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	NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION II 61 Forsyth Street, Suite 23T85, Atlanta, GA 30303
	CONTACT:	Ken Clark (Phone: 404-562-4416, E-mail: kmc2@nrc.gov )
		Roger Hannah (Phone 404-562-4417, E-mail: rdh1@nrc.gov )

No: II-97-87

December 12, 1997

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold a meeting with officials of Framatome Cogema Fuels in Lynchburg, Virginia at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, December 19 at the company's Lynchburg Manufacturing Facility on Mount Athos Road to discuss the plant's regulatory performance.

NRC officials will discuss a Licensee Performance Review in which the agency evaluated performance in the areas of safety operations, safeguards, radiological controls, facility support and licensing activities for a period from July 1, 1995 through September 28, 1997. The review is a periodic assessment of fuel facilities licensed by the NRC and is used to form a basis for establishing the NRC's inspection program at the facility for the next year as well as providing the company feedback on how the NRC views its performance.

The NRC identified no program strengths and found areas needing improvement in all parts of the review. In a letter to Framatome Cogema, NRC Regional Administrator Luis Reyes said "the review indicates that your performance needs improvement in awareness of license conditions and procedures to support those conditions, the implementation of fundamental controls and attention to detail to assure adherence to regulatory requirements and the licensed safety basis for your facility." In addition, Reyes' letter identified as key challenges the communication of management expectations.

Based on the review, the NRC has decided to maintain its current level of inspection effort except in the areas of management controls and material control and accountability where the inspection effort will be increased. The NRC has also decided to place emphasis on the company's actions to improve evaluations of environmental sample results.

The meeting is open to interested members of the public and the media for observation, and NRC officials will be available at the conclusion of the meeting to answer any questions.

EDITORS: Copies of the cover letter and summary outline of the NRC licensee performance review of Framatome Cogema Fuels are available from this office.