ML19256E959
| ML19256E959 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 10/31/1979 |
| From: | Rehm T NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| WIR-791026, NUDOCS 7911160082 | |
| Download: ML19256E959 (27) | |
Text
'
October 31, 1979 FOR:
The Comissioners FROM:
T. A. Rehm, Assistant to the Executive Director for Operations
SUBJECT:
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 26, 1979 A summary of key events is included as a convenience to those 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
Executive Legal Director G
International Programs H*
State Programs I
Management and Program Analysis J
Controller K*
Calendar of Speaking Engagements L
Items Approved by the Commission M**
/
/
T. A. Rehm, nn I nt to the Executive Director for Operations
Contact:
T. A. Rehm 49-27781
- No input this week.
154i 297
- Deleted from Commissioners and PDR copy.
y911J.60 08 A
SUMMARY
OF KEY EVENTS WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 26, 1979 Telecommunications During the week of October 22, 1979, telecommunications services were upgraded in Regional Offices III and V providing improved accessibility to the regions via the FTS network and flexibility for meeting the regions' telecommunications requirements in the event of an emergency.
Brunswick Steam Electric Plant Unit No. 1 While coerating at 100% power Unit No.1 tripped due to high radiation detected in the main steam lines. The plant was brought to cold shutdown conditions for evaluation and three persons were evacuated from the turbine building when airborne samples indicated 40% MPC. There was no release offsite.
Local TV stations were onsite, as well as four reactor inspectors froi Region II NRC.
D.C. Cook, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 On Octob'r 16, 1979, amendments to the facility operating licenses for e
D.C. Cook 1 and 2 were signed and issued allowing increase in spent fuel storage capacity from 500 to 2050 fuel assemblies.
Comonwealth Edison Comoany (CECO)
CECO was informed by letter dated October 12, 1979 that Barnwell, the last burial ground still doing business, would not accept any further shipments of solid wastes from CECO plants.
CECO suggested to NRC that they were considering requesting amendments to their Dresden 2/3 licenses to allow temporary storage of Zion and Quad Cities solid wastes at Dresden. We told CECO that any such request would probably have to be prenoticed, so that it is unlikely that any such amendments could be approved in time to afford the needed relief. CECO further evaluated their waste storage situation and concluded that Quad Cities and Zion will have to shut down in two to six weeks if no acceptable storage space is found offsite.
Order to United Nuclear Corocration The NRC staff issued an order to the United Nuclear Corporation on the evening of October 12, 1979, to the effect that the United Nuclear shall not generate additional byproduct material until the Director of Waste Management, NMSS determines that the embankment is stable.
SAFER In response to a request from NMSS on Friday, October 26, RES has made arrange-rents to conduct a subsurface survey of the low-level nuclear waste disposal site at Beatty, Nevada. The survey was urgently requested to resolve recently identified uncertainties in the location of older waste trenches, following a recent inadvertent excavation of waste drums at a location outside the fenced-in area of the site by USGS.
1341 n98 z
0FFICE OF ADMINISTRATION Week Ending October 26, 1979 ADMINISTRATION OF THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT STATUS OF REQUESTS,
Initial Appeal of Reouest Initial Decision Received 489 30 Granted 335 10 Denied 78 15 Pending 76 5
ACTIONS THIS WEEK Received Ronald J. Oberle, Requests copies of solicitations and contracts which Crowell & Moring the NRC may have dealing with executive placement, (79-442) counseling or other employee related services from January 1, 1978 to the present.
Pamela E. Bryant, Requests a listing of NRC contract awards for fiscal Wilson-Hill Associates, Inc.
year 1979.
(79-443)
J. M. Johnson, Requests all changes from 78-35 of the U.S. NRC Carolina Power and Inspection and Enforcement Manual.
Light Company (79-444)
James S. W. Drewry Requests information concerning the dumping of (79-445) radioactive water into the James River.
James M. Moore, Requests, on behalf of his client, all records Attorney-At-Law pertaining to her deceased husband.
(79-446)
Frank Askin, Requests a copy of all records indexed or maintained Rutgers State under the name of SEA Alliance.
University (79-447)
R. Hager, Requests information on the selection of the Atomic The Sunbelt Foundation Safety and Licensing Board Panel members.
(79-448)
CONTACT:
J. M. Felton 492-7211 1341 299 ENCLOSURE A
2
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Received, Cont'd S. Jacob Scherr, Requests a copy of the reviews carried out by the Attorney-At-Law, NRC staff and Kelleher Consultants of the PAEC on behalf of NRDC response to t!)e IAEA's Mission recommendations on the (79-449)
Philippines nuclear power plant, Unit 1 and the Status Sumary Report of the Charles Willis on the resolution raised by the 1978 IAEA Safety Mission to the Philippines.
Roger E. Shippert, Requests a copy of the winning technical proposal Battelle submitted in response to RFP No. RS-NRR-79-ll8.
(79-450)
W. Hugh 0'Riordan, Esq.
Requests seven categories of information regarding State of Idaho the storage of nuclear and related waste products (79-451) in the State of Idaho.
Donald L. Martin, Requests a copy of all tapes, transcripts and minutes McGraw-Hill Publications of closed Comission meetings since March 28, 1979 Company dealing with the functioning and structure of the (79-452)
EDO.
Stanley Fleishman, Requests answers to questions regarding a proposed Attorney-At-Law regulation pursuant to 29 U.S.C. 794 dealing with (79-453)
NRC policy of nondiscrimination in the hiring of handicapped persons.
~
Stephen Laudig, Requests a copy of Public Service of Indiana's Attorney-At-Law application for an operating license for the Marble (79-454)
Hill nuclear generating station and documents relating to a 7-23-79 letter to James Coughlin from L.S.
Rubenstein.
Diane E. Findley, Requests a copy of the technical proposal which Science Applications, Inc.
resulted in the award of NRC-04-79-209.
(79-455)
Diane E. Findley, Requests a copy of the technical proposal submitted Science Applications, Inc.
by Teknekron which resulted in the award of (79-456) modification No. 8 to NRC-02-77-165.
Martin A. Welt, Requests a listing of all decisions rendered by the Radiation Technology, Inc.
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, which reversed an (79-457)
NRC staff finding.
1341 300 ENCLOSURE A
3 Received, Cont'd (An NRC employee)
Requests all information regarding Vacancy Announcement (79-458)
No.79-296.
Granted Harold J. Gabriel, In response to a request for two documents referenced Attorney-At-Law in an August 8,1978 letter to James G. Keppler from (79-410)
Dalwyn R. Davidson regarding the Perry nuclear power plant, made available these documents.
Richard L. Robbins, In response to an appeal for a cnoy of NUREG-0575, Lake Michigan Federation
" Final Generic EIS on Handling and Storage of Spent (79-A-24-79-406)
Light Water Power Reactor Fuel," 3 volumes, sent this document to the requester.
Denied None 13F41 301 ENCLOSURE A
DIVISION OF CONTRACTS Week Ending October 26, 1979 PROJECTS UNDER EVALUATION 1.
RFP RS-NMS-80-032 Title - Licensing Assistance / Socioeconomic Impacts Description - Contractor is to provide technical assistance in evaluating applicants' submittals which pertain to socioeconomic impacts due to existing or proposed uranium mill and/or tailings impoundment projects.
Period of Performance - One year Sponsor - Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Status - Final evaluation report approved October 22, 1979.
2.
RFP RS-NRR-80-102 Title - Energetic Thermal Interactions, Recriticality, and Coolant Flow Phenomena Associated with Advanced Nuclear Reactor Concepts Description - This project will provide to the NRC technical assistance in the areas of energetic thermal interactions and recriticality associated with advanced reactor concepts.
Period of Performance - Three years Sponsor - Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Status - Final evaluation report approved October 22, 1979.
' CONTRACTS CLOSED OUT (All administrative action completed and final payment made)
Contract No.
Contractor Close-Out Date AT(49-24)-0275 Duke University 09/27/79 1341 302 ENCLOSURE A
0FFICE OF ADMINISTRATION DIVISION OF RULES AND RECORDS The Executive Director for Operations has issued an amendment to 10 CFR Part 0 - CONDUCT OF EMPLOYEES.
These minor amendments require complaints of fraud, graft, corruption, diversion of NRC assests, and misconduct of NRC employees to be reported to the Office of Inspector and Auditor.
Such complaints currently are reported to the Office of Administration. The amendments will become effective on November 1, 1979, the date of publication in the FEDERAL REGISTER.
mg*
ENCLOSURE A
OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION Division of Facilities and Operations Support Telecommunications Branch
.During the week of October 22, 1979, telecommunications services were upgraded in Regional Offices III and V.
The new systems provide for direct in-dialing to all employees, improved data transmission quality, growth capability for projected personnel increases, improved accessi-bility to the regions via the FTS network, and flexibility for meeting the regions telecommunications requirements in the event of an emergency.
1341 304 ENCLOSURE A
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION WEEKLY ITEMS OF INTEREST (Week Ending October 26,1979)
Arkansas Nuclear One. Unit No. 2 During surveillance testing on October 16, 1979, Diesel Generator No. 2 for ANO-2 failed.
Initial inspection revealed main thrust bearing failure.
Extensive damage was also discovered. This same diesel generator experienced failures involving main bearings in November 1978 and April 1979. ANO-2 is presently shutdown for inspection of reactor vessel internals and modifi-cation to instrumentation on the hot legs.
Brunswick Steam Electric Plant Unit No.1 Brunswick Steam Electric Plant Unit No.1 tripped at 12:51 a.m. on October 19, 1979 due to high radiation detected in the main steam lines. The plant was operating at 100% power. The plant was brought to cold shutdown condition for evaluation.
Three persons were evacuated from the turbine building when air-borne samples indicated 40% MPC. There was no release offsite. Local TV stations were onsite, as well as four reactor inspectors from Region II NRC.
The plant rEurned to power operation on 10/24/79, after concluding that the reactor trip from high steam line radiation was caused by a Powdex Resin intrusion from the Reactor Water Clean Up System. The RWCU system was being
.returncd to service af ter maintenance when an improper valve operation led to the resin breakthrough.
Evidently, there was sufficient short lived activity from activated corrosion products associated with the resin fines to trip the radiation detectors.
Chloride levels in the reactor coolant system were measured at.25 ppm after the transient. Total suspended solids increased from <100 ppb to >500 ppb.
The licensee is evaluating the impact of the reactor water chemistry perturbation on future ISI intervals, with particular emphasis on IGSCC in the recirculation inlet nozzles.
LACBWR On October 17, 1979, Dairyland Power Cooperative (DPC) met with the staff to discuss the results of the recent soils pro::erties study conducted at LACSWR.
The study was undertaken at the staff's request to detennine the potential for liquefaction at the site during a seismic event.
DPC's consultants, Dames and Moore, have concluded "... that the threshold liquefaction resistance at the LACBWR site occurs for a design SSE which yields a maximum ground surface acceleration greater than 0.18g and less than 0.20g."
The staff and its consultant, the Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station, with a more conservative interpretation of the soils data, have concluded that a potential for liquefaction exists to a depth of approximately 35 feet at an SSE of 0.12.
However, the staff (GSB) believes that an earthquake of this 9
magnitude is very unlikely at this site. As a part of the Systematic Evaluation Program, the staff is studying this site to determine an appropriate SSE level.
Since the major plant structures are on piles, we asked DPC to assess the ENCLOSURE B
capability of the plant in the unlikely event that liquefaction did occur at a depth of 35 feet and what measures they could employ to safely shutdown.
DPC agreed to look into the matter and to contact us within two weeks.
Edwin I. Hatch. Units 1 & 2 The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, convened to rule upon a petition to intervene in the proposed expansion of spent fuel capacity limits for Hatch Units'i and 2, issued on October 17, 1979 an Order Setting Special Frehearing The conference will be held on November 20, 1979 in Atlanta, Conference.The intervenor is the Georgians Against Nuclear Energy (GANE).
D. C. Cook, Unit Nos.1 and 2 16, 1979, amandments to the facility coeratina licenses for On October D. C. Cook Unit Nos.1 and 2 were signed and issued allowing the proposed The modifications, which modifications to the shared spent fuel storage pool.
will consist prirJ.rily cf replacing existing storage racks with new racks with closer spacing for fuel assemblies, will allow for the storage of 2050 fuel assemblies.
The present capccity is 500 fuel assemblies.
Zion On October _'23 NRR was advised by IE Headquarters that Zion Unit No.1 has reported fse'dwater line cracks.
Unit No. I was shut down on October 6 to start an eight-week refueling outage. A re-examination using IE Bulletin 79-13 radiography techniques revealed indications in the loop A steam generator nozzle heat-affected zone.
Preliminary report is that depths are less than 170 mils.
A meeting has been scheduled for October 26 to have Comronwealth Edison Corporation discuss the test results and justification for continued power operation at Zion Unit No. 2 until a December outage.
1341 306 ENCLOSURE B
Trojan As reported earlier, the Trojan Nuclear Plant was shut down October 12 due to Based an indication of reactor coolant leakage in the "D" steam generator.
on discussions with the licensee over the weekend of October 20-21 and on Monday, October 22, it has been learned that there are five leaking tubes, 4 in SG "D" and 1 in SG "A".
No inspections have been made in SG "B" or "C".
All five tubes, described as " weepers," are in row 1; i.e. the one with the tightest radius U-bends. No infomation is yet available as to the exact nature or cause of these leaks. It's known, however that the leaks in all 5 tubes are in the U-bend, or top portion of the tubes. The plant as of October 22 had been down for 10 days and is in a cold conditio~n with the reactor coolant at 100-105*F. The staff has asked the licensee to provide additional infor-ration on the nature or cause of these leaks before taking corrective actions.
We will require assurance, with bases, that similar potential multiple, tube failures are not present in SG "B" or "C" and that the licensee has taken appmpriate inspection and corrective action steps where appropriate to reduce the likelihood of future multiple failures of tubes in SG "A" and "D" as well.
Also, we learned over the weekend that the licensee has supported safety-related At piping, including both trains of the RHR system, from a cinderblock wall.
least one R.HR pipe support has been determined by the licensee as not being capable of withstanding design basis loading (seismic plus thermal).
This matter is being investigated further by the licensee and the Bechtel Cor-po ration. There are on the order of three dozen similar walls which are being checked by the licensee for the presence of safety-related piping supports.
Pending the identification of additional potential problems, the licensee has indicated that the plant will rerain in cold shutdown (Mode 5).
A meeting will be held on October 26, 1979 with the licensee to discji5 bcth of the above issues.
Contenwealth Edison Comoany (Ceco)
CECO informed us on October 22, 1979 that they had been informed by letter dated October 12, 1979 that Barnwell, the last burial ground still doing business, would not accept any further shipments of solid wastes from CECO plants.
Quad Cities and Zion stations currently have initially all available solid There is, waste storage spaces onsite filled and awaiting shipment offsite.
however, plenty of available solid waste storage space at Dresden. CECO suggested that they were considering requesting amendments to their Dresden 2/3 licenses to allow temporary storage of Zion and Quad Cities solid wastes at Dresden. We told CECO that any such request would probably have to be pre-noticed, so that it is unlikely that any such amendments could be approved in time to afford the needed relief.
1341 307 ENCLOSURE B
CECO has, meanwhile, further evaluated their situation regarding waste storage at the two congested sites, and believe that if no acceptable storage space is found offsite, both Quad Cities and Zion will have to shut down in two to six weeks, depending on how much additional space can be found or created onsite.
IAEA Ms. L. Brown, Hydrology-Meteorology Branch, will visit Yugoslavia on November 3 - 17, 1979 at the request of M. Rosen of IAEA to assist in the evaluation of meteorological data for an operating licensing review.
Low Level Wasta On October 17-19, 1979, R. L. Bangart and representatives from DOR, NMSS, SD, SP, and DOE met with officials of the State of South Carolina to discuss (1) policies that S. Carolina will be implementing regarding the disposal of low-level waste, and (2) revisions to the license issued to Chem-Nuclear by the State of S. Carolina to operate the burial ground at Barnwell.
Issues discussed with senior Chem-Nuclear representatives included definition of free standing water in wastes received for burial; resin solidification; volume reduction; enforcement of DOT, NRC and S. Carolina requirements; and the need for additional burial grounds.
S. Carolina is continuing to adopt a responsible position on the implementation and clarification of existing and additional requirements on free standing water, resin solidification, and reduction of waste volume received.
1341 108 ENCLOSURE B Results of Initial EPICOR II Processino at TMI_-2_
A r, ample of the fir:t 6000 gallons processed through EPICOR II showed the following reductions in radionuclide concentrations:
EPICOR II PROCESSING Radionuclide Concentrations (pc/ml)
ACTUAL ACTUAL PROCESSED DECONTAMINATION 10 CFR 20 PADIONUCLIDE If4FLUEliT EFFLUENT FACTOR
- PC CONC.
7 Cesium 137 7.2
<5.4 x 10-7
>1,3 x 10 2 x 10-5
>5,3 x 10' g x 10-6 Cesium 134 1.6
<3.0 x 10 -
4 Lanthanun 140 0.04'
<7.0 x 10-7
>5,8 x 10
- 2 x 10-5 4
Earium 140 0.03'
<7.0 x 10-7
>5,8 x 10
- 2 x 10-3 7
-6 Strcntium 89 2.1'
<1.7 x 10-7'
>1.2 x 10
- 3 x '9 Strontium 90 1.6'
<1.1 x 10 "
>1,4 x 10 3 x 10
'ESTIt'ATED Tne concentrahonsin the processed water are well below the maximum
- ermissible concentrations scecified in 10 CFR Part 23 for unrestrictE-areas.
1341 309 ENCLOSURE B
STATUS OF Sr.uivu::a rLANTS (October 25,1979)
Arkansas 1 Modification of FW Pump Restart 11/15/79 Arkansas 2 Core Internal Inspection Restart 12/6/79 Big Rock Point Control Rod Drive Leak ~
Restart 10/30/79 Browns Ferry 3 Reload Restart 12/4/79
, Calvert Cliffs 2 Refueling Restart 12/1/79 Cook 2 Refueling Restart 12/15/79 Dresden 1 ECCS Modification Restart 8/80 Dresden 2 Seismic Inspections in connection with Bull. 79-14 Restart 10/29/79 Farley 1 Anchor Bolts Restart 10/27/79 Fort St. Vrain Refueling and installation of Luci Locks Restart 12/7/79 Humboldt Bay Seismic Evaluation Restart ?
Indian Point 1 ECCS Restart ?
Indian Point 3 Refueling Restart 12/15/79 fiorth Anna 1 Reload Restart 12/18/79 Oconee 3 Startup Testing Restart 10/26/79 Palisades Reload Restart 11/15/79 Peach Bottom.3 Refueling Restart 10/26/79 Point Beach 1 Refueling Restart 11/11/79 Salem 1 Feedwatar Nozzles Restart 10/31/79 Surry 2 St. Gen. Replacement Restart 4/80 Three Mile Island 1 Order Restart ?
Three Mile Island 2 Accident Restart ?
Vermont Yankee Refueling Restart 10/27/79 Yankee Rowe NRC Bulletin Restart 11/3/79 Zion 1
' Refueling Restart 11/24/79 1341 710 ENCLOSURE B
Status of Operatino Plant Fire Protection Reviews Pha:e 1 of the fire protection reviews for 68 operating reactor plants This review has been completed with the exception of the Salem #1 review.
is being conducted by DSS in conjunction with the fire protection review for Salem #2. At the present time, there are two remaining unresolved issues.
It is expected that one of the two remaining open issues will be resolved within the next few days and the SER will be published by November 2.
This will leave one issue to be covered in a supplement to the SER.
Of the 49 SET supplements which will be requirec, three have been issued.
Completion date for the remaining supplements is April 1981.
~.
e 9
1341 311 ENCLOSURE B
OFFICE OF STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT IMPORTANT EVENTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 26,1"79 1.
In a notice published in the Federal Register on October 24,19D (44 FR 61274),
the ED0 denied petition for rule making PRM 71-7 filed by Walter F. Peeples, Jr.
requesting the Commission to:
(1) remove Appendix E - Quality Asstrance Criteria for Shipping Packages for Radioactive Material - from 10 CFR Part 7 ', and (2) delay the effective date of implementation of Part 71, Appendix E, :ntil a proper hearing can be conducted and possibly total removal of the requirement. By letter dated October 2,1979, the EDO informed the petitioner of the denial. As grounds of denial, the Commission staff:
(1) concluded that was adequate notice of pro-posed and final rules for Appendix E; (2) found no evidence of an insurmountable and expensive paperwork program for industrial radiographers; (3) noted that the implementation date for Appendix E had already been delayed from July 1,1978, to January 1,1979; and (4) stated that to provide a greater degree of uniformity for quality assurance requirements between Agreement State licensees and Commis-sion licensees, the Commission had requested (by letter dated October 2, 1979) the Department of Transportation to upgrade its quality assurance requirements for radioactive material packagings.
Publications Issued Durina the Week of October 22-26. 1979 Division 1 - Power Reactors - Table of Contents
[ Note: This issue of the table of contents includes, for the first tine, a listing of regulatory guides issued in the other divisions that 'he NRC staff has identified as possibly of interest to recipients of Division 1 guides.]
Reg. Guide 1.140, Rev.1 - Design, Testing, and Maintenance Criteria for Normal Ventilation Exhaust System Air Filtration and Adsorption Units of Light-Water-Cooled Nuclear Power Plants
[ Issued to Reflect Comments]
Reg. Guide 8.21 Rev.1 - Health Physics Surveys for Byproduct Material at NRC-Licensed Processing and Manufacturing Plants [ Issued to Reflect Comments]
Reg. Guih 8.24, Rev.1 - Health Physics Surveys During Enriched Uranium-235 Processing and Fuel Fabrication [ Issued to Reflect Comments]
1341 312 ENCLOSURE C
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS Items of Interest
- Week Ending October 26, 1979 Technical Support to IAEA Safeauards Mr. L. F. Wirfs, Division of Safeguards, will represent the NRC at an IAEA Advisory Group Meeting on safeguarding fuel element fabrication plants on November 12-16, 1979, at Vienna, Austria.
He will provide direct consulting support to the IAEA Safeguards Evaluation Section from October 29 through November 9.
MC&A Synthesis Project The project to develop an improved method to synthesize MC&A assessment results is in progress. A meeting with Science Application Inc., was held on October 18 to discuss initial ideas on structuring MC&A assessment results in accordance with the findings of the MC&A Task Force. A working session is planned at SAI during the last week in October. This project will be completed in FY80 and the results used to provide a more systematic method to assess MC&A capability at licensed facilities.
Imoact of Catecory I Upcrades on Non-Power Reactors On October 17, 1979, Safeguards staff members met with representatives of DOE.
The issues discussed were DOE's program to demonstrate a reduced enrichment research reactor fuel and the possible influence that NRC's decision on non-power reactor physical security requirements may have on DOE and its reactors.
The staff is continuing to receive and analyze comments on the possible impact of Category I physical security requirements on non-power reactors.
10 CFR 51 A report by the staff combining the data on radon emissions from uranium mines and mills based upon BNWL reports on mines and the GEIS on mills is in preparation for use in upgrading the fuel cycle radon effluent value.
Fuel Cycle Costs The latest progress report from the contractor on this work, BNWL, will now have to serve as a final report due to deletion of funds for this work in FY80.
Staff personnel will visit BNWL next to review the document and finalize the text.
l3Al 3l ENCLOSURE D
Items of Interest 2
Disposal of Liquid Scintillation Wastes (LSW)
Staff members met with representatives from the flational Academy of Sciences and the University of Maryland, to discuss the problems associated with the disposal of institutional wastes.
A representative of Johns-Mansville Corporation also met with the staff to discuss absorbents for liquid scintillation wastes.
A study of methods of disposal of liquid scintillation wastes has been carried out including visits to several sites handling these materials. A report has been drafted and following staff review will be finalized covering the disposal of LSW.
Movement of Contaminated Soil in Florissant. Missouri On October 22, 1979, Fuel Cycle Division representatives attended a Florissant Town Council Meeting near St. Louis, Missouri, at the request of the Town Council. The purpose of the meeting was to provide local citizens an opportunity to obtain information relative to the movement of slightly contaminated soil from a site formerly licensed by the AEC/NRC at 9200 Latty Avenue, Hazelwood, Missouri, to a fonner AEC burial site, 2-1/2 miles away, adjacent to Lambert St.
Louis International Airport in St. Louis County, Missouri.
The movement has been approved by the State, County and Town Councils in which the sites are located, and through which the material will be transported.
Various environmentalist groups from the St. Louis area opposed the movement of the Latty Avenue materials.
DOE has included the airport site in its list of excessed properties and has performed a radiological survey and environmental impact assessment to define what remedial action is necessary as well as identifying the placement of the material from Latty Avenue.
National Conference of State Lecislators Meeting on November 8 and 9,1979, in Austin, Texas.
The NRC's Division of Waste Management was requested to give a briefing on low-level waste disposal at the National Conference of State Legislators Meeting en November 9,1979, in Austin, Texas. Mr. R. Dale Smith and Mr. E. G. Tourigny will represent Waste Management.
1341 314 ENCLOSURE D
Items of Interest 3
_ Order to United Nuclear Corporation The NRC staff issued an order to the United Nuclear Corporation on the evening of October 12, 1979, to the effect that the United Nuclear shall not generate additional byproduct material (tailings) at its Church Rock Uranium Mill until such time as the Director of Waste Management, NMSS, takes and confirrs in writing a anclusion that the embankment is stable, thereby assuring containment.)f the uranium tailings.
Over the past few months, NRC has been performing full evaluations of both the geotechnical and contamination cleanup aspects of the July 16, 1979, tailings impoundment failure at the United Nuclear Church Rock Uranium Mill.
Up to this point in time, NRC has not chosen to issue orders to the mill cperator concerning operation of the mill or regarding cleanup operations.
It was NRC's intention not to duplicate orders issued by the State. However, durir.g the course of numerous telephone conversations with various officials of the State of New Mexico and of United Nuclear Corporation on October 12, 1979, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received varying and inconsistent re; orts as to whether ir:nediate resumption of operation of the Church Rock Mill was contemplated.
The NRC was unable to conclude on October 12, 1979, that the operation of the mill (and consequently discharge of tailings) could be ccaducted with reasonable assurance of protection for the public health and safety.
The f;RC staff has subsequently met with the United Nuclear to discuss the stability of the present tailings impoundment; and on October 19, 1979, the NRC staff has determined that the limited generation and storage of uranium tailings can be conducted with reasonable assurance of protection for the public health and safety.
The staff has prepared a follow-on orcer permitting limited operaticns,and the order was issued on October 24,1979.
Briefino NBS Personnel on HLW Program On October 18, 1979, M. Bell, WM, briefed personnel of the Nuclear Waste Study Group of the National Bureau of Standards on the NRC high-level waste management program. This group has the task of formulating an NBS program in Measurements Standards and Methodology for Nuclear Waste Technology.
In the discussions, Dr. Bell emphasized the NRC staff multibarrier approach and the need to develop a test method to predict the behavior of waste packages for pericds of thousands of years.
Keystone Radioactive Waste Discussion Group On October 22-25, 1979, NRC staff will participate in a workshop on the disposal of radioactive wastes in geologic environments at the Keystone Center for Continuing Education, Keystone, Colorado. The Keystone discussion group consists of representatives of government agencies, universities, industry, and public interest groups with an interest in radioactive waste
- disposal, l3dl 3lb ENCLOSURE D
OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT Items of Interest Week Ending October 26, 1979 1.
Virginia Electric and Power Company (Surry ' Unit 2) - Civil Penalty Action -
On October 25, 1979, the Commission received a check in the amount of
$15,000 from the subject licensee in full payment of the civil penalty imposed by Order on September 28, 1979.
2.
The following Notification of Significant Enforcement Action was dispatched during the past week:
a.
EN-79-12 Boston Edison Company (Pilgrim) - A Notice of Violation and a Notice of Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalties in the amount of 55,000 was issued on October 26, 1979. This action is based on an alleged item of noncompliance associated with implementation of the physical security plan.
3.
Preliminary Notifications relating to the following actions were dispatched during the past week:
a.
PN0-79-434 Direct Telephone Lines to Facilities, Possible Loss of Telephone Service During Loss of Offsite Power b.
PN0-I-79-02A Saxton Nuclear Experimental Corporation - Contaminated Soil Outside of the Restricted Area (Update of PNO-79-433) c.
PN0-I-79-10 Salem Unit 1 - Endangered Fish Species Impingement d.
PNO-I-79-11 Salem Unit 1 - Six Plant Workers Overcome by Carbon Dioxide e.
PNO-I-79-12 Maine Yankee - Leaking "0" Ring on Safety Injection Tank Check Valve f.
PN0-II-79-12 & -12A Brunswick Unit 1 - Steamline Isolation on High Radiation g.
PNO-II-79-13 Harris Units 1, 2, 3, & 4 - Inadequate Tool Theft Control h.
PN0-II-79-14 Hartsville Units A-1 and B Immediate Action Letter on Reactor Vessel Pedestals i.
PNO-II-79-15 Surry Unit 1 - Unit Restart After Extended Shutdown J.
PNO-III-79-18B Zion Unit 1 - L%ar Indications in the Feedwater Nozzle to Pipe Welds k.
PNO-III-79-19 Davis-Besse Unit 1 - Degradation of Reactor Coolant Pump Seal I.3 d }
3}b ENCLOSURE E
. 1.
PNO-III-79-20 Duane Arnold - Unscheduled Reactor Shutdown m.
PNO-III-79-21 Davis-Besse Unit 1 - Reactor Scram Following Loss of Reactor Coolant Pump n.
PNO-III-79-22 Nuclear Pharmacy, Inc., Elmhurst, IL - Transportation Accident - No Loss of Material o.
PNO-V-79-5 Trojan - Auxiliary Building Concrete Block Wall Adequacy p.
PNO-V-79-6 Trojan - Tritium Detected in the Onsite Recreation Lake q.
PNO-V-79-7 Trojan - Emergency Plan Exercise r.
PN-NRC:TMI-79-01 Three Mile Island Unit 2 - EPICOR II Operations s.
PN-NRC:TMI-79-02 Three Mile Island Unit 2 - EPICOR II Operations t.
PNS-I-79-04B Indian Point Units 2 & 3 - Bomb / Extortion Threat u.
PNS-I-79-05 Ginna - Bomb Threat v.
PNS-IV-79-07 Wolf Creek Unit 1 - Bomb Threat w.
PNS-IV-79-08 Wolf Creek Unit 1 - Bomb Threat x.
PNS-IV-79-09 Wolf Creek Unit 1 - Bomb Threat y.
PNS-IV-79-10 Wolf Creek Unit 1 - Bomb Threat z.
PNS-IV-79-11 Wolf Creek Unit 1 - Bomb Threat 1341 317 ENCLOSURE E
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REGULATORY RESEARCH Important Items - Week Ending October 26, 1979 SAFER In response to a request from NMSS on Friday, October 26, RES has made arrangements to conduct a subsurface survey of the low-level nuclear waste disposal site at Beatty, Nevada, beginning Monday, October 29.
This survey was urgently requested to resolve recently identified uncertainties in the location of older waste trenches, following a recent inadvertent excavation of waste drums at a location outside the fenced-in area of the site by USGS.
RES and NMSS staff and two contractors, GeoCenters and Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories (PNL), will be at Beatty, Nevada on Sunday, October 28 with U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) personnel to prepare for the survey. A pulsed radar system, provided by the USGS, will be used by GeoCenters to make a subsurface profile of trench boundaries, buried objects and voids to a depth of about 40 feet. The entire 4800 feet periphery of the site will be surveyed from the fence boundary, laterally out to a minimum of 100 feet.
Selected areas inside the site boundary will also be surveyed to establish continuity of any older unrecorded excavations or filled trenches which may be found outside the present fenced boundary.
PNL personnel will make a surface radiological survey, including high resolution in situ gamma spectral measurements for radionuclide identification in the fieTd.
Coordination has been established with Dr. Ralph DiSibio, on the staff of the Governor of the State of Nevada, who accepted NRC's offer of assistance.
Detailed arrangements are being coordinated with Mr. John Vaden, Supervisor of Radiological Health Programs for the State of Nevada, Mr. Stephen Carpenter, the Nuclear Engineering Company Site Manager, who is responsible for manage-ment of the Beatty Waste Disposal Site, and Mr. David Nichols of USGS. The technical contact for RES is Clyde Jupiter (301-427-4362); NMSS technical contact is James Thomas (301-427-4433).
1H1 H8 ENCLOSURE F
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE LEGAL DIRECTOR ITEMS OF INTEREST WEEX ENDING OCTOBER 26, 1979 Trojan Nuclear Plant (SFP proceeding) in a Memorandum and Order issued on October 18, 1979, the Commission declined to review ALAB-531 which affirmed the Licensing Board's decision authorizing an increase in the Trojan SFP capacity and use of that increased capacity.
Commission review had been requested by the State of Oregon and Intervenor Susan Garrett.
Comissioner Bradford, joined by Comissioner Gilinsky, set forth a separate view indicating that the Comission should have granted Oregon's petition for review of the Appeal Board's standard for the imposition of technical specifications, a standard which the two Comissioners believe may be inconsistent with the requirements of the Atomic Energy Act.
Davis-Besse Nuclear Pcwer Station, Unit 1 In response to a Notice of Hearing issued by the Comission on July 5,1979, Ohio State Senator Tom McCormack had requested to participate in the past startup special proceedings which were to be held to litigate the adequacy of the modifications ordered by the Commission as a result of TMI. Davis-Besse is a Babcock an:: Wilcox designed plant which is of the same design as the Three Mile Island Unit 2 reactor.
In reviewing his Petition to Intervene, the Board ruled in an Order dated October 23, 1979, that the State Senator's interest as a customer and purchaser of power from Davis-Besse was insufficient to confer standing under the rationale of the Pebble Sorinos decision (3 NRC 804).
In addition, the Davis-Besse Board, in a ruling containing language similar to that in the recent Vallecitos Licensing Board decision, found that Senator McCormack hac failed to justify standing as a State Senator since he had not provided information as to how his duties as an Ohio State legislator would be affected by hearings in this case.
Finally, the Board noted the North Anna decision (9 NRC 54) and held that a petitioner whose working activities am conducted 73 air miles from a facility and whose residence is 84 miles away from the plant would be too distant to establish the requisite personal interest necessary to confer standing in the proceeding without an additional showing of connection to issues.
The Licensing Board also remarked that even if the distance from the Petitioner's residence or work to the plant was as low as 66 miles, their decision would not be changed.
ENCLOSURE G 13/i1 319
. Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant, Unit 1 The Licensing Board presiding over the proceeding to convert Monticello's pro-visional operating license to a full-term license issued an order on October 25, 1979, terminating the proceeding. The Board was acting upon the joint motion of all parties. With respect to the only issue which the Board had considered open (anticipated transients without scram), the Board ruled that while ATWS remains an " unresolved safety issue," the Monticello plant could continue to operate with acceptably low risks from an ATWS pending implementa-tion of whatever modifications eventually are required as a result of the Commission rulemaking.
e 0
ENCLOSURE G 1341 320
OFFICE OF STATE PROGRAMS ITEMS OF INTEREST WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 26, 1979 State Acreements W.
Kerr will meet with the Chairman, Arizona Atomic Energy Commission on October 29, 1979 regarding the agreement program with Arizona and changes planned by the States.
Emercency Preparedness Governor Dalton of Virginia was informed of NRC's concurrence in the Virginia Radiological Emergency Response plan on October 22.
This raises to 14 the number of States with NRC concurrence.
In ad di tion, there are 11 States whose plans are under development by the appropriate State agencies and 15 States whose plans are under review by the Federal Interagency Regional Advisory Committees.
The review and concurrence program is on schedule.
SP, NER, and IE representatives met to revise and consolidate the acceptance criteria for use during reviews of licensee and State emergency plans.
A Radiological Emergency Response Coordinators' Course will be conducted next week in Auburn, Massachusetts, for New England emergency response personnel.
Requests were received this week from Pennsylvania to present this course in that State, from Iowa to present two sessions in the Midwest, and from Maryland to present the planning course.
We currently have plans to present seven training courses in the next four to six months and have pending recuests for an additional three to five sessions.
On October 19, 1979, Tom Elsasser, Region I SLO, met in Albany, New York with New York State officials to discuss State participation in the radiological emergency response drill planned at the Ginna facility later in the year.
On October 23, the Region IX Regional Advisory Committee held a one day training session.
The meeting was chaired by the Region V State Liaison Officer and was conducted by Richard Starostecki of Science Applications Inc. who is under contract to NRC to provide training and scenario assistance to the RAC's.
Also attending the meeting were Richard Cleveland and Rod Mason from NRC, Office of State Programs.
During the period October 22 to 26, Mr. Robart, the Region V SLO, observe.
the Trojan emergency exercise designed to test both the Washington and Oregon offsite response capabilities as well as the Portland General Electric emergency plan.
Mr. Robart participated in the exercise as co-chairman of the Region X, Federal Regional Advisory Committee.
He also participated in a post exercise critique and on Friday morning, October 26, he also participated in a Washington State Senate Energy and Utilities Committee meeting in Longview, WA on the matter of the Trojan Exercise.
1341 32i ENCLOSURE I
0FFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAM ANALYSIS Items of Interest WEEK ENDING - October 26, 1979 Er.ergency Preparedness (1) At Comission's request, developing for ED0 a draft of options for reorganizing NRC's emergency planning activities. This draft has been requested by a member of Rep. Moffett's staff; (2) prepared and circu-lated to Office Directors a rough draft of Chairman's testimony before Rep. Moffett's subcomittee en the subject of emergency planning; (3) produced a list of emergency planning tasks (index, activities, and surr.ary) for Ray Smith, ED0-level coordinator.
DUTS/PPPG Briefed Chairman and Mr. Gossick on the status of Decision Unit Tracking System and its interrelationship with the Policy, Planning and Programing Guidance (and the Annual Report).
MIS Publications (1) Program Summary Report (Brown Book) for October was distributed; (2)
Construction Status Report-Nuclear Power Plants (Yellow Book) for October also distributed.
Sceakina Engagement Rocer Moore delivered paper entitled " Statistical and Risk Analysis --
Getting The Acts Together" at the 1979 DOE Statistical Symposium in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
1341 322 ENCLOSURE J
_ CALENDAR OF SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS OCTOBER October 31 Robert Purple will participate in hearing of the New York State Assembly Special Committee on Nuclear Power Safety.
The subject of this hearing is low-level radiation and the nuclear fuel cycle.
NOVEMBER November 8 Edward Podolak will address FDA's Radiopharmaceutical Drugs Advisory Committee on "NRC Regulations for Medical Uses of Radioisotopes."
November 12 Dr. Allen Brodsky, Keeping Radiation Exposures as Low as Reasonably Achievable, NC State University with Chapters of Professional Societies, NC State University, Raleigh, NC.
November 14 Dr. Allen Brodsky, Epidemiology and Radiation Protection (Wright H. Langham Memorial lecture), University of Kentucky, Department of Health Radiation Sciences, Lexington, KY.
November 15 Dr. Allen Brodsky, Public Health and the Peaceful Atom: The Radiation Debate - Symposium: The Significance of Low-Level Radiation to Human Health, University of Kentucky Inter-Disciplinary Committee, Lexington, KY.
November 28 Information Security Oversight Office (IS00) Annual Symposium,
" Executive Order 12065 - A Year Later," NRC's Development and Use of Classification Guides - Raymond J. Brady.
DECEMBER December 10-13 Stephen McGuire will speak before the Health Physics Society Mid-Year Symposium on " Safety Training for Industrial Radiographers" in Honolulu, Ha a ii.
John McGrath will present a paper entitled "The NRC Program for Training of State Radiation Control Personnel" before the Health Physics Society Mid-Year Symposium, Honolulu, Hawaii.
'1341 323 ENCLOSURE L