NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200

Washington, DC 20555-001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov

Web Site: http://www.nrc.gov/OPA

No. 00-180 November 20, 2000

NRC’s ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON REACTOR SAFEGUARDS AND

SUBCOMMITTEE ON PLANT OPERATIONS TO MEET IN DECEMBER IN ROCKVILLE, MD.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS)

and its subcommittee on plant operations have scheduled meetings that begin on December 6 in

Rockville, Maryland.

The meetings, both of which will be open to the public, will be held in Room T-2B3 of the

agency’s Two White Flint North building, at 11545 Rockville Pike.

The subcommittee session, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude the same day,

will address changes to the NRC’s Revised Reactor Oversight Program since the inception of its pilot

program last year. For additional information on the subcommittee meeting, contact Ms. Maggalean

Weston, at 301-415-3151.

The ACRS’ full committee meeting will start at 1 p.m. on December 6 and conclude on

December 9. A complete agenda is attached. For additional information on the full committee

session, contact James Lyons, at 301-415-7371. ACRS meeting notices, transcripts and letters are

available on the internet, at http://www.nrc.gov/ACRSACNW/ .

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ACRS Committee Agenda

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2000

1:00 P.M. - 1:05 P.M.: Opening Statement by the ACRS Chairman - The ACRS Chairman will

make opening remarks regarding the conduct of the meeting.

1:05 P.M. - 3:00 P.M.: Issues Associated with Core Power Uprates - The Committee will hear

presentations by and hold discussions with representatives of the NRC staff regarding issues

associated with core power uprates, including: staff plans for developing a Standard Review Plan

Section for power uprate reviews; staff position regarding the need for applying risk-informed

decisionmaking in the review of significant power uprate applications; and other related matters.

3:15 P.M. - 4:45 P.M.: Differing Professional Opinion (DPO) on Steam Generator Tube Integrity

- The Committee will hear a report by the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on DPO

regarding conclusions and recommendations of the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on the technical

merits of the DPO issues, and will meet with representatives of the NRC staff and the DPO

author, as needed.

4:45 P.M.- 5:00 P.M.: Subcommittee Report - The Committee will hear a report by the

Chairman of the Thermal-Hydraulic Phenomena Subcommittee regarding the status of review

of the GE Nuclear Energy TRACG best-estimate thermal-hydraulic code.

5:00 P.M. - 5:15 P.M.: Subcommittee Report - The Committee will hear a report by the

Chairman of the Plant Systems Subcommittee regarding ABB/CE and Siemens digital I&C

applications and insights gained from a meeting with the RSK on digital I&C in Germany during

November 2000.

5:30 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.: Discussion of Proposed ACRS Reports - The Committee will discuss

proposed ACRS reports. In addition, it will prepare a response to the Commission request that

the ACRS provide a detailed discussion on how the perceived weaknesses with

industry-developed thermal-hydraulic codes may adversely affect the NRC’s regulatory role and

provide more specific recommendations on how those weaknesses should be addressed.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2000

8:30 A.M. - 8:35 A.M.: Opening Statement by the ACRS Chairman - The ACRS Chairman will

make opening remarks regarding the conduct of the meeting.

8:35 A.M. - 9:30 A.M.: Meeting with NRC Commissioner Diaz - The Committee will meet with

NRC Commissioner Diaz to discuss the NRC Safety Research Program and other items of

mutual interest.

9:45 A.M. - 11:45 A.M.: South Texas Project Exemption Request - The Committee will hear

presentations by and hold discussions with representatives of the NRC staff and South Texas

Project Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC) regarding the STPNOC’s exemption request to

exclude certain components from the scope of special treatment requirements in 10 CFR Part

50 and the associated NRC staff’s Draft Safety Evaluation Report.

12:45 P.M. - 2:15 P.M.: Control Room Habitability -The Committee will hear presentations by

and hold discussions with representatives of the NRC staff and the nuclear industry regarding

issues associated with control room habitability and the staff and industry efforts in resolving

those issues.

2:30 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.: Proposed Final Regulatory Guide DG-1053, “Calibration and Dosimetry

Methods for Determining Pressure Vessel Neutron Fluence” - The Committee will hear

presentations by and hold discussions with representatives of the NRC staff regarding the

proposed final Regulatory Guide DG-1053, including the staff’s resolution of public comments.

4:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.: Break and Preparation of Draft ACRS Reports - Cognizant ACRS

members will prepare draft reports, as needed, for consideration by the full Committee.
5:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.: Discussion of Proposed ACRS Reports - The Committee will discuss

proposed ACRS reports.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2000

8:30 A.M. - 8:35 A.M.: Opening Statement by the ACRS Chairman - The ACRS Chairman will

make opening remarks regarding the conduct of the meeting.

8:35 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.: Proposed Modifications to the Commission’s Safety Goal Policy

Statement for Reactors - The Committee will hear presentations by and hold discussions with

representatives of the NRC staff regarding the proposed modifications to the Commission’s

Safety Goal Policy Statement for reactors.

10:15 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. : Annual Report to the Commission on the NRC Safety Research

Program - The Committee will discuss the draft ACRS report to the Commission on the NRC

Safety Research Program, and will meet with representatives of the NRC staff, as needed.

1:00 P.M. - 1:30 P.M.: Future ACRS Activities/Report of the Planning and Procedures

Subcommittee - The Committee will discuss the recommendations of the Planning and

Procedures Subcommittee regarding items proposed for consideration by the full Committee

during future meetings. Also, it will hear a report of the Planning and Procedures Subcommittee

on matters related to the conduct of ACRS business, and organizational and personnel matters

relating to the ACRS.

1:30 P.M. - 1:45 P.M.: Reconciliation of ACRS Comments and Recommendations - The

Committee will discuss the responses from the NRC Executive Director for Operations (EDO)

to comments and recommendations included in recent ACRS reports and letters. The EDO

responses are expected to be made available to the Committee prior to the meeting.

1:45 P.M. - 2:15 P.M.: Election of ACRS Officers for CY 2001 - The Committee will elect

a Chairman and Vice Chairman for the ACRS and a Member-at-Large for the Planning and

Procedures Subcommittee for CY 2001.

2:15 P.M. - 3:15 P.M.: Break and Preparation of Draft ACRS Reports - Cognizant ACRS

members will prepare draft reports, as needed, for consideration by the full Committee.

3:15 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.: Discussion of Proposed ACRS Reports - The Committee will discuss

proposed ACRS reports.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2000

8:30 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.: Discussion of Proposed ACRS Reports - The Committee will continue

its discussion of proposed ACRS reports.

1:00 P.M. - 1:30 P.M.: Miscellaneous - The Committee will discuss matters related to the

conduct of Committee activities and matters and specific issues that were not completed during

previous meetings, as time and availability of information permit.

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