ML20196F211
| ML20196F211 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/01/1998 |
| From: | Collins S NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | Miraglia F NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20196F214 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9812040220 | |
| Download: ML20196F211 (10) | |
Text
.-.
MEMORANDUM TO: Frank J. Miraglia E8* I' 1998 D:puty Ex:cutiva Director for R:gulatory Programs Office of the Executive Director of Operations Original signed by R. P. Zinrenmn FOR FROM:
Samuel J. Collins, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
SUBJECT:
TASKING ASSOCIATED WITH PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS INITIATIVE As a result of the draft Commission paper titled, "Public Communications initiative (dst-14),"
the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) was assigned the lead in reviewing routine or periodic reports such as morning reports, preliminary notifications, and daily plant status reports. The review was to determine whether all of the information reported was required for safety oversight and to determine if any other information was required. NRR also addressed the need for this information to be accurate, timely, and appropriate as these reports are all made publicly available.
Our review focused on identifying fairly simple, and timely, modifications to address previously identified concerns. In particular, we addressed the problematic inclusion of outage restart date in the operation center plant status report. This information is no lcnger included in that report.
The broader subject of staff needs for safety information has received far greater attention in the ongoing 50.72/50.73 rulemaking, and in the multi-office staff self assessment of operational safety data review processes. The latter effort is drawing to conclusion and a report will be forthcoming. To the extent that there is an overlap between the self assessment and the recommendations in the attachment to this memorandum, e.g., the content and use of morning reports, the results are consistent.
i 1
1 The review findings are attached. Several recommendations are made to improve the process, such as eliminating those morning reports of a purely administrative nature and providing 8 additional clarity and context of event information for the general public. However, in general, s
$0- the various reports were found to have an appropriate scope of content with adequate ga:
management oversight to ensure accurate information.
j 0E g
The proposed improvements, if approved, would require revisions to the respective en management directives and implementing procedures. The changes to the style of content may necessitate some level of training.
I g
if you have any questions, please contact, John Stolz at 301-415-1168.
9448 Pld b o a.
DQJ7 j
Attachment:
As stated
~'
- ~~
DOCUMENT NAME: G:\\TXK\\DSl14RES.WPD - OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
- see Previous
\\
N concurrence To recaive a copy of this docurnent. Indicate in the box C= Copy w/o attachment / enclosure E= Copy with attachrnent/ enclosure N = No copy OFFICE PECB:DRPM E
PECB C:PECB:DRPM OGC l
NAME TKoshy RDennig*
JStolz*
FCameron*
l DATE 11/ /98 11/16 /98*
11/16 /98 11/17 /98 OFFICE OPA ADPR:NRR AEOD (A)D:DRPM D:NRR NAME WBeecher*
BBoger*
TMartin*
JRoe*
[ sSCollins b DATE 11/20/98 11/24/98 11/23/98 11/27/98
$/ / /98 J
~.
o o.
l DISTRIBUTION FOR GREEN TICKET: G980276 DATED: Deca ber 1. 1998 1
Central File (w/originalincoming)
)
PUBLIC (w/ incoming) -
EDO # G980276 i
W. Travers A.Thadani H. Thompson -
P. Norry J. Blaha -
S. Bums S. Collins /F. Miraglia H. Miller, RI L. Reyes, Ril J. Dyer, Rlli E. Merschoff, RIV B. Boger B. Sheron T. Martin K. Cyr W. Beecher PECB R/F (w/ incoming)
J. Roe D. Matthews J. Stolz
- R.' Dennig OGC I
.OPA 4
OCM'
)
NRR Mail Room (EDO# G980276 w/ incoming) (0-5 M. Manahan T. Koshy (w/ incoming) 1 l
l I
l i
I
_. _. _. _ _ _. ~.
y..s\\
y UNITED STATES g
S NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 30886 4001
'*[%. * * /
Decater 1,1998 l
MEMORANDUM TO: Frank J. Miraglia i
Deputy Executive Director for Regulatory Programs Office of the Executive Director of Operations FROM:
Samuel J. Collins, Director h Office of Nuclear Reactor Regul l
n
SUBJECT:
TASKING ASSOCIATED WITH PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS INITIATIVE j.
As a result of the draft Commission paper titled, "Public Communications Initiative (DSI-14),"
i the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) was assigned the lead in reviewing routine or periodic reports such as morning reports, preliminary notifications, and daily plant status i.
reports. The review was to determine whether all of the information reported was required for i
safety oversight and to determine if any other information was required. NRR also addressed the need for this information to be accurate, timely, and appropriate as these reports are all made publicly avaliable.
Our review focused on identifying fairly simple, and timely, modifications to address previously identified concems. In particular, we addressed the problematic inclusion of outage restart date in the operation center plant status report. This information is no longer included in that report.
The broader subject of staff needs for safety information has received far greater attention in the ongoing 50.72/50.73 rulemaking, and in the multi-office staff self assessment of operational safety data review processes. The latter effort is drawing to conclusion and a report will be forthcoming. To the extent that there is an overlap between the self assessment and the recommendations in the attachment to this memorandum, e.g., the content and use of morning reports, the results are consistent.
The review findings are attached. Several recommendations are made to improve the process, such as eliminating those moming reports n' >
mly administrative nature and providing additional clarity had context of event info @
v the general public. However, in general, the various reports were found to have an y,..+. le scope of content with adequate management oversight to ensure accurate informabon.
The proposed improvements, if approved, would require revisions to the respective management directives and implementing procedures. The changes to the style of content may necessitate some level of training.
If you have any questions, please contact, John Stolz at 301-415-1168.
Attachment As stated
l i.
Public Communications Initiative l
l Several routine or periodic reports that are available to the public contain current plant l
information. The most significant of these are (1) the event notifications received from the l
licensees on the basis of regulatory requirements (e.g.,10 CFR 50.72,50.55(e),21,26.73, l
etc.), (2) moming reports prepared by the regional and headquarters offices (3) plant status l
reports collected from licensees by the headquarters operations officer, (4) preliminary l
notifications prepared by the regional and headquarters offices, and (5) EDO highlights that are put together weekly from regional and headquarters highlights data. All of these reports are posted on the externa! NRC web site and are updated frequently. The current functione of these reports and any recommended changes are briefly summarized below.
Event Notifications:
(
l The regulations (e.g.,10 CFR 50.72,50.55e,21,26.73, etc.) require licensees to report to NRC staff promptly about events that take place. These reports are received at the NRC Operations Center and Operations Center staff transcribes them and adds. minor notes to l
indicate related events, or to add unique plant design information to aid understanding. Every l
business day, the transcribed reports are distributed broadly throughout the staff. These reports, which are a source of information for assessing reactor safety on a daily basis, support daily management briefings regarding operating events. Those reports are also posted on the j
extemal NRC web site.
i These notifications have been generally effective in providing the NRC with the information it needs to respond to emergencies and also provide information for operational experience reviews. However, some reporting requirements lack clarity or impose burdens that are not j
commensurate with their benefits. As a result,10 CFR 50.72 and 50.73 (" Licensee Event Reports") are currently being amended through rulemaking. The objectives are (1) to update the current rules, including reducing or eliminating the reporting burden associated with events of little or no safety significance, and (2) to better align the rules with the NRC's current needs, including (a) revising reporting requirements based on importance to risk and (b) extending the required reporting times consistent with the need for prompt NRC action. These reports with planned changes in reporting requirements will continue to provide the information necessary for safety oversight.
Recommendation: None (Implement the results of the rulemaking efforts.)
Morning Reports-The moming report (MR) is both an input and a product of the operational safety data review process. Approximately 400 MRs are issued annually. An example of an MR is provided in
! A. MRs enable the regional offices and the headquarters staff to exchange l~
information in a systematic way each day. The MR process is govemed by NRC Inspection l
Manual Chapter (MC) 0230, "Moming Report," and various regional instructions. These reports are reviewed by at least one level of management before publication. MRs are used by the t
regions to augment information provided by licensee's emergency notification system reports (MC 0230, "Significant items") and to provide information on other items of interest, including licensees' management changes, piant labor issues, external factors that could affect the i
operation of the plant, fitness-for-duty issues outside the scope of 10 CFR 26.73, etc.
(MC 0230, *ltems of Interest).
l l
2 The scope and content of morning reports are generally appropriate for the agency's safety oversight mission. However, some reports, currently covered as " Items of interest," may be only marginally useful. Specifically, reports that merely report intemal licensee management changes probably are not needed. Supplementalinformation, such as repeated events and plant-specific history, provides better focus on the generic and plant-specific safety significance of the event. These reports are used as an input in the daily screening process and headquarters uses moming reports to announce the development and issuance of generic communications and occasionally issues moming reports to inform about operational experience that has not been widely disseminated.
The moming reports are distributed broadly to the staff every moming and are also posted on the Intemet through the NRC home page every day. The current information age allows the public and the industry much greater access to these reports. Also, it is known that the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations screens the NRC morning reports and passes on relevant information to its membership. The current environment provides the opportunity to increase the effectiveness of the MR, but also requires modifications to the form and to the way information is conveyed. The fact that MRs now reach a large audience can be utilized to the staff's advantage. The MR system can be improved by expanding the scope ard increasing the role of headquarters in preparing additional moming reports on potentially generic technical l
issues. This would allow the dissemination of useful information that does not rise to the threshold of an information notice.
The staff needs to be sensitized to the fact that MRs now receive broader dissemination.
Many MRs contain good technical details but may rely too much on jargon and detailed knowledge of regulatory practice and plant design to effectively communicate with the public.
Without belaboring the issue, care should be taken to provide context and meaningful assessments to the public on the safety significance of the issue. Statements such as "high pressure core spray inoperable for 12 hours1.388889e-4 days <br />0.00333 hours <br />1.984127e-5 weeks <br />4.566e-6 months <br />, emergency diesel generator unavailable since the last surveillance" could be elaborated on to indicate that one of the three emergency core 4
cooling systems was incapable of performing its function for 12 hours1.388889e-4 days <br />0.00333 hours <br />1.984127e-5 weeks <br />4.566e-6 months <br />, and one of the two emergsney diesel generators that supplies power in the absence of the six other power supplies to the site could not have automatically powered the system in the past 5 days. A recent example of a well-written moming report for a maintenance activity was prepared to help the public gauge the safety significance. It stated,"The current leakage does not exceed regulatory requirements, and the shutdown is not required by the technical specifications. The valve is being repaired as a conservative precautionary measure since the valve performs a safety function as a back-up system for emergency shutdown. The outage to repair is expected to last 7-10 days." Another barrier to effective communication is the form itself. As can be seen in A, the MR has a standard banner stating " MORNING REPORT--PRIORITY ATTENTION REQUIRED." This banner does not always present the right context for the information, in the report, and it should be eliminated. A final observation concems fitness for-i duty reports, in an attempt to present detailed information, reports have inadvertently contained enough information to clearly identify the individual involved. Such specificity should 4
be avoided while preserving the primary purpose of sharing the safety concem.
4 a
f 4
n anew
.,n..v
.a
-e P
> *a.
--e
- n-<-
---e e, - - <-
n, > - ~ -
.-,--m-w
, -, - - ~ w
l 3
Recommendations:
i
~1.
Utilize MRs to disseminate generic technical information that does not rise to the threshold of an information notice.
2.
Revise standard material boilerplate and improve writing to gain greater clarity and context.
l 3.
Eliminate superfluous reports such as those that announce management changes.
4.
Attempt to protect the identity of individuals involved in fitness-for-duty issues.
Plant Status Reports:
This report is prepared by the NRC operations officer who routinely telephones every plant between 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m to verify the operation of the emergency notification system
'i phone lines. The report contains power level of the plant, date and time of a shutdown or trip, date of restart if known, and any remarks conceming the status of the plant. There is no regulatory requirement for this report. The information is voluntarily provided by the licensee and is not verified for accuracy or completeness.
The status report is a report of convenience, and the NRC staff uses it to maintain a general awareness of the operational status of power reactor facilities. There are other sources for this information, although they are not as timely and convenient. This report is also posted on the 1
intemet. The public release of this non-safety-related data has raised concems that it may have an economic impact on licensees and their customers. For example, announcing the j
duration of a planned shutdown of nuclear stations is business information that a competing utility may use to leverage a higher price for the replacement power. The status report remains an everyday tool for staff use, but the report can be modified to accommodate the stated concem.
Recommendation:
Continue to provide plant status reports but remove the plant restart date. (Note: This recommendation was implemented on November 2,1998.)
4 Preliminary Notifications:
Preliminary notifications (PNs) are govemed by inspection Manual Chapter 1120 and various regionalinstructions. The purpose of the PN system is to promptly provide to the Commissioners and other NRC and Agreement State management new and current information on matters that are of significant safety or safoguards concem or that have, or potentially could have, high public interest, and to provide to others in the NRC and the Agreement States on ai less urgent basis, information on matters that are the subject of PNs. PNs receive extensive review by management and the Public Affairs Officer and typically are approved by the Regional Administrator. Approximately 400 PNs are issued annually by the regions. Wnereas moming reports are disseminated the following morning, PNs are distributed throughout the day
.=.
4 and are distributed to the highest level managers in the agency. A sample PN is provided as B.
The preliminary reports are distributed to the staff throughout the day and are also posted on the Intemet through the NRC home page every business day. Except for the threshold of information and method of distribution, the PNs are very similar to the MRs. Consequently, the recommendations for the PNs are similar to those for the MRs. Specifically, the reports should be written with clarity and should provide context for the event information. Additionally, the report should be modified (see Attachment 1B), to eliminate language that may be disproportionate to the significance level of the information discussed. The content of preliminary reports as outlined in MC 1120 has been found to be appropriate for the agency's safety oversight mission.
Recommendation:
Revise standardized material and improve writing to gain greater clarity and context.
Wagkly EDO Hiahllahts:
The weekly information report is compiled by the NRC Office of the Executive Director for Operations (OEDO). It contains a brief summary of significant activities at headquarters and in the regions. This information is posted on the Intemet on the day after it is signed out. This document builds public awareness and confidence in the regulatory process.
This information is collected by senior staff members and the content is refined through senior management reviews. The quality of the final product is of a high level. The information released through this process has not received any significant negative feedback.
Recommendation: None These five types of reports fill complementary roles in giving the staff the information it needs to fulfill the agency's safety oversight mission. Providing this information to the public is appropriate and enhances the transparency of the regulatory process. Although enhancements to the reports were identified in the various recommendations, in general, the various reports were found to have an appropriate scope of content with adequate management oversight to ensure accurate information.
t
i PRIORITY ATTENTION REQUIRED MORNING REPORT - HEADQUARTERS JULY 16,1998 Licensee / Facility:
Notification:
l j
MR Number: H-98-0108 Potential Safety Hazard Date: 07/16/98 4
i j
Subiect: POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD ON INGERSOLL-DRESSER PUMPS MODEL APKD l
Discussion-Ingersoll-Dresser Pump company has informed the NRC of a potential problem for APKD type j
pumps. The bearing holder for the pump suction end is connected to the outer portion of the i
i suction head through a spider-looking support assembly with three or four support ribs. At Limerick Unli 1,' one of these support ribs broke off in a Residual Heat Removal pump and it t
i became lodged at the eye of the first stage impeller, passed through the pump, and partially i
blocked the flow at a jet pump assembly in the reactor vessel.
l The failure mode of this suction end appears to start with the migration of the suction head joumal sleeve caused by the wear of the key that holds the sleeve in place. This wearout is
{
i
- from the accumulated operating time. Once the sleeve is detached from the shaft, it could strike the suction head causing breakage of the support rib.
)
The manufacturer recommends prompt inspection whenever a change in pump performance or i
pump vibration is observed and further suggests periodic inspection of suction head, suction head joumal sleeve, and retaining key. As an interim measure, increased vibration monitoring on the pump shaft and motor housing was recommended until an inspection could be conducted.
The manufacturer has informed the customers that procured the pump as safety grade. The problem could apply to customer-dedi.ated safety related and non-safety related applications.
The currently known use of these pumps are Condensate pumps, Core Spray pumps, and Residual Heat Removal pumps.
Contact:
Thomas Koshy, PECB (301)415-1176 E-mail: txk@nrc. gov i
. A i
. August 12,1998 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION' 04IVINf dMUbd)IudL/dCl[RIEdCaiPNC,-l-98-039 i
This preliminary notification, o t te L n e
f 0
l hfkyki% hqMehh6Mighfi n e'3f is as initially 4GMOVfD receivedlkh%uNeMcKiAoNhtu%tiA and is basically all that is known by Region I staff in King of Prussia, Pennuylvania on this date.
~
Facility Licensee Emeroency Classification Northeast Utilities Notification of Unusual Event Millstone 3 Alert Waterford, Connecticut Site Area Emergency Dockets: 50-423 General Emergency X Not Applicable
Subject:
MILLSTONE UNIT 3 SHUTDOWN TO REPAIR A SMALL LEAK ON AN AUXILIARY FEEDWATER SYSTEM DISCHARGE Millstone Unit 3, which had been operating at 100 percent power, commenced shutdown at 1:10 a.m. on August 12,1998. The shutdown is being done in order to repair a one-pint-per-minute body-to-bonnet leak on a 3 inch motor operated auxiliary feedwater (AFW) system discharge valve, which is also a containment isolation valve. The water is non-radioactive due to back leakage from the secondary side of the steam generator and is being collected in a sump designed for collecting such leakage.
1 The current leakage does not exceed regulatory requirements, and the bD shutdown is not required by the Technical Specifications. Tne valve is being repaired as a conservative precautionary measure since the valve A.5553 MENT j
1 performs a safety function and the AFW system, though not currently in use, is a backup system for pe Torming safe shutdown of the reactor in case of an emergency.
This outage to repair the valve is expected to last 7-10 days.
The State of Connecticut has been informed. The licensee issued a press release on August 11,1998
Contact:
Jacque Durr (610)337-5224 Attadinent 1B
9
((p EDO Principal Correspondence Control l FROM:
DUE: 12/01/98 EDO CONTROL: G980276 DOC DT: 04/29/98 FINAL REPLY:
Hugh L. Thompson, DEDR TOs
~
- ~s-l Collins, NRR FOR SIGNATURE OF :
- GRN CRC NO:
Collins, NRR DESC:
ROUTING:
TASKING ASSOCIATED WITH PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS Callan INITIATIVE (DSI-14) -- REVIEW OF INFORMATION Thadani REQUIRED OF LICENSEES TO. DETERMINE WHAT IS Thompson REQUIRED FOR SAFETY OVERSIGHT IN PLANT STATUS Norry REPORTS, PNs AND OTHER REPORTS Blaha Burns DATE: 04/30/98 Martin, AEOD Miller, RI ASSIGNED TO:
CONTACT:
Reyes, RII Beach, RIII
_NRR
_ Collins Merschoff, RIV Cyr, OGC SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:
Beecher, OPA Coordinate response with AEOD.
DR Z PARRoe-NRR ACTION:
NRR RECEIVED: May 1, 1998 NRR ROUTING: Collins /Miraglia
'g Boger gg{.M i
ravers
-C,
- Roe
...~E g.) {,; s Zimmerman j
(y NRR Mailroom
/
/
\\ gi l
s, l
._