ML20058L925

Updates Commission on US-USSR Civilian Nuclear Reactor Safety Cooperation

ML20058L925
Person / Time
Issue date:	08/06/1990
From:	Harold Denton, Taylor J NRC OFFICE OF GOVERNMENTAL & PUBLIC AFFAIRS (GPA), NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:
References
TASK-PII, TASK-SE SECY-90-272, NUDOCS 9008090017
Download: ML20058L925 (10)

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POLICY ISSUE (Information)

August 6.

1990

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The Commissioners From:

James M. Taylor Executive Director for Operations Harold R. Denton, Director Of fice of Governmental and Public Affairs Sub.ieg_ t :

UPDATE ON U.S.-USSR CIVILIAN NUCLEAR REACTOR SAFETY COOPERATION

Purpose:

To document the significant background that led to the current level of cooperation with the USSR in civilian nuclear reactor safety under the Joint Coordinating Committee on Civilian Nuclear Reactor Safety (JCCCNRS) and present the major accomplishments of the program since the last update (SECY-89-351, November 24, 1989),

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There are four major elements which influence the character of cooperation with the USSR under the JCCCNRS (described below).

The first is the initiation of the dialogue,- prompted by the Chernobyl accident.

The second is the formal mechanism which provides the legal basis for the JCCCNRS.

The third are the activities of the JCCCNRS itself.

And the fourth is the relationship of private industry to the JCCCNRS.

1.

INFLUENCE OF THE CHERN0BYL ACCIDENT In March 1987 a first U.S. nuclear safety team, led by NRC Commissioner Bernthal, visited the USSR and discussed four broad

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- technical areas ~of. concern to the U.S. in the" aftermath of Chernobyl, namely:

nuclear safety regulation, policy, and practices; safe operations; safety research; and radiation protection and health effects.. In response to an offer of assistance from then-President Reagan, U.S.-USSR negotiations led-to creating the JCCCNRS and its purposes:

to enhance the safety.

of Soviet reactors; to obtain from the Soviets greater information about their. approaches to nuclear safety and environmental and health effects from-t' charnobyl-accident; and to assist U.S. nuclear, industry in seeking a market in the Sovitt Union and Eastern Europe, consistent with.U.S. laws and; obligations.

2.

AGREEMENT ON PEACEFUL USES OF ATOMIC ENERGY The Agreement on the Peaceini Uus of. Atomic Energy provides the legislative basis for the JiCCNRS. The Agreement.was signed by-the heads of state in 1973 trid deals with atomic energy research and development.

Following Chernobyl, nuclear safety cooperation was added to the scope, and during the seventh Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) under the Agreemer.t (held in January 1988)'the U.S.-

proposed setting up a JCCCNRS wm the NRC as the lead U.S.

agency (see 3., below).

At its Eighth Meeting (held May 23-26, 1989 in Mo' scow) the JCM reviewed results of the 1988 cooperative programs in civilian reactor safety, as well as other programs, and approved work programs in these fields for 1989 and for 1930.

0n June 1, 1990, just after the_ Ninth JCM, Presidents Bush.and Borbachev signed a new five-year Peaceful Uses Agree'ent.

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included a section which was directed toward improving safety of civilian nuclear reactors, including: "the p'olicy and practices of regulatory activity regarding the safety of reactors; problems of safety in design, construction, training, operation, and management of reactors; research directed at improving the safety of reactors; and questions on health effects and environmental

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protection requirements arising from the use of reactors.

3.

JCCCNRS ACTIVITIES The Soviets agreed that the JCCCNRS would first meet in the USSR to inaugurate cooperation.

Chairman lech directed the EDO to make resources available for expanded cooperation with the Soviets. Mr. James Taylor, the Deputy E00 at the time, was appointed'the U.S. Co-Chairman.

To date there have been two meetings of the JCCCNRS.

At the first. meeting (August 1988), the Committee established the e

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a direction and agreement on the first tasks of cooperation'im the-a ten Working Groups. At the spcond meeting (October 1989), the Committee reviewed the actions of the first year and,. based ~on

- the recommendations its Working Groups developed during their previous meetings, approved activities for the second year. A; third meeting of the JCCCNRS is scheduled for 0ctober 1990, r

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INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT As indicated in the U.S.-USSR agreement establishing the JCCCNRS',_

U.S. nuclear industry participation has been encouraged in 4

Working Group efforts and meetings.- While industry has had limited. involvement with JCCCNRS activities, current private participation is taking place or;is planned in relation to seven Working Groups (3,'4, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11).

Some organizations i;

which have shown active interest include, but are not limited'to,-

the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, Westinghouse, the-Electric Power Research Institute,-General Electric, Bechtel, and

' Link-M les.

Discussion:- In the last eight months, the number of accomplishments in

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U.S./ViSR cooperation has increased.

The most significant are-listed below. - This period followed the efforts of the first year (August 1988-September 1989) which acted ~s'a " shake-down" in, a

t which:

the. logistics of administering the program were being o

woded ou't, the directions of the ten Working Gro'ups were'being-l refined, and the people on both sides were. becoming familiar with their responsibilities and'with each other.

The recentaccomplishmentsweremadepossible.'bythese[bilowingmajor earlier l

P efforts. The accomplishments illustrate both that the' Soviets L

have technologies related to nuclear safety which can benefit the U.S. and that the Soviets are developing-an awareness ~of the need I

to improve safety in their country's nuclear program.

L MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS SINCE LAST REPORT (NOVEMBER 1989)

The Soviets have placed the regulatory organization (GAEN) in their government structure independent of the l

power-producing organizations.

GAEN is7 attempting to l

emulate the NRC by developing a similar legislative basis, a similar licensing and inspection organization *and a similar L

decision process.

(WG.-1)

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The U.S. has learned of and expects to receive Soviet p

experimental data on innovative designs for reactor coolant pump seals which demonstrate the high reliability of seals even when seal cooling is lost.

(WG-2) l

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- The U.S. is learning of Soviet-plans for.large-scale.-

containment cavity. design experiments, which are related in particular to hydrogen issues.

In-addition, the U.S. is learning about Soviet designs'of advanced reactor safety-systems applied, for example, to. issues of reactor shutdown, boron injection, and passive heat removal:.

(WG-2)

The Soviets have invited the U.S. to be on scene for the x

next scheduled annealing of a VVER-440 reactor _ vessel (Bulgaria 1992). The U.S. will provide instruments to r

measure the annealing effects on vessel nozzles and perform I

an independent thermal and stress analysis of the annealing effects.

(This will be an important departure in the l

program from information exchange activities to cooperation in field operations.)

(WG-3)

The Soviets have only recently recognized the significant -

impact that fire-induced faults-in electrical circuits has on achieving and maintaining safe. shutdown conditions, and t

the importance of assuring fire protection for safe shutdown systems through the separation of cabling / equipment in combination with passive and active plant fire protection features.

As a result of a walk-down of a Soviet plant by a U.S. Working Group team in June 1990,'the Soviets recognize the need to update their fire protection practices.

(WG-4) c The Soviets have joined the International Code Assessment

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- Program (ICAP) in exchange for publicly available RELAP-5 and TRAC codes dealing with thermal-hydraulics.

In

-addition, the Soviets have been invited to join _the Severe Fuel Damage Partners' Program in exchange for in-kind

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research results, which are ample.- (WG-6)

The USSR has good facilities and analytical models which the U.S. may.use in conducting joint experiments in hydrogen safety. The Soviets have a major effort in hydrogen research involving all Soviet industry.

(WG-6)

The two sides have reached agreements on joint research -

. projects in multiple -areas of environmental transport and health effects resulting from the Chernobyl accident. This is a-major accomplishment, given the state of affairs-in the Soviet Union organizationally, financially, and technically; affecting the response to the accident.

(The NRC is making

$500,000 available, to be combined with about $1.5 niillion from other agencies, to help determine the feasibility of conducting pr.oductive collaborative research over the next 18 months.)

(WG-7)

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The USSR has obtained an understanding of symptom-based.

emergency operating procedures and how'these concepts can be-illustrated on safety-parameter display systems.

(WG4)

The,U.S. has -learned of a compud -(octadecylamine--ora) used by the Soviets-to inhibit erosion 4.orrosion in cirtain-steels. 00A can be used to coat the '.nside of pipes tt, reduce corrosion. This compound was developed from-engineering research performed in-one 'of the most' advanced Soviet laboratories.

(WG-10)

The Soviets have shared with the U.S. what went into their decision to replace the steam generators in all their:

- i VVER-1000s. The U.S. learned of this decision as a result i

of Working 1 Group discussions.

(WG-10)

-FUTURE WORK in the course of the next six to eight months, the work of three Working Groups will draw to a close (WG-4 on fire protection,.

WG-5~on backfitting, and WG-10 on erosion / corrosion). -The i

objectives established for these groups largel;. have been met, which relate mainly to exchange of existing information. Some residual issues will be transferred to other Workinti Grqu)s whose work remains unfinished.

In t Groups, there is likely to be.,he place of these three Wor

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proposed a WG-12 c1 plant aging and

-l life extension (the initial emphasis being on agi.ng).

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Due.to the expansion of activity for some continuing Working

-l Groups, an 'overall level of effort similar to thtt of,the last' two years. is expected for the. foreseeable future.- (See Attachment'l for the table on resource expenditures.)

In order 1

to conserveithe time of senior ' staff in the future, each U.S.

i Working Group leader will have an alternate.

Some alternates may 3

be at the senior GG-15 versus SES level.

(Proper' direction and control of the program can be maintained'because it is structured to provide for top management review and approval at each Lj decision point.'

m In October 1990, the third meeting of the JCCCNRS will be held in j

Moscow to establish the direction of work for 1991.

(Proposed dates of Working Group meeting schedules are contained in.)

The continued cooperation with tte Soviets is in consonance with the high priority for this work approved by the Commission in its k

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i action on SECY-89-371, " Priorities for NRC International, Programs e

. af:c!6 and Activities Update," dated December 12, 1989.

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xecutive Director for.0perations-

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4ms1W daroldR.Denon, Director j

Office of Governmental and Public Affairs Attachments:'

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' Working Group Meeting Schedules t

DISTRIBUTION:

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ATTACHMENT 1 in FTSOURCES (a;

le ' meetings and for administrative and -trsaslations costs.-

FY 89 FY 90 FY 9]

Working Group 1

'Humber of WG Meetings 1

1 1

NRC Staffweeks (meeting time) 9 3

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Inspector Exchange 14 8

NRC Program Support ($K) 0 0

0 Working Group 2

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Number of WG Meetings 2

2 1

NRC'Staffweeks (meeting time) 7 12 3

NRC Program Support (SK) 80 100 100 l

Working Group 3 Number of WG Meetings 1

1 1

NRC Staffweeks (meeting time) 5 2

5 NRC Program Support ($K) 0 200 400 i

(It is expected that U.S. expenses could be shared among.EPRI., DOE, and NRC. The NRC's portion is predicted to be $600,000 over a three-year period.)

Working Group 4 Number of WG Meetings 1

1 1

L NRC Staffweeks (meeting time) 8 2

4 L

NRC Program Support ($K).

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1 FY 89 FY 90 FY 91 t

. Working Group 5-Number of WG Meetings 0

1 1

NRC Staffweeks(meeting time) 0 2 NRC Program Support'($K) 0 0

0

Working Group 6' Number-of WG Meetings-1 2

2 NRC Staffweeks (meeting time) 6 3

8 NRC. Program Support ($K) 0 0

0 Working: Group 7 Number of WG Meetings:

1 2

3

.NRC Staffweeks (meeting time)

_3 3

3 i

NRC Program Support (SK) 0 500-TBD (The balance needed is ~$1,5 million, which will be absorbed by other agencies.)

Working Group 8

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Number of'WG Meetings

-1 1

1, NRC Staffweeks (meeting time) 7 3

"T NRC Program Support.($K) 0 0

0 9

' Working Group-9 1

Number of WG Meetings 0

2 l'

NRC'Staffweeks (meeting time) 0 13 3

y NRC Program Support ($K) 0 0.

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Working Group 10 s

Number of WG Meetings 2

1 1

NRC Staffweeks (meeting time) 4 2

6 NRC Program Support ($K) 0 0

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i FY 89 EL2'l FY 91 y

Working Group 11' i

' Number of WG Meetings 0-5 TBD NRC Staffweeks'(meeting time) 0-0-

TBD NRC Program Support ($K) 0 0-

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(DOE Program Support for FY 91 is-expected to be approximately

$10 million.

This Working Group, which implements DOE Secretary Watkins' initiative on operational ~ safety, will continue to be planned

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'and directed entirely by DOE. ' The JCCCNRS will continue to monitor the work of the Working Group to assure there is no dupl'itation f effort with the other Working Groups.):

e Working Group 12 6L Number of WG Meetings 0

0 TBD NRC Staffweeks (meeting time) 0 0

~TBD.

NRC Program Support ($K)

O' 0

TBD Total for A11[ Working Groups (NRC resources only, without WG-ll) 4

-. Number of' WG Meetings 10 14 13+

NRC Staffweeks (meeting tame) 49 53 49+

NRC Program Support ($K) 80 800

'TBD

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International ~ Programs (Total U.S./ USSR budget)

NRC Staffweeks

.120 120 120 NRC Program Support ($K) 125 125 TBD O

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t ATTACHMENT 2 WORKING GROUP MEETING SCHEDULES There has been extensive interaction with the Soviets since the' inception of the prop dic, and more is planned in the future.

The chart below outlines the meetings of tne 'brking Groups.

I

[y 89-FY 90 FY 91

- E-Working Group 1 June 89 April 90 March 91/US a

Inspector Exchan9e Jul-Sep 89 Sep 90 Nov.90/US to US/ USSR to USSR Working-Group 2 Dec 88 Dec 89 Oct 90/ USSR June 89 June 90 Working Group 3 June 89-June 90 Spring 91/US Working Group 4 June 89 June 90 March 91/US Dec 89

- Delayed-TBD Working Group 5 Working Group 6 June 89 Nov 89 Oct 90/US June 90 Spring'91/ USSR Working Group 7-Sept 89 June 90 Winter 90-91/ USSR Sep 90

_ Spring _91/US Fall 91/ USSR Working-Group 8 June 89 April 90 Nov 90/US (tent.)

Dec 89 June 9.1/ USSR-

- Working Group 9 June 90 Working Group 10 Dec 88 June 90 Oct 90/US June 89 Working Group'll March 90 TBD May 90 July 90 Aug 90 Sep 90

--r TBD Working. Group 12.

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