Source: http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/news/nrc/nrc990723.htm
Timestamp: 2017-11-24 13:07:57
Document Index: 701704297

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 50', 'art 50', 'art 100', 'art 50', 'art 50', 'art 50', 'art 50', 'art 50', 'art 50', 'art 100', 'art 72', 'art 72', 'art 63', 'art 63', 'art 70', 'art 150', 'art 150', 'art 50', 'arts 170', 'arts 170', 'art 9', 'arts 30']

NRC Weekly Information Report For the Week Ending July 23, 1999
On July 20, Region I dispatched a team of inspectors to Beaver Valley Power Station, Unit 2, to perform a special inspection of the events surrounding the loss of an emergency bus on July 16, 1999. The loss of the emergency bus resulted in the loss of reactor coolant pump seal injection flow and the loss of reactor coolant pump thermal barrier cooling flow to two of the pumps for about 3 minutes. The special inspection team will review the circumstances concerning the loss of the emergency bus and the actions taken by the operators. The team will also evaluate other equipment problems that occurred prior to, during, and after the loss of the emergency bus, and during the subsequent plant shutdown.
On July 21, TMI-1 set a new world record of 617 continuous days on line. This exceeds the previous record of 616 days on line also held by TMI-1. The licensee has stated that this exceeds the continuous run Time of any commercial plant in the world, fossil or nuclear. The plant has been on line since November 11, 1997, and plans to continue on line until the refueling outage beginning September 10, 1999.
St. Lucie 1 and 2; Turkey Point 3 and 4
All Four Units Report Y2K Readiness Activities Completed
By letters dated July 16, 1999, Florida Power and Light Company notified NRC that St. Lucie, Units 1 and 2, and Turkey Point, Units 3 and 4, are Y2K ready, consistent with the estimated completion Date in the licensee's responses to Generic Letter 98-01 Supplement 1. As reported in June, the only remaining system requiring remediation at all four units was the health physics administrative computer system, which is now Y2K ready.
South Texas 1&2
Request for Multiple Risk-Informed Exemptions from the Regulations
By letter dated July 13, 1999, the licensee requested 14 risk-informed exemptions to exclude safety-related low safety/risk significant (LSS) and non-risk significant (NRS) components from the scope of special treatment requirements required by regulations. These exemptions are based on risk-informed insights from the licensee's PRA and are an extension of their risk-informed Graded QA program that was approved by the NRC. The licensee believes that the proposed exemptions are consistent with NRC's proposed options for risk-informed revisions to 10 CFR Part 50 as described in SECY-98-300, and believes that their request will assist the NRC in the development of risk-informed revisions to 10 CFR Part 50.
The licensee requests NRC approval of exemptions from the following regulations for LSS and NRS components by March 31, 2000:
1. 10 CFR 21.3 - scope of basic component
2. 10 CFR 50.34(b)(6)(ii) - App. B information to be included in FSAR
3. 10 CFR 50.34(b)(11) - seismic qualification requirements in 10 CFR Part 100
4. 10 CFR 50.49(b) - electrical equipment important to safety
5. 10 CFR 50.54(a)(3) - changes to QA program
6. 10 CFR 50.59(a)(1) & (b)(1) - prior NRC approval of changes and written safety evaluations
7. 10 CFR 50.65(b) - Maintenance Rule scope
8. 10 CFR Part 50, App. A , GDC 1 - quality standards and records
9. 10 CFR Part 50, App. A, GDC 2 - design bases for protection against natural phenomena
10. 10 CFR Part 50, App. A, GDC 4 - environmental and dynamic effects design bases
11. 10 CFR Part 50, App. A, GDC 18 - inspection and testing of electrical power systems
12. 10 CFR Part 50, App. B - Quality Assurance Criterion 3, 15 and 16
13. 10 CFR Part 50, App. J, Option B, III - local and containment isolation valve leak rate tests
14. 10 CFR Part 100, App. A, VI, (a)(1) & (2) - qualification of components for SSE and OBE
Trojan is in the beginning of the process of moving all the fuel from the spent fuel pool to a Part 72 licensed ISFSI. Fuel loading commenced on July 12, 1999. After partial loading of the first fuel basket, gas bubbles containing hydrogen gas were observed rising through the spent fuel coolant covering the basket and fuel. Gas bubbles were collected and found to contain 40-50% H2, 40-50% N2, and ~ 9% O2. The fuel baskets are stainless steel but have carbon steel internals which are coated with a proprietary material to limit corrosion. The coating covers approximately 90% of the internals surface area. Portland General Electric (PGE), the licensee, has suspended fuel loading. In the days following the discovery of the gas generation the water in the cask loading pit became increasingly rust colored and visibility reduced. The licensee used temporary filtration/demineralization systems in the cask loading pit to reduce the brown iron oxide coloration but a yellow coloration, believed to be a very fine particulate from the coating on basket internals, remains. PGE is working on a modification to the filtration system to remove the yellow coloration.
In a series of conference calls, PGE has stated they will offload the partially filled basket. They will perform measurements on the basket to determine the extent of the corrosion and to verify that it is within design limits. They will also correlate corrosion rates with observed gas evolution rates. Additionally, PGE will submit a license amendment to the Part 72 ISFSI license which will address the corrosion issue and include a full response to NRC Bulletin 96-04.
Public Workshop on Spent Fuel Pool Risk at Decommissioning Reactors
The NRC held a public workshop on spent fuel pool risk at decommissioning reactors on
July 15 & 16, at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Gaithersburg, Maryland. About 90 persons attended with representatives from the NRC staff, the nuclear industry, other governmental agencies (FEMA and the State of New Jersey), the press and the public; including Friends of the Coast, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the Nuclear Information Resource Service. During the workshop, the NRC staff described the draft spent fuel pool risk assessment that it recently completed, including several areas of concern that were identified. Representatives from the nuclear industry presented a list of proposed initiatives that could be implemented by licensees to address these concerns. The NRC agreed to requantify (to the extent possible) portions of its risk assessment to reflect the implementation of the industry initiatives and other pertinent information received during the workshop. The nuclear industry will provide several future submittals with additional information. The NRC will prepare and disseminate a plan of near-term activities associated with completion of its risk assessment and development of the necessary technical basis to use in the assessment of the applicability of certain regulations to decommissioning reactors.
Potential Delays in Completing Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant Seismic Modifications
The U.S. Enrichment Corporation (USEC) is encountering difficulties in implementing the seismic design modifications at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) because of access restrictions to the Department of Energy's (DOE) material storage areas (DMSAs). These areas within the process buildings remain under DOE control (the areas have not been leased to USEC) for the storage of DOE material that may contain uranium enriched beyond USEC's authorized possession limits. As a result, the completion of seismic modifications at PGDP may be adversely impacted. A compliance plan required the modifications to seismically strengthen two buildings (C-331 and C-335) in order for the buildings to be able to withstand a design basis earthquake. The current completion Date for the seismic modifications, June 30, 1999, was not met and PGDP is currently operating under a Notice of Enforcement Discretion until the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approves USEC's request to extend the Date to June 30, 2000. DOE is currently reviewing the DMSAs to determine if USEC contractors can enter the DMSAs to continue with the seismic modifications. Until DOE is certain that there are No criticality concerns with moving material in these DMSAs, personnel will not be allowed into the area. As a result of this complication, the staff is concerned that USEC may not be able to meet the new completion Date requested in USEC's amendment request. The staff will continue to work with DOE and USEC to determine what, if any, further staff action is required.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Agreement State Working Group Meeting on Sealed Sources and Devices
On July 21-22, as part of the Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety's ongoing Business Process Re-engineering Phase II efforts related to its sealed sources and devices (SS&D) program, a working group, consisting of representatives from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and four Agreement States (New York, North Carolina, Illinois, and Arizona) met. The working group reviewed the Integrated Materials Performance Evaluation Program (IMPEP) performance indicators for SS&D programs and recommended performance-based changes. The working group is specifically tasked to address issues related to the IMPEP process criteria, reviewer qualifications, level of engineering review, and second reviewer signature. The working group's recommendations and any other identified issues will be part of the discussions at the next all Agreement States Meeting in the fall of 1999.
International Atomic Energy Agency Meeting on the Safety of Radiation Sources and the Security of Radioactive Materials
On July 12-14, a manager from the Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety participated in a technical Committee Meeting in Vienna, Austria, to finalize the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) action plan for the safety of radiation sources and the security of radioactive materials. The action plan includes IAEA activities aimed at control and regulatory oversight, detection and emergency response, and recovery and remediation. The Meeting included participants from sixteen countries.
Transportation of the Trojan Reactor Vessel Package
Portland General Electric Company plans to ship the Trojan Reactor Vessel Package (TRVP) from the Trojan site to the U.S. Ecology radioactive waste disposal facility near Hanford, Washington, in early August 1999. The TRVP will be shipped by barge up the Columbia River, and transported by heavy-haul transporter from the Port of Benton, Washington, to the disposal facility. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently issued an amendment to the TRVP shipment authorization to address minor revisions to the TRVP design drawings and shipment arrangement details. The original authorization was issued on October 29, 1998. NRC staff have inspected various stages of the TRVP preparation and will observe the actual shipment.
Meeting with the Department of Energy on Yucca Mountain Review Plan and Yucca Mountain License Application Preparation
On July 13, staff from the Division of Waste Management (DWM) and Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (Center) met with the Department of Energy (DOE) to discuss the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC's) proposed Yucca Mountain Review Plan (YMRP) and the Department of Energy's Technical Guidance Document for the Yucca Mountain License Application (YMLA). Representatives from Nye County, the Nevada Nuclear Waste Task Force, and the state of Nevada were present as observers during this Meeting. DWM and Center staff presented the framework for a risk-informed performance-based YMRP to accompany the proposed 10 CFR Part 63. DOE discussed the draft outline of a potential YMLA and an approach to prioritize factors in the post-closure safety case based on the most recent design selection.
Important points raised at this Meeting included:
After reviewing the proposed Schedule for the YMRP development, the Nevada Nuclear Waste Task Force requested that NRC avoid conducting public meetings that are not related to the review of the Draft Environment Impact Statement (DEIS) during the DEIS public comment period. This representative also requested that any public Meeting conducted after the proposed Part 63 is finalized be focused on the YMRP, not the finalized rule.
DOE staff indicated that a working draft YMLA will not be produced. Instead, the YMLA will be produced chapter by chapter over the next few years.
Other than for volcanic hazards and seismic hazards, DOE does not plan to rely on formal expert elicitation results in the YMLA. Instead, DOE plans to implement peer review panels and factor the peer review comments into the YMLA.
DOE staff indicated that if it is not funded at the requested level, the YMLA will most likely be postponed from its current expected Date of March 1, 2002. Work associated with the Site Recommendation Report is and will be the primary focus.
At the conclusion of this Meeting, NRC and DOE agreed in principle that although organized differently, the planned content of the YMLA should complement the framework of NRC's YMRP.
Meeting With Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Concerning Decommissioning
On July 15, staff from the Division of Waste Management and Region I met with staff of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) to discuss decommissioning of sites within the state. Principal PADEP staff included the Deputy Secretary, Office of Air, Land Recycling & Radiation; the Director, Bureau of Radiation Protection; and the Director, Southeast Regional Office. Topics discussed included: (1) the status of the terminated license review; (2) the status of each Site Decommissioning Management Plan (SDMP) site in the state; (3) the pilot program for decommissioning; (4) and typical Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) resource expenditures to support decommissioning casework. NRC and PADEP staff have exchanged the names of the site coordinators/project managers for each SDMP site and NRC has added the PADEP site coordinators to the projects' standard distribution lists. PADEP staff appreciated the visit and NRC staff committed to meet on a periodic basis to update PADEP on progress at the sites.
Envirocare's Utah License Amended to Increase Special Nuclear Material Possession
On May 24, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued an Order to Envirocare of Utah, Inc. (Envirocare) that exempted Envirocare from the licensing requirements in 10 CFR Part 70 Subject to compliance with certain conditions. The Order would become effective when these conditions were incorporated into Envirocare's state of Utah license. This license was amended on July 21, 1999. Under the Order, Envirocare can possess special nuclear material (SNM) in excess of the SNM limits in 10 CFR Part 150 Subject to the conditions in the Order and state license. These conditions include limits on the concentration of the SNM, the quantity of unusual moderators, and the quantity of soluble uranium. The conditions also limit the processes used in treating mixed waste and emphasize generators' knowledge of the spacial distribution and concentration of the SNM. The concentration limits were established to provide equivalent protection as the mass limits in Part 150. The Order will allow Envirocare greater operational flexibility in disposing of low-level waste containing low concentrations of SNM.
Component Performance Study: Turbine-Driven Pumps, 1987-1998
The Operating Experience Risk Analysis Branch has issued a draft report for review entitled:
"Component Performance Study - Turbine-Driven Pumps, 1987-1998." The objectives of this study were to determine the reliability of turbine-driven pump (TDP) assemblies and to compare the results with estimates used in probabilistic risk assessments and individual plant examinations (IPE). This report also includes a review of the operational data from an engineering perspective to determine trends and patterns and gain insights from the study results. For BWR reactor core isolation cooling and high pressure coolant injection systems, all of the IPE mean values for the TDP failure on demand probability were within the range of this study and NUREG/CR-4550 (the data used in the NUREG-1150 risk studies). However, for the PWR auxiliary feedwater system, half of the IPE mean values were outside the probability of failure on demand range that was estimated in this study, due to licensees use of surveillance test data that was not indicative of performance during actual unplanned demands.
Comanche Peak Post-Plume Exercise
On July 22, representatives from NRC Region IV and Incident Response Operations (IRO) participated in a 6-year cycle, post-plume phase tabletop exercise at Comanche Peak. Participants included representatives from two counties, the State of Texas, the utility, and the American Nuclear Insurers. Federal participants were FEMA Region VI, EPA Region VI, U.S. Department of Agriculture HQ, and DOE FRMAC. NRC assisted in developing and moderating the exercise which focused on events following termination of an accident involving a radionuclide release from the Comanche Peak site. Issues revolved around interagency coordination, communications, and decisionmaking. All participants concluded that the exercise was a success. This exercise was part of the IRO State Outreach Program to participate in all scheduled post-plume phase exercises.
PNO-I-99-033, Duquesne Light Co., BEAVER VALLEY UNIT 2 FORCED OUTAGE
2. PNO-I-99-034, E.R. Squibb & Sons, Inc., PACKAGE CONTAINING 4.9 MILLICURIES OF IODINE-131 CAPSULES-LOST AND FOUND
3. PNO-II-99-029, Ge Inspection Services, RADIOGRAPHY OVEREXPOSURE
4. PNO-III-99-036, Professional Service Industries, STOLEN MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE
5. PNO-III-99-037, H.C. Nutting Co., THEFT OF MOISTURE-DENSITY GAUGE
6. PNO-IV-99-030, Merle West Medical Center, MEDICAL MISADMINISTRATION
Monitoring the Effectiveness of Maintenance at Nuclear Power Plants (Part 50)
A final rule that amends power reactor safety regulations concerning maintenance at nuclear plants was published in the Federal Register on July 19, 1999 (64 FR 38551). The final rule requires that licensees assess the effect equipment maintenance will have on the plant's capability to perform safety functions before beginning any maintenance activity on structures, systems, or components within the scope of the maintenance rule. The final rule clarifies that these requirements apply under all conditions of operation, including shutdown, and that the assessments are to be used so that the increase in risk that may result from the maintenance activity will be managed to ensure that the plant is not inadvertently placed in a condition of significant risk. The final rule becomes effective 120 days after the issuance of RG 1.160, Rev. 3. A document will be published in the Federal Register confirming the effective Date.
Revision of Fee Schedules; 100% Fee Recovery, FY 1999; Correction (Parts 170 and 171)
A document correcting the final rule entitled, "Revision of Fee Schedules; 100% Fee Recovery, FY 1999," was published in the Federal Register on July 20, 1999 (64 FR 38816). This action corrects typographical and printing errors in the final rule that revises Parts 170 and 171 to ensure NRC compliance with the Omnibus Budget and Reconciliation Act of 1990, which mandates that the NRC recover approximately 100 percent of its budget authority in Fiscal Year 1999, less amounts appropriated from the Nuclear Waste Fund and the General Fund. The final rule becomes effective August 9, 1999.
On July 22, 1999, the Division of Contracts and Property Management staff attended "Commercial Pricing" training which was obtained under contract with the National Contract Management Association. This training was selected to enhance the staff's understanding of commercial item acquisition, a major streamlining initiative under the NRC's Procurement Reinvention Laboratory.
Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Requests received during the 5-Day Period of July 16, 1999 through July 22, 1999:
NRC Fitness Center "Stability Ball Training" Seminar on 7/14/99, attendance list, documentation on product, and presenters qualifications. (FOIA/PA 99-290)
Advanced Medical Systems, Inc., sampling & surveying to be conducted as described in 6/22/99 letter of C. D. Pederson, NMSS. (FOIA/PA 99-291)
Self, OI Report 3-98-007. (FOIA/PA 99-292)
NRC Data Integrity Board, Meeting minutes for 1995 through 1999. (FOIA/PA 99-293)
MLTS database on diskette. (FOIA/PA 99-294)
Materials licenses in specific Virginia zip codes and documents related to radioactive releases into sewer systems. (FOIA/PA 99-295)
Vacancy Announcement 9948019, rating factors and panel participants list, applicant packages and ratings. (FOIA/PA 99-296)
Radioactive material at the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, Linde site, Bldg. 30, Tonawanda, NY. (FOIA/PA 99-297)
Inspection Manual, Section 3.0 three listed references re measurement tolerances for technical specification limits. (FOIA/PA 99-298)
99-008A (99-121) (No PDR)
99-077 (No PDR)
99-186 (No PDR)
99-267 (No PDR)
99-274 (No PDR)
99-275 (No PDR)
99-293 (No PDR)
GANNON, Erin SUMMER ADMINISTRATIVE INTERN OIG
WEBER, Michael HEALTH PHYSICIST RIII
Marva Gary, Civil Rights Program Manager, SBCR, attended the EEO Director's Briefing on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) revised regulations that govern the processing of employment discrimination complaints filed against Federal agencies. The briefing provided an opportunity for Federal agency EEO personnel to express their concerns regarding the implementation of the regulations. Attendees were provided EEOC's new enforcement guidance regarding employer liability for unlawful harassment by supervisors and enforcement guidance regarding reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disability Act. This briefing was the first in a series planned by EEOC to ensure that agencies make a smooth transition to the revised regulations.
Dow Jones is planning to publish a story on the economic impacts of zebra mussels in the waters near nuclear power plants.
99-151 Task Force Report says NRC Regulatory Structure Adequate for Oversight at 3 DOE Pilot Project Sites
99-152 NRC Finds 89 Nuclear Power Plants Implementing Y2K Programs Consistent with Guidance; 14 Plants Require NRC Follow-Up
99-153 NRC Issues Interim Enforcement Policy on Y2K
99-154 NRC Proposes Additional Requirements for Certain Devices Containing Radioactive Material
99-155 NRC Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste Re-elects Chairman, Vice-Chairman
99-156 NRC to Begin Implementing Revised Sunshine Act Rules
I-99-62 NRC Staff to Hold Performance Review Meeting at Indian Point 3
III-99-41 NRC Staff to Meet With Consumers Energy July 28 to Review Findings on Spent Fuel Storage Activities at Palisades
Slovak Visit
On July 23, Mr. Mikulus Turner, Director of International Programs and Public Affairs for the Slovak Nuclear Regulatory Authority, met with NRC Director of the Office of Public Affairs, William Beecher. They spoke at length about how to handle a press conference and proper procedures to be followed during and after routine incidents and emergency situations. He also met with the Director of the Office of International Programs and OIP country officers to discuss ongoing assistance activities at the Bohunice NPPs in Slovakia.
1. COMSECY-99-022 7/2/99 Sunshine Act Comment Resolution
SRM on 99-022 7/16/99 (same)
Chmn. Dicus comments on 99-022 7/12/99 (same)
Comm. Diaz comments on 99-022 7/14/99 (same)
Comm. McGaffigan comments on 99-022 7/6/99 (same)
Comm. Merrifield comments on 99-022 7/13/99 (same)
1. SECY-99-169 7/1/99 Treatment of Averted Onsite Costs in Regulatory Analyses
SRM on 99-169 7/19/99 (same)
1. SECY-99-166 6/29/99 Comments on NRC's Sunshine Act Notice
SECY-99-171
7/1/99 Lessons Learned from the Transfer of the Operating Licenses of the Three Mile Island Unit 1 and Pilgrim Nuclear Power Stations
SECY-99-177
7/8/99 Current Status of Legislative Issues Related to NRC Licensing a Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility
1. M990723
7/23/99 Staff Requirements - Affirmation Session, Friday, July 23, 1999: I. SECY-99-155- Hydro Resources, Inc. - Commission Decision on Intervenors' Petitions for Review of Four Partial Initial Decisions (LBP-99-01)(LBP-99-09)(LBP-99-10) & (LBP-99-13); II. SECY-99-172 - Local 29 Petition to Intervene with Regard Beaver Valley Power Station License Transfer Application
1. Letter to Secretary Richardson and Congress, dated July 19, 1999, concerns final report entitled "External Regulation of Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Facilities: A Pilot Program"
2. Letter to Sieber dated July 12, 1999, concerns appointment to a four-year term on the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards
3. Letter to Robert M Hallisey, Chairperson, Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD), Inc, dated July 9, 1999, concerns appreciation for letter offering CRCPD resources to assist the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with developing and upgrading national regulatory infrastructures (incoming letter from Robert M Hallisey dated June 8, 1999, also released)
Letter to Kevin D Crowley, Director, Board on Radioactive Waste Management, National Research Council, dated July 9, 1999, concerns request for partial financial support from the NRC for project entitled, "Disposition of High-Level Radioactive Waste Through Geological Isolation: Development, Current Status, and Technical and Policy Challenges" (incoming letter from Kevin Crowley dated June 1, 1999, also released)
Letter to Governor Geringer, Utah, dated July 9, 1999, concerns changes NRC are considering on the regulation of in situ leach (ISL) well fields (incoming letter from Jim Geringer, dated June 8, 1999, also released)
Letter to Dr. B. John Garrick, Chairman, ACNW, dated July 9, 1999, concerns linear No threshold hypothesis dose-response relationship (Garrick's letter dated June 4, 1999, also released)
Letter to the Honorable Fred Thompson and the Honorable Ted Stevens, United States Senate, dated July 9, 1999, concerns recent General Accounting Office (GAO) report 99-7 on performance budgeting under the Government Performance and Results Act (GAO report dated April 12, 1999, also released)
Carolina Power & Light Company (Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant); Docket No. 50-400-LA; Notice of Hearing
10 CFR Part 9, Government in the Sunshine Act Regulations; Final Rule
Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; Subcommittee Meeting on Severe Accident Management; Notice of Meeting on August 9-10, 1999
10 CFR Parts 30, 31, 32, 170, and 171; Requirements for Certain Generally Licensed Industrial Devices Containing Byproduct Material; Proposed Rule
Beaver Valley Unit 2
Beaver Valley Unit 2 is currently in Mode 5 (Cold Shutdown). The plant was shut down on July 17, due to the inability to restore an emergency diesel generator to operable status within the technical specification allowed Time. Region I sent a special inspection team to the site on July 20, 1999, to follow-up on events which occurred on July 16, 1999. The plant had experienced a loss of an emergency bus, associated with the inoperable emergency diesel generator, during diesel testing. The special inspection team was chartered with reviewing the circumstances surrounding the events, including the sequence of events that led to and followed the July 16, 1999, loss of the emergency bus which resulted in the interruption of reactor coolant pump seal water flow and thermal barrier cooling.
Meeting With Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on Decommissioning Projects
Staff and management of the Region I Division of Nuclear Materials Safety and management of the NMSS Division of Waste Management met with Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection staff in Harrisburg, PA, on July 15. The purpose of the Meeting was to discuss the progress in remediation of certain radiologically contaminated sites in Pennsylvania. The sites on the NRC Site Decommissioning Management Plan were discussed, as well as other sites undergoing active remediation. The exchange of information proved extremely useful as Pennsylvania continues its preparation toward becoming an Agreement State.
Meeting with EPA Region I Staff and a Meeting of the Maine Yankee Community Advisory Panel
A special Meeting of the Maine Yankee Community Advisory Panel was held at the Wiscasset (ME) High School during the evening of July 20, to discuss the site release criteria of both the NRC and the EPA. Dr. Carl Paperiello, Director, NMSS, led the discussion of the NRC position of site release criteria (a dose-based criterion of 25 mrem/yr and ALARA considerations). Staff from EPA Headquarters and the Boston regional office presented the EPA basis (a risk-based criteria of 3E-4 excess cancer incidences from all contaminants, including groundwater). The panel Meeting was chaired by State Representative Marge Kilkelley. Approximately 250 people attended and were given the opportunity to ask questions and offer opinions. The majority of the public spoke in favor of lower site release criteria, (10 mrem/yr was consistently mentioned) than presently required by the NRC. All members of the public that wished to speak were accommodated in the four hour Meeting.
In preparation for the July 20 Meeting, management from the Division of Nuclear Materials Safety in Region I, NMSS, and NRR met with the EPA staff in Boston on July 13 to open a dialogue for continuing discussions on NRC/EPA involvement in decommissioning activities.
Carolina Power and Light Company - Brunswick
On July 20, the DRP Branch Chief presented the results of the Plant Performance Review at Brunswick. Following the Meeting, the staff met with state and local officials.
Duke Energy Corporation - Catawba
On June 20, representatives from Duke Energy Corporation (DEC) attended a Predecisional Enforcement Conference concerning six apparent violations associated with the Catawba Unit 1 and 2 ice condensers. The violations involved ice flow blockage, excessive debris, inlet door impairments, ice basket deformation, intermediate door bolting, and unauthorized design changes. DEC addressed the root causes and corrective actions for each issue.
Institute of Nuclear Power Operations Presentation
On July 22, the Regional Administrator spoke on the new NRC Reactor Inspection and Oversight Program at the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations' (INPO) New Engineering Managers Seminar.
Public Workshop to Discuss Risk-Informed Initiatives
Region IV sponsored a workshop, open to public observation, to discuss risk-informed initiatives and related topics. The workshop, held in the Region IV office on July 20-21, included presentations by NRC management and staff, representatives of Region IV licensees, and a contractor manager (representing NASA). The NASA representative presented information concerning the space shuttle risk and reliability analysis. In addition to the presentations there was an open round table discussion that included presentation follow up questions. The workshop was both well attended and a valuable interaction on a timely topic.
Public Meeting with River Bend Station
On July 19, the Director of Engineering, the Director of Nuclear Safety and Regulatory Affairs, and the Manager of Technical Support, Entergy Operations Inc., for the River Bend Station, met with the Regional Administrator and members of his management staff to discuss the failed fuel recovery project at the River Bend Station. This was a compressed presentation of the Meeting held in Headquarters on June 22, 1999. Also discussed at the Meeting was the reorganization of the engineering department.
Arizona Public Service Company (Palo Verde) Public Meeting
The Director, Division of Reactor Projects and members of the regional staff met with representatives of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station on July 21, to discuss the Unit 2 steam generator replacement project. The licensee discussed the integrated Schedule, fabrication status, and the transportation plans associated with the Unit 2 steam generator replacement and power uprate project. The current Schedule anticipates replacement of the steam generators in late 2003.
Congressional Hearing Schedule, No. 29
Combs 07/27/99
SD-406 9:30 Markup S. 1090, Superfund Reauthorization Senators Chafee/Baucus
SD-192 9:30 Chairman Dicus Y2K Readiness of Electric & Gas Industries Senators Bennett/Dodd
This page was last updated on August 4, 1999, by NRCWEB (nrcweb@nrc.gov).