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SECY 97-078

April 9, 1997

Contact:  M. Biamonte, OEDO

ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 4, 1997

Salem Nuclear Generating Station Units 1 and 2

RESTART SCHEDULE - Following is the latest schedule published by the licensee: Mode 4 (heatup above 200 F), May 8; Mode 3 (above 350F, all ECCS operable), May 15; Mode 2 (reactor critical), June 11; full power, July 12, 1997.

There are a number of issues, noted with an asterisk, that could potentially impact the licensee's restart schedule.

*CABLE SEPARATION - The licensee is still reviewing cable separation in the relay room. It has expanded the number of cables being examined. The licensee has determined that the issue can be addressed under the provisions of 10 CFR 50.59 and does not constitute an Unreviewed Safety Question. The staff will review the licensee's 50.59 evaluation.

MEMO TO THE COMMISSION - A memo to the Commission on the status of Salem is with the EDO.

*CONTAINMENT FAN COIL UNITS (CFCUs) - By letter dated March 27, 1997, the licensee described modifications that are being implemented to preclude water hammer on loss of offsite power. The submittal is under review. The amendment increasing the CFCU initiation time from 45 to 60 seconds is needed to support entry into Mode 3. The staff is expecting to complete its review and issue the amendment in time to support entry into Mode 3.

*RHR PUMP FLOW AND NPSH - Region I is sending a TIA that will request NRR assistance in evaluating the effects of increased RHR system pump flow, and a potential Unreviewed Safety Question and Mode 4 constraint.

FIRE BARRIERS - NRR and Region I have agreed upon a plan to resolve the fire barrier issue. The acceptability of previously approved pre-1981 tests affecting Kaowool and 3M FS-195 fire barriers will be handled generically. The staff will conduct an inspection prior to restart to review corrective/compensatory actions that have been taken by the licensee on the plant specific unresolved items identified in the 1993 Inspection Report 93-80 for 3M Interam E-50, as well as for Kaowool and 3M FS-195, fire barriers. Region I will provide the lead for the inspection and will coordinate preparation plans and inspection logistics with the licensee. The inspection is currently scheduled for the week of April 14, 1997.

CONTAINMENT DESIGN TEMPERATURE - By letter dated June 18, 1996, an amendment to Technical Specification 5.0, "Design Features," was submitted. The proposed amendment changed the design temperature and pressure of the containment by adding revised design parameters for the Main Steam Line Break (MSLB). The licensee has determined that the new MSLB parameters will cause yielding of the containment liner, but will not overstress the reinforced concrete shell. The staff is reviewing the submittal and has requested additional information concerning the liner anchors. Although this amendment is not considered a restart issue, it is expected to be issued prior to restart.

REACTOR COOLANT SYSTEM (RCS) FLOW SURVEILLANCE - By letter dated January 7, 1997, the licensee proposed a Technical Specification (TS) amendment to revise the 18-month surveillance to measure RCS flow. The current TS do not enable the plant to enter Mode 1 without having performed this surveillance within the last 18 months. The surveillance is performed when the plant is above 90 percent power. Since both units have been shut down for more than 18 months, the surveillance has not been performed within the last 18 months. Thus, the amendment must be issued to support entry into Mode 1. The amendment was reviewed by Projects and sent to the Reactor Systems Branch (SRXB) for concurrence. Projects is incorporating SRXB comments into the Safety Evaluation. The amendment is expected to be issued prior to Mode 1.

CHILLED WATER SYSTEM - By letter dated February 11, 1997, the licensee has proposed a new Technical Specification section entitled "Chilled Water System." The Chilled Water System provides cooling for safety related systems, such as the Control Room Emergency Air Conditioning System and the Electrical and Relay Room. The Chilled Water System is comprised of three 50-percent chillers and two 100-percent pumps. The proposed amendment would allow one chiller to be out of service for 30 days; if another chiller is lost, the plant must shut down within 72 hours. The amendment is under review by the Plant Systems Branch (SPLB) and the Probabilistic Safety Assessment Branch (SPSB). SPSB has informed the licensee that the proposed 30-day Allowable Outage Time (AOT) for one chiller appears excessive and would be difficult to justify. The licensee is considering reducing the AOT for one chiller. The staff is treating the amendment as Priority 3; SPLB is targeting August 30, 1997, for completion of their Safety Evaluation. However, the licensee has requested that the amendment be issued prior to restart, or shortly thereafter. Without this amendment, the licensee will have to perform an operability determination of the Chilled Water System whenever a chiller or pump is out of service. The licensee considers this an operator work around and does not wish to run the plant in this way for an extended period of time. Projects is exploring the possibility of expediting review and issuance of this amendment.

Seabrook Station Unit 1

For a period of time during the northeaster storm on April 1, 1997, two of three transmission lines to the Seabrook site were knocked out of service because of heavy wet snow accumulation on the transmission line termination bushings. With two lines out of service, the station, which had been operating at full power, started to reduce power to 30%. However, with power at about 90%, the lines were restored and the station was returned to full power. There were no other safety-related storm-related impacts upon the station.

The latest capacity and load projections on the NEPOOL grid show a negative capacity for the 14-week period from May 31 to August 30, 1997. If these capacity and load projections materialize, load relief up to Action 13 of the NEPEX Operating Procedure No. 4 would be needed to mitigate the projected deficit. Actions through Action 13 include, in part:

• Curtailing certain dispatchable loads
  
  
• Purchasing power from other systems
  
  
• Using certain customer generation capacity contractually available
  
  
• Allowing the 30 minute reserve to go to zero
  
  
• Reducing the 10 minute synchronized reserve
  
  
• Implementing 5% voltage reductions.

New Hampshire Governor Shaheen and Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH) will ask a mediator to settle the dispute over how the state will deregulate the electric utility industry. PSNH and its parent company Northeast Utilities have filed suits in federal and state courts over the NH Public Utility Commission's plan for deregulation. The companies claim the plan would force them to write off an estimated $700 to 900 million of assets, which would force them into bankruptcy.

Prairie Island Units 1 and 2

Northern States Power Company has reviewed the spring snowmelt flood outlook from the National Weather Service and predicted the impact on Prairie Island Units 1 and 2. Based on current conditions plus anticipated temperatures and precipitation through the snowmelt period the crest potential of the Mississippi at the Prairie Island plant is approximately 1.5 feet above the flood crest in 1993 (elevation 683.3 feet) which was the most severe flooding in recent history. The estimated flood level is at approximately the 685 foot elevation. Grade level around the main buildings is at or above the 694 foot elevation. The Notice of Unusual Event level is at the 686 foot elevation and unit shutdown is at the 692 foot elevation. The crest date is estimated to occur sometime between April 12 and April 18, 1997. The licensee will continue to assess the potential for spring flooding based on the most current information.

Zion Units 1 and 2 -- Operations Department Evaluation and Reorganization

For the past week, the licensee has been evaluating all personnel in the operations department to determine who will continue in operations and participate in the restart of Unit 2. The results of its evaluations were to be announced on about April 2, 1997. Those personnel who were selected to remain in the operations department will commence a training program on April 7, 1997, to return Unit 2 to service. The licensee plans to startup Unit 2 using the improved standard technical specifications (ISTS) and will use ISTS to conduct its training. The operators who were not selected will no longer be in the operations department. The reactor operators that chose not to participate in the evaluation process were evaluated by management and their futures will be determined along with those of the other department members.

In January 1997, the licensee had unitized the management of the operations, maintenance, and work control departments. Prior to the start of the training on April 7, 1997, the operations department will be consolidated into one organization, centered on Unit 2, instead of being unitized. The other departments will remain unitized.

ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 4, 1997

Babcock and Wilcox Announces Intent to Restructure

The Babcock and Wilcox Company (B&W) has informed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of its intent to restructure by forming a wholly-owned subsidiary called the Babcock & Wilcox Company, BWX Technologies, Inc., (BWXT). B&W is restructuring along business lines to improve its competitiveness. B&W states that the restructuring will have no effect on NRC-related safety or financial responsibilities. The restructuring affects B&W licenses for the Naval Nuclear Fuel Division in Lynchburg, Virginia; former fuel processing facilities in Apollo and Parks Township, Pennsylvania; Shallow Land Disposal Area at Parks Township, Pennsylvania; and research and development facilities in Alliance, Ohio. B&W is seeking NRC consent to the restructuring, which B&W intends to implement at the end of June 1997. The NRC staff will review the proposed restructuring to confirm that it will not adversely affect compliance with NRC requirements and to identify issues that require resolution prior to the restructuring.

ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 4, 1997

Attendance at the International Symposium on Seismic Safety Relating to Nuclear Power Plants

RES and NRR representatives attended the International Symposium on Seismic Safety Relating to Nuclear Power Plants.

The symposium was to foster an international information exchange on seismic design and engineering through presentations of invited speakers and discussions on up-to-date research results and current engineering practices among participating experts. The emphasis was on practical solutions in nuclear power plant applications. More than 250 participants from about 25 countries were present at the symposium.

The RES staff presented a paper entitled, "U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Seismic Regulations, Research, and Emerging Trends," and also participated in a panel discussion of invited representatives on the subject of Technical Issues and International Cooperation on Seismic Engineering of Nuclear Power Plants.

The international information exchange programs provide opportunities to learn from each other and effectively pool the limited resources together.

RES Meeting with GE-San Jose Regarding BWR Reactor Vessel Internals on March 13, 1997

Joel Page of GSIB/DET attended this meeting which included representatives of the Idaho National Engineering & Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). The purpose of the meeting was to provide information associated with the mechanical engineering aspects of NRC's ongoing research regarding intergranular stress corrosion cracking of BWR internals. Specifically, the meeting concentrated on the mechanical design details and the thermal/hydraulic performance aspects of the reactor vessel internals, including those associated with the reactor protection and emergency core cooling systems.

Joint Specialists Meeting on NDE Techniques Capability Demonstration and Inspection Qualification

Staff members from the Offices of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) and Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) attended a Joint Specialists Meeting on NDE Techniques Capability demonstration and Inspection Qualification. The purpose of the meeting was to provide an international forum for the discussion of recent developments, results and of utility experience with NDE techniques capability demonstration and inspection qualification methods. The meeting provided an opportunity to compare and assess the qualification principles from the American Performance Demonstration Initiative (PDI), the European Network for Inspection Qualification and as well as the IAEA guidelines specific to VVER's. Special emphasis was placed on NDE techniques qualification to detect and size flaws in order to assure structural integrity during plant design life or into the period of license extension.

Additionally, the RES staff member attended a meeting of the International Cooperative Group on Piping Performance. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss activities since the last meeting of September 1996 and to discuss future activities. A steering committee was formed to solicit commitment from utilities to participate in the group's activities. Future activities discussed included the objectives and scope of the group, a proposal for the piping performance data base program, management of data, costs, access to data, and organization of the group. The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for October 1997 during the Water Reactor Safety Information Meeting in Bethesda, MD.

Publication of Regulatory Guides and Standard Review Plan Sections

On April 1, 1997, a Federal Register Notice was published (62 FR 15547) announcing the issuance and availability of the following regulatory guides and standard review plan sections: (1) Regulatory Guide 1.165, "Identification and Characterization of Seismic Sources and Determination of Shutdown Earthquake Ground Motions," (2) Revision 2 to Regulatory Guide 1.12, "Nuclear Power Plant Instrumentation for Earthquakes," (3) Regulatory Guide 1.166, "Pre-Earthquake Planning and Immediate Nuclear Power Plant Operator Post-Earthquake Actions," (4) Regulatory Guide 1.167, "Restart of a Nuclear Power Plant Shut Down by a Seismic Event, (5) Standard Review Plan Section 2.5.1, Revision 3, "Basic Geologic and Seismic Information," (6) Standard Review Plan Section 2.5.2, Revision 3 "Vibratory Ground Motion," (7) Standard Review Plan Section 2.5.3, Revision 3, "Surface Faulting."

These regulatory guides and standard review plan sections are in support of amendments to 10 CFR Parts 21, 50, 52, 54, and 100 published December 11, 1996, (61 FR 65157) that update the criteria used in decisions regarding power reactor siting, including geologic, seismic, and earthquake engineering considerations for future nuclear power plants, and if requested on modification of operating reactors.

ENCLOSURE D

Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 4, 1997

Reactor Analysis Branch Support of Regulatory Information Conference

Jose Ibarra and Hal Ornstein made presentations at the Regulatory Information Conference.

Jose Ibarra's presentation addressed the recently completed "Assessment of Spent Fuel Cooling," which has been issued as NUREG-1275, Vol. 12.

Hal Ornstein's presentation addressed control rod insertion problems at foreign operating reactors.

AEOD Case Study C97-01, "Grid Performance Factors"

AEOD issued the final report for Case Study C97-01, "Grid Performance Factors." The study was initiated to document operating experiences which may have impacted nuclear power plant operations and the availability of offsite power for the period of 1985 to the present. The draft report was issued in July of 1996 for comments. NRC staff and industry organizations responded.

Subsequent to the issuance of the draft report, AEOD personnel have interviewed government and industry personnel concerning the reliability of offsite power. Problems described in the study and by industry self-assessments, as well as uncertainties introduced by the restructuring of the electric industry indicate the need for the NRC to monitor grid conditions on a regular basis.

Information Notice 97-14 Issued on AEOD Study on Assessment of Spent Fuel Pool Experience

An Information Notice (IN 97-14) was issued March 28 informing nuclear power plant operating license holders of the AEOD assessment of operating experience involving spent fuel pool cooling and inventory losses described in NUREG-1275, Vol. 12, "Assessment of Spent Fuel Cooling." The NUREG was issued in February. The IN highlights results of the AEOD independent study results from the analysis of operating experience with spent fuel pools. While the study found that the relative risk due to loss of spent fuel pool cooling is low compared with non-spent fuel pool events, the review determined that consequences are highly dependent on human performance and individual plant design features.

Pilgrim Event

On April 1, 1997, IRD staff members supported Region I during NRC's monitoring of the loss of off-site power at the Pilgrim nuclear power plant. Additional Headquarters staff who supported Pilgrim monitoring activities were members of Project Directorate 1-3, Electrical Engineering Branch, and Instrumentation and Controls Branch of NRR, and Reactor Analysis Branch of AEOD. The event terminated around midnight, April 2, 1997.

PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATIONS (PNs)

ENCLOSURE I

Office of Personnel
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 4, 1997

In-House Workshop on Depression Held

On April 3, 1997, Dr. Bruce Kehr, a local psychiatrist, presented a two-hour workshop on depression in the workplace. Approximately 80 employees attended. The program was a repeat of a presentation made in March, at which time a separate session was held for supervisors. Dr. Kehr was asked to come back to accommodate those who were unable to attend the earlier sessions.

1997 Federal Savings Bonds Kick-off Rally Held

On March 31, 1997, Henry Rubin attended the 1997 Federal Savings Bonds Campaign Reception and Kick-off Rally at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C. Attorney General Janet Reno was the keynote speaker, who again will serve as the Campaign Chair. NRC's 1997 Savings Bonds Campaign will run from May 12 to June 12, 1997.

ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 4, 1997

Media Interest

Press reporters attended the Maine Yankee meeting regarding the plan for restart.

One reporter from the Arkansas Gazette attended the exit meeting for the design inspection at Arkansas Nuclear One.

School Volunteers Program

Tom Frederichs, NRR, spoke about NRC and nuclear reactors with two 5th grade classes at St. Christopher's School in Chicago.

ENCLOSURE N

Office of International Programs
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 4, 1997

Foreign Visitors -- Japan

On Wednesday, April 2, 1997, Deputy Director General Tomihiro Taniguchi, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Japan, met with Chairman Jackson. During their discussions, he briefed her on the status of Japan's nuclear power program and the effects of the recent fire and explosion at the Tokai Works of the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC).

ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 4, 1997

Historian

Sam Walker, the NRC Historian, delivered a talk at the annual meeting of the Society for History in the Federal Government, held at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland on April 3 and 4, 1997. As a part of a session on "Writing the Nuclear History of the Cold War Era," he discussed the intellectual challenges and rewards of his work on the history of nuclear regulation. The session was attended by a standing room audience of 40-50 people. Participants in the conference included federal historians, contractors, and other scholars with an interest in the history of the federal government.

ENCLOSURE P

Region I
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 4, 1997

Outreach to Harvard University

On March 28, 1997, John Kinneman made a presentation on the Regulation of Radioactive Materials Users to about 50 participants in a class on Occupational and Environmental Radiation Protection at the Harvard School of Public Health.

ENCLOSURE P

Region II
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 4, 1997

Virginia Electric & Power Company - North Anna & Surry

On April 2, the Commonwealth of Virginia Power hosted a Radiological Emergency Preparedness Seminar for local government emergency management representatives. The meeting agenda included participation and presentation on NRC programs from the Surry and North Anna Resident Inspectors and Regional Staff members. The meeting was conducted at the Virginia Power Company, Innsbrook Technical Center, Richmond, Virginia.

Foreign Visitors in Region II Office

Region II will be hosting Messrs. Andrie and Dimov from the State Office of Nuclear Safety of the Czech Republic. They will be visiting at the Catawba Nuclear Site from March 31 through April 11, 1997.

Messrs. Furness and Ascroft-Hutton from the United Kingdom (UK), Health and Safety Executive were in the Regional Office to meet with regional management.

Meeting with Secretary of Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDH)

On April 3, 1997, the Director, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, the Director, Division of Industrial and Nuclear Material Safety, NMSS, and Regional staff met with the Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Health in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Other attendees at the meeting were D. Saldana, Director of the Radiological Health Program; D. Olivo, Assistant to the Secretary in the Environmental Health; L. Vissepo, Legal Counsel to the Secretary; and W. Townsend, Ophthalmologist from the University of Puerto Rico and advisor to the Secretary. The PRDH and NRC agreed upon the actions to constitute the followup.

ENCLOSURE R

Office of Congressional Affairs
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 4, 1997