ML20199F212

Informs That on 980106-07,NRC Senior Managers Met to Evaluate Nuclear Safety Performance of Operation Reactor, Fuel Facilities & Other Matl Licensees.Meeting Concluded That Plant Should Be Removed from NRC Watch List

ML20199F212
Person / Time
Site:	Maine Yankee
Issue date:	01/15/1998
From:	Callan L NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Flanagan D Maine Yankee
References
NUDOCS 9802030090
Download: ML20199F212 (5)

Text

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. r NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMIS810N WASHINGTON, D.C. 30e86 0001 January 15, 1998 Mr. David Flanaganl Chairman of the Board

~ Maine _ Yankee Atomic Power Company 329 Bath Road -

Brunswick, ME 04011

Dear Mr. Flanagan:

On January 6 and 7,1998, the U.S. Nuclear Regu!atory Commission (NRC) senior manages met to evaluate the nuclear safety performance of operating reactors, fuel facilities, and other mateiials licensees. The NRC conducts this meeting semiannually to determine if the safety performance of the various licensees exhibits sunicient weaknesses to warrant increased NRC i attention er if it is trending adversely and requires steps be taken to communicate concems to 1

- the utility's president or board of directors. At the January 1098 Senior Management Meeting (SMM), the Maine Yankee facility was discussed.

On the basis of our discussions, we concluded that the Maine Yankee Atomic Power Station should be administratively removed frcin the NRC Watch List. A summary of NRC discussions -

related to Maine Yankee follows:

Maine Yankee was placed on the Watch List as a Category 2 plant in January 1997 due to significant regu atory cencems related to safety equipment operability, testing, safety evaluations, and corrective actions. - At the June 19c,7 SMM, improvements were made -

in some areas. However, significant additional wm was needed before plant restart and the plant remained on the Watch List in a Category 2 status.

Following the June 1997 SMM, the Maine Yankee Board of Directors decided to permanently cease further operation of the plant. Certiiication to the NRC of the (I-9 permanent cessation of ooeration and permanent removal of accordance with 10 CFR 50.b2(a)(1)(i) & (ii), was filed on August 7,1997. On August fuel from the vessel, i 27,1997, Maine Yankee submitted, in accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(a)(4)(i), a post-shutdown decommissioning activities report. Based on the commitments and statements in the Maine _ Yankee letters of August 7 and August 27,1997, it was concluded that the Maine Yankee Atomic Power Station should be administratively removed from the Watch List.

The NRC Region I ofice will continue to provide oversight oi Maine Yankee's post-shutdown decommissioning activities.

Mr. Hubert Miller, the Region l Regional Administrater, has discussed our conclusions with regard to Maine Yankee with members of you staff.

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. David Flanagan 2 An NRC Commission Meeting, open to the public, la scheduled to be held in the Commissioners' Conferencs Room in Rockville, Maryland, on January 21,1998, at 10:00 a.m.,

. to review the results of the latest meeting of NRC senior managers.

If you have any questions, regarding this matter, do not hesitate to call me at (301) 415-i700.

Sincerely,

/S/

L. Joseph Callan Executive Director for Operations Docket No.; 50-309 cc:- See next page QlSTRIBUTION: See attached page '

0 DOCUMENT NAME: A:V :yltrsmm.198

• See previous concur.e: a

' ** Concurreo via telecui.

. To n.ceive a copy of this document, indicate in the bov: "C" = Copy without attachment / enclosure "E" = Copy with attachment / enclosure "N" = No copjr OFFICE RA:RI l DD:NRR l D:NRR l EDQ k l l NAME HJMiller " - FJMiraglia* SJCollins* LJCatfn DATE 1/14/98 1/14/98 1/14/98 1/ t h /98 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

David Flanagan 2 If you have any questicns, regarding 'his matter, do not hesitate to call me at (301) 415-1700.

Sincerely,

/

L. Joseph Callan Executive Director for Operations Docket No.: 50 we cc: See next paae

/

DISTRIBUTION: See attached page

/

/

l 5

DOCUMENT NAME: A:\myttesmm.198

• • Concurred via telecon To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the bad."C' = Copy without attachmenthpciosure "E" = Cony with attachment / enclosure "N" = No copy OFFICE RA:RI l Cl34WR) l/D;Niitf% %) l EDO l l NAME HJMiller " FJ#lJSgfia Q4JColt#f LJCallan

. DATE 1/14/98 il //1/98 l 1/ /4/ /98~ 1/ l98 _

/ DFFICIAL RfCORD COPY

1, *

, Maine Yankee Atomic Power Station ec: Friends of the Coast Mr. Charles B. Brinkman P.O. Box 98 Manager - Washington Nuclear Operations Edgecomb, ME 04556 ABB Combustion Engineering 12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Suite 330 Mr. William O' Dell Rockville, MD 20852 Operations Director Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company Thomas G. Dignan, Jr., Esquire P.O. Box 408 Ropes & Gray Wiscasset, ME 04578 One intomational Place Boston, MA 02110 2624 Mr. Michael J. Meisner Vice-President, Nuclear Safety and Mr. Uldis Vanags Regulatory Affairs State Nuclear Safety Advisor Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company State Planning Office P.O. Box 408 State House Station #38 Wiscasset, ME 04578 Augusta, ME 04333 Mr. Jonathan M. Block Mr. P. L. Anderson, Project Manager

• Attomey at Law

- Yankee Atomic Electric Company P.O. Box 566

( 580 Main Street Putney, VT 05346-0566 Bolton, MA 01740-1398 Mr. Michael B. Sellman, President Regional Administiator, Region i Main Yankee Atornic Power Company U.S. Nuclear Regulatcry Commission P.O. Box 408 475 Allendale Road Wiscasset, ME 04578 King of Prussia, PA 19406 Mr. Robert Fraser, Director

, First Selectman of Wiscasset Engineering Municipal Building Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company  ;

U.S. Route 1 P.O. Box 408 Wiscasset, ME 04578 Wiscasset, ME 04578 Mr. Richard Rasmussen Mr. Patrick J. Dostie Senior Resident inspector State of Maine Nuclear Safety Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company P.O. Box E P.O. Box 408 Wiscasset, ME 04578 Wiscasset, ME 04578 6

Mary Ann Lynch. Esquire Mr. Mark Ferri Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company Decommissioning Director P.O. Box 408 Mair's Yankee Atomic Power Company Wiscasset, ME 04578 P.O. Box 408 Wiscasset, ME 04578 Mr. George Zinke, Manager Regulatory Affairs Department Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company P.O. Box 408 Wiscasett, ME 04578

.- , o DISTRIBUTION: for letter to Mr. D. Flanagan (Maine Yankee)

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