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SECY 97-065

March 19, 1997

Contact:  M. Biamonte, OEDO

ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 14, 1997

OECD/NEA/PWG-1 Expanded Task Force on Human Factors Meeting

From March 10 - 12, 1997, Richard Eckenrode of the Human Factors Assessment Branch (HHFB) participated in the OECD NEA Principal Working Group No. 1 Expanded Task Force on Human Factors semiannual meeting in Paris, France. Issues discussed at the meeting included the role of simulators in operator training, improving the reporting of human performance in International Incident Reporting System (IRS) reports and human factors methodologies for root cause analyses.

Severe Accident Management Implementation Workshop

During the week of March 10, 1997, David Desaulniers of HHFB attended the NEI Severe Accident Management Implementation Workshop in Charlotte, North Carolina. The industry has developed generic severe accident management materials and utilities have committed to the NRC to implement severe accident management at their plants by December 31, 1998. The workshop provided a forum for the exchange of information on plant-specific implementation issues including the interface between the licensee's emergency plan and severe accident management guidance, development and implementation of training, and self-assessment of severe accident management capabilities.

Attendance at IEEE Standards Committee Meeting

During the week of March 10, 1997, staff from the Instrumentation and Controls Branch attended the IEEE Standards Committee Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. At this meeting, the final review of IEEE Std. 603-1996 concerning design requirements for safety-related instrumentation and control (I&C) systems was completed. This revision to IEEE Std. 603 includes guidelines for design of digital I&C systems in nuclear power plants. The staff intends to endorse this standard in an update to Regulatory Guide 1.153, and codify that endorsement in a revision to 10 CFR 50.55a(h) since IEEE Std. 603 is the replacement standard for IEEE Std. 279 currently referenced in the rule.

Indian Point 3 -- Fuel Handling Suspended

On February 27, 1997, Indian Point Unit 3 began fuel receipt and handling in preparation for their scheduled May 17, 1997, refueling outage. On March 5, 1997, they suspended fuel handling operations when NRR and Region 1 determined that they neither met nor were exempt from the requirements of 10 CFR 70.24. Licensees are required by 10 CFR 70.24 to maintain criticality monitors in all areas in which fuel may be handled.

Indian Point Unit 3 had previously been exempted from the requirements of 10 CFR 70.24 under the special nuclear materials license that was in effect during the construction phase; however, this exemption was never specifically carried over to the operating license. The licensee has submitted an exemption request which is currently under staff review.

Maine Yankee -- Plant Status

Maine Yankee is in a refueling outage. The fuel remains in the reactor vessel while the licensee continues with fuel pool reracking.

ISA Enforcement Conference

On March 11, 1997, the staff conducted an enforcement conference, open for public observation, at the Maine Yankee site media center. This conference is related to the Independent Safety Assessment conducted in 1996. In Inspection Report 96-16 dated February 11, 1997, the staff presented sixteen apparent violations in five categories. The licensee responded to the specific violations in a letter dated February 28, 1997. At the March 11 meeting, the licensee discussed the broad issues and common causal factors that have evolved from the specific enforcement issues and their implications on future operation of Maine Yankee. Staff questions focused in the areas of the Maine Yankee/Yankee Atomic interfaces, 50.59 safety evaluation processes and quality assurance program effectiveness.

Steam Generator Inspections

During the first week in April, the licensee will begin steam generator tube inspections will begin at Maine Yankee. This will be the first inspection since the sleeving outage in 1995. The licensee will meet with the staff at Headquarters on March 26 to discuss its inspection plans and contingencies. The contingencies include a TS amendment for operation at reduced RCS flow, an amendment to allow an electrosleeving repair method and reanalysis with a higher plugging limit using ANF-RELAP for the SBLOCA analysis.

Pilgrim

This is preliminary information and its accuracy is still being confirmed. On March 7, 1997, the main transformer was subjected to two simultaneous faults: one on the A phase and one on the C phase. The faults created enough pressure to lift the transformer and fail internal oil seals. There was no chemical explosion or fire but the pressure did cause the transformer oil reservoir to burst causing about a 2,000 gallon oil spill that required the prompt response of Pilgrim Fire Department, Department of Environmental Protection, and Clean Harbors Company. Oil also leaked through the iso. phase bus duct into the turbine building creating a pool about 3 inches deep on the floor which then spread into the lower switchgear and cable spreading rooms and some of which subsequently drained into the radwaste sump. However, the oil never threatened or challenged any safety related equipment. Prior to this event, the startup transformer had been tagged out for maintenance leaving the shutdown transformer powered by the 23 KV line and the B EDG to provide power. Spent fuel pool cooling was restored via the shutdown transformer in about an hour (all fuel had been unloaded from the reactor vessel prior to the event) limiting the pool heatup to about 2° F. The startup transformer was returned to service at 3:00 am on March 8, 1997. Because of the large extent of damage, plans are underway to ship back the original PNPS transformer that had been provided to Millstone. The Region provided continuous onsite coverage until the startup transformer was returned to service.

Seabrook Station Unit 1

On February 28, 1997, the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (NHPUC) issued its final order on the statewide restructuring of the electric utility industry. The stranded cost methodology adopted by the NHPUC in its order is anticipated to require Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH) and North Atlantic Energy Company (NAEC), both wholly-owned subsidiaries of Northeast Utilities (NU), to remove an estimated $720 million to $900 million of assets from the balance sheet for the financial quarter in which the NHPUC's order is issued. According to NU, the impact of removing these assets from the balance sheet could cause the entities' lenders to call for accelerated repayment of the indebtedness. NU estimates that repayment of $686 million of PSNH indebtedness and $515 million of NAEC indebtedness could be subject to calls for accelerated repayment. Additionally, $300 million of NU indebtedness could be subject to acceleration. NU has stated that if such acceleration of debt repayment occurs, bankruptcy filings would be unavoidable.

NU, PSNH, and NAEC have filed suit in US district court in Concord, New Hampshire, against the NHPUC as a result of its February 28, order. The suit seeks an immediate temporary restraining order to prevent the NHPUC's order from becoming effective. Additionally, the companies have filed suit in

New Hampshire Superior Court seeking, among other remedies, recovery of damages resulting from various portions of the order that the companies allege are a breech of contract.

Two major generation NU facilities are impacted by the NHPUC's order in addition to other assets. NAEC and Connecticut Light and Power (another NU subsidiary) have a combined 40-percent ownership interest in Seabrook Station, Unit 1 in Seabrook, NH, and PSNH owns the fossil-fueled Shiller Station in Newington, NH. PSNH also shares ownership in Maine Yankee (7-percent), Vermont Yankee (4-percent), Connecticut Yankee (5-percent), Yankee Rowe (7-percent) and Millstone Point 3.

Status of Review of Licensee Responses to 50.54(f) Request on Design Bases

In accordance with the process for reviewing licensee responses to the 10 CFR 50.54(f) request for information on design bases, acknowledgement letters to the licensees were issued on March 14, 1997. (As of March 12, 1997, acknowledgement letters were sent to the licensees of 76 of the 107 reactor units.)

The Regions are currently performing the initial review of the responses in accordance with Phase 3 of the review process, with NRR Project Manager assistance as requested. Regions II and III presented the results of their reviews at their Plant Performance Review meetings the week of March 10, 1997.

Regions I and IV will present the results of their reviews at their Plant Performance Review meetings the week of March 24, 1997.

Results of the Phase 3 reviews for all Regions will be discussed at the Senior Management Meeting screening meetings scheduled for April 1997.

LaSalle Units 1 and 2 -- Potential Plant Flooding

Both units have been shutdown since 9/96. An unusual event (UE) was declared on March 11, 1997, when the lake level from which cooling water is taken, rose to 701.8 feet. The FSAR value of the maximum allowable lake elevation is 701 feet. The concern is that if any one of three intake lines per unit were to rupture, there could be significant flooding in the reactor building and turbine building. The licensee has established a flood watch to conduct more frequent operator walkdowns of the plant areas which could be affected. The licensee is reevaluating the plant flooding potential from any of the lines, one of which supplies the core standby cooling system (i.e., essential service water).

Normally, the lake would be drained down through an outlet line. However, the control valve on this line is damaged and cannot pass the full drainage flow of 40,000 gpm. The licensee is obtaining repair parts for this valve. The repair effort may take about 3 days to complete. Thereafter, it may take about 6 to 7 days to drain the lake level down to 701 feet.

NRR and Region III are following the licensee's corrective actions closely.

Quad Cities Units 1 and 2 -- Fire Hazards Vulnerabilities identified in IPEEE

Quad Cities has submitted their IPEEE report and it indicates that earthquakes and other external events do not pose a significant risk of severe accidents; however, internal fires indicated an IPEEE core damage frequency (CDF) of 5E-03. The licensee realizes that this CDF is large and has taken interim actions to mitigate the potential vulnerabilities. The licensee has implemented an Interim Alternate Shutdown Method (IASM) at Unit 1 and will implement the IASM on Unit 2 before they return to power from the present refueling outage. The licensee indicates that this IASM will reduce the internal fire IPEEE CDF value to 7.5E-04. A meeting is being scheduled with the licensee to discuss the results of their analysis and corrective actions.

Zion Unit 1 -- AIT Exit Meeting

On March 7, 1997, the AIT presented its findings to the licensee of its inspection of the reactivity excursion event at Zion 1 on February 21, 1997. The team presented a detailed discussion of the sequence of events and numerous failures throughout. The inspectors concluded that the event was the direct result of a breakdown in command and control and a failure of the involved operator and supervisor to exercise their respective responsibilities for proper control of the reactor. The actions of the primary NSO reflected a lack of understanding of reactor physics and proper control rod manipulations. Contributing factors included having 39 people present in the control room envelope at the time of the evolution and the fact that the unit supervisor's attention was diverted to other activities. The AIT also noted that communication of the event significance to senior licensee management was not timely and that operations management had failed to comprehend the significance of the event. The AIT noted that weaknesses in command and control and reactivity management had been identified on previous occasions but the licensee had failed to take adequate corrective actions.

The licensee did not dispute the AIT findings and acknowledged that problems exist in the operations department in the areas of operator knowledge, standards, and work practices. The licensee has indicated that the units will remain shutdown until the problems are addressed and the operating personnel are retrained. No date has been established for restart.

NRR and Region III are cooperating in addressing this issue.

ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 14, 1997

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Radiation Control Program

On March 6, 1997, staff from the Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety met with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Radiation Control Program Director, Deputy Director, and three technical staff members who will be performing sealed source and device evaluations, regarding the transfer of sealed source and device cases to Massachusetts--a new Agreement State.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff members discussed items ranging from pending equipment failure evaluations to interactions with registration certificate holders. NRC staff reviewed in detail nine specific cases, including an application for a new radiography pipeliner model. The major areas of thirteen other cases were also discussed with the State technical staff only. The NRC provided copies of selected guidance and standard formats for response letters and registration certificates.

The NRC is providing Massachusetts with additional copies of guidance, including an electronic version of NUREG-1550, "Standard Review Plan for Applications for Sealed Source and Devices Evaluations and Registrations," and with instructions for accessing the computerized Sealed Source and Device Bulletin Board on FedWorld.

Health Risk from Environmental Exposure to Radionuclides

On March 10-11, 1997, representatives from the Offices of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards and Nuclear Regulatory Research attended a two-day working group meeting on the second revision to Federal Guidance Report (FGR) 13, "Health Risk from Environmental Exposure to Radionuclides." The meeting also included representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Energy and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. FGR 13 addresses health risks from exposure to radionuclides using the new International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) 60-based methodology and models for estimating the risk of cancer from internal or external exposures to radionuclides, and provides tabulations of risk estimates or "risk coefficients" for exposure to important radionuclides in environmental media. These risk coefficients are expressed as a probability of radiogenic cancer mortality or incidence, per unit intake (e.g., per Bq) for internal exposures or per unit exposure (e.g., per Bq-s m^-2 of contaminated ground surface) for external exposures.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff raised concerns with respect to how the revised FGR 13, using the new ICRP 60-based methodology (and new dose conversion factors) will comport with the current 10 CFR Part 20 regulatory framework which uses ICRP 30 as its technological base. The EPA plans to have the FGR document finalized by September 1997. The agency representatives plan to discuss the revised FGR and proposed implementation at their agencies during the next meeting of the Interagency Steering Committee on Radiation Standards which will be held in May 1997.

Quality Management Program and Misadministrations

On March 7, 1997, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the information collection requirements (ICR) associated with 10 CFR Part 35.32, "Quality Management Program and Misadministrations (QM rule)," through August 1998.

OMB expressed concern with the burden and possible lack of practical utility of these requirements. The approval was based upon OMB's understanding that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is reviewing Agreement State compatibility and, during this period (through August 1998), those States which have not adopted the QM rule, will not be required to do so. Therefore, the approval covers only NRC licensees and the 19 Agreement States that have already adopted the QM rule ICR.

OMB informed NRC that review of the QM rule ICR at the next renewal will focus on the progress NRC has made toward burden reduction--consistent with the Paperwork Reduction Act requirement that information collections have practical utility and minimize the burden on respondents.

Inspection of Transportation Packaging Maintenance Activities at Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant

On March 4-6, 1997, the Spent Fuel Project Office conducted a safety team inspection of maintenance activities associated with the IF-300 spent fuel shipping cask at Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant in Bonsal, North Carolina. The IF-300 cask is used to ship spent fuel from the other two Carolina Power and Light nuclear plants, H.B. Robinson and Brunswick, to the Shearon Harris spent fuel storage pool.

This inspection is being performed in two phases. In the first phase, the team reviewed maintenance and annual inspection programs, as well as the implementation of the 10 CFR Part 71 Quality Assurance Program. The inspection team determined that the maintenance and inspection controls, and the implementation of the Quality Assurance Program were adequate. One finding was made regarding difference in the acceptable gap dimension between the cask and lid as defined in the Safety Analysis Report vs. the operational procedure. An exit meeting for Phase I of the inspection was held on March 6, 1997, to present the preliminary inspection findings. The second phase of the inspection will be to observe leak testing of the packaging after unloading the fuel. This phase is currently on hold until other pending issues, related to heavy load handling, are resolved by the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

Atlas Final Technical Evaluation Report

On March 7, 1997, the Division of Waste Management issued a final technical evaluation report (TER) on Atlas Corporation's proposed reclamation plan for its uranium mill site near Moab, Utah. The TER concludes that the Atlas plan to dispose of mill tailings on-site meets Nuclear Regulatory Commission technical requirements, which are contained primarily in 10 CFR Part 40. The staff will not, however, make a final determination on the acceptability of the disposal plan until it completes its environmental review and issues a final environmental impact statement, which is expected this summer. NRC issued the draft TER and draft environmental impact statement for public comment in January 1996, and held a public meeting on the two reports in Moab, Utah, on February 28, 1996. The final TER reflects staff consideration of comments received, Atlas responses to 20 open issues identified in the draft TER, and additional NRC staff analysis. The Office of Public Affairs issued a press release announcing the final TER. In addition to normal distribution of documents related to Atlas, the full text of the final TER has been put on the Internet at the NRC web site and a copy is being sent to the Grand County Public Library, in Moab, Utah.

Site Decommissioning Management Plan Site - Chemetron

On March 7, 1997, Division of Waste Management and Region III staff attended a Chemetron Regulators' meeting in Newburgh Heights, Ohio. Both the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) have issued approvals for the Bert Avenue site remediation to take place. Chemetron is scheduled to begin the remediation work in April 1997 and to complete the work by the end of November 1997. An agenda for the April 7, 1997, public meeting was discussed with the Mayor of Newburgh Heights and representatives from the OEPA, the Ohio Department of Health, and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health. The purpose of the public meeting is to inform the public about the upcoming remediation activities, when the activities will begin, how nearby residents will be affected, and how the NRC and Ohio agencies will inspect the work.

Participation in Waste Management '97

From March 2-6, 1997, staff from the Division of Waste Management (DWM) participated in the Waste Management '97 Conference. This conference was attended by a wide variety of groups interested in waste management including representatives of industry, vendors, other Government agencies and various State agencies. Four papers were presented by the DWM staff: (1) "Status Report on the Development of an International Convention on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management;" (2) "Overview of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Uranium Recovery Program;" (3) "Regulatory Approach to Soil Cleanup Verification at Decommissioning Uranium Mill Sites;" and (4) "Regulation of Ground-water Contamination at Decommissioning NRC-Licensed Facilities." In addition, DWM staff also participated in a workshop entitled "How Clean is Clean," and made a presentation at that workshop on "Promulgating Defensible Decommissioning Regulations."

ENCLOSURE D

Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 14, 1997

Assistance for Region II

During the week of March 3, 1997, Jose Ibarra assisted Region II in the review and documentation of 581 medical records related to hundreds of possible medical misadministrations of a strontium applicator for treating pterygium, a tropical eye condition. The bilingual technical support was provided in a medical clinic in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, where the medical files on surgery for pterygium were reviewed. Preliminary assessments showed cases of misadministrations; cases of underexposure; cases of overexposure; a total of 493 patients involved; and misadministrations of the applicator by ophthalmologists not licensed by the NRC.

AEOD Special Report S96-02, "Assessment of Spent Fuel Cooling" Issued as NUREG-1275 Vol. 12.

AEOD Special Report S96-02, "Assessment of Spent Fuel Cooling" was issued as NUREG-1275, Vol. 12. The report provides the results of an independent assessment that AEOD performed at the request of the EDO. The report presents the results of an evaluation of 12 years of U.S. operating experience and it provides insights from a probabilistic assessment of a dual-unit boiling-water reactor (Susquehanna). AEOD is working with NRR (Events Assessment) to issue an information notice on this AEOD report.

Continuity of Government (COG) Planning

On March 7, 1997, IRD staff attended an Interagency workshop at Mt. Weather to discuss further plans for the COG program.

Incident Response Training

During the week of March 10, 1997, IRD provided Incident Response Training for three senior NRR managers and project managers. IRD also provided Dose Assessment Using RASCAL v3.1 at the NRC Professional Development Center. Representatives from the four regional offices and NMSS attended the one-day refresher program for NRC Dose Assessment Analysts.

PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATIONS (PNs)

ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 14, 1997

Procurement Reform

On March 12, 1997, the Division of Contracts (DC) held a Simplified Acquisition Workshop for procurement staff which addressed innovative approaches to streamline acquisitions under $100,000. In addition, new streamlined procedures for purchase of commercial items valued at up to $5,000,000 were discussed. A representative from the General Services Administration discussed procedures to be used when making purchases under GSA Schedule contracts. A representative from the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) shared innovative procedures successfully utilized for FHA procurements. A second workshop on this topic is scheduled for March 18th.

Commercial Item Acquisition

On March 10, 1997, DC awarded a contract to Ann Riley & Associates, Ltd., for "Verbatim Stenographic Reporting and Transcription Services." The contractor will perform verbatim stenographic reporting, transcription, and real-time translation services for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) meetings held in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The period of performance is September 1, 1997 through August 31, 2000, with one option year. The total contract value is $124,450, inclusive of the option year. The contract was awarded within 90 days, using streamlined commercial item acquisition procedures. Additional procurement streamlining included: electronically transmitting the SOW, setting a deadline for proposers' questions, limiting proposal preparation time, and electronically coordinating the final evaluation report.

Bilingual Clerical Support to Region II

During the week of March 3, 1997, Victoria Ibarra, DC, traveled to Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, to assist Region II in their review and documentation of 581 medical files related to possible misadministration of a strontium pterygium applicator. Bilingual clerical support was provided in inputting the pertinent information from the medical files into a database and the management of the database to assist in the technical analysis.

Automated Information System Security (AISS) Meeting

The Director and other Division of Security staff attended the March 13, 1997, AISS meeting with IRM. AISS monthly meetings include topics of mutual interest, e.g., computer security. Status reports were presented at the March meeting on the following projects: (1) the development of the electronic use of Standard Form 86, "Questionnaire for National Security Positions;" (2) an update on the Navy In-Service-Engineering Group analysis and recommendations ("Information Security Alternatives Document") on the protection of NRC sensitive ADP systems; and (3) an update on the scheduled security reviews (facility, information, communications and computer security) planned for the USEC gaseous diffusion plants in May 1997.

ENCLOSURE G

Chief Information Officer
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 14, 1997

Customer Support On-Line Services Directory

The Office of Information Resources Management (IRM) is developing an On-Line Customer Support Services Directory with the goal of improving access to IRM information for all employees. The Directory will allow users to determine IRM polices and procedures, to identify office IT Coordinators, to request services and products, and to obtain other useful information.

Because the entire staff has or will have access to the agency's internal network (or Intranet), the On-line Services Directory will be made available electronically.

Information in the draft IRM Services Directory includes:

• IRM Customer Support Center
  (General Information and On-line Support)
  
  
• Customer Support Center Service Level Standards
  (Response Time Goals and Escalation Procedures)
  
  
• Office IT Coordinators
  
  
• Telecommunications Officers
  
  
• NRC Management Directives related to IRM
  
  
• Maps of Metropolitan D.C. and Downtown Baltimore

It is expected that the On-line Services Directory will improve communications with and enhance services provided by IRM.

FOIA Requests Received During the Week Ending March 13, 1997

ENCLOSURE I

Office of Personnel
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 14, 1997

Testing of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System Underway

The Office of Personnel began its testing of an IVR system that will provide employees with specific information from their personnel records that it hopes to open to the entire agency in the next couple of weeks. Point of contact for this project is Robert E. Loach. He can be reached via e-mail at REL1 or by phone at 415-7534.

ENCLOSURE J

Office of Small Business & Civil Rights
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 14, 1997

High-Tech Small Business Development Procurement Conference

On March 3-5, 1997, Von Deloatch, Small Business Development Specialist for the Office of Small Business and Civil Rights, participated in NASA's Ninth Annual High-Tech Small Business Development Procurement Conference. The Conference which was held in Los Angeles, California, had more than 1500 high-tech firms in attendance. It provided them the opportunity to meet with representatives from the private sector and government agencies to discuss procurement opportunities. Dr. Steven Kelman, Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy, was the keynote speaker.

U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Legislative Forum

On March 10-11, 1997, Irene Little, Director, Office of Small Business and Civil Rights attended the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Legislative Forum. The seven Regional Hispanic Chambers of Commerce discussed issues of concern to Hispanic businesses. Dr. Steven Kelman, Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy, Mr. Ronald Hobson, Assistant Deputy Administrator, Small Business Administration and Mr. William Yeomans, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice, discussed the future of Federal procurement opportunities for minority businesses. Congressman Xavier Becerra and Congressman J. C. Watts discussed the Congressional Agenda for this Congress as it relates to Affirmative Action legislation.

ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 14, 1997

Media Interest

Time magazine printed a follow-up article to its cover feature one year ago on the safety allegations at Millstone.

Hub Miller's quarterly news conference at Maine Yankee drew at least a dozen media reporters. Most questions concerned Peter Atherton, the ex-NRC employee who allegedly raised fire protection concerns at the plant in the 1970s.

Both HQ and the Region received calls on the arraignment of Ed Trottier, the former NRC project manager for Maine Yankee.

School Volunteers Program

Doug Coe, Lawrence Kokajko and Jesse Arildsen, NRR, all participated in the Woodfield E.S. Science Expo by mentoring students in science-related activities.

ENCLOSURE P

Region I
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 14, 1997

Public Meeting

On May 11, 1997, Region I representatives attended a public meeting arranged by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), during which PADEP representatives discussed the results of testing for radioactivity at the Pottstown (PA) Landfill. PADEP requested that NRC be present if needed to answer questions about NRC jurisdiction at the landfill and NRC licensees in the area of the landfill. Approximately 250 people attended the meeting. NRC and EPA representatives explained that PADEP is the lead agency, and NRC will assist PADEP as appropriate. PADEP presented the results of testing of landfill locoweed, and soil and groundwater samples in the vicinity of the landfill. PADEP concluded that the results did not identify levels which would result in harm to the public and that the results are within applicable limits.

Transfer of Materials Docket Files to Massachusetts

On March 12, 1997, the Region I Licensing Assistance Team shipped the docket files for 454 nuclear materials licenses to the soon-to-be Agreement State, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Massachusetts is scheduled to assume responsibility for the licensing and inspection of those facilities on March 21, 1997. The files were received in Jamaica Plains, Massachusetts, by Mr. R.M. Hallisey, Director, Massachusetts Radiation Control Program.

ENCLOSURE P

Region II
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 14, 1997

Georgia Power Company - Vogtle

Representatives from Georgia Power Company were in the Regional Office to attend a Predecisional Enforcement Conference for Vogtle. The purpose of the conference was to discuss an apparent violation regarding the inoperable thermal overload protection device for the Safety Injection Pump 1A Hot Leg Injection Valve, and the licensee's two-part verification system deficiencies.

Virginia Electric and Power Company - Surry

Representatives from Virginia Electric and Power Company were in the Regional Office to attend a Predecisional Enforcement Conference for the Surry Nuclear Plant. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the issues related to our inspection of implementation of 10 CFR 50.65, "Requirements for Monitoring the Effectiveness of Maintenance at Nuclear Power Plants."

Southern Nuclear Operating Company - Farley

The Director, Division of Reactor Safety, attended the exit on March 14, 1997, for the Architect-Engineer inspection of Farley. The exit was held in Birmingham at the Southern Nuclear Operating Company. A public exit has been scheduled at the Farley site for March 26, 1996.

Tennessee Valley Authority - Watts Bar

On March 6, Watts Bar experienced a reactor trip on low steam generator level following a failure of the B Main Feedwater pump shaft. The licensee believes the pump shaft may have sheared as a result of fatigue failure and is conducting a metallurgical analysis to confirm this. The shaft was replaced with a spare and startup is scheduled for March 14. The licensee also identified remnants of a spiral wound gasket in the No. 4 feedwater line. The gasket was found to be an incorrect type for its application and apparently was dislodged following a furmanite repair. The licensee identified and replaced incorrect gaskets on eight other joints in the feedwater system.

A Regional inspector and Headquarters I&C expert responded to Watts Bar following three inadvertent Safety Injections (SI) during plant cooldown. The first SI was due to operator inattention when he allowed steam generator pressure to drop below the low steam pressure SI setpoint. Two more spurious SIs occurred with later in the cooldown. Licensee troubleshooting identified a single card with degraded output voltage in the Eagle 21 system. This failure, coupled with a second inoperable channel due to testing, allowed logic to be made up which unblocked low pressure safety injection signals and resulted in the second two actuations.

ENCLOSURE P

Region III
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 14, 1997

Management Change Announced for Dresden Nuclear Power Station

Commonwealth Edison Company announced that effective immediately Steve Barrett will assume the position of Dresden Station Operations Manager. Most recently, he was assistant to the Dresden Site Vice President.

Tim O'Connor, the former Dresden Station Operations Manager, was selected for a position on the staff of the Zion Nuclear Power Station Site Vice President.

ENCLOSURE P

Region IV
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 14, 1997

Commissioner Diaz Visit to Region IV

On March 14, 1997, Commissioner Diaz, accompanied by his technical assistant, visited the Region IV offices. On March 20, 1997, Commissioner Diaz will visit the San Onofre site for a tour of Unit 1, the decommissioned unit, as well as a tour of the operating Units 2 and 3. The Commissioner also plans to meet with senior managers of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.

ENCLOSURE R

Office of Congressional Affairs
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 14, 1997