ML20087G444

Summarizes 840309 Press Conference Where CE Young Announced That Ucla Reactor Shut Down for Repairs & Would Remain Shut Down Through Olympics & Possibly Thereafter

ML20087G444
Person / Time
Site:	05000142
Issue date:	03/14/1984
From:	Bay J COMMITTEE TO BRIDGE THE GAP, NUCLEAR LAW CENTER
To:	Bright G, Frye J, Luebke E Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel
References
NUDOCS 8403200021
Download: ML20087G444 (3)

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Three Embarcader63fdEEt'er, Suite 2300

! San Francisco, California 94111

March 14, 1984

'84 MAR 19 All:19  :

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John H. Frye, III, Chairman 00CriIlM L SEW" UE A *"

Administrative Judge Atomic Safety and Licensing Board U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 Glenn O. Bright Administrative Judge Atomic Safety and Licensing Board U.S. NLclear Regulatory Commission

Washington, D.C. 20555 Dr. Emmeth A. Luebke ,,

Administrative Judge Atomic Safety .Ind Licensing Board U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 In the Matter of

. THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORIA (UCLA Research Reactor)

Docket No. 50-142 (Proposed Renewal of Facility License)

NOTIFICATION TO THE LICENSING BOARD

Dear Administrative Judges:

J In light of the affirmative duty of all parties and i

staff.to keep the Board advised of significant changes and  ;

developments relevant to these proceedings, Vircrinia Electric

& Power Co., (North Anna Powcr Staticns, Units and 2), CLI-76-22, 4 NRC 480, 491 at N. 11 (1976); Duke Power Co., (Alvin W. Vogtle Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2), ALAB-291, 2 NRC 404, 408 (1975); Duke Power Co. (William B. McGuire Nuclear State,

! Units 1 and 2), ATAB 143, 6 AEC 623, 625-26 (1973), we. feel

! compelled to notify the Board of the following significant developments. '

At a press conference on March 9,1984 UCLA Chancel-lor . Charles E . - Young announced that the UCLA reactor was currently shut down'for repairs and would rema!.n shut down O hy PDR_ ,

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John H. Frye, III, Chairman l Glenn O. Bright Dr. Emmeth A. Luebke Page Two

March 14, 1984 1 l

through the Olympics and possibly thereaf ter. The current shutdown is the result of a violation of the technical specif-  ;

ications involving the control blades, the correction of which we understand will require unloading of the fuel and entry into  !

the core. The technical specification violations necessi-- )

tating shutdown were first brought to CBG's attention, and '

presumably the Board's attention, by William Cormier's letter dated March 2, 1984, post marked March 5, 1984, (which, in-cidentally, was not served on the full service list) enclosing

'; Walter Wegst's February 13, 1984 letter notifying NRC staff of the control blade problem. According to NRC Region V, the problem was discovered as a result of rod drop tests conducted on February 2,1984, and was reported by telephone on February 6,1984, several days prior to the site visit and reactor tour by the Licensing Board and me at the close of the prehearing conference on February 9, 1984.

These new developments are extremely significant to these proceedings for.several reasons. Currently, the Uni-versity is the subject of a show cause order as to why sanctions including suspension of license, should not be imposed. Fur-thermore, CBG has pending before the Board a motion to curtail operations at the facility due to excessive delays in these proceedings. With the remedy of curtailment and suspension being before the Board, the shutdown of the reactor at this time is very significant. At least until af ter the olympics are over and the repairs are completed, shutdown is no sanction at all.

Thus, the issue should be restart rather than curtailment, and the Board should now require that the safety and security of the facility be affirmatively proven by the Applicant prior to reloading the fuel and bringing ~the reactor back up.

Additionally, a central issue in the safety hearings is the configuration of the core, the deflector plates and the voiding space for the water moderator. The opening of the reactor core to repair the control blade problem represents an-opportunity forfall parties, their experts and the Board to examine the core region and determine first-hand where, if anywhere, the moderator water can escape during a power excur--

sion. Indeed, the Board should not allow the core to be opened nor any maintenance, adjustments or alterations to be made to the core region until the' Board and the parties have had an opportunity to' conduct an onsite inspection.

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John H. Frya, III, Chairman Glenn O. Bright Dr. Emmeth A. Luebke Page Three March 14, 1984 Chancellor Young's announcement is also significant because it is being touted as a security measure for the Olympics. In fact, we believe that the shutdown does not significantly reduce the consequences of sabotage at the fa-cility, and an expeditious resolution of the security issues is still necessary.

Finally, we must note our dismay in light of all parties' affirmative duty to keep the Board apprised of signif-icant developments, and in light of recent-developments in this proceeding, that the Board and parties were not informed of the shutdown and control blade problems in a timely fashion.

Sinc e ,

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JohbH. Bay Nuclear Law Center Attorneys for Committee to l Bridge the Gap I JHB:bh cc: Service list I

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