Press Release-II-04-034, NRC to Hold Predecisional Enforcement Conference to Discuss Apparent Violation at Browns Ferry

Press Release-II-04-034: NRC to Hold Predecisional Enforcement Conference to Discuss Apparent Violation at Browns Ferry

ML041100719
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry
Issue date:	04/19/2004
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-II-04-034
Download: ML041100719 (1)

Text

NRC NEWS UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION II 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta GA 30303 Web Site: www.nrc.gov No. II-04-034 April 19, 2004 CONTACT: Ken Clark (404)562-4416 E-mail: OPA2@nrc.gov Roger Hannah (404)562-4417 NRC TO HOLD PREDECISIONAL ENFORCEMENT CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS APPARENT VIOLATION AT BROWNS FERRY The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold a predecisional enforcement conference with Tennessee Valley Authority officials on Wednesday, April 28, in Atlanta to discuss an apparent violation of NRC safety requirements at the Browns Ferry nuclear plant near Athens, Alabama.

The enforcement conference will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the NRC Region II office on the 24th floor of the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center at 61 Forsyth Street, SW. The meeting will be open to observation by interested members of the public, and NRC officials will be available before its conclusion to answer questions from those who attend.

NRC inspectors found deficiencies in the Unit 1 Recovery Quality Assurance Program, specifically related to weld repairs in the torus. The torus is a large hollow doughnut-shaped pressure suppression pool which would be used to remove the heat released from the reactor in the event of an accident.

NRC inspectors found numerous examples of weld repairs that were omitted due to failure to follow instructions and independently verify. TVA initiated a 100% review of torus weld repairs, and the NRC staff says that review and subsequent corrective actions appear comprehensive enough to resolve the problem.

The conference is an opportunity for company officials to provide their perspective on the apparent violation and to clarify or correct any information they feel may be inaccurate or incomplete in the NRC inspection report. No decision on the apparent violation or any enforcement action will be made at the conference. Those decisions will be made later by NRC officials.