ML20112F318

Examination Postponement No. 50-326/OL-20-01, University of California - Irvine - Email

ML20112F318
Person / Time
Site:	University of California - Irvine
Issue date:	03/19/2020
From:	Janice Nguyen NRC/NRR/DANU/UNPO
To:	Dan Hoang, Geoffrey Miller University of California - Irvine
Nguyen, JT., 415-4007
Shared Package
ML20070N607	List: ML20070N885 ML20112F318
References
Download: ML20112F318 (2)

Text

From: Nguyen, John To: Hoang, Dan Cc: Tran, Linh; Tate, Travis; Taru, Zarva

Subject:

Fwd: OP licensing exams Date: Thursday, March 19, 2020 7:09:47 PM All, The university of California-Irvine would like to postpone the exam scheduled in May due to COVID19 outbreak. Please see message below .

Thanks, John From: "George Miller" <gemiller@uci.edu>

Subject:

[External_Sender] OP licensing exams Date: 19 March 2020 15:34 To: "Nguyen, John" <John.Nguyen@nrc.gov>

Cc: "John Keffer" <jkeffer@uci.edu>, "Edward Kyle Jenner" <ejenner@uci.edu>

Dear John,

I hope this finds you and your family in good health.

I append below my email to our PM and Inspector on March 18th 2020. I forgot to copy you on this.

It will affect our need for license exams as it will delay our ability to give applicants practical experience at the facility and their medical examinations (all non-emergency medicals are being postponed). So we will not be ready as we had hoped, for early May.

Since we are unsure as to the re-opening, and even who might still be seeking operator licensing at this time, we should be taken out of your schedule for the moment. I hope we can get back in in a couple of months when we have a clear plan forward.

I am writing to report that our Vice Chancellor for Research at UCI has asked yesterday that all research that is not critical "ramp down and be curtailed" through May 1st. Most UCI staff of all categories had already been asked to work from home. Accordingly we have ceased all reactor operations as of today. All student classes were earlier switched to on-line for both the end of the current quarter, and for the entire next (Spring) quarter. Commencement in June has been cancelled also. We have an empty campus! While we reviewed our emergency supplies inventory and availability yesterday, we did not carry out a drill today as we had originally planned. We will schedule this as soon as possible when operations are cleared to be resumed.

We will invoke our Tech Spec 4.0.a. that specifies deferring required surveillance during prolonged shutdown with five listed exceptions relating to the pool water level and quality.

One or two SROs will enter the facility to assure these listed item frequencies are met. No other personnel will enter the facility unless some unanticipated event occurs (such as a utility failure within or adjacent to the facility). The SRO's have access to the building and the

facility. There are two back-up individuals (Campus Radiation Safety Officer and his immediate second in command) that have access should the SROs be incapacitated and unable to carry out the surveillance.

We are assured that for safety and security our police services are being maintained at normal strength (though their administrative staff are working from home). This includes full 24/7 coverage of the dispatch desk that monitors our security camera and alarm systems as well as radiation monitor alarms. We are also informed that the lock and alarm service group will maintain two individuals on campus to respond to any issues with the alarm and camera systems. Other safety response personnel are home but on call.

When a decision is made to restart operations, we will carry out any and all delayed surveillance before restarting the reactor, as required by TS 4.0.a., as well as notifying yourselves. We will also try to pick up any loose scheduling pieces in requalification of operators inhibited by the non-operation period.

If the shut-down continues beyond May 1st, I will update you as to forward planning.

We just have hired a new manager for the facility a Mr John Keffer, who has a power reactor background and an NE degree from U of Arizona. He does not have an operator license as yet so will go into training. Unfortunately we are also unable to begin processing his clearance for access, as the PD has closed its fingerprinting service! So there will be delays that we hope may be resolved soon. Meanwhile I will be continuing as Reactor Supervisor.

Please let me know if you have questions or concerns. My cell phone number is 949-300-5536.

In addition, I wanted to raise a question about the condition added to my own SRO license at the last renewal, that requires a second SRO be present "when performing SRO duties". This appeared out of the blue and maybe came from power reactor regulations, as it was not in my prior adjusted license that was itself based on extensive discussions at NRC. For us it isn't even very clear what "SRO duties" are except where defined for start-up, etc. At the time it was granted I did not question it as with 3 other SROs here, it did not seem a big problem.

Now we are down to 2 others with one of those not available full time, so it can be an issue for our operations. We were very comfortable with the earlier language requiring presence of a "warm capable body" - language that still remains (I guess now only for RO operation). As I am back as Reactor Supervisor and my health has not changed and is decreed adequate by my local medical reviews, this requirement seems unjustified. Is it worth my making a formal request for this restriction to be removed?

Thanks so much and good wishes for your health.

Dr. George E. Miller Reactor Supervisor Department of Chemistry UC Irvine, Irvine CA 92697 949-824-6649