ML20134D706

Weekly Info Rept for Wk Ending 970124

ML20134D706
Person / Time
Issue date:	01/29/1997
From:	Blaha J NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:
References
SECY-97-022, SECY-97-022-R, SECY-97-22, SECY-97-22-R, WIR-970124, NUDOCS 9702050323
Download: ML20134D706 (23)

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{{#Wiki_filter:. _ l 6 4 January 29. 1997 SECY 97 022 i Egt: The Commissioners From: James L. Blaha, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO Sub_iect: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING JANUARY 24, 1997 Contents Enclosure Nuclear Reactor Regulation A Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards B Nuclear Regulatory Research C* Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data D General Counsel E* Administration F Chief Information Officer G Chief Financial Officer H* Personnel I Small Business & Civil Rights J* l Enforcement K* State Programs L* Public Affairs M International Programs N Office of the Secretary 0* Region I P Region II P Region III P Region IV P i Executive Director for Operations Q* Congressional Affairs R i

• No input this week.

] g Jares L Blaha James L. Blaha Assistant for Operations, OEDO

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I l s I UNITED STATES i NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHIN GTON. D. C. 2M45 INFORMATION REPORT January 29. 1997 SECY 97-022 For: The Commissioners l From: James L. Blaha, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO Sub.iect: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING JANUARY 24, 1997 Contents Enclosure Nuclear Reactor Regulation A Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards B l Nuclear Regulatory Research C* Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data D General Counsel E* l Administration F l Chief Information Officer G Chief Financial Officer H* Personnel I Small Business & Civil Rights J* Enforcement K* i State Programs L* l Public Affairs M International Programs N i Office of the Secretary 0* l l Region I p Region 11 P Region III P l Region IV P Executive Director for Operations Q* Congressionhl Affairs R

• No input this week.

/ i M ames L. Blaha Assistant for Operations, OED0 2

Contact:

G. Tracy, OEDO l t

l d Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation items of Interest Week Ending January 24, 1997 l Indian point Nuclear Generatina Unit No. 3 On January 18, 1997, Indian Point Unit 3 shut down to repair a leaking low pressure feed heater. The unit had been operating at a reduced power with the feed heater isolated for several weeks. On January 21, 1997, while making an inspection inside containment, plant personnel determined that there was leakage from a pressurizer manway; plant management made the decision to proceed to cold shutdown. The licensee plans to use this unscheduled outage to replace the internals of the PORVs and to perform various surveillances. The outage plan is not complete; however, the licensee expects to be back on l line in about eighteen days. I Salem Nuclear Generatina Station. Units 1 and 2 l The staff is currently reviewing a proposed change to the Technical Specifications that would increase tne response time of the containment fan coolers from 45 to 60 seconds. In the course of this review, the staff asked l questions concerning water hammer and two-phase flow. In response to these concerns, PSE&G has decided to implement a modification to the fan coolers, which includes the installation of a stanapipe. The standpipe will assure that the service water piping is filled with water in order to preclude water hammer. Technical Specifications require the fan coolers to be OPERABLE in Mode 3. The Senior Resident inspector was informed on January 17, 1997, that PSE&G has I decided to complete the modification prior to entry into Mode 3 of Salem, Unit 2. The licensee expects the modification to be completed by mid-March. LaSalle. Units 1 and 2 Commonwealth Edison will be holding public meetings on 02/20/97 to present the results of its Independent Safety Assessments (ISA) conducted at Zion and LaSalle in December 1996. The ISA noted a number of deficiencies in the areas of Operations, Engineering and overall management at LaSalle. Based on the findings of the ISA, in addition to the conclusions of the AIT in September 1996, and the most recent SALP report, the licensee has postponed startup for LaSalle j and 2 which were shutdown in September 1996. In a letter dated 12/30/96, the LaSalle Site Vice President stated that the restart dates will remain indeterminate until a restart plan is developed. The restart plan will address the following arean safe plant operation, effective work management, engineering support, v.d effective human interaction and performance. Zion. Units 1 and 2 l On January 16, 1997, Commonwealth Edison informed the staff that it plans to extend the Zion Unit 2 refueling outage. The licensee intends to address recently identified technical concerns and to perform more comprehensive JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE A

i 4 reviews to ensure the unit is ready for restart. Actions to be completed during the outage extension include the following: t Remove flaking and unqualified paint from the zones of influence in the containment to ensure against the potential for sump screen clogging that could render emergency core cooling systems inoperable during the recirculation phase of a design basis loss of coolant accident. Evaluate the potential for future flaking and possible safety consequences. Evaluate and address electrical cable raceway and cable routing discrepancies. Conduct system and containment walkdowns to identify and resolve any potential operability, reliability, or safety issues and to evaluate open work items and deficiencies. Conduct program reviews to verify selected commitments have been properly implemented. Review pertinent recommendations in engineering and i technical documents to ensure proper implementation. 1 The scheduled date to return Unit 2 to service is currently 02/04/97. Fermi Unit 2 On January 17, 1997, during a turbine startup to check the results of the latest balance shot on the new main turbine low-pressure rotors, the licensee i attempted to synchronize the main generator with the grid. The licensee reported that when the main generator output breakers were given a signal to 1 close, most indications showed that the breakers did not close. However, there were some contrary indications. The synchroscope locked in at the "12 o' clock" position and the digital generator output meter indicated between 11 and 17 megawatts. Remote and local breaker indication did not indicate

closed, in an attempt to ensure the generator was tripped, the licensee opened the main generator field breaker. By design, this action also tripped the main turbine.

However, the turbine speed remained at 1800 RPM, indicating that the generator was " motoring". The licensee then deenergized a portion of the ring bus in the switchyard to remove power from the generator. The generator was motorized for approximately seven minutes. The licensee is investigating the cause(s) of the breaker malfunctions. In addition, based on the results of a generator gas sample, the licensee has decided to inspect the main generator for damage. The generator outage is expected to last a minimum of four weeks. After this outage, the licensee will complete the balancing of the low-pressure turbine rotors before returning the unit to full-power operation. JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE A

i l l l Wolf Creek Generatina Station Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation Board of Directors announced on January 22, 1997, that Otto Maynard had been elected President and Chief Executive Officer. Otto Maynard has been with Wolf Creek for 15 years.and has l served as Senior Licensing Engineer, Vice President Plant Operations, Chief Operating Officer, and, most recently, acting Chief Administrative Officer. His replacement as acting Chief Administrative Officer is Gary Boyer, who had been the Director of Site Support. The change is effective immediately. Neil " Buzz" Carns is leaving Wolf Creek to accept a position with Northeast l Utilities as Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer - Millstone. l Coordination Meetina With Department of Enerav (DOE) on Offsite Power / Grid l Stability On January 15, 1997, Electrical Engineering Branch, NRR and Reactor Analysis l Branch, AE00 staff met with Department of Energy (00E) staff to discuss Offsite Power Issues at the DOE Emergency Operations Center (E0C). The NRC attendees were J. Calvo, D. Thatcher, R. Jenkins, N. Trehan, J. Rosenthal, G. Lanik and M. Wegner. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the role and responsibilities of Federal agencies relative to the performance and reliability of the U. S. l electrical power transmission system, also called the power system grid. In addition, the attendees discussed how recent electrical power industry changes due to deregulation may change the reliability of the power system grid. t J. Calvo and J. Rosenthal described the regulatory basis governing offsite power requirements for nuclear power plants as well as the NRC requirements in this area. DOE personnel described the operation of the E0C and agency i emergency response program responsibilities. Attendees noted the following Federal agency and industry developments: DOE issued an investigation report, "The Electric Power Outages in the Western United States, July 2-3, 1996" in August 1996 (D0E had not conducted a similar investigation since 19B4). Effective January 3, 1997, regulatory char.ges include (1) transmission system information being placed on the Internet so that independent power producers can submit power transmission requests and (2) a requirement that utility information other than data needed for effective competition must be shared among participants. North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC), a voluntary association of electric utilities, has principal responsibility for the nominal operational reliability performance of the U. S. power system grid. The percentage of non-regulated power generation is increasing in response to the open transmission system environment. DOE has formed an JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE A i

l l Advisory Reliability Committee to advise the Secretary of Energy on this subject. l The Independent System Operator concept expects to be implemented in the l near future as electric utility restructuring evolves under deregulation. Attendees agreed to pursue further interagency efforts to help provide the necessary information to Federal policymakers on this subject. Surry Maintenance Rule Baseline bismtion During the Surry maintenance rule baseline inspection, the NRC identified that the licensee was not always able to assess the safety impact when removing equipment from service for maintenance. 10 CFR 50.65 (a)(3) states, in part, i that "in performing monitoring and preventive maintenance activities, an I assessment of the total plant equipment that is out of service should be taken into account to determine the overall effect on performance of safety functions." The team identified several instances (as subsequently quantified by the licensee's PRA engineers) where the licensee underestimated the risk associated with certain plant configurations established for the performance of on-line preventive maintenance. Of particular concern, Surry Unit I has been operating with a PORV block valve shut and an inoperable pressurizer spray valve for most of the current operating cycle. The licensee did not recognize that this configuration contributed to plant risk. As a result, on several occasions, the licensee underestimated the instantaneous CDF of certain plant configurations by a factor of three. The licensee's on-line maintenance procedure had procedural restrictions on continued plant operation with the configurations that involved this level of change in CDF. The inspectors found several weaknesses that contributed to this problem. The licensee's PRA group was not actively involved in the decision process for l taking equipment out of service. The risk matrix that the licensee used to l assess the risk of on-line maintenance included only 12 of the 44 PRA risk significant systems. Plant personnel (e.g., operators and maintenance l schedulers) assigned to assess plant risk mistakenly believed that the matrix included all PRA risk significant equipment. Some operators believed that the risk associated with the equipment outage of three or more components could be determined using a two dimensional matrix. l WNP-2 Desian Inspection On January 16, 1997, the Special Inspection Branch completed a design inspection at the Washington Nuclear Project, Unit 2 (WNP2) facility. The inspection team consisted of a team leader from the Special Inspection Branch and five engineers from the Stone and Webster Company. The team discussed their findings with the licensee on January 16, 1997. A public exit meeting will be conducted in early February. l The purpose of the inspection was to determine if the plant meets its engineering design and licensing bases for selected systems. The team reviewed the FSAR, design basis documents, drawings, calculations, JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE A

i l I l modifications, surveillance procedures, and other applicable documents for the following systems: Automatic Depressurization System (ADS), Residual Heat Removal (RHR), and Standby Service Water (SSW). Overall, the team determined that each system, while modified from original design to varying degrees, is capable of performing its safety functions. However, the team identified several design discrepancies. The most significant concerned the failure of the ADS valves to operate as a group l using the manual initiate push buttons. The error was introduced as part of a modification to install an inhibit switch to prevent automatic operation of the system. To account for the deficiency, operators have been trained on an l alternate method for manual actuation. The team also identified tnat an RHR heat exchanger operability determination calculation used'an incorrect methodology and inadequate procedure, thereby indicating much greater than actual equipment efficiency and margin. Additionally the team identified numerous documentation errors in the FSAR and the Design Review Documents, as well as discrepancies with calculations affected by a power uprate. The licensee initiated a number of corrective actions in response to the team's concerns, including rewiring of the ADS logic and upgrading of design documents. I i l l l 4 JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE A l l

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Items of Interest Week Ending January 24, 1997 Inspection of Uranium Hexafluoride Transportation 0v o k Fabrication at U VECTRA On January 13-17, 1997, a team of inspectors from the Spent Fuel Project Office inspected fabrication activities, and the associated quality assurance (QA) programs, for the fabrication of VX-30 overpacks. The UX-30 overpack is a VECTRA Technologies Incorporated design for uranium hexafluoride (UF6) transportation packages. The fabrication activities were inspected at three locations in the Seattle, Washington area: (1) Olympic Tool and Engineering in Shelton, Washington (sheetmetal work); (2) General Plastics Manufacturing Company in Tacoma, Washington (impact limiter foaming work); and (3) Schneider-Simpson Sheet Metal and Blower Company, Inc. in Tacoma, Washington (sheetmetal work). The team concluded that the quality of fabrication was generally acceptable, with one outstanding issue regarding apparent wall thinning caused by over-grinding welds. The team also concluded that VECTRA QA oversight was not performed in accordance with VECTRA programs and procedures. VECTRA committed to stop fabrication work on the UX-30's until the wall thinning issue and the QA program deficiencies are resolved. GA-4 Leoal Weicht Truck Spent Fuel Shippino Cask Application On January 21, 1996, the Spent Fuel Project Office issued an acceptance letter to General Atomics (GA) for the revised GA-4 Legal Weight Truck Spent Fuel Shipping Cask application, which was submitted in accordance with 10 CFR Part 71. The GA-4 shipping cask is designed to transport four pressurized-water reactor spent fuel assemblies. The GA-4 application was originally funded by the Department of Energy (DOE), however, DOE's funding for the project has terminated due to budget cuts. GA submitted the revised application in response to a Nuclear Regulatory Commission request for additional information, and to reflect recent design changes. There are currently eight spent fuel transport cask designs with 10 CFR 71 Certificates of Compliance. There is one dual-purpose storage / transport cask design that has been approved, and four other dual-purpose designs are under review. VECTRA and Pennsvivania Power and licht issue Stoo Work Orders due to Fabricat ion Problems On January 16, 1997, VECTRA stopped work on all horizontal storage modules (HSMs) for the NUHOMS system being manufactured at Bayshore Concrete Products, due to fabrication probi' ems. These problems are in addition to those identified by a Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspection team in November 1996. These problems were identified by VECTRA before the final quality assurance review and involve dimensional discrepancies associated with roofs for several HSMs. The work stoppage, originally scheduled for 72 hours has been extended for about two weeks to allow completion of a root cause evaluation. JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE B

l l On January 20, 1997, Pennsylvania Power and Light (PP&L) issued a letter to l VECTRA to stop construction of all NUHOMS components for the Susquehanna l plant. PP&L issued the letter, independent of VECTRA's action, due to their l concern regarding continuing QA problems. At this time, it is uncertain how l long the work stoppage from PP&L will be in effect. l In response-to the January 13, 1997, Demand for Information from NRC which resulted from QA program problems over the past 18 months, VECTRA has l consulted with current and future users of the NUH0MS system in an effort to obtain expertise that will assist them in resolving their QA program problems. I Heetina with Holtec International On January 16, 1997, staff from the Spent Fuel Project Office met with representatives of Holtec International (Holtec) to discuss Holtec's proposed thermal code validation and 1/8 and 1/4 scale impact limiter tests for its a,aplication for the Hi-Star 100 Dual Purpose Cask System (Hi-Star 100). Representatives of Commonwealth Edison, Northern States Power Company, and Lawrence Livermore Laboratories also attended. Holtec recently submitted a ( revised Safety Analysis Report (SAR) and Topical Safety Analysis Report (TSAR) for the Hi-Star 100. A more extensive meeting at which Holtec will describe i the full range of changes to the SAR and TSAR baselines will be held in February. Hiah-Level Waste Key Technical Issue Annual Report On January 15, 1997, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission briefed the Department l of Energy (DOE) on the content of NUREG/CR-6513, No. 1, "NRC High-Level Radioactive Waste Program Annual Progress Report, Fiscal Year 1996." The briefing, conducted by videoconference, brought together the NRC Headquarters, DOE (Forestall Building), two DOE facilities in Las Vegas, and the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses in San Antonio, Texas. The briefing was to i provide a management overview and to clearly define the purpose of the document. The NUREG/CR provides the status of NRC high-level waste work conducted in FY96 and an assessment of progress toward resolution of the ten key technical issues. The purpose of publishing the material is to document progress and facilitate a dialog between NRC and DOE. NRC management emphasized that NUREG/CR-6513 is not a licensing document; the conclusions are not NRC findings or requirements for future action; and that DOE remains ultimately responsible for developing an integrated safety case and may choose to adopt a different resolution path than NRC. After the briefing, copies of the NUREG/CR were mailed to DOE and placed in the NRC Public Document Room. International Atomic Enerov Aaency Insoection at Babcock & Wilcox On January 18-22, 1997, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) performed a routine monthly inspection of the high-enriched uranium downblending operation at the Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) Naval Nuclear Fuel Division plant in Lynchburg, Virginia. To date, no downblended uranium product has been produced due to a variety of engineering difficulties that l have been encountered with a drum dryer. B&W projects that recently implemented changes will enable production of downblended product by the first JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE B ~ l l

i i l l l l week of February. The IAEA reported no problems arising from the January l inspection. l I Debriefino on Transparency Issues l On January 8,1997, a staff member of the Regulatory and International Safeguards Branch attended a debriefing at the Department of Energy addressing i transparency issues at the Permanent Presence Office in the Ural Electrochemical Integrated Enterprise (UEIE). Under the highly-enriched uranium (HEU) transparency protocol, residing American officials monitor the l UEIE receipt of HEU oxide from Seversk for downblending. American monitors described their activities during their stay at UEIE as follows: (1) monitors' roles and responsibilities; (2) monitoring activities; and (3) logistics, safety, and security. Other presentations included a video from the December 12-19, 1996, exercise at Portsmouth, 0 hic, to test and demonstrate the U.S. on-line enrichment and flow monitoring instrumentation. The results of the test at Portsmouth were discussed with the objective of applying the lessons learned to upcoming activities at Russian installations in early 1997. The members of the Traneparency Review Committee (TRC-5) participated in a familiarization visit to Seversk during the week of December 9, 1996. The l objective of that visit was to enable the committee to understand facility l operations so that appropriate transparency procedures could be developed. The results of the TRC-5 meeting held on December 16, 1996, were presented at the January 1997 briefing, with focus on the negotiations, revisions, and l signature of two new and five existing annexes to the protocol. l l Tank Waste Remediation System Staff Visit to Department of Eneroy Hanford l l On January 13-16, 1997, staff from the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards and the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (CNWRA) visited the Department of Energy (DOE) Regulatory Unit at the Hanford Reservation, and were briefed on the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) program. DOE conducted a site tour and the staff met with DOE officials and ( l DOE contractors to discuss items such as: the history of tank waste 1 l privatization; the Phase I and 11 scope; the processing technology; the processing hazards; and other technical issues. Staff also met with the Director of DOE's Richland Operations Office, and discussed the Nuclea' i l Regulatory Commission participation, with the DOE Regulatory Unit, in the Phase I portion of the TWRS program. The staff discussed the NRC training available for the Regulatory Unit and provided a list of upcoming courses which may be beneficial. In addition, NRC will work with the Regulatory Unit to identify courses that will benefit both parties' understanding and licensing of this technology. The Regulatory Unit is currently increasing its staff and will have about six new personnel reporting for duty during early 1997. JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE B

s-e e Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data items of Interest Week Ending January 24, 1997 Desian Errors in Nuclear Power Plant s (T97-01) l The Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data issued Technical Review Report (T97-01) " Design Errors In Nuclear Power Plants" on January 21, 13'cJ. The report provides observations about how design errors at operating nucl ear facilities have been discovered, and the potential impacts of f regulatory or industry actions. The report was performed as a followup to design problems recently uncovered at Millstone, Maine Yankee, and elsewhere. PREllMINARY NOTIFICATIONS (PNs) a. PNO-1-97-005, Center Community Hospital, MEDICAL MISADMINISTRATION DURING THE USE OF A HIGH DOSE RATE REMOTE AFTERLOADING DEVICE (HDR). b. PNO-I-97-006, Nimco Shredding Co., RADI0 ACTIVE SOURCE FOUND IN SCRAP METAL SHIPMENT. 4 c. PN0-Ill-97-003, Commonwealth Edison Co. (Zion 2), OUTAGE EXTENDED TO ADDRESS TECHNICAL AND PLANT CONDITION ISSUES. d. PNO-IV-97-006, Entergy Operations, Inc., (Waterford 3), T0XIC CHEMICAL ~ SPILL ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER (10 MILES UPSTREAM 0F WATERFORD). 4 ENCLOSURE D JANUARY 24, 1997

Office of Administration i Items of Interest Week Ending January 24, 1997 Procurement Reform On January 2,1997, the FAR Council published a final rule in the Federal Reaister implementing changes which simplified Procurement Integrity policies and procedures. The new rule makes post-employment restrictions applicable to agency officials who have participated in a procurement which resulted in a contract valued in excess of $10,000,000 or in the administration of such a contract. In addition, all certification requirements have been eliminated. Penalties for unauthorized release of information, as well as other conflict of interest and ethics requirements promulgated by other statutes or Agency policy affecting such issues as gifts, gratuities, and post-employment restrictions, remain in effect. The new rule was effective January 1, 1997. The Division of Contracts is currently updating Management Directive 11.1 to reflect this new guidance. U.S. Security Policy Forum Meetina On January 23, 1997, the Deputy Director, Division of Security attended a U.S. Security Policy Forum meeting. The Forum's membership consists of security directors from 26 Federal agencies or departments and military organizations. The Forum directly supports the U.S. Security Policy Board and its responsibility to develop national security policy for consideration and approval by the National Security Council and the President. At the January 23rd meeting, the Forum approved specific neighborhood investigation requirements within the scope of security clearance background investigations. The Forum also affirmed that existing and future personnel security investigative standards be assessed and refined under the cognizance of the Forum te determine common measures of effectiveness and their overall efficacy. NRC Facility Security Uparades i In recent months, several facility security upgrades have been initiated. The security guard booth, that provides additional security controls over the rear access road, became fully operational on January 15, 1997. Work continues on a contract to provide increased lighting throughout the complex grounds. Work will begin on Monday, January 27 to install approx. 820 linear feet of white fencing (similar to the fencing enclosing the Day Care center j playground) along the entire east property line from Marinelli Rd., and part i of the south property line to ' Blockbusters' building. The fencing will be 8'-0" high, with posts spaced 6'-0" apart. A double pivot 12' wide gate will be provided near the intersection of the east and south property lines, which will allow fire department vehicles access to the apartment buildings beyond. The gate will remain locked and the key provided to the fire department. All work will be completed in early February. JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE F

Chief Information Officer items of Interest Week Ending January 24, 1997 Aaency Wide Software Uparades Implementation of GroupWise 4.1, Informs 4.1, and Wordperfect 6.1 has been coLpleted in Region Ill, The implementation was accomplished using automated software distribution / installation tools that streamlined and significantly improved the installation process. This approach will be used to support future software upgrades throughout the agency. Approximately 420 GroupWise 4.1, Informs 4.1, and Wordperfect 6.1 installations have been completed to date. The development efforts to customize the Wordperfect 6.1 and GroupWise 4.1 screen / button layouts and functionality are in the final stages. A working group of program office representatives has been formed to provide input on the look and feel and implementation issues. Agency wide implementation of GroupWise 4.1 and Wordperfect 6.1 is scheduled to begin in February and will be completed by the end of FY 1997. Netscape/Internet Sunoort Approximately 1,750 copies of the Netscape Navigator have been installed throughout the agency. In addition, approximately 140 users were upgraded to Netscape Navigator, version 2.01 during the month of December. Agency wide there are over 2,000 workstations (including UNIX Workstations) with WWW access through Netscape and Mosaic with substantial numbers in NRC headquarters, Region I, and smaller numbers in the other regions. The demand for the Netscape product continues to increase. Agency wide implementation of Netscape is scheduled to be completed by the end of FY 1997. Netscape 3.0 is expected to be available for distribution in mid-February 1997. Desktoo Operatino System Voorades A collaborative effort is underway within the Office of Information Resources Management to develop an plan to support Windows 95 as part of the agency infrastructure. Windows 95 is being targeted to support near term 32-bit desktop operating system requirements. The Agency wide implementation of the next generation desktop operating system is targeted for FY 1998. Secure Messaoina In preparation for the transition of NRC's secure message service from the current Department of Defense (D0D) Automatic Digital Network (AUTODIN) to the Defense Messaging System (DMS), NRC contracted with the Navy In-Service Engineering Center in Charleston, S.C. (NISE-East) to provide assistance. NISE-East was chosen because they are the DMS installation project office for the Navy and have extensive expertise with this new technology. The current AUT0 DIN system is a system that allows the transmission and I reception of classified and unclassified information between agencies connected to the system. This system uses leased and government owned lines. Bect.use of the age of the system and the technology in place at the time of JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE G

its creation, AUT0 DIN is primarily a text handling system and operates at very slow speeds. AUTODIN will be replaced by DMS in the near future. DMS is a network-based system that can use either government owned lines or the Internet for the transmission of information. Being a network based system, DMS has the ability to provide a wide range of services to the desktop. Initially, it will provide classified and unclassified E-mail. To support the DMS implementation in the agency, IRM will determine the type / amount of information presently being passed on the agency network and identify requirements for further LAN based processing of sensitive and classified information. Interviews have been conducted with about twenty five offices. The interviews showed that among NRC offices, every level of sensitive information except Safeguards and classified are presently being stored and transmitted on the LAN. This includes Privacy Act, proprietary, financial, Official Use Only, and predecisional information. This information needs to be communicated to every conceivable entity - within NRC, to other government agencies, foreign civil and government agencies, licensees, and individuals. FOIA Recuests Received Durino the Week Endina January 24. 1997 OIG report 96-45H regarding release of whistleblower names to Northeast Utilities. (Individual; F01A/PA-97-0014) Copy of the January 1997 Senior Management Meeting minutes. (N. Chapman: SEARCH; F01A/PA-97-0015) Records related to allegations of improper conduct of client. (D.Schippers of Schippers & Bailey; F0!A/PA-97-0016) Records related to the use of radioactive materials at Texas Southern University. (B. Garde (law firm); F01A/PA-97-0017) Copies of analytical data on the North Texas Cement Co. for the period 1991 through 1994, and acceptance receipts of DOE waste for the period 1990 through 1992. (Individual; F01A/PA-97-0019) Records related to an 8/28/95 misadministration at the St. John Medical Center, Tulsa, OK. (C. Anderson; St. John Medical Center; F01A/PA-97-0020) Listing of NRC licensee holders on disk. (Individual; F01A/PA-97-0021) l JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE G

i l Office of Personnel Items of Interest-I Week Ending January 24, 1997 1 Arrivals PARKER, Kerry 0FFICE RESIDENT ASSISTANT (OPFT) RII i ' Departures MILLER, Lewis BRANCH CHIEF (PFT) RIII l l l l l l 4 l l l l l l l 1 i j JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE I i i I L I ~

Office of Public Affairs Items of Interest Week Ending January 24, 1997 Media Interest Chairman Jackson met with members of the press at Turkey Point after touring the plant. Commissioner Diaz met with the press after a tour at the St. Lucie plant. Press Releases j Headauarters: l 97-008 Working Group Agrees on Formation of International Nuclear Regulators Association 97-009 Note to Editors: ACRS Meeting on Qualification of Candidates for Appointment i 97-010 NRC Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards to Meet February 5-8 97-011 NRC Staff Schedules Two-Day Conference to Discuss Regulatory Issues with Nuclear Industry Reaions: I-97-5 NRC Names New Resident Inspector at Indian Point Unit 3 11-97-12 Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman to Visit Turkey' Point i 11-97-13 NRC Schedules Design Inspection Exit Meeting at St. Lucie Plant 111-97-06 NRC Meetings With Wisconsin Electric Planned for Jan. 24 and 31 on Recent Inspection Findings and Point Beach Unit 2 Startup i 111-97-07 5650,000 Fine Proposed for Violations Associated With j Injecting foam Sealant Into Equipment Cooling System at j LaSalle Station IV-97-06 NRC to Hold Open Enforcement Conference January 29 With j Representatives of Ft. Calhoun JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE M

l I a l Office of International Programs Items of Interest Week Ending January 24, 1997 l Foreion Visitors OECD Ambassador David Aaron met with Chairman Jackson on January 21. Discussion topics included the OECD budget crisis and future NEA funding, status of appointment of a NEA Review Panel by the OECD Secretary-General, l appointment of a new NEA Director-General, and the recent INRA meeting at NRC. l IAEA Vacancy Notices i The following notices from the International Atomic Energy Agency have been posted on NRC bulletin boards: P-5 Section Head 96/095 Nuclear Safety P-4 Technical Standards Specialist 96/096 Safeguards P-3 Animal Scientist 96/097 Research and Isotopes D-1 Director 96/098 Research and Isotopes l P-2 Recruitment Officer 96/501 l Administration l l JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE N (

l Region 1 items of Interest Week Ending January 24, 1997 Meetina with US Army on Frankford Arsenal The Frankford Arsenal _ is a formerly-licensed site in Philadelphia, PA, that has been identified as needing further evaluation in order to provide j sufficient basis Eto conclude that the site meets present NRC radiological i criteria for release for unrestricted use. The Arsenal was a site for-depleted uranium munitions storage and testing, as well as laboratory use of other NRC-licensed isotopes. On January 16, 1997, a meeting was held at the Army Materiel Command Headquarters in Alexandria, VA, between representatives of the US Army and the NRC (both Region I and NMSS/DWM staff) to discuss Frankford Arsenal and plans for a scoping survey. i 1 JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE P

Region Il items of Interest Week Ending January 24, 1997 Florida Power and Licht Company -- St. Lucie Division of Reactor Safety Director accompanied Commissioner Nils J. Diaz on a tour of the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant in Jensen Beach, Florida on 1/22/97. Following the tour the Commissioner conducted a press conference. I Florida Power and Licht Company -- Turkey Point The Region 11 Regional Administrator accompanied Chairman Shirley A. Jackson on a tour of the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant near Homestead Florida on 1/25/97. Following the tour, the Chairman conducted a press conference. Alabama Power Company - Farlev The Regional Administrator and other members of the Regional Office made the farley SALP Presentation at a public meeting at the Farley site on January 22, 1997. Farley Nuclear Plant (FNP) performance was assessed in four functional i areas: Plant Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and Plant Support. Performance in Operations and Engineering remained superior (Category 1). Performance in Maintenance remained good (Category 2). Performance in the i Plant Support functional area declined due, primarily to deficiencies in radiological controls and fire protection but was still considered good overall (Category 2). Approximately 15 state and local officials attended the SALP presentation in response to a routine invitation from the Regional Administrator. l Florida Power Corporation - Crystal River l Representatives from Florida Power Corporation attended a predecisional l enforcement conference on January 24, 1997, in the Region 11 office, to discuss 11 apparent violations identified during two special inspections completed on December 6, 1996, at the Crystal River facility. The purpose of the inspection was to review several engineering issues, including the Emergency Feedwater (EFW) net positive suction head (NPSH) issues, which resulted from the Emergency Feedwater System modification performed during the refueling outage in March - May 1996. 1 Nuclear Fuel Services. Inc. On January 23, 1997, the licensee began the processing of hi'gh enriched I uranium (HEU) at its facility near Erwin, Tennessee. The material was received from the Department of Energy facility at Rocky Flats, Colorado. This is the first time the licensee has processed HEU since late 1993, when it shut down its operations for producing fuel for the Department of the Navy. The processing involves the conversion of HEU in the form of uranyl nitrate solution to the oxide (powder) form. Prior to the resumption of processing HEU, the licensee revamped equipment, procedures and training of personnel to JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE P i

assure an adequate safety margin. The NRC independently verified the licensee's readiness through inspections and licensing reviews. An NRC team performed a final operational readiness inspection the week of January 13-17, 1997. Based upon the inspection results, Region 11 and the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) notified the licensee that the NRC had no objection to the startup of processing on January 22, 1997. The Region and i NMSS have inspectors onsite to observe the initial processing operations. Region 11 notified the State of Tennessee on January 23, 1997. l l l l i [ l JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE P i 2

l Region 111 Items of Interest Week Ending January 24, 1997 l Manaaement Chances Announced for Prairie Island Nuclear Power Station On January 22, 1997, Northern States Power Company announced management I changes which are effective February 3, 1997. Douglas Antony, President of NSP Generation, will retire. Edward Watzel, currently Vice President, Nuclear, will become the President of NSP Generation. Michael Wadley, currently the Prairie Island Plant Manager, will become the Vice President, l Nuclear. Joel Sorenson, currently the General Superintendent of Plant l Operations, will become the Prairie Island Plant Manager. Clinton. Dresden and laSalle Nuclear Power Stations On January 21 through 23, 1997, the Executive Director for Operations, Leonard J. Callan, and the Region 111 Regional Administrator A. Bill Beach, visited Dresden, LaSalle, and Clinton Nuclear Power Stations. They toured the plants and met with utility management and the resident inspectors. Predecisional Enforcement Conference with Commonwealth Edison Company On January 24, 1997, a predecisional enforcement conference was conducted in the Region III Office between management representatives from Commonwealth Edison Company and members of the NRC staff. Discussion focused on the apparent violations related to the silt levels in the essential service water cooling tower basins at the Byron Nuclear Power Station. Over a three-year period, beginning in 1993, the utility's tests showed that basins beneath the plant's mechanical draft cooling towers had excessive silt levels. Routine tests also revealed partial deterioration of trash racks which prevent debris from being sucked into the equipment cooling water system. Conditions were corrected late last year, when Comed cleaned out the silt in the basins and replaced the degraded trash racks. Point Beach Nuclear Power Station On January 24, 1997, a management meeting was conducted in the Region III Office between management representatives from Wisconsin Electric Power Company and members of the NRC staff to discuss the progress on Unit 2 restart issues. l f JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE P

l Region IV t Items of Interest Week Ending January 24, 1997 j Waterford 3 SALP Presentation. l On January 22, 1996, the Director, Division of Reactor Projects, Region IV, (acting for the Regional Administrator) and Director, Project Directorate t IV-1, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, conducted a public meeting to t discuss the most recent Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance (SALP) report for the Waterford 3 Steam Electric Station (SES). In attendance for .the licensee were the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Entergy Inc; President and CEO, Entergy Operations, Inc (E01); Chief Operating Officer, E01; and Vice President, Operations, Waterford 3, SES. Inservice Testina Inspection Procedure 73756 Workshop -On January 23, 1997, Region IV hosted a public workshop on the NRC Insnection Procedure (IP) 73756, " Inservice Testing of Pumps and Valves." The workshop was sponsored by the Mechanical Engineering Branch, Division of Engineering, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. The workshop was well attended, including representatives of each of the Region IV power reactor licensees. i I JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE P i

Office of Congressional Affairs Items of Interest Week Ending January 24, 1997 CONGRESSIONAL HEARING BCHEDULE, No. 2 l .OCA'_ lDATE' ~ -{ COMMITTEE'- 2 ! ASSIGN-? ~&. TIME-WITNESS-iSUBJECT' MENT" PLACE' Madden 01/30/97 10:00 Federico Pena Confirmation as DOE Senators Murkowski/ Bumpers 1 366 DSOB Secretary Energy & Natural Resources Combs 02/05/97 9:30 TBA S. 104, Nuclear Waste Senators Murkowski/ Bumpers 366 DSOB Policy Act Energy & Natural Resources Gerke Late Feb TBA TBA Workshop on Electricity Senators Murkowski/ Bumpers Deregulation Energy & Natural Resources JANUARY 24, 1997 ENCLOSURE R -}}