ML20134P808

Weekly Info Rept for Wk Ending 961115

ML20134P808
Person / Time
Issue date:	11/20/1996
From:	Blaha J NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:
References
SECY-96-240, SECY-96-240-R, WIR-961115, NUDOCS 9611290291
Download: ML20134P808 (23)

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i November 20. 1996 SECY 96 240 Egr: The Commissioners

from

James L. Blaha, Assistant for Operations, Office of the ED0 a

Sub.iect: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 15, 1996 I

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* i Administration F Information Resources Management G*

Controller H*

Personnel I Small Business & Civil Rights J* )

Enforcement K* l 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 Executive Director for Operations Q*

Congressional Affairs R*

• No input this week. Wmal sped W j James L. Blaha  !

James L. Blaha Assistant for Operations, OED0

Contact:

G. Tracy, OED0 i g@'

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UNITED STATE 8 e

NUCLEAR REGULATORI COMMISSION WASHINGTON. D. C. 20066 INFORMATION REPORT November 20. 1996 SECY 96-240 E9.t: The Commissioners fr910: James L. Blaha, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO Subiect: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 15, 1996

! Contents Enclosure i Nuclear Reactor Regulation A

! Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards B Nuclear Regulatory Research C*

i Analysis and Evaluation of OperWonal Data D i General Lounsel E*

Administration F Information Resources Management G*

Controller H*

Personnel I i Small Business & Civil Rights J*

j Enforcement K*

i State Programs L*

Public Affairs M

International Programs N 1 Office of the Secretary 0*

Region I P Region II P l Region III P Region IV P

, Executive Director for Operations Q*

Congressional Affairs R*

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• No input this week. . I i e n f/1M fC - -

AAmes L. Blaha i

/ Assistant for Operations, OEDO V

Contact:

G. Tracy, OED0 415-1725

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6 Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Items of Interest Week Ending November 15, 1996

. Zion Unit 2 - Steam Generator Tube In-Situ Pressure Test Results Commonwealth Edison, the licensee for Zion Unit 2 (Zion-2), completed steam, generator (SG) eddy current inspection for the current refueling outage.

Based on the inspection results, the licensee performed extensive in-situ pressure testing. The preliminary results are discussed below.

Zion-2 identified a total of 64 axially oriented and 2 circumferentially oriented primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCy indications in the Row 1 U-beads.

The licensee identified a total of 2311 tubes affected by PWSCC in the tubesheet roll transition. Eighteen tubes with the largest voltages and longest lengths were pressure tested at MSLB conditions; no leakage was reported.

Zion-2 identified a total of 14 axially oriented outer diameter stress corrosion cracking (0DSCC) indications and 241 volumetric indications in the tubesheet crevice. In addition, two axially oriented ODSCC indications were found just above the secondary side of the tubesheet on the hotleg side.

The licensee attributed the primary to secondary leakage during the past operating cycle to the Row 1 U-bends indications and the sleeved tubes with lower weld defects (discussed in Es previous highlight). The licensee will discuss tube leakage and burst int w rity issues for the Row 1 U-bends with the staff in a meeting at the end of this week.

Mid-Atlantic Nuclear Trainino Association Workshoo On November 13, 1996, Dr. George M. Usova, Training and Assessment Specialist, in the Operator Licensing Branch, presented a workshop on Principles of Test Item Development and Psychometrics to mec.bers of the Mid-Atlantic Nuclear i Training Association (MANTAG). NRC license examiners from Region I also I supported and attended the workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to provide guidance to nuclear training personnel who now have examination development responsibilities under the Commission-approved pilot program that shifts the responsibility of examination development from the NRC to the utility. The workshop was hosted by the Peach Bottom facility and was attended by approximately 85 training personnel from Region I utilities.

Brunswick A 5% power uprate amendment was issued for Brunswick, Units 1 & 2, on November 1, 1996. Tr.e amendment was to be implemented on Unit I upon startup from its then current refueling outage. It was to be implemented later on Unit 2. During the course of the power uprate review the licen ae and NRC staff believed that the torus design temperature listed in the UFSAR of 220*F was correct. On November 4,1996, the licensee reportM that the Technical NOVEMBEP. 15, 1996 ENCLOSURE A j

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3 . l Specifications (Design Features section) listed a more restrictive value of 200*F for the terus design temperature. At the former licensed power level of 2436 MWT, the licensee will not exceed the 200*F limit under accident conditions; however, they could exceed it under power uprate conditions (2558 MWT) for the Station Blackout event. Unit 1 is now operating, but power is l being restricted to 2436 MWT until the Station Blackout temperature issue is J resolved. The staff has the issue under review.

Byron Units 1 and 2 - Inocerable Essential Service Water System Due To Excessive Silt )

On October 15,199t,, .ne licensee identified that excessive silt levels in the essential service water (SX) cooling tower basins rendered the SX system I inoperable for certain conditions. Further cooling tower inspections revealed i that other debris, large plastic tarps and hard hats, were also present.  !

Subsequent review by the NRC identified other issues that included: (1) unacceptable silt levels that existed from 1993 through 1995; (2) SX cooling tower trash racks (as described in Byron UFSAR drawings) were found degraded in 1993 and would not perform their function to protect the SX pumps from .

large debris (such as the tarps found) with no corrective actions taken; and (3) inadequate surveillance procedures. The TS require that specific water levels be maintained in the basins (depending upon which makeup pumps arc available) in order to provide sufficient cooling for a design basis accident.

As an interim measure, the licensee is administrative 1y controlling the levels at higher ' values to compensate for the silt buildup. However, there were instances in the past when there was less water available than that assumed in setting the TS minimum levels.

The licensee has reinstalled the trash racks. Heat exchangers that use SX water have been examined to determine if si!; has been carried into them. No silt was found. The licensee is now preparing to remove the silt from the basins. The desilting which will be done in concert with train outages is scheduled to be completed in early December 1996.

A Sinale Fire In Unit 2 Could Disable Both EDGS And ESF Btg_e.1 e As a result of an ongoing evaluation of the Byron fire protection report safe shutdown analysis, the licensee has identified discrepancies in its analysis and reported them in the past. On November 7, 1996, the licensee reported that the analysis does not evaluate the potential for a single fire to result in the loss of both 4 KV ESF buses and both emergency diesel generators (EDGs) in Unit 2. In particular, for the train relied upon for safe shutdown, a reserve de control power supply cable runs within 5 feet of a cable to the SX tower unit substation at one location in one fire zone (fire zone 3.2A-2).

The safe shutdown analysis assumes that the other train is rot available and that if a fire occurs in the fire zone 3.2A-2 which affects the de power cables to the 4 KV ESF bus, the operators can still manually close the breakers. However, with the cables within 5 feet of each other, a single fire could damage both the de power cable and the cable to the SX tower unit substation. If the sequence 9f cable failures should occur such that the de control power cable fails before the service power fails, any fault current in the service power cable would not be interrupted and damage could occur to the NOVEMBER 15, 1996 ENCLOSURE A

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protected EFF bus and its associated EDG because the respective breakers would not have control power. Unit I which has a separation of 32 feet between the cables in question is not affected.

The licensee has taken compensatory actions in the form of hourly fire watches and administrative control of transient combustibles and hot work in the fire zone until permanent corrective actions are developed and implemented. The NRR and Region III staffs have had several telephone conference calls with the licensee to better understand the vulnerability of Unit 2 to the proposed fire scenario and to determine the adequacy of the compensatory actions.

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,'v" Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Items of Interest Week Ending November 15, 1996 Professional Services. Inc.

On November 8,1996, Professional Services, Inc. (PSI) in Bristol, Virginia, i reported an exposure to the hand of-a technician with skin reddening and blisters. The technician had been using a Campbell Pacific Nuclear Gauge, containing up to 10 mci of cesium-137 and 50 mci of americium-241, to perform moisture / density measurements. As a result of problems with the gauge's '

shutter mechanism, the technician may have handled the cesium-137 source rod ,

on multiple occasions. As a result, there may have been a significant  !

overexposure of the technician's hand compared with the annual limit of 50 rems to extremities.

Region II issued a Confirmatory Action Letter to the licensee on November 8, 1996. The letter confirmed the licensee's actions in response to the

~ exposure, including ii.edical follow-up for the technician. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region II has established an Augmented Inspection Team (AIT) to conduct inspection follow-up of the apparent hand exposure. The AIT consists of a Medical Consultant and staff members from the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, and Regions II and III. The AIT arrived on site on November 13, 1996.

Soent Fuel Dry Transfer System The Department of Energy (DOE) has submitted an application to the Spent Fuel '

Project Office, in accordance with 10'.CFR Part 72, for the review and approval of.a Spent Fuel Dry Transfer System (DTS). The proposed system (essentially a i large shielded transfer-cell) gives a nuclear utility or other spent fuel i handling facility the ability to perform cask-to-cask transfers of individual J spent fuel bundles without the current requirement of first returning the spent fuel to a conventional pool.

The system utilizes a concrete building, with portable equipment. Essentially all of the moving parts (fuel handling cranes, electronics, etc.) would be used during a fuel movement campaign and then be transferred to the next facility. The DOE envisions that this system, if approved, could be employed at multiple sites throughout the U.S. and that it will most likely become an integral part of the DOE spent fuel management system.

Temocrary Stoo Work Order Issued by Vendor Durino Nuclear Reaulatory Commission Dry Storaae Inspection On November 12-15, 1996, the Spent Fuel Project Office (SFP0) conducted an inspection of the-fabrication of concrete NUHOMS horizontal storage modules (HSMs) at Bayshore Concrete Products Corporation, Cape Charles, Virginia. The HSM was being fabricated for the Susquehanna Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation. Quality Assurance oversight of the activities was provided by the cask vendor, VECTRA, and representatives of Duke Power and Pennsylvania Power & Light. During preparations to pour concrete for the HSM, Nu.: lear NOVEMBER 15, 1996 ENCLOS'JRE B 1

Regulatory Commission inspectors identified that insufficient data had been indicated in the fabrication specification for the selection of aggregate to be used. At that time, VECTRA issued a stop work order, corrected the specification and resumed work the next day.

SFP0 inspectors identified a similar issue in June 1996 during an inspection l of the Oyster Creek plant. Subsequently, the SFP0 notified VECTRA, Susquehanna, and Oyster Creek of the deficiency. Although this item is a I potential nonconformance, SFP0 is considering taking additional actions due to I the repetitive nature of this finding.

Reauest to Suspend Review of Northern States Power Apolication for Independent i Soent Fuel Storace Installation '

The Spent Fuel Project Office has received a request from Northern States Power Company (NSP) to suspend the staff's review of NSP's application for a license to construct and operate an away-from-reactor Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) in Goodhue County, Minnesota. NSP is required by Minnesota State law to beild an off site ISFSI to store waste generated by the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant. The suspension is being requested in connection with a lawsuit filed by the Prairie Island Dakota Indian Tribe against the Minnesota Environmantal Quality Board (EQB). The lawsuit concerns a decision made by the EQB related to the siting of any alternate spent fuel storage facilities in Goodhue County.

Donors Coordination Meetina i On November 6-7, 1996, a representative from the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards participated as a member of a U.S. interagency team in a Donors Coordination Meeting sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria. The topic of discussion involved safeguards and '

, physical protection support to Republics of the former Soviet Union. There are currently nine active donor States and eight recipient States all of whom participated in the meeting. IAEA presentations addressed: (1) an overview of safeguards in the newly independent States (NIS); (2) the status of safeguards implementation in the NIS; (3) an overview of the implementation of the Coordinated Technical Support Program; and (4) the IAEA Monitoring and Training Profile Databases. Each donor State presented brief statements on their current and future support activities, including accomplishments and any problems or concerns encountered. Significant issues included: (1) possible enhancements to make the IAEA databases more accessible and timely; (2) means to improve coordination between donors and recipients; (3) means to demonstrate commitments on the part of recipient States to implement donor-provided support; and (4) potential support for weaknesses not addressed to date.

Fuel Cycle Criticality Safety American Nuclear Society Session On November 13, 1996, a joint Nuclear Regulatory Commission / Department of Energy Special session on " Regulatory Aspects of Nuclear Criticality Safety:

the U.S. Perspective" was held at the Annual Meeting of the American Nuclear Society in Washington, DC. Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards staff NOVEMBER 15, 1996 ENCLOSURE B

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members presented five papers in this ses?i on covering the full range of NRC 1 regulatory functions in criticality safety.

Physical Protection Overview Workshoo Conducted for Russian Reaulators On November 12-14, 1996, a physical protection overview workshop was conducted for representatives of the Russian regulatory agency GOSATOMNADZOR (GAN) at Nuclear Regulatory Commission Headquarters. Workshop topics included

, i discussions of concepts of physical protection; threat assessment and incident response; design basis threat; NRC general safeguards approach for nuclear power plants and fuel cycle facilities; physical protection regulations 1 (10 CFR Part 73); inspection overview, qualification, procedures, and reports;

, and enforcement.

Nuclear Reaulatory Commission / Department of Enercy Meetina to Discuss Administrative Procedures Re: Tank Waste Remediation System 4

On November 13, 1996, Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff met with representatives of the Department of Energy's Richland Operations Office for the Hanford Tank Waste Remediation System Privatization. NRC regulatory

. practices and related document control systems were discussed. Briefings also 1 were provided on NRC's mail and docketing system, files and records management

system, Nuclear Documents System, Freedom of Information Act requests, and i local public document rooms.

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' Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data Items of Interest Week Ending November 15, 1996 Foreian Visitors Visit the Technical Trainino Center i Eighteen representatives from nuclear generating plants and regulatory {

agencies in Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary, and the j Czech Republic spent a week at the Technical Training Center November 4-8 to ,

learn about pressurized water reactor emergency operating procedures. The l j visit was coordinated by DOE as part of an effort aimed at improving reactor i safety in Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe. The TTC classroom and simulator

! facilities were utilized to discuss development, implementation, and training i aspects of Westinghouse emergency operating procedures. TTD staff assisted l personnel from Pacific Northwest Laboratory in simulator walkthroughs and 4

demonstrations.

V The NRC/0AS Training Working Group met at the TTC from November 12-15, 1996.

The group consists of representatives from the TTD, NMSS, OSP and three Agreement States (Illinois, Texas and Utah). The group reviewed the core and specialized courses listed in IMC 1246 for materials inspectors and license reviewers and established outline guides containing the essential elements for each subject area. These outlines can be used as the bases for determining equivalency of NRC and Agreement State training.

International Nuclear Emeraency Exercise 2 On November 7, 1996, the Incident Response Division participated in the first regional exercise of International Nuclear Emergency Exercise 2. The scenario involved significant degradation of the Swiss Leibstadt reactor on the Swiss / German border. From the U.S. standpoint, the exercise objective was to assess communications associated with this international event. The Operations Center received the information and then communicated that information to cognizant individuals throughout the exercise. The exercise served to provide important lessons learned about communications between Federal agencies and within the NRC.

RTM/RCH State Outreach IRD staff conducted a State Outreach, Response Technical Manual, and Response Coordination Manual training for the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Arkansas on November 13 and 14. The purpose of the outreach program is to describe the Federal emergency response system and NRC's role and procedures in order to assure a fully integrated response.

Accident Response Workshop An IRD staff member participated in an Accident Response Workshop conducted under Direction 3.2 of the Joint Coordinating Committee for Radiation Effects Research (JCCRER) from November 12-14, 1996. The JCCRER is a U.S./ Russian )

committee with membership of several Federal organizations including NRC and DOE in the U.S. and the Russian Academy of Sciences in Russia. Direction 3.2 NOVEMBER 15, 1996 ENCLOSURE D I

J l was developed to share experience and research on radiation effects. The t workshop was held in Tysons Corner, Virginia and included sessions devoted to the Russian experience in liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl and South Urals accidents, scientific and technical support for decisionmakers

. concerning protection of the population at radioactive accidents, and emergency medical response for radioactive accidents. Participants toured the NRC Operations Center and received a briefing on NRC response on November 14, 1996.

1 I )[prkshoo on Advanced Technolooies 4 On November 13-15, 1996, an IRD staff member participated in a workshop at  ;

! FEHA's Mount Weather Emergency Assistance Center in Berryville, Virginia. l' FEMA and the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command are cosponsoring j the workshop on advanced technologies with potential use for disaster i preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery. The goal of the workshop is

! to develop partnerships with the Federal laboratory system in the use of l technologies for civilian applications that were originally developed for i national security-related purposes.

Jpcident Response Proaram Suonort On November 13, IRD staff met with representatives of the French Nuclear Management Support Team (MARN) in the Operations Center to discuss the NRC's incident response program. French utility (EDF) and Safety Authority (DSIN) representatives were also in attendance. Also on November 13, IRD staff met with a delegation from the Chinese EPA to discuss assessment tools-used in incident response, including the Response Technical Manual and the RASCAL dose 1 assessment code.

Madrid. Soain A specialists' meeting on nuclear fuel and control rods, sponsored by CSNI, Principle Working Group 1, was held in Madrid, Spain, on November 5 through 7.

Mr. Rosenthal of AE0D served on the organizing committee and as a session chairman. Nineteen nations were represented at the meeting. Papers presented operating experience and root cause analysis of problems with fuel assembly geometric distortion and consequential slow control rod insertions, high burnup issues, and control rod issues.

l Assionee from Bradl ]

Mr. Paulos Ambros, a resident inspector from the nuclear regulatory commission of Brazil, began a three month assignment in the Reactor Analysis Branch of AE0D on November 4, 1996. This activity is supported by the IAEA fellowship program. Mr. Ambros will participate in operating experience evaluations and other branch activities to become familiar with these processes. One specific activity will be on a technical report dealing with test weaknesses in emergency power systems.

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Preliminary Notifications (PNs)

a. PNO-I-96-080, Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co (Haddam Neck 1),

POTENTIAL PERSONNEL OVEREXPOSURE TO AIRBORNE RADI0 ACTIVE MATERIALS

b. PN0-I-96-081, Bayonne Hospital, POTENTIAL MEDICAL MISADMINISTRATION INVOLVING THE USE OF A HIGH DOSE-RATE REMOTE AFTERLOADER DEVICE

c. PNO-II-96-079, Troxler Electronic Laboratories, Inc., (An Agreement State Licensee), MISSING TR0XLER GAUGE

d. PN0-II-96-080, Professional Service Industries, Inc., REPORTED RADIATION OVEREXPOSURE TO TECHNICIAN'S HAND

e. PN0-III-96-068, Ft. Bragg, NC., NOTIFICATION OF DAMAGED TRITIUM SOURCE AND CONTAMINATION OF FACILITIES

f. PN0-IV-96-059, Dept. Health & Human Services, LOSS OF RADI0 ACTIVE MATERIAL

g. PNO-IV-96-060, Texas Agreement State Licensee (Rone Engineers), PORTABLE GAUGE STOLEN i

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Office of Administration Items of Interest Week Ending November 15, 1996 Sionificant F0IA Reauests Received durino the 5-Day Period of November 8 - 14.

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Records related to 10/9/96 J. Taylor, EDO, latter requesting information pursuant to design bases at nuclear power plants. (O. Williams; J/R/A Associates; F01A/PA-96-466)

Copies of responses to Information Notice 96-47. (A. D. Little, Inc.;

F01A/PA-96-467)

Information on remediation and D&D activities at sites in NRC Regions 1 through 4. (A. D. Little, Inc.; F01A/PA-96-468)

Copy of the materials licensee tracking system database on diskette. (J.

DePasquale; Vista Environmental Information; F0IA/PA-96-469)

Records regarding collection and analysis of water samples at Advanced Medical Systems, Cleveland, OH site. (L. English; Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District; F0!A/PA-96-470)

Copy of January 1996 Senior Management Meeting Minutes. (N. Chapman; Search for Evaluating Regulatory Changes; F01A/PA-96-471)

Request to have a copy of OIG Case No.95-02A placed in the PDR. (N. Chapman; Search for Evaluating Regulatory Changes; F01A/PA-96-472)

Records related to an excess radiation exposure incident, CTI Alaska, Inc.

(R. Dicharry; Source Production & Equipment Co., Inc.; F01A/PA-96-474)

Records related to Spectronics, Inc. and/or two named individuals. (J.

Lamberth of Troutman Sanders; F01A/PA-96-475)

Listing of all trips taken in 1995 and 1996 by the Chairman and all members of the Commission. (S. Amey; Project on Government Oversight; F01A/PA-96-476)

Request for NMSS materials licensee tracking system on disk. (S. Lindskog; Landauer, Inc.; FOIA/PA-96-479) li Copies of records related to the shutdown of Boston Edison Co's. Pilgrim facility. (G. Sullivau; Utility Workers Union of America; F01A/PA-96-480)

Records regarding the Interstate Nuclear Service Corporation's licenses to launder contaminated clothing at the Royersford, PA and Springfield, MA facilities. (Individual; F01A/PA-96-481)

Site characterization report for the Whittaker's Greenville Metals Site in Greenville, PA. (T. O'Rourke; CIGNA Property & Casualty; F01A/PA-96-482)

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Copy of all licensee submittals in response to NRC's Information Notice 96-47 regarding decomissioning timeliness requirements. (J. Savage of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius; F01A/PA-96-483) i l

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Office of Personnel Items of Interest l Week Ending November 15, 1996  ;

Diabetes Awareness Proaram Held j On November 7,1996, the Health Center sponsored a diabetes awareness program, I which was presented by Dr. Irene Feldman, a local endocrinologist. Dr.

Feldman gave a comprehensive talk on adult-onset diabetes mellitus, one of the leading causes of disease-related death in the United States and often undiagnosed until physical damage has occurred. She discussed the causes, prevention, importance of early diagnosis, and latest management and treatment

, methods. Because of the wide interest in this subject, Dr. Feldman agreed to j repeat her presentation at the NRC in the near future for those who were  !

unable to attend this recent program.

New Course for Manaaers and Insoectors Offered On November 13-15, 1996, the first session of a new course, " Analyzing Human

Performance Problems," was presented to 20 managers and inspectors in the Professional Development Center. Participants learned how to identify

performance problem causes and how to develop plans for overcoming them.

Human performance problems are evidenced in three areas including lack of skill and knowledge, deficiencies in the environment, and lack of motivation by employees. A second session will be held in the spring of 1997.

American Nuclear Society Exoo Attended On November 10-12, 1996, Michael Modes, Region I, and Tom Yingst, Office of Personnel, attended the American Nuclear Society Expo. Five potential reactor engineers for Region I were identified for follow-up interviews with the regional staff. Additionally, a presentation on the NRC Graduate Fellowship l Program was given to the Nuclear Engineering Department Heads by Tom Cerovski,  !

a recent graduate of the program from the Office of Nuclear Reactor l Regulation, and Tom Yingst, the NRC Program coordinator. l Combined Federal Campaian (CFC) Camoaian Manaaers' Meetina Attended On November 13, 1996, Henry Rubin attended a CFC Campaign Managers' Meeting to report the status of this year's campaign. To date, NRC has received ,

contributions of $191,987, which is 68.6% of the agency goal of $280,000. The l planned campaign end date is November 21, 1996.

Aaenda NONE Departures PETERSON, Patrick NDE TECHNICIAN (PFT) RI NOVEMBER 15, 1996 ENCLOSURE I

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Office of Public Affairs Items of Interest Week Ending November 15, 1996 3

Media Interest National Public Radio in Boston, MA, interviewed Joe Nick, Region I, about

decommissioning activities at Yankee Rowe.

The Associated Press in Honolulu is writing a story on US Fuel, a company which has been exploring the possibility of locating a spent fuel storage facility on an island in the Pacific, i

School Volunteers Proaram Senior nuclear engineering college students from the University of Florida, who are also former students of Commissioner Diaz, visited NRC and toured the Operations Center and the Technology Center. They were also briefed by several NRC staff on current events in the nuclear field. Participating were Joe Giitter, AE00, Janet Thot-Thompson, Ilyne Miller and Chris Hoxie, IRM,

! Ralph Caruso and Joe Staudenmeier, NRR, Mike Weber, HMSS, Pat Eng, SFP0, and Sheri Peterson, NRR.

Press Releases f

Headauarters:

96-158 Note to Editors - ACRS Meeting 96-159 NRC Reassigns Regional Managers 1 Reaions:

I-96-74 Note to Editors: Meeting with Public Service Gas & Electric Regarding Salem on November 18 l

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II-96-90 NRC to Send Special Inspection Team to Bristol, Virginia to Review Industrial Worker's Overexposure to Radiation 11-96-91 NRC Establishes Restart Panel for Crystal River Plant, Schedules Corrective Action Meeting in Atlanta 11-96-92 Surry Nuclear Plant Rated " Superior" in Three Areas, " Good" in Fourth Area of NRC Assessment Report 11-96-93 NRC Official to Hold News Conference at Surry Plant in Virginia on November 18 11-96-94 NRC Schedules Special Inspection Exit Meeting at Brunswick Plant NOVEMBER 15, 1996 ENCLOSURE M

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. 11-96-95 NRC Inspection Team to Discuss Preliminary Findings on Apparent Radiation Overexposure of Worker f

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Office of International Programs Items of Interest  ;

Week Ending November 15, 1996 Chief Executive Officer. Electricite de France l Pierre Daures, Chief Executive Officer of EdF, met with the Commissioners on Tuesday November 12. Mr. Daures acknowledged the importance of safety not only to EdF, but as a cornerstone of the successful national nuclear power program in France. Also, he commented on the value of a competent, independent reaulatory authority. Mr Daures explained the challenges facing ,

EdF as electri;ity is made more competitive throughout Europe. The l Commissioners discussed high level waste issues, the competitive environment  :

in the U.S., options for disposing of weapons plutonium and some benefits of the U.S. regulatory approach. l OECD/NEA Thomoson Visit Samuel Thompson, Acting OECD/NEA Director-General, met with the Chairman and l Commissioners on Wednesday, November 13, to discuss status of the OECD and NEA ,

proposed 1997 budget and organizational reforms. Mr. Thompson met with James Taylor on Friday, November 15, to discuss NEA technical Standing Committee l matters.

Chigf Executive Officer. SGN Eurisys Group Mrs. Colette Lewiner, Chief Executive Officer of the SGN Eurisys Group of l France, met with Chairman Jackson on Wednesday, November 13. Mrs. Lewiner I explained her firm's involvement in upgrading the sarcophagus and the remediation efforts at the Chernobyl site. The Chairman and Mrs. Lewiner i exchanged views on the extent and complexity of these efforts. Also, Mrs. i Lewiner explained SGN involvement with the waste clean up at Hanford in the U.S. In response to an inquiry about the regulatory requirements for the Hanford effort, C. Paperiello, NMSS, explained the status and future plans of NRC's role with the waste clean-up.

China Environmental Protection Aaency On Tuesday, November 12, a team from the China Environmental Protection Agency, headed by Senior Engineer Jin Jiaqi, accompanied by representatives from Heilongjiang, Zhejiang and Heibei Provinces, visited the NRC and met with the technical staff from NRR, NMSS, and AE00. Their discussion topics included off-site monitoring, radioactive waste management, emergency preparedness, and decommissioning.

Taiwan Atomic Enerav Coungil l On Wednesday, November 13, Dr. Ching Piao Hu, Chairman of the Taiwan Atomic Energy Council, accompanied by Ray Wu, Director for International Affairs, AEC, and Frank Fu, the Science Office Deputy Director of the Washington Taipei Economic Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) met with the Chairman and Commissioners. Dr. Hu was in Washington to present the keynote address to the NOVEMBER 15, 1996 ENCLOSURE N

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1 e l-ANS meeting, and took the opportunity of his visit to meet with the

Commission. Chairman Hu was interested in the element of NRC transparency and

'in learning more about the Freedom of Information Act. The Taiwan Electric Power Company has started construction of two 1,350 MWe ABWRs and the AEC is looking for ways to build more public confidence in nuclear power.

International Atomic Enerav Aaency (IAEA) l On Thursday, November 14, 1996, Ms. Annick Carnino, Director, Division of

. Nuclear Installation Safety, Department of Nuclear Safety, IAEA, met with ED0 1 Taylor, Frank Miraglia, Acting Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, and Carlton Stoiber, Director, Office of International Programs. The purpose

of her visit was to discuss the nuclear safety programs under her purview and her plans to reorganize the division. She gave a presentation on these

, activities for interested staff. She also discussed the IAEA Secretariat's l plans to hold a meeting of the signatories to the Convention on Nuclear Safety

Ap:;l 16-18, 1997, nr.d a meeting the following week of just those countries >

. wht. nave deposited an instrument of ratification and passed the ninety-day

( period required, thereafter, for entry into force.

IAEA Vacancy Notices  :

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> The following notices from the International Atomic Energy Agency have been  !

posted on NRC bulletin boards: l l P-4 Waste Regulatory Officer 96/076 i Nuclear Safety P-5 Senior Safeguards Analyst 96/077 Safeguards P-5 Senior Safeguards Analyst 96/078 Safeguards P-4 Nuclear Engineer 96/079 Nuclear Energy P-4 Policy Officer 96/080 Administration P-4 Senior Training Officer (Training Specialist) 96/081 Safeguards P-4 Senior Training Officer (Instrumentation) 96/082 Safeguards P-4 Systems Analyst 96/083 Safeguards P-4 Systems Analyst (2 Posts) 96/084 Safeguards NOVEMBER 15, 1996 ENCLOSURE N

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i- P-3 Systems Analyst / Programmer (2 Posts) 96/085 Safeguards o

P-5 Senior Legal Officer 96/086.

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• Region I Items of Interest Week Ending November 15, 1996 Enforcement Conference with New Enaland Medical Center.

I An open enforcement conference was held on November 6, 1996, with New England q

Medical Center. The licensee discussed the circumstances surrounding an

. October 22, 1996, incident that involved a package transported to the l Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Boston, from the New England Medical Center. The package read 400 millirem / hour (mR/hr) on contact and 40 l mR/hr at one meter, in excess of the regulatory limits applicable to the package label (50 mR/hr at contact and 1 mR/hr at one meter). Two apparent i

violations were discussed: failure to perform an adequate survey and failure

to meet the dose rate limits for a package. The licensee representatives

informed the NRC of their corrective and preventative actions. NRC j enforcement action is under review. j e l Emeroency Drill by DuPont-Merck On November 12, 1996, Region I observed and participated in an emergency drill by DuPont-Merck in Billerica, MA. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts also observed the drill. The drill scenario involved a vehicle accident on the licensee's property that resulted in the spilling of 10 curies of samarium-150, a beta emitter with a half-life of 47 hours5.439815e-4 days <br />0.0131 hours <br />7.771164e-5 weeks <br />1.78835e-5 months <br />. Region I was notified and set up a dedicated telephone link to the licensee through the HQ Operations i Center. Based on the inspector's observations, the licensee received good l support from police, fire, and ambulance services, and followed their emergency plan.

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. l,f, - l Region II Items of Interest Week Ending November 15, 1996 Florida Power and Liaht Company - St. Lucie On November 12, representatives of the Florida Power and Light Company met with the Regional Administrator in the Region II Office to discuss the status of their progress on their St. Lucie Corrective Action Program. Issues discussed included the conduct of operations, plant material condition, resolution of long standing problems with pressurizer code safety valves, and engineering activities.

International Visitor On November 13, Mr. Kimhide Miyaguchi, Senior Officer, Division of Nuclear Safety Research, Nuclear Safety Technology Center, Toyko, Japan, visited the Region II Office. Discussions centered around the Resident Inspection Program and its implementation.

Florida Power Corooration - Crystal River On November 14, representatives of the Florida Power Corporation met with the  !

Regional Administrator in the Region II Office to discuss the status of their i progress on their Crystal River Corrective Action Program. The Sr. Vice l President, Mr. P. Beard, and his managers discussed actions they have taken and planned to improve the safety attitudes and self-assessment effectiveness I of the station and support departments.

Carolina Power and Liaht Company - Brunswick An NRC public exit meeting was conducted on November 15, 1996, at Carolina Power and Light's (CP&L) Brunswick nuclear power plant in Southport, North Carolina to discuss the results of a special NRC Inspection into potential tampering events that occurred at the plant on November 8,1996. The potential tampering events involved locks on the plant site in which foreign objects were inserted. CP&L has taken additional security measures and is continuing their investigation.

Virainia Electric and Power Company - North Anna North Anna Unit 2 tripped at 8:54 a.m. on November 12, 1S46. The trip was caused by a generator differential lockout which caused a turbine trip and l reactor trip. The licensee's investigation identified that there was a ground I on the alpha phase of the generator stator. During a main generator inspection, a piece of polyethylene 18-inches square and some red tape, were found to be blocking several cooling fins. Heat and deterioration damage were identified. The licensee plans to be shutdown for approximately 32 days for repairs.

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Region III i Items of Interest Week Ending November 15, 1996 Manaaement Chanae Announced for Point Beach Nuclear Power Station e l

! Terence J. Sullivan has joined Wisconsin Electric as Special Assistant to the

' President for Nuclear Matters. Mr. Sullivan most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for INPO.

Predecisional Enforcement Conference with Commonwealth Edison Comoany ,

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On November 12, 1996, a predecisional enforcement conference was conducted in

the Region III Office between management representatives from Commonwealth j Edison Company's Zion Nuclear Power Station and members of the NRC staff. The i purpose of the conference was to discuss the findings from an engineering and technical support inspection. Five apparent violations were discussed at the conference. The apparent violations included

an inadequate 10 CFR 50.59 l safety evaluation process; failure to ensure that field-installed design i change modifications had been properly evaluated, tested or signed off prior  !

to placing them in service; failure to indicate the operability status of '

systems, structures and components that had been modified and placed in use, but not yet fully tested; failure to take timely corrective actions for an extended period of time to address equipment nonconforming conditions; and inadequate procedures and failure to follow procedures.

Predecisional Enforcement Conference with Citizen's Memorial Hospital On November 14, 1996, a predecisional enforcement conference was conducted in the Region III Office between management representatives from Citizen's Memorial. Hospital, Bolivar, Missouri, and members of the NRC staff. The i purpose of the conference was to discuss the findings of an inspection at the facility and an investigation by the NRC Office of Investigations. Nine apparent violations were discussed at the conference. These apparent violations include the failure to: check each dose calibrator for constancy at the beginning of each day of use; perform quarterly linearity tests on the dose calibrator; wear and use individual monitoring devices; and monitor external surfaces of a package labeled with radioactive signs for contamination.

Predecisional Enforcement Conference with 3M Center .

On November 15, 1996, a predecisional enforcement conference was conducted in  ;

the Region III Office between management representatives from 3M Center, St. 1 Paul, Minnesota, and members of the NRC staff. The purpose of the conference I was to discuss inspection findings. An apparent violation that was discussed at the conference concerned the failure to assure that an operator was on site at all times when the irradiator was in operation.

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Region IV Items of Interest Week Ending November 15, 1996 INPO Meetina. Atlanta. Georaia On November 13-14, 1996, the Director, Division of Reactor Safety, Region IV, observed the November meeting of the National Nuclear Accrediting Board at the Institute of Nuclear Power Operation's (INP0's) office in Atlanta, Georgia.

During the meeting, the Board reviewed selected utilities' training programs for renewal of accreditation. Observation of these meetings is one of the ways in which the NRC monitors the industry's performance in implementing the training rule,10 CFR 50.120.

Burlinaton. Kansas Rotary Club Presentation On November 14, the Senior Resident Inspector at the Wolf Creek Generating Station, accompanied by the Region IV Branch Chief, made a presentation to the Burlington, Kansas Rotary Club. Topics discussed included general NRC mission, organization, the resident inspection program, and licensee performance assessment processes.

Oversicht Panel Meetina with Washinaton Public Power Supolv System The WNP-2 Oversight Panel met with the Supply System representatives on November 14, 1996, at the Region IV office to discuss progress of the licensee's implementation of the Performance Enhancement Strategy. The licensee presented the results of their independent self-assessment conducted i in June 1996. The assessment. recognized improvements made at WNP-2, but l identified several activities required to further improve performance. Key l areas requiring continued attention were the corrective action process throughout the site and engineering support activities.

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