ML20133K401

Press Release 97-06, NRC Asks Vectra Technologies to Submit Info on Its Dry Cask Storage Sys for Spent Fuel

ML20133K401
Person / Time
Issue date:	01/16/1997
From:	NRC OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS (OPA)
To:
References
PR-97-006, PR-97-6, NUDOCS 9701210214
Download: ML20133K401 (2)

Text

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United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of Public Affairs Washington, DC 20555 Phone 301-415-8200 Fax 301-415-2234 Internet:opa@nrc. gov ,

No.97-006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Thursday. January 16, 1997)

NRC ASKS VECTRA TECHNOLOGIES TO SUBMIT INFORMATION ON ITS DRY CASK STORAGE SYSTEM FOR SPENT FUEL -

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has asked VECTRA Technologies, Inc..

of San Jose, California, to submit information to show why NRC should not order the company to take certain actions with regard to a dry cask storage system for spent nuclear fuel.

NRC has asked VECTRA to submit by March 14:

(1) A statement as to why NRC should not order VECTRA or an independent organization, contracted by VECTRA, to conduct a comprehensive review of VECTRA's design control, since June 1995, of its Standardized NUHOMS Horizontal Modular Storage System.

(2) A statement as to why NRC should not order VECTRA to perform a comprehensive review of all design changes and nonconformances since June 1995. The statement would have to include a discussion of the root cause of previously identified corrective action weaknesses.

(3) A statement by VECTRA as to why the NRC should not suspend VECTRA's authority to fabricate the storage system until the problems have been resolved to the NRC's satisfaction.

VECTRA holds an NRC certificate approving the use of its Standardized NUHOMS Horizontal Modular Storage System. NRC conducts inspections to ,

determine whether the system is being manufactured in accordance with the NRC- i certified design.

NRC issued the demand for information to VECTRA as a result of  !

inspection findings regarding the com)any's quality assurance program for l manufacture of the storage systems. 1RC noted that one of the conditions of the certificate is that the dry cask fabrication must be conducted in accordance with the quality assurance program described in the company's safety analysis report submitted to NRC. The agency's inspections have found that VECTRA has not always accurately translated the system design into the specifications that its fabrication contractors must follow.

In the NUHOMS system, spent fuel rods from a nuclear power plant spent fuel pool are placed inside a metal canister, all water and moisture are removed, and a shield lid is placed over the opening and welded shut. The  ;

f sealed canister is placed horizontally in a concrete structure about 10 feet I wide, 5 feet tall and 19 feet deep. The full canister and surrounding 9701210214 970116 97- PDR PPscl l

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structure weigh about 150 tons and rest on a reinforced concrete pad. Natural  !

j air circulation provides all the necessary cooling. l a

4 The NUHOMS system is now being used to store spent fuel at the Calvert

! Cliffs (Maryland), Davis Besse (Ohio), and Oconee (South Carolina) nuclear j power plants. The H.B. Robinson plant in South Carolina uses an earlier i version of the NUHOMS system. These VECTRA units already in use have been i previously inspected by the NRC on a periodic basis, in accordance with the agency's inspection program. Any issues identified have been resolved to the  ;

4 NRC's satisfaction.  !

l In addition, the following plants plan to use the system: Oyster Creek i j (New Jersey), Rancho Seco (California--permanently closed), and Susquehanna  !

j (Pennsylvania).

The NRC first raised concerns with VECTRA's quality assurance program in

June 1995 during an inspection of fabrication of dry shielded canisters at a VECTRA contractor facility. The quality assurance program failed to identify i l i that there was inadecuate documentation for design changes, that the 1 j fabrication process cid not ensure that acceptable canister wall thickness was  !

maintained, and that pressure tests of the canisters were not being performed ,

! as committed to by VECTRA in its submittals to NRC. 1 4

. Because of the significance of these concerns the NRC issued a letter 4 to VECTRA on July 7.1995, confirming VECTRA's commitment to correct and prevent recurrence of these problems. l

) However, in later inspections in July and August 1996. NRC again

! identified 3roblems with the NUHOMS system, indicating insufficient corrective i actions. T1e inspectors found that VECTRA had failed to provide sufficient

! detail in the fabrication specification to ensure that the concrete material j used in the outer storage container met requirements. They also discovered an j inadequate analysis of the effects of the paint used for the outer container's j heat shield.

1 In a November 1996 inspection at another VECTRA fabrication contractor's f facility, NRC inspectors found similar 3roblems with the concrete

! specifications indicating that VECTRA lad failed to take actions to preclude

] repetition of the earlier shortcomings.

l Because of NRC's concerns with VECTRA's quality assurance program and i lack of effective corrective actions since June 1995. NRC questions whether it

can have confidence in VECTRA's current ability to fabricate the Standardized l NUHOMS Horizontal Modular Storage System.

After reviewing VECTRA's response to the demand for information just

issued, the NRC will determine whether further action is necessary to ensure i compliance with regulatory requirements.