ML20141H035
| ML20141H035 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 07/10/1997 |
| From: | Blaha J NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| SECY-97-142, SECY-97-142-R, WIR-970704, NUDOCS 9707140374 | |
| Download: ML20141H035 (26) | |
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O UNITED STATES
- NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D. C. 20E56 INFORMATION REPORT July 10.1997 SECY 97-142 For: The Commissioners From: James L. Blaha, Assistant for Operations. Office of the EDO
Subject:
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING JL'LY 4,1997 Contents Enclosure Nuclear Reactor Regulation A Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards B Nuclear Regulatory Research C* ,
i Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data D E*
General Counsel Administration F l G .
Chief Informati.on Officer H*
Chief Financial Officer I
i Personnel Small Business & Civil Rights J K*
Enforcement State Programs L* i I
M Public Affairs N*
International Programs Office of the Secretary 0 P*
Region I P Region II l
P Region III P Region IV Executive Directs for Operations 0 R
Congressional Affairs 1
- No inpui this week. -
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W al 444JamesL.Blaha f h .4 Assistant for Operations. OEDO
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Contact:
\g\p N. Dudley. OEDO l
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. 9707140374 970710 WEEKL PDR /' O h A - b u. .
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Items of Interest ,
Week Ending July 4.1997 Pub?ic Meetina Between NRC Staff and Industry Reoresentatives on Motor-Ocerated Valve Periodic Verification On September 18, 1996, the NRC issued Generic Letter (GL) 96-05. " Periodic Verification of Design-Basis Capability of Safety-Related Motor-0perated ;
Valves." to request that licensees establish programs, or ensure the i effectiveness of current programs, which verify on a periodic basis that l safety-related motor-operated valves (MOVs) are capable of performing their l safety functions within the current licensing bases of the facilities. In j response to GL 96-05, the Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) Owners Group, the l Westinghouse Owners Group, and Combustion Engineering (CE) Owners Group are sponsoring an industry-wide joint owners group (J0G) program to assist licensees in periodically verifying the capability of safety-related MOVs.
The BWR and Westinghouse Owners Groups have submitted comporting topical re) orts describing the J0G program. The CE Owners Group is also planning to su)mit a comporting topical report. Most licensees have indicated their participation in the J0G program in their responses to GL 96-05.
On June 24 and 25. 1997. NRC staff members from the Mechanical Engineering .
Branch of NRR and the Electrical. Materials, and Mechanical Engineering Branch of RES, and an RES consultant, met with J0G representatives at the NRC office in Rockville. Maryland, to discuss staff comments on the J0G MOV Periodic Verification Program. In a letter dated June 12. 1997, the NRC staff forwarded comments to the owners groups on the J0G MOV Periodic Verification Program. As a result of the meeting, the staff comments on the J0G MOV program were resolved to the satisfaction of the NRC staff. The staff plans to discuss some specific issues raised by the staff comments in its safety evaluations of the to)ical reports. The J0G representatives stated that the written response to t1e staff questions and a revision to the topical reports will be submitted in early August 1997. The staff plans to complete its safety evaluations following review of the revised topical reports. The staff ,
will forward the proposed safety evaluations and topical reports to the !
Committee for the Review of Generic Requirements (CRGR).
Clinton Coatinas The coatings in certain areas of the containment building at the Clinton Nuclear Power Plant have degraded over time. The licensee at Clinton had initiated a long term program to remove the degraded coatings and to app (CAL)ly new coatings. NRC's Region III office issued a confirmatory action letter
! on June 9,1997 that stated that before Illinois Power can restart, it must determine if containment and drywell coatings are qualified. If the coatings l are not qualified, the utility is to provide reasonable assurance that the emergency core cooling system suction strainers will remain operable (will not clog) during a design basis event.
The licensee at Clinton initiated a plan to remove the primary containment and drywell protective coatings, which were found to be loosely adhering.
. July 4. 1997 ENCLOSURE A
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chipping, peeling, or blistering. In addition, coatings from the 828-foot elevation to the 834-foot elevation surrounding the refueling floor will be removed. These coatings were damaged during construction and damaged areas
- were repaired using an improper surface preparation. Coatings not repaired in
! the past two years will be removed. Another 6-foot high band between the 856 and 862-foot elevations will be stripped and recoated. This area is just above the polar crane. Any coatings identified as defective during walkdowns are being removed. Care will be taken to contain the debris generated during-removal of the paint.
i The remaining coatings are being tested in 25 se)arate locations using
! adhesion tests. Five tests are conducted in eac1 area and four must pass. A l 200-pound pull is necessary for the coating to be considered satisfactory. So far, all of the tests have passed in the 25 locations selected. However., the ,
NRC inspector requested that an additional test be conducted between two welds l and two of the five pulls failed the 200-pound recuirement. The licensee l plans to conduct additional pulls in this area anc in other areas near welds.
l ' Majne Yankee i
On June 30. 1997, the Vice President of Operations for Maine Yankee ordered a l stand down in plant operations. The stand down was the result of two recent events related to operator errors associated with valve lineups. The stand i down order limits plant activities to only those activities required to maintain the plant in a safe condition and to assure compliance with plant technical specifications. During the stand down, plant operators will verify-existing valve lineups on selected plant systems. The plant is currently sh t dawn and defueled. Thus, the focus of the licensee is to ensure that systems supporting spent fuel pool cooling are aligned and performing as expected.
On June 28. 1997, operators inadvertently diverted approximately 10.000 ,
gallons of water from the defueled reactor cavity to the Refueling Water l
- Storage Tank (RWST). This occurred due to an improper valve lineup while ]
! attempting to recirculate the contents of the RWST. The error was detected ;
when a control room operator noticed an unanticipated increase in RWST level. ;
The evolution was immediately stopped and the' valves were properly aligned. ;
On June 26, 1997, a valve lineup error occurred during a planned drain down of i the defueled reactor cavity. In this event, operators failed to open a suction valve to a purification pump being used to support the drain down.
The pump subsequently tripped on start-up due to lack of suction flow. The valve was opened and the evolution completed.
In addition to the valve lineup errors, the licensee experienced significant difficulties offloading the core to the spent fuel pool. The offloading evolution was completed on June 19. 1997. A combination of )ersonnel, procedural, and equipment errors resulted in the licensee tacing 33 days to .i complete this evolution. Among the problems encountered were inadequate testing of.the fuel handling equipment, damage to electrical cables due to i i
3ersonnel error, software errors in the programs that control the spent fuel l
1andling equipment, and failure of the spent fuel pool crane. .
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- The licensee has assembled an event review team to investigate these events.
4 The results will be presented to the Plant Operation Review Committee (PORC) 4 next week. The stand down may only be rescinded by action of PORC. !
I The licensee is continuing work on its Restart Readiness Plan. The licensee ,
has requested to meet with the staff on July 22, 1997, to discuss cable
- separation issues. NRR Projects personnel will be visiting the site on two -l occasions this month to assess the licensee's restart readiness status. j 1
Oconee Nuclear Station. Units 1. 2. and 3 l On June 20. 1997, with Oconee Unit 1 in cold shutdown and Units 2 and 3 at l l
full power, plans were underway to aerform a Technical Specification (TS)- 1 required surveillance test of the a)ility of the Lee Gas Turbine System to j i
supply )ower to the Oconee Unit 1 emergency bus. However, )ower was. lost.to q
- . Oconee Jnit 1 from the Lee Station when an operator at the _ee Station failed
to follow the procedure. Keowee Hydro Units 1 and 2 (the emergency power :
1 supply system that serves the same function as diesel generators at.other stations) received an auto-start signal. Keowee Unit 2 responded as expected. :
- - However, the Keowee Unit 1 generator failed to develop a generator field due !
to a blown fuse in the field flashing circuit and, thus, was not able to '
i provide power to the Oconee Unit 1 emergency bus. The cause of the blown fuse i
is under investigation but appears to be age-related. The fuse has been !
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- replaced and Keowee Unit 1 was successfully tested. The licensee has committed, as a short-term action, to replace the fuse each time a Keowee unit I f
receives an emergency start signal. The long-term resolution is under active investigation.
l On June 23, 1997, f.ollowing a TS-requved surveillance test of the Lee Gas !
- Turbine System's ability to supply power to Oconee Unit 1 a sequence of
- events resulted in power being lost to the Keowee Unit 1 auxiliaries
! switchgear. Two parallel breakers that supply power from different sources opened due to an interlock that is designed to prevent closing both breakers i at the same time. -In addition..the fuses blew in the breaker closing 4 coil DC control power circuit because the breakers opened before the time delay in the anti-pump circuit could time out, due to a timer malfunction.
Following repairs and investigations, both Keowee units have been declared operable but degraded. The licensee is investigating the causes of the 4
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! problems and determining long-range actions. An Augmented Inspection Team is
- investigating both the June 20 and 23 events. The inspection is scheduled to
- be completed on July 11, 1997.
i' 'On July 1,1997, with Oconee Unit 1 in the Hot Standby and subtritical condition, it was found that the feedwater pump turbine was not controlling properly in automatic. The operators shifted the pump turbine to manual control, but it tripped on high discharge pressure before feedwater flow could be stabilized. The operators then manually trip)ed the Group 1 safety rods and stabilized plant conditions. The cause of t1e feedwater problems is under investigation. As a result of this problem, as well as problems related to ,
the condition of the Reactor Building Cooling System. Oconee Unit 1 is holding in the Hot Shutdown condition.
ENCLOSURE A
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. Since June 23, 1997. Unit 3 has remained at 15 percent with the turbine 4 removed from service to repair a main turbine hydrogen seal-oil system r problem. In addition, a main turbine overspeed test problem has been discovered.
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- Commonwealth Edison Summer Power Availability i The North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) has determined that
[ electric utilities in parts of Illinois and Wisconsin will have difficulty serving ex)ected customer needs during peak use periods this summer. A
. special NERC study team reported that a combination of projected i unavailability of 4.700 to 6.500 MW of nuclear capacity and limited transmission import capability is likely to result in electricity supply shortages. NERC's president has stated that. "Although the utilities in these
-states have made extensive preparations to mitigate these )roblems, such i shortages could require controlled interruption (rotating alackouts) of
' electric service to customers in portions of the Region."
! Comed declared a grid emergency on both June 23 and 24.1997. because even though operating reserves were not negative, they were down to 700 megawatts.
i Comed felt this was a sufficiently low level that it should declare an
)' emergency in case a fault occurred that caused the loss of the 700 megawatts of operating reserve. Comed was able to meet all power demands without
- resorting to any extreme compensatory measures and feels that its declaration
- i. of a grid emergency was a conservative decision.
j As part of its summer preparation activities.- Comed has developed and
- implemented a protocol to improve communications across the six nuclear sites i in the event of a declaration of a grid classification level. An Engineering 1 . Sup) ort Team, composed of Downers Grove Engineering personnel having i baccgrounds in transmission system operations, has been identified to provide i sites with an available resource to answer technical questions concerning grid 4
conditions and possible compensatory actions. Site contact persons have also a been identified to serve as single points of contact for transmitting
) information relative .to grid classification in a timely manner. Upon i
- declaration of a grid action level, these single points of contact and their i counterparts in Downers Grove ensure that the personnel who staff the
] Technical Support Centers (TSCs) and Cor orate Emergency Operations. Facility (CEOF) are notified and placed in standb for possible staffing of the i emergericy response facilities. A specia communications bridge linking all
- . six sites and the CE0F has been established to facilitate these
! communications.
I In addition. Comed has taken action to reinforce the transmission and
- distribution (T & D) system. These actions include: accelerating
. ' reinforcement projects to the T & D system to reinforce and regulate system
'. voltage and ensure uninterrupted power transmission this. summer: working with ,
! neighboring utilities to eliminate transmission barriers on a regional basis: l aerially inspecting Comed's overhead subtransmission lines: and contracting i for alternative sources of electricity on a short term basis.
July 4. 1997 ENCLOSURE A
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Comed has also initiated several actions to ensure the readiness of the >
- nuclear organization in the event of a grid classification declaration. A !
- multi-disciplinary, multi-station and corporate team developed a check list of approximately 50 action items to improve readiness. Examples from the list include having operators review loss of off site power procedures, topping off
.consumables such as diesel fuel oil, verifying operation of various and d
diverse communications channels, refresher training of operators on loss of t
off site power on the simulators, and completing transmission and plant r
equipment p.eventive maintenance.
To test its ability to integrate a degrading grid situation with emergency
' conditions at multiple sites. Comed conducted a drill on June 18, 1997, in l
which all six nuclear stations participated to varying degrees. The six stations are continuing to independently exercise specific portions of the emergency plan.
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- Comed has scheduled a visit to Region III on July 8,1997, to _ review its l preparation activities with the NRC.
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! The region and NRR will continue to monitor the grid situation and the j licensee's actions.
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ENCLOSURE A July 4. 1997 e
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Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Items of Interest Week Ending July 4.1997 International Atomic Enerav Acency Consultants Meetina On June 23-27, 1997, a member of the Regulatory and International Safeguards Branch participated in a physical protection consultants meeting at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. Austria. The consultants reviewed and revised a guidance document that will provide IAEA Member States with supplemental guidance to INFCIRC-225. Rev. 3. in carrying out their national programs to oversee the implementation of physical protection i measures at nuclear facilities. ,
Workshoo for Hanford Site Reaulatory Unit !
On June 23-27, 1997. Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards staff hosted a workshop for the Hanford Site Regulatory Unit from the Department of Energy (DOE RU) on the development and application of draft NUREG-1520. Standard Review Plan (SRP) for the Review of a License Application for a Fuel Cycle Facility. The Workshop was also attended by representatives of the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses, which provides technical assistance to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and by DOE's Office of Environmental Safety and Health. The Workshop focussed on the bases for the acceptance criteria in the draft SRP and on the approaches to regulatory issues taken by the two agencies. Major topics of discussion included radiological protection. l quality assurance, integrated safety analysis, chemical safety, seismic and other external events, human factors, and public participation.
Nuclear Reaulatory Commission Renews Fuel F6brication License On June 27. 1997, the Nuclear Regelatory Commission renewed General Electric's (GE) license to manufacture nuclear fuel at its plant in Wilmington, North Carolina. The new license, which expires in June 2007, authorizes GE to manufacture nuclear reactor fuel with uranium enriched up to 5 percent in uranium-235. It also authorizes GE to operate a new dry conversion process that produces uranium oxide powder, while producing far less liquid and solid radioactive waste. Startup testing of the new process using natural uranium !
began in May 1997 under an Agreement State license issued by North Carolina.
GE prepared and submitted an Integrated Safety Analysis to demonstrate the safety of the design for the dry conversion process. In the new license. GE also commits to develop and submit an Integrated Safety Analysis for the balance of the plant over the next several years.
Sierra Nuclear Corocration Recuests Extension for Confirmatory Action Letter Resoonse On May 16. 1997, a Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL) was issued to Sierra Nuclear Corporation (SNC) to confirm its commitment to evaluate the root cause of unanticipated cracking encountered while making closure. welds for VSC-24 casks. SNC also committed to assess the potential for delayed cracking in casks which are already loaded, and to determine corrective actions to inhibit July 4. 1997 ENCLOSURE B
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! future cracking. CALs'were also issued to licensees using VSC-24 casks to~ l prevent loading until the issue is resolved. During recent inspections of 10 i unloaded casks at Arkansas Nuclear One (ANO), the licensee identified that l undocumented weld repairs appeared to have been made to all casks. ANO is assessing whether similar repairs may have contributed to failure of the l closure welds. On June 27, 1997. SNC requested, and NRC has granted, an >
extension to July 31, 1997, to respond to the CAL. This will allow time to ,
evaluate the ANO findings.
. New Resoiratory Protection Devices l On June 23-25, 1997, a member of the Division of Industrial an'd Medical
. Nuclear Safety staff, along with' staff from Office of Nuclear Reactor :
Regulation and the Office of- Nuclear Regulatory Research, traveled to Radiation Safety Associates in Hartford, Connecticut. The trip allowed Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff to examine the characteristics of newly-developed respiratory protection devices: in particular, a variety of disposable and maintenance-free respirators with different types of sealing surfaces. filter media, and face coverage areas. Some of these new
- respirators are to be included in a planned revision and u)date of 10 CFR l Part 20, Subpart H which addresses protection against air)orne radioactive
- materials.
Anoroval of ADolication for Alternate Concentration Limits i
On June 30, 1997, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission amended Source Material License SUA-1310 for the Bear Creek Uranium Company site in Converse County, I Wyoming, to allow alternate concentration limits (ACLs) for groundwater. ACLs were granted for three constituents, uranium, radium, and nickel. The State of-Wyoming has concurrent jurisdiction over nickel. Furthermore, the State of Wyomina has no provisions for ACLs for groundwater: therefore Bear Creek could be required by the State to meet standards which are more conservative than the ACLs granted by the NRC. . Based on its review,.the NRC staff concluded that the ACL values for the site protected health and safety, and would result in no significant environmental impacts. The NRC finding was documented in an environmental assessment, and a Finding of No Significant-Impact was published in the Federal Reaister on June 27, 1997. This is only the second ACL'ap3roval granted to a uranium recovery licensee since finalization of tie NRC technical position on ACLs in January 1996.
Dam Safety Inspection On June 24,-1997. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff, accompanied by an i engineer from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) performed a routine inspection of the Satellite No. 2 Reservoir dam at the Power Resources, Inc. (PRI) Highland facility near Glenrock. Wyoming. The inspection was the final stop on NRC's initial Dam Safety Inspection program
- tour. PRI personnel provided design and maintenance documentation, and ;
accompanied the team on a walkover inspection. The dam, which was built across a wash in 1979, provides storage for plant process water prior to irrigation on an adjacent land parcel. No major problems were identified with i
the structure: however, some recommendations to enhance the licensee's July 4, 1997 ENCLOSURE B l
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I L inspection and maintenance programs were presented during the exit meeting at
-the site. A final inspection report will be provided to the licensee l following receipt of FERC's findings.
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! Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data ;
Items of Interest :
Week Ending July 4, 1997 ;
Safety Proarams Division j Fire Events Study l
AE00 Reliability and Risk Assessment Branch issued the "Special Study: Fire Events - Feedback of U.S. Operating experience - Final Report" on June 19, 1997. The final report, prepared by James R. Houghton, covers operating experience on fire events from 1965 through 1994. The report characterizes ,
the frequency and nature of fire event data from U.S. operating nuclear power l plants and examines the potential impact this updated data could have on fire assessments.
System Reliability Studies On July 2. AE00 issued for comment special report INEL-95/0133 Historical Reliability of the High Pressure Core Spray System. 1987-1993. This report is the fifth in a series of reliability studies that focus on using operational data to determine the reliability of the risk significant systems in U.S. i commercial reactors. The results include comparison with Probabilistic Risk Assessments and Individual Plant Examinations. Insights from an engineering j analysis of the data are also included. l Preliminary Notifications (PNs)
- a. PNO-I-97-039. Northeast Utilities (Millstone 3), SPENT FUEL POOL HEATUP
. b. PNO-I-97-040. Duquesne Light Co. (Beaver Valley 1). BEAVER VALLEY UNIT 1 SHUTDOWN GREATER THAN 72 HOURS
- c. PN0-II-97-036. Duke Power Co. (Oconee 1). AUGMENTED INSPECTION TEAM AT OCONEE NUCLEAR STATION
- d. PNO-II'I-97-057. Midwest Compact Commission. MIDWEST COMPACT COMMISSION TERMINATES REGIONAL LOW-LEVEL RADI0 ACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY SITING
- e. PNO-IV-97-037. Western Atlas International Inc.. LOSS AND RECOVERY OF CALIBRATION SOURCE
- f. PNO-IV-97-038. Southern California Edison & San Diego Gas & Electric Co..
UNIT 2 FORCED SHUTDOWN REQUIRED BY TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- g. PNO-IV-97 039. Federal Express. LOSS OF PACKAGE CONTAINING A RADI0 PHARMACEUTICAL DURING TRANSPORT l
July 4. 1997 ENCLOSURE D l
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! Items of Interest Week Ending July 4. 1997 j U.S. Enrichment Corooration (USEC)
NRC's final security inspection report dated June 24. 1997. regarding the protection of classified matter was completed and forwarded to USEC. An NRC l enforcement conference with USEC is scheduled for July 16, 1997. i l
! On July 2.1997. Division of Facilities and Security (DFS) representatives
- l. attended an NMSS briefing of Commissioner Assistants regarding the privatization of USEC. NMSS is scheduled to provide the Commission a revised i standard review plan and a set of procedures for making determinations under
, the Privatization Act' statutory requirements.
The Division of Facilities and Security is coordinating NRC and DOE comments u~ on USEC's preliminary information Jackage that informs prospective bidders of .i the restrictions on foreign ownerslip. control or influence. Final comments l should be returned to USEC by July ll. 1997.
NRC's security inspection team composed of re)resentatives from DFS and IRM I
is scheduled to conduct an inspection of the )ortsmouth gaseous diffusion plant (GDP) during the week of July 28, 1997. They will be inspecting against the security. requirements of 10 CFR Part 95 and the approved Portsmouth GDP security plan for the protection of classified matter. I Warehouse Review DFS has )lanned to initiate a security review of NRC's warehouse facility during t1e week of July 7. 1997. The review will include an evaluation of physical barriers intrusion detection measures, protectiva lighting, access controls and the protection of NRC personnel, informaticr. and property.
New Soace Initiatives NRC is coordinating with DOE for leased space within DOE's Las Vegas office.
Saace will be available after August 1.1997, and will be modified to meet NRC's needs. Details are being worked out through an interagency agreement.
NRC personnel will be able to move into this space later this fall.
Contract Award On June 30. 1997, a cost reimbursement contract entitled " Thermal Hydraulic Research" was awarded to Purdue Research Foundation of West Lafayette.
Indiana. The contractor will perform thermal hydraulic research for NRC on a
- - task order basis to support the agency's development of a new consolidated '
thermal hydraulics computer code. The total contract value for a base and four option years is $10.3 million. This competitive award was made in 6.5
- months using the following streamlining initiatives
- electronic submission of l S0W. waiver of audit. simplified evaluation criteria, and set deadline for l- offerors' questions about the RFP.
i July 4.1997 ENCLOSURE F
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Rules Activity The Rules and Directives Branch coordinated the submittal to the Office of the Federal Register for publication of the final rule on Radiological Criteria for Decommissioning. Three actions are to be taken regarding this final rule:
(1) the final rule is scheduled to be published in the Federal Reaister on
! Monday. July 21, 1997: (2) the Request for Comment on Uranium Facilities is )
l scheduled to be published in the Federal Reaister on July 21, 1997: and (3) i the Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) for this action is scheduled 1 l to be published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday, July l 18, 1997. [ Note: 10 CFR Part 51.100(b) specifies that the final rule may not i be published before EPA publishes a notice of filing of the GEIS.] The final )
l rule and the Request for Comment will appear in a special. separate section of l the July 21, 1997 issue. ;
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l July 4, 1997 ENCLOSURE F i
Chief Information Officer Items of Interest Week Ending July 4. 1997 Sionificant F01A/PA Recuests Received durina the 5-Day Period of June 27 -
Julv 03. 1997:
St. Lawrence Hospital - Sisters of Mercy. Lansing. MI regarding investigation of materials license. (F01A/PA-97-238)
Winning proposal. Contract No. NRC-38-97-282. Vantage Human Resources ;
l l Services Inc. (F0IA/PA-97-239) l I (FOIA/PA-97-240)
Copies of FOIA/PA 97-208 and 97-198 including responses.
Memorandum from T. Martin to Regional Administrators dated 4/6/97 regarding SECY-97-035. (F01A/PA-97-241)
Employment records and nuclear power facilities visited by named individual.
1972 through 1990. (F01A/PA-97-242)
Current contract for elevator inspection. (F01A/PA-97-243) l Copies of F0IA/PA 97-217 and 97-221. (F01A/PA-97-244) i l
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Office of Personnel Items of Interest Week Ending July 4. 1997 Society of Women Enaineers Annual Conference Attended 1 On June 24-25, 1997. Henry Rubin. Office of Human Resources: Charleen Raddatz, Office of Commissioner Diaz: and Susan Shankman. Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards; attended the Society of Women Engineers Annual '
Conference in Albuquerque. New Mexico. Several excellent candidates were identified at this event. i l
Health Physics Society' Annual Meetina Attended On June 30-July 3. 1997. Henry Rubin attended the Health Physics Society Annual Meeting in San Antonio Texas. Several NRC employees, who were attending the conference, took turns providing assistance at the NRC exhibit booth as follows: Charles Willis and Tom Essig. Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation: Diane Flack. Ed Flack. Torre Taylor. David Fauver, and Jose)h DeCicco. Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards; and Elizabet1 Ullrich, Region I.
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July 4 1997 ENCLOSURE I
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Office of Small Business & Civil Rights Items of Interest Week Ending July 4, 1997 Annual EE0 Counselors Trainino Conference On June 24-27, 1997, the Office of Small Business and Civil Rights (SBCR) sponsored the Annual EE0 Counselors' Training Conference in Baltimore.
Maryland. Twenty-four counselors from headquarters and the regions attended.
Training was conducted by the Government Training Institute on the 25th and '
26th. On June 27th. Patricia G. Norry. Deputy Executive Director for :
Management Services, addressed the counselors during the morning session: i Irene Little and SBCR staff led a " lessons learned" session to facilitate ;
consistency in counselor's activities: Jackie Jackson from the Office of ,
Personnel (0P) and Ramon Suris-Fernandez from the Office of the General !
Counsel (0GC) addressed the group during the afternoon session. Several l Chairpersons of the EE0 Advisory Committees and Subcommittees attended the l afternoon session on June 27th. j Strenathenina Enforcement of Title IX in Federally Conducted Education I Proarams and Activities j On June 30, 1997. Ira Radden. Sr. Civil Rights Specialist. SBCR, and Ramon !
Suris-Fernandez. OGC. attended a meeting sponsored by an Advisory Group of the Department of Justice. This meeting was called to discuss the President's 1 memorandum of June 17. 1997, directing the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies to submit a report within 90 days on measures to strengthen Title IX l enforcement in federally assisted and conducted programs: the meeting included j discussions regarding the President's plan to issue an Executive Order that will invigorate Title IX by specifically prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin and gender in federally conducted educational programs and related activities.
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-Items of Interest l Week Ending July 4. 1997 Media' Interest l
l Several media representatives in Region III attended the Clinton SALP and Bill l Beach's news conference afterwards. Some media also attended the enforcement i conference with. Zion, t
Press Releases f Headauarters: i 97-98 NRC Issues Letter to SPEC Confirming Suspension of Fabrication.of Packages for Transportation of Radioactive
, Materials 97-99 Note To Editors: ACRS Reports97-100 Dr. B. John Garrick Elected ACNW Chairman Dr. George M. Hornberger, Vice-Chairman 97-101 Note to Editors: ACRS meeting postponed 97-102 NRC Revises Position on Use of Potassium Iodide in Casa of Accident at Nuclear Power Plant-Reaions: ,
I-97-75 NRC Proposes $2,750 Civil Penalty for Maryland Firm for Failing to Notify Agency of Nuclear Gauge Usage I-97-76 NRC Staff. Representatives of Three Firms to Meet July 10 to Discuss Handling. Disposal of Signs Containing Tritium 11-97-51 Brunswick Nuclear Plant Rated " Superior" in Two Areas. " Good" in Two Other Areas of NRC Assessment Report 11-97-52 NRC Staff To Hold Conference With CP&L to Discuss Apparent Violation at Harris Nuclear Power Plant I
July 4. 1997 ENCLOSURE M
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Office of the Secretary Items of Interest Week Ending July 4. 1997 Decision Documents Released to the Public Document @Ltg Subiect
- 1. SECY-97-124 June 16, 1997 Proposed Federal Policy Regarding L Use of Potassium Iodide After a !
l Severe Accident at=a Nuclear Power i Plant
-- SRM on 97-124 June 30, 1997 (same) l -- Commission June 30. 1997 (same) l Voting Record i on 97-124
- 2. SECY-97-102 May 16, 1997 Proposed Rule on Financial Assurance '
Requirements for Decommissioning Nuclear Power Reactors
---SRM on 97-102 June 30. 1997 (same)
-- Commission June 30.-1997 (same) i l
Voting Record on 97-102 l 3 SRM on June 30, 1997 ~ Decommissioning Cost l Requirements for COMSCY-97-014 l Nuclear Power Reactors !
Neaative Consent Pacers Released to the Public
- 1. SECY-97-109 May 29, 1997 Technical Assistance Request from the University of Missouri-Columbia i License Amendment Regarding Uranium- l 238 Use :
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-- SRM on 97-109 June 20. 1997 (same) l Information Pacers Released to the Public -l
- 1. SECY-97-131 June 20. 1997 Supplemental Information on SECY l
' 115, " Program for Revision of 10 CFR ,
Part 35. ' Medical Uses of Byproduct !
Material,' and Associated Federal i
Reaister Notice" ,
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l' 2. SECY-97-132 June 23, 1997 Status of the Integration Plan for l Closure of Severe Accident Issues and the Status of Severe Accident
! Research
! 3. SECY-97-124A June 26, 1997 Additional Information Regarding the Federal Policy on Potassium Iodide Commission Meetina SRMs Released to the Public
- 1. SRM (M970612) June 26, 1997 Staff Requirements - Briefing on Status of License Renewal (SECY 118), 1:30 p.m., Thursday, June 12, 1997 !
- 2. SRM (M970625B) June 27, 1997 Staff Requirements - Briefing on Salem 2:00 p.m., Wednesday. June 25, 1997 l 3. SRM (M970630) June 30, 1997 Staff Requirements - Affirmation Session, 11:30 a.m., Monday, June
- 30. 1997 - SECY-97-129 - Louisiana Energy Services Petitions for Review of LBP-97-8 (May 1, 1997)
- 4. SRM (M970625A) June 30, 1997 Staff Requirements - Briefing on Operating Reactors and Fuel Facilities, 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, June 25, 1997 Commission Corresoondence Released to the Public l
- 1. Letter to Representative Faleomavaega dtd 6/26/97 concerns disposal of nuclear waste at the White Mesa uranium mill in Utah
- 2. Letter to Luis Echavarri, Nuclear Energy Agency / Organization for Economic
< Cooperation, dtd 6/26/97 provides information about the International Nuclear Regulators Association
, 3. Letter to Zygmund Domaratzki. IAEA, dtd 6/26/97 concerns harmonizing the activities of the INRA and the IAEA
- 4. Letter to Joe Colvin, NEI, dtd 6/26/97 concerns a pilot program to identify potential improvements to the regulatory framework for assuring safety of U.S. nuclear power plants
- 5. Letter to John Erickson, State of Washington Department of Healtn dtd l 6/26/97 concerns State participation in external regulation of DOE
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- 6. Letter to Michael Mobley. State of Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation dtd 6/26/97 concerns State participation in external regulation of DOE facilities
- 7 Letter to Bruce Ellsworth. National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners dtd 6/25/97 advises that Commissioner Dicus will be NRC's I representative to NARUC
- 8. Letter to Senators Lieberman and Dodd and Representative Gejdenson dtd 6/25/97 provides a status of efforts concerning the Millstone and Haddam :
Neck facilities 1 l
- 9. Letter to the Vice President dtd 6/24/97 concerns " Family Re-Union 6: l Families and Learning" conference ;
Federal Reaister Notices Released to the Public
- 1. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Subcommittee Meeting on Thermal Hydraulic Phenomena scheduled for July 21-22. 1997 - Postponed 1 '
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July 4.1997 ENCLOSURE 0
Region II Items of Interest '
Week Ending July 4,1997 Babcock and Wilcox Naval Nuclear Fuel Division The Acting Regional Administrator and the Director. Division of Fuel Cycle and ;
Safeguards. NMSS, met with licensee representatives at the Babcock and Wilcox Naval Nuclear Fuel Division in Lynchburg. Virginia, on July 1.1997. The ,
purpose of the meeting was to discuss the results of the NRC's assessment of )
L licensee performance (Licensee Performance Review). The assessment indicated l
! the licensee was performing well overall with the most significant challenge to control chemical releases in the uranium recovery area. The meeting was attended by representatives from local TV. radio and newspaper organizations.
Oconee l-Unit 1 at Oconee restarted on July 3. after it was shut down on June 13. to l inspect high pressure injection lines for potential cracking failures.
Failures had previously been noted and repaired in Unit 2. Prior to startup the -licensee implemented modifications to mitigate the potential for high 3ressure injection Jump problems similar to those that occurred during a
- Jnit 3 shut down. Juring startup there was a problem with excessive vibration L on one reactor coolant pump. After discussion between the NRC and the i licensee to determine if o]eration is within licensing basis, including q Technical Specification, t1e licensee restarted Unit 1 with three out of four j reactor coolant pumps. ;
I An Augmented Inspection Team (AIT) was on site to inspect and assess equipment l' l
failures with the Keowee Hydro Unit (KHU). The failures occurred during June 20-23. 1997. The AIT plans to complete its review and assessment and hold a public exit on July 10. 1997.
As of July 1. several previously announced management changes were implemented at Duke Energy. At Oconee. Mr. William (Bill) McCollum became the Site Vice President and Mr. Mano Nazar became the Engineering Manager.
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ENCLOSURE P July 4. 1997 1
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Region III Items of Interest Week Ending July 4, 1997 LaSalle Performance Imorovement Proaram Status On July 2. 1997. Region III staff members and representatives of Commonwealth Edison held a series of periodic meetings to discuss the status and L effectiveness of the restart plan and plant performance improvement program l activities at the LaSalle Nuclear Power Station. The meeting was held at the utility's Emergency Operations Facility at Mazon, Illinois.
Predecisional Enforcement Conference - Zion The Regional Administrator and members of the Region III and headquarters-staffs met on July 3.1997 in the regional office with Commonwealth Edison Co.
officials for a predecisional enforcement conference on several issues.
t including ap)arent violations associated with a February 21. 1997 incident at
! Zion 1. in w11ch a reactor operator impro)erly shut the reactor down and then attempted to return it to criticality wit 1out control room supervision permission.
Clinton SALP and Startuo Readiness Meetinas On July 2.1997, the Regional Administrator and members of the Region III and
! headquarters staffs met at the Clinton Nuclear Power Station with-representatives of Illinois Power Co. to review the recently issued Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance (sal.P) report for the Clinton plant.
On July 3.1997. thd Deputy Regional Administrator and members.of the Region III and headquarters staffs met at the Clinton Nuclear Power Station with Illinois Power Co. officials to discuss the utility's completion of its commitments in three confirmatory action letters and its preparations for the approaching restart of the Clinton plant.
Reaional Administrator 9, News Conference l
Regional Administrator A. Bill Beach held a news conference following the Clinton SALP meeting on July 2. Reporters attending the meeting represented two daily newspapers, two radio stations and two televisions stations. The news conference and questions focused on Illinois Power Company's activities
. to improve performance at the Clinton Station and its planned resumption of operations. ;
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Region IV l Items of Interest Week Ending July 4. 1997 Callaway SALP Public Meetino Onsite l On July 2. 1997, the Regional Administrator, accompanied by other RIV and NRR personnel, attended a public meeting to discuss the latest Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance for the Callaway Plant. Additionally, the Regional Administrator presented certificates to recently licensed reactor ;
l operators and senior reactor operators in a separate function. 1 1
l Southern California Edison - San Onofre Units 2 and 3 As reported in PN-RIV-97-038. San Onofre Unit 2 shut down on June 29, 1997, to resolve a flow imbalance between the two charging flow paths resulting from l Check Valve MU021 not fully opening during testing performed after a similar problem was identified in Unit 3. The licensee drained the RCS to midloop on l
July 2 to replace the internals of Check Valves MUO21 and MU019. The repairs l were completed and the midloop conditions were exited on July 4. However, ,
i subsequent testing on July 5-6 showea that Check Valve MUO21 was still not !
opening adequately. Radiographic examination and pressure and flow test data j did not reveal the reason for the improper function. The licensec decided to i
! replace Check Valves MUO21 and MU019 with valves from a different l manufacturer, and commenced draining the RCS to reduced inventory on July 7.
1997. Reduced inventory operation is expected to continue through about July i 9, 1997.
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San Onofre Unit 3 is in Mode 5 in the 88th dev of its Cycle 9 refueling I outage. On June 27.~ the unit entered midloop conditions in the reactor l coolant system (RCS) to resolve a flow imbalar.ce between the two charging flow l paths resulting from Check Volve MUO21 not fully opening during testing. l Check Valve MUO21 was a 2-inch spring-loaded valve in the flow path to RCS Loop 1A. The valve was found to have an undersized spring, in addition to its piston being cocked. The licensee replaced Check Valve MU021 with a valve from a different manufacturer. The licensee also replaced the internals of a similar check valve in the auxiliary spray line. Check Valve MU019, with a longer piston and stronger spring. On July 2. the RCS was filled and vented, and preparations were made for restart.
- On July 3. the licensee identified RCS 3ressure boundary leakage from a RCS loop instrument nozzle in Unit 3 and t1ree other nozzles that were, also, potentially leaking. On July 4.1997, the licensee drained the RCS to reduced
- inventory conditions to repair the nozzles. The licensee has delayed draining l Unit 3 to midloo) conditions until a second diverse level monitoring system, in addition to t1e system installed on Unit 2. can be fabricated, tested, and ;
installed on the Unit 3 RCS to support midloop operation. Reduced inventory i operation is expected to continue through about July 9. 1997.
The licensee also intends to replace Unit 3 Check Valve MU019 with a valve from a different manufacturer, and is reviewing other applications of the check valve which has exhibited erratic operation.
July 4, 1997 ENCLOSURE P
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o Office of the Executive Director for Operations Items of Interest Week Ending July 4. 1997 ;
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Prooosed Rule Sianed by EDO On July 8,1997, the Acting Executive Director for Operations approved a J
- 3roposed rule that would amend 10 CFR Part 50. " Domestic Licensing of 3roduction and Utilization Facilities" and 10 CFR Part 73 " Physical
- Protection of Plants and Materials."
l This constitutes notice to the Commission that, in accordance with the l rulemaking authority delegated to the EDO. the Acting EDO has signed this proposed rule for publication in the Federal Register.
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July 4. 1997 ENCLOSURE 0 l
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Office of Congressional Affairs Items of Interest Week Ending July 4, 1997 CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE. No. 25 Af 0C l, iDATEb , . . _ . . . N m........ ,.
!SUBJECTM
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'itCONTACTs xJ :&:i 4 TIME! i. WITNESS:1 iPLACEe 9:30 Performance Based Reps. Horn /Maloney Gerke 07/08 OMB. GAO. AFGE Gov't Mgmnt. Info & Technology 2247 RHOB Organizations Gov't Reform & Oversight Madden 07/08 5:00 Markup FY98 Energy & Water Senators Domenici/Reid Appropriations Energy and Water Development 116 DS08 Appropriations 07/09 10:00 TBA Electricity Restructuring Reps. Schaefer/ Hall Gerke Energy & Power 2123 RHOB and Federal Power Operations Commerce 07/10 10:00 TBA Year 2000 Computer Problems Reps. Horn /Maloney Gerke Gov ~t Mgmnt. Info & Technology 2318 RHOB Gov't Reform & Oversight Reps. Morella/Gordon Technology Science 07/10 10:00 TBA Congressional Review Act. Reps. Kelly /Sisisky Gerke Reg Reform & Paperwork Red 311 CHOB H.R. 1704 ,
Small Business i 2:00 Markup FY98 Energy & Water Senators Stevens/Byrd Madden 07/10 TBA Appropriations Appropriations 07/11 TBA Markup FY98 Energy & Water Reps. McDade/Fazio Madden Appropriations Energy & Water Development 2362 RHOB Appropriations ENCLOSURE R July 4. 1997
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