ML20216K028
| ML20216K028 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Surry  |
| Issue date: | 08/24/1978 |
| From: | Liza Cunningham, Higginbotham L NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-78-151, NUDOCS 9804220065 | |
| Download: ML20216K028 (2) | |
Text
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PRELININARY NOTIFICATION 8=
August 24, 1978 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCU This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of an event of POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance.
The information presented is as initially received without verification or evaluation and is basically all that is known by IE staff on this date.
Facility:
Virginia Electric and Power Company Surry Power Station Docket Nos. 50-280 and 50-281 Surry, Virginia
SUBJECT:
MEDIA INTEREST IN GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE REPORT The General Accounting Office (GAO) issued a report entitled "Need for Greater Regulatory Oversight of Commercial Low-Level Radioactive Waste" to the NRC Chairman on August 16, 1978.
attention to low level waste management. The report was critical of NRC Wik An Associated Press story of August 22, 1978 highlighted one item from the GA0 report concerning the use of a building basement at a power reactor to store low level liquid
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waste due to insufficient process capacity.
Although not specifically named in the GA0 report, the Surry Power Station is the subject facility.
Because the initial design provided insufficient waste liquid processing capacity, on several occasions short term surges of waste liquid accumula-tion have exceeded tank storage capacity.
backed up through floor drains and accumulated to a depth of severalAs a re inches on the floor of a room within the auxiliary building radiation controlled area.
equipment or violation of regulatory requirements have occurred.N standing this, neither the NRC nor the licensee have been satisfied with Notwith-this situation.
Since 1975 the licensee has been engaged in various efforts to upgrade their facilities for liquid waste processing.
modifications have improved the capacity; however, equipment failures These have allowed repetitions of the problem.
study by VEPC0 of possible solutions to the problem is scheduled forAn ongoin completion by December of this year.
Region II inspectors have been aware of tTie problem and following the licensee's efforts to resolve it since it began.
VEPCO management in a meeting on November 9, 1978.The problem was The NRC staff is preparing a written response to the GA0 report.
GA0 issued a news release on August 22, 1978 and limited media interest has developed.
The NRC does not plan to issue a news release.
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There has beer, media interest.
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9804220065 700824 PDR I&E CONTINUED l
PNO-78-151 PDR l
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Page 2 3-7 August 24, 1978 i
PNO-78-151 a local radio station broadcast on August 22 Reg n erest in the GA0 report from current as of 3:30 p.m. on August
,1978.
24, 1978 This information is
Contact:
LJCunningham, IE x28188 Distribution:
LBHigginbotham, IE x28098 EairmanHendrie Transmitted H St n/s r Comissioner Xennedy Comissioner Bradford Commissioner Gilinsky Comissioner Ahearne C. C. Kammer,er,CY S. J. Chilk SE CA Transmitted: MNBB 5/d (For Distribution)
L. V. Gossick EDO P Bldg f.'c F S. H. Hanauer, EDO H. R. Denton,~NRR J. G. Davis, IE J. J. Fouchard, PA Region i h '
N. M. Haller, MPA SS Bldg 5 <t 1
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R. G. Ryan, OSP C. V. Smith, NMSS OX)Absto (MAIL t
I H. K. Shapar, ELD R. Minogue,n, OIA SD en l
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PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION
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