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	NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION II 101 Marietta St. NW - Suite 2900, Atlanta GA 30323
	CONTACT:	Ken Clark (Phone: 404-331-5503, E-mail: kmc2@nrc.gov )
		Roger Hannah (Phone 404-331-7878, E-mail: rdh1@nrc.gov )

No: II-97-15

February 10, 1997

Contact: Ken Clark or Roger Hannah

Telephone: (404) 331-5503 or 331-7878

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a predecisional enforcement conference with Georgia Power company on March 10 in Atlanta to discuss agency concerns related to the operating condition of a Unit 1 emergency safety injection system at the Vogtle nuclear power plant, located near Waynesboro, Georgia.

The purpose of the conference is to discuss an apparent violation regarding the operating status of a thermal overload protection device on a valve associated with a safety injection pump. NRC officials said the system in question is used to inject water into the reactor vessel during a postulated emergency involving a medium break loss of coolant accident (LOCA). The device is used to prevent damage to the valve motor during operational testing due to a malfunction. The NRC requires licensees to ensure that the device will be bypassed during an actual emergency, even if the valve motor overheats, so that water flow will continue into the reactor. The device was found not to be in the bypass mode during a recent NRC inspection.

The enforcement conference will be held from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. in the NRC offices at 101 Marietta Street, N. W., Suite 2900. The conference is open to observation by the public and the media, and NRC officials will be available at its conclusion to answer questions from interested observers.

NRC officials said the decision to hold an enforcement conference does not mean that a determination has been made that a violation has occurred or that enforcement action will be taken. The purpose is to discuss apparent violations, their causes, and safety significance; to provide the licensee an opportunity to point out any errors that may have been made in the NRC inspection report; and to enable the company to outline its proposed corrective actions.

No decision on the apparent violations or any contemplated enforcement action, such as a civil penalty, will be made at the conference. Those decisions will be made by senior NRC officials at a later time.