. 100,000 37 U n d e r O p era tin g Lic ens o H eview................................ f. 40,000 54 Operating License Not Yet App, lied For.......................... 60,000 25 UNDER CONSTRUCTION PERMIT REVIEW.....................
29,000
- 4 Site Work Authorized, Safety Review in Process............
4,000 21 O t h e r U nit s U n d er C P R e view...................................... 25,000 Z
4ORbERED................................................................................
5,000
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g 2 P U B Li C LY A N N O U N C E D......................................................
2,'000 P
S 1 92 TO TA L................................................................................... b7,000
??
"To date there have been 470 seactor years of operation. No; included are two operablo DOE-owned reactors with a combined capacity of 940 MWo.
" Total of units authorized construction (Construction Permit Granted plus Sito Work Authorized): 95 units,104,000 MWe.
NP109
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