ML20141K491

Forwards Response to Violations Noted in Insp Rept 50-062/96-03.Corrective Actions:Reactor Staff Will Request Approval from Univ of VA Reactor Safety Committee for Changes to UVAR Emergency Plan & Implementing Procedures

ML20141K491
Person / Time
Site:	University of Virginia
Issue date:	02/17/1997
From:	Mulder R VIRGINIA, UNIV. OF, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
To:	Mcalpine E NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
References
50-062-96-03, 50-62-96-3, NUDOCS 9705290179
Download: ML20141K491 (3)

Text

. .. .

SCH00L OF

. . ENGINEERING dB February 17,1996 & APPLIED SCIENCE

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i w) og NUCLEAR REACTOR FACILITY oepartment or ucchanicai.

Mr. Edward J. McAlpine, Chief 20 m y030 Aermpace & Nuclear Engineering Fuel Facilities Branch university or virginia Division of Nuclear Materials Safety M Charlottesville, VA 22903-2442 W-982-5440 fax: 804-982 5473 United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region II 101 Marietta Street, NW, Suite 2900 Atlanta, Georgia 30323-0199

Subject:

Licensee Reply to NRC Inspection Report No. 50-62/96-03. [ University of Virginia Reactor (UVAR), Docket No. 50-62, License R-66]

Dear Mr. McAlpine:

In its inspection report issued December 20,1996, the NRC requested that it be notified (within sixty days) of the corrective actions taken, or planned to be taken, in response to emergency

'~ ' s exercise weaknesses cited in the report. In addition, it was requested that an estimate of the date

,/ for completion of these corrective actions be provided. Please find our response in attachment.

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' City / County of b lbMd/ b I' Commonwea!th of Virginia I hereby certify that the attached document is a true and

' x gg exact copy of a ,_y

presented befe Robert U. Mulder, Director me this I day of - 19N U.Va. Reactor Facility &

Assoc. Prof. of Nuclear Erg. 'Y pg (([g r..., ;, ,,,e s,,c,w i,4.me.io (f )Lif 1/rd

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yy commissbn expires bN 19 enc: Response to NRC Emergency Drill Inspection Report Emergency Drill Scenario cc: Mr. Craig Basset, NRC Regian II, Atlanta, Ga.  ;

Mr. Al Gooden, Radiation Specialist, NRC Region II, Atlanta, Georgia.

l

,q Document Control Desk, NRC, Washington, D.C.

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v 9705290179 970217 PDR ADOCK 05000062 O

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, , l n RESPONSE TO NRC EMERGENCY DRILL INSPECTION REPORT 1

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NRC Observations and Findings i l

l The following findings were extracted from the NRC inspection report No.50-62/96-03 and have l

been summarized. The NRC inspector identified an Exercise Weakness (EW) for failure by the Emergency Director (ED) to upgrade the drill event from a Notification of an Unusual Event (NOUE) to a General Emergency (GE), rather than an Alert, as was done. An Inspector Follow-up Item (IFI) was identified which will track corrective actions taken to improve performance in the area of communications and timely updates from the incident command post to the backup Emergency Support Center (ESC). The inspectorjudged the response by the University Relations to activate personnel and prepare press releases to have been untimely.

Comments The principal weakness identified by the NRC in the past drill involved the failure of the Emergency Director (ED) to upgrade the event from a Notification of Unusual Event (NOUE) to l

a General Emergency (GE). The inspector contends that the criterion for a GE was met in 4

accordance with EPIP 4.4 which lists Loss ofPhysical Controlofthe Reactor Facility or UVAR. '

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( The " facts" developed during the drill were: 1) a potential bomb device was found in a corner of L the building (far from the UVAR room), 2) a staff member was found injured, possibly assaulted ,

by the bomb perpetrator (s), 3) the facility was evacuated to await bomb squad arrival, 4) a  ;

police search of the building following the evacuation for additional devices and intruder (s)  ;

yielded negative results, 5) the ED was a witness to the UVAR room having been unoccupied i

and locked shut at the time of evacuction, 6) no sounds were heard coming from the reactor room on a remotely activated sound monitor following the evacuation, 7) no unauthorized individuals were observed in, or calling from, the building during the drill.

The ED interpreted fact (1) to constitute a breach ofsecurity, which by EPIP 1.3 is a NOUE.

Fact (2), covered under EPIP 1.6 Personnelinjuries... also is a NOUE. The ED upgraded the l l NOUE to an Alert because there were two instances corresponding to a NOUE. The ED considered the facts known or communicated to him against criteria listed in EPIP 3 for Site and EPIP 4 for GE. In view of facts (4) through (7), the ED did not associate facts (1) and (2) with

" loss of physical control of the facility" for numerous reasons. First, it is unlikely that individuals who set bombs remain in their vicinity. The police search for other devices and perpetrators had i

negative results (the role of saboteur had not been cast in the drill scenario). The device which had been found had not detonated. The bomb squad had been called and was on the way. Facility

, reentry could await their arrival, and police and staff were in control of the site. The information 2

provided to the ED did not rule out a reentry into the facility by the bomb squad and the licensee.

The hypothetical intruder (s) made no phone calls from the facility and there was no evidence to

p indicate that intruder (s) had assumed physical control of the building or the UVAR.

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l Had the drill masters provided the staff with definite information that the building had been taken l (p j . over, the NRC should not doubt that the required emergency classification upgrade would have l been made by ibe ED. The ED was checking EPIPs 1 through 4, which list criteria for the

!- appropriate classification, on a periodic basis.

I Actions and Time-linefor Completion l l

The reactor staff will request approval from the U.Va. Reactor Safety Committee (ReSC) for l l changes to the UVAR Emergency Plan and its Implementing Procedures necessary to correct weaknesses arising from this drill, by May 1,1997. The use of global terms such as " loss of physical control" which require subjective interpretation will be reviewed and clarified as much as

, possible in the EPIPs. Revised EPIPs will be presented to the ReSC for approval by July 1,1997, l and made effective once approved.

i At the next scheduled licensee emergency drill desktop training session, the NP.C inspection i report will be discussed and lessons learned reviewed. Staff members assigned to preparation of I l confidential drill scenarios will be urged to wdte "close-ended" drills to be carried out io real, not I

compressed, time. In fuiure drills an attempt will be made to reach agreement with the NRC inspector before the drill regarding the correlation between information played out to the drillers and the expected responses. Drill participants will be advised to relay information to the ED as

accurately as possible. They will be encouraged to interrogate the drill masters whenever the

l. information played out to them appears ambiguous or incon plete.

!k l The University Relations office has been made aware of the NRC's desire to see it fully implement  !

mock actions, such as issuing drill press releases. A number of memoranda were exchanged l l between the facility, UR and the U.Va. Police about procedures for releasing notices. Prior to the l l next drill, the UR personnel will be reminded to follow the agreements with regard to emergency i drilling. l The UVAR Reactor Safety Committee recently completed an audit of the Emergency Plan and the Implementing Procedures. The staff will submit its response to this audit to the ReSC, ,

l following which the committee will decide on all corrective measures to be carried out by the staff l in the emergency preparedness area. These measures will be completed by July 30,1997.

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University of Virginia Emergency Preparedness Drill Nuclear Reactor Facility for Tuesday, November 19,1996

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l l University of Virginia Nuclear Reactor Facility 1996 Emergency Preparedness Exercise Scenario for

Tuesday, November 19,1996 l

for Exercise Evaluators only Not for General Distribution l-O University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering Nuclear Reactor Facility Charlottesville, VA 22903-2442 I

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University of Virginia Emergency Preparedr.ess Drill

, , Nuclear Reactor Facility for Tuesday. November 19,1996 e

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's Objectives:

1. Test emergency situation assessment, job familiarity, and i decision-making ability of facility personnel;

2. Functionally test communication systems and the ability of personnel to use them;

3. Test contamination identification and control abilities of staff, if '

it occurs; j 4. Test adequacy and appropriateness of the Emergency Plan and L Implementing Procedures;

5. Test response time and perfonnance of university- and community-based emergency aid organizations and staff l interactions with the USNRC Emergency Operations Center.

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Scope: i l

l The 1996 Emergency Exercise for the University of Virginia Nuclear Reactor Facility is scheduled for Tuesday, November 19,1996, starting at about 0800 hours0.00926 days <br />0.222 hours <br />0.00132 weeks <br />3.044e-4 months <br /> and expected to last 1 or 2 hours2.314815e-5 days <br />5.555556e-4 hours <br />3.306878e-6 weeks <br />7.61e-7 months <br />.

The scenario includes a breach of security by an intruder, a staff member injured by the intruder, and a bomb placed on-site. Local police, fire and rescue personnel are expected to respond appropriately, i The exercise will be terminated soon after the bomb is demonstrated to be a I

hoax.

i All initial, follow-up, and close-out communications will be actually made, by telephone, radio, FAX, e-mail, or other means. None will be simulated.

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University of Virginia Emergency Preparedness Drill

, , Nuclear Reactor Facility for Tuesday, November 19,1996 The response team may request state emergency services aid in:

1. radiological monitoring;  ;

2. notification and ' evacuation of community personnel in surrounding areas.

1 If state emergency assistance is deemed necessary, any request for same will l be noted, and state personnel will be deemed to have arrived immediately and be available for action.

l Any notification or evacuation of persons in the surrounding community will l be simulated only.

l l Scenario victim's transport to the UVA Hospital will be simulated, if it i i

i occurs.

l l Scenario:

Before drill action begins, a fictitious ticking bomb package will be placed on top of the CAVALIER Room pit grate. The room door lock will be placed nearby on the floor and labeled as having been cut.

A student or other person will be made-up as a fictitious, unconscious head-wound victim and placed in the Counting Room hallway, within likely view l of intrusion-alarm responders.  !

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The UVAR is expected to be started-up for normal Tuesday operation, with Reactor Supervisor, Paul Benneche, as the normally scheduled operator at the consoje.

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University of Virginia Emergency Preparedness Drill

, Nuclear Reactor Facility for Tuesday, November 19,1996 I

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s Scenario Events IAcal Action Expected ESC Action Expected T-10 minutes Reactor operation is actual. Staff None J.

Tuesday morning, UVA*: and faculty arriving, performing operating normally at 2 lP <. normal activities.

T=0 minutes Normal activities until some None Announcement is man 6.e E- indication of trouble.

drill is beginning.

. T=5 minutes None None Perpetrator gains access to facility through rear door.

1 T=7 minutes None None Perpetrator is in interrupted by a student, who is rendered unconscious, in the Counting Room Hallway, with a head 3

wound, which is bleeding steadily, i T= 10 minutes Staff respond to locate cause of None Perpetrator cuts lock on Cavalier alarm at T= 10 minutes, or after Room door, deposits bomb on police arrive.

top of pit grate, then leaves.

Silent door alarm is triggered.

T= 15-20 minutes Staff surveying scene Police arrive at front UVAR

/ door, if silent alarm has not yet

( been noticed.

T=25 minutes Recognizing an apparent Reactor Director enters EPIP 1, Staff find Cavalier Room door intrusion, staff discuss further sets up ESC, begins event open, lock cut, action with police responders. classification. Open EPIP 1, Attachment 3 Reactor is shut down, Director is (Activation / Termination Log) called, and Supervisor takes charge of scene. An Emergency For intrusion only, consider Staff find injured person, either Conununicator at the scene is " Unusual Event", which requires ir. mediately or later through designated. Communications initiation of EPIP 2. Activate accountability exercise, established EPIP 7, Notifications.

Call Medic-5 for assistance, Consider evacuating all or non- )

activate EPIP 13 when victim is essential personnel and searching ]

found, render first aid, for perpetrator.  !

l Make initial notifications ASAP.

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University of Virginia Emergency Preparedness Drill

, Nuclear Reactor Facility for Tuesday, November 19,1996 p b 4N Y Eh/E N T i T=30 minutes Relay bomb information to ESC. Consider classification as up to a TifE Ep "

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Ticking bomb is found on top of General Emergency, which '

pit grate. Sound evacuation alann and requires activation of EPIP 5. 4in MDM I announce. W Id *

• BfA.7 (vCT Initiate Personnel gggggggg,y, Accountabihty, EPIP 11.

Missing person (victim) should DECL A ## I .

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be discovered no later than this.

Search for missing person, if Make initial or follow-up necessary. Call for medical notifications.

assistance and activate EPIP 13 if not yet done, continue first aid.

T= < 75 minutes Possible search for Perpetrator. Consider appropriate site Fictitious bomb timer continues responses to the intrusion, bomb, ,

to t'ck. Set up air sampling, monitoring, and victim rescue. i and contamination control equip nent, in lieu of possible explos,on and dispersion of Pass emergency personnel j radioactive material, instructions to on-site staff about l what to do about the bomb.

Continue to aid and/or evacuate victim.

Make follow-up notifications, j f

,  ; Follow ESC directions and

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continue to relay information. i

! T=75 minutes (Option 1)

Bomb detonates with just a puff Evacuate victim, if not done yet. Begin to take recovery actions, l of smoke. It will be announced as practical, via EPIP 20. l that the bomb was obviously a Search building for intruder.

hoax. Recovery is accomplished via j Assist EPIP close out actions. EPIP 20 Drill terminated when: l l

Re-entry accomplished via l

1. victim is evacuated; EPIP 19 l

2. building declared intruder- Closed-out and document drill free; via EPIP 23.

3. emergency-drill closed-out.

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