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SECY-03-0196 November 13, 2003
Contact: L. Roche, OEDO Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Southern Nuclear Operating Company Notice of Enforcement Discretion (NOED) On November 4, 2003, NRR granted NOED 03-6-004 to Southern Nuclear Operating Company at 2:15 p.m. for Vogtle Unit 2. This NOED relates to the 31-day staggered test basis for Actuation Logic Tests required by SR 3.3.1.5 and SR 3.3.2.2. The licensee could not perform the complete testing because of a broken test switch. NRR, granted the NOED with Region II concurrence. The NOED allows a 28-day extension of these tests from November 5, 2003, at 4:36 a.m. to December 3, 2003, at 4:36 a.m. To account for the missed surveillances, the licensee will implement several compensatory measures and considers the NOED to have no net increase in risk. Quad Cities Unit 1 - Potential Steam Dryer Degradation On November 3, 2003, the licensee lowered Quad Cities Unit 1 reactor power to its pre-extended power uprate level due to indications that the steam dryer may be degrading. On October 28, an increase in flow through the 'D' main steam line was identified with a corresponding decrease of about the same amount in the A, B, and C main steam lines. On October 31, 2003, the licensee began monitoring a steady increase in moisture carryover. Similar changes were identified last spring when steam dryer damage occurred at Quad Cities Unit 2. Moisture carryover, which normally fluctuates between 0.03 and 0.09 percent, had increased to 0.153 percent. Subsequent to the reduction in power, moisture carryover was reduced to 0.062 percent by November 4, 2003. Planning is underway to bring Unit 1 down for inspection and modification in the next week or so. Dresden Unit 2 - Feedwater Sparger Damage During the current refueling outage at Dresden Unit 2 (D2R18), an inspection performed by the licensee identified damage of the feedwater (FW) sparger. Two of the nozzles were found to have holes that were apparently caused by a projectile. The licensee found a 3/4-inch diameter, 11-inch long pipe inside the sparger located about 10 inches downstream from the damage. This was identified as a piece of a FW isokinetic sample probe. The probe consists of an extra heavy wall 304SS pipe and is installed through a 1 1/4- inch weldolet. It protrudes halfway into the 24-inch FW header downstream of the high pressure FW heaters. The licensee believes that the FW sample probe was the projectile that caused the damage. During previous refueling outages at Units 2 and 3 (D2R17 and D3R17), FW isokinetic sample probes were missing and new probes were installed. General Electric described cases of FW probes failing due to transgranular stress corrosion cracking in BWR services information letter (SIL) 257 dated December 30, 1977. The SIL recommended inspection and replacement with probes of an improved design. Quad Cities Units 1 and 2 replaced the probes in 1996 and 1997, respectively. Both Quad Cities and Dresden have adopted a 5-year inspection and preventive maintenance plan for the probes. The licensee has repaired the FW sparger and is currently performing a root cause analysis. Region III has inspected the repair and is monitoring the licensee's corrective actions. Material Reliability Program Meeting Representatives from the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation and the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research met with industry representatives on October 23, 2003. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss work being managed by EPRI's Material Reliability Program (MRP) Reactor Internals (RI) Issues Task Group (ITG). The goal of the RI-ITG is to establish aging management programs that will assure reactor vessel internals integrity through plant life, including 60 plus years of operation. The group serves as an industry focal point for resolution of issues related to PWR reactor internals material degradation. They also perform research to identify aging mechanisms and their affects on reactor internals and provide a focal point to support communication with the agency. Presentations made by Duke Energy, EPRI, and Westinghouse, shared some details of program results-to-date. The NRC was encouraged by the progress that the RI-ITG has made and requested that they continue to share their research results and the resulting inspection and evaluation recommendations with the staff in a timely manner. All participants agreed that it was important to continue regular meetings of the RI-ITG with the agency. Industry representatives indicated that it might be possible to formally submit the research results and inspection and evaluation guidance for NRC staff review and comment. NEI offered to discuss this further with the staff. The staff emphasized that many licensees are relying on this program to satisfy commitments they made as part of the license renewal process and these are included in their licensing basis. Inspection at Pickering Nuclear Station (Canada) A representative from the Division of Engineering has been selected to participate in the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) inspection at Pickering Nuclear Station the week of November 17. The CNSC Compliance & Licensing Division has planned this inspection similar to a NRC augmented inspection team inspection. This inspection is being conducted to follow-up on electrical power engineering issues at the Pickering plant and plant trip complications during the Northeastern grid collapse on August 14, 2003. Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Third Amendment Received for Blended Low-Enriched Uranium Project On October 24, 2003, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards staff received an amendment request from Nuclear Fuel Services (NFS) for the Oxide Conversion Building and the Effluent Processing Building in the Blended Low-Enriched Uranium (BLEU) Complex. This is the third and final amendment request for the BLEU Project at NFS. In addition to its amendment request, NFS submitted: (1) changes to its emergency plan; (2) changes to its fundamental nuclear material control plan; and (3) changes to its physical security plan. All the submittals are considered part of the amendment request. An acceptance review is being conducted. If the application is accepted, a notice of receipt and opportunity to request a hearing will be published in the Federal Register. Commissioner Merrifield's tour of Uranium Enrichment Gas Centrifuge Manufacturing and Test Facilities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee On November 4, 2003, four NRC officials, including Commissioner Merrifield, toured the U.S. Enrichment Corporation's (USEC's) and Department of Energy's (DOE's) uranium enrichment gas centrifuge manufacturing and test facilities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Before the tours, USEC briefly described its centrifuge deployment program and the technology to the NRC officials. DOE-Oak Ridge officials were also present. After the briefing, the NRC officials toured USEC's centrifuge parts manufacturing facility and centrifuge test facility. They also toured DOE's gas centrifuge enrichment cascade, which operated for about 2 years before being shut down in 1985. Public Meeting on Proposed Louisiana Energy Services Enrichment Plant On November 4, 2003, staff from the Divisions of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards and Waste Management, Region II, and the Offices of the General Counsel, Congressional Affairs, and Public Affairs, held a public meeting in Eunice, New Mexico, to discuss NRC's licensing process, the environmental impact statement preparation process, and the inspection program applicable to the Louisiana Energy Services proposed gas centrifuge enrichment plant project. About 250 people attended the meeting. After the staff presentations, staff answered questions from the public. Members of the public and local elected officials indicated strong support for the project. Suggestions were made to video-conference technical meetings with the applicant, make project documents available at local libraries or schools, and prepare some documents in Spanish. NRC Staff Observe DOE Audit of Yucca Mountain Project Reports On October 21-31, 2003, Division of Waste Management and Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses staff observed the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Quality Assurance audit of analysis model reports in Las Vegas, Nevada. DOE will use analysis model reports to support a license application to construct a repository at Yucca Mountain. The DOE audit team reviewed the effectiveness and implementation of applicable analysis model report procedures, processes, and products. It also evaluated the critical process steps involved with the development, control, use, and documentation of scientific analyses and models used to develop the reports. The DOE auditors identified 17 conditions adverse to quality and six less severe conditions in the areas of documentation and traceability, procedure adequacy, data and software usage, and model validation. The results of this audit will be discussed with DOE management during the NRC and DOE quality assurance quarterly meeting on November 12, 2003, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Department of Transportation Public Meeting Regarding Proposed Changes to the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (TS-R-1) On November 5, 2003, Spent Fuel Project Office staff participated in a Department of Transportation (DOT) public meeting held at DOT Headquarters to solicit public comment on the U.S. positions produced by DOT and NRC on the 63 proposed changes for the 2005 Edition of the subject regulations. About 20 persons attended, representing industry organizations, Federal agencies, an environmental group, and the media. There were no significant objections to any of the U.S. positions. Most comments were from the industry representatives requesting clarification on the positions. The U.S. delegation will carry forward applicable comments to the IAEA Review Panel meeting on the 2005 Edition of TS-R-1, to be held in Bonn, Germany, November 10-14, 2003. International Atomic Energy Agency Joint Convention in Vienna, Austria At the International Atomic Energy Agency Joint Convention in Vienna (November 3-14, 2003), the U.S. was assigned to Working Group One, which included the U.S., Slovakia, Belgium, Slovenia, Latvia, Greece, and Ireland. The U.S. was the first Contracting Party to make a presentation. Ms. Janet Gorn, Senior Foreign Affairs Officer, Office of Nuclear Energy, State Department, presented opening remarks for the U.S. National Report Country Group presentation. The Deputy Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, NRC, presented a 2-hour overview of the U.S. National Report. The overview summarized spent fuel and radioactive waste policies, practices, and scope, inventories and lists, the legal and regulatory program, and selected safety topics. The presentation also focused on the 167 written comments received on the U.S. National Report from 17 Contracting Parties. A 2-hour peer review discussion followed the overview presentation, using a question and answer format. Representatives from many of the 17 countries who had submitted written questions on the National Report participated in the peer review discussion. These Contracting Parties were unanimous in their compliments to the U.S. on the high quality of the National Report and presentation, and that the U.S. had provided a comprehensive and adequate response to the questions raised. This reaffirmed the U.S. position that we are in full compliance with the terms of the Joint Convention. Some of the peer review questions focused on clarification of the roles of the regulatory agencies in the U.S., including the independence of the Department of Energy as a self-regulatory authority for the majority of its facilities. The Netherlands expressed a desire to see the foreign research reactor spent fuel acceptance program extended beyond 2009. Aspects of emergency planning at spent fuel and radioactive waste facilities were also discussed. In finalizing the Peer Review Country Group Report on the U.S. program, the Working Group One Parties noted that the U.S. involvement of stakeholders in the development of disposal facilities was a good practice. The Working Group Parties also concluded that future U.S. country reports would benefit from the inclusion of additional information, such as statistics and examples of compliance with safety standards and the effectiveness of U.S. regulatory programs. Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research Blackout Working Group Meeting with Industry on Grid Reliability On October 31, 2003, RES and NRR staff met with industry representatives from the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), to discuss the NRC's Joint Task Force activities on the August 14, 2003, Northeast power outage and internal NRC staff activities related to grid reliability. The attendees discussed the initiatives by both industry and NRC that would help everyone to better understand grid reliability. INPO discussed the need for an earlier completion of activities to address loss of the grid. EPRI discussed its work related to nuclear plant safety and grid reliability. Meeting members agreed that there is a need for NRC and industry to expand their understanding of grid performance and reliability. The attendees also discussed the follow-on plans to collaborate and share grid information. Additional meetings will be held following the release of the joint U.S. and Canadian Task Force Report on the blackout event. Meeting on ACR-700 Phenomena Identification and Ranking Technique (PIRT) On October 30 and 31, 2003, RES conducted PIRT meetings on the Advanced CANDU Reactor design, ACR-700. The PIRT process is used to identify key phenomena and processes that are important to understanding plant behavior under normal and accident conditions. The strength of the PIRT process is in the importance ranking of these phenomena and in the identification of data and models to support their predictions. The staff will use PIRT information to identify gaps in tools and data to help prioritize their development. The PIRT meetings were the first in a series of expert panel working meetings for applying the process to the ACR-700 review. This initial meeting included introductory technical presentations by the vendor, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), and technical experts from the NRC, national laboratories, contractors, consultants, and universities. The next PIRT meeting is scheduled for December 11-12, 2003. Framework for Risk Analysis in Multimedia Environmental Systems (FRAMES) Software Demonstration RES sponsored a technical briefing on the FRAMES-2.0 software platform being developed by PNNL for selecting environmental software models for dose assessment (for detailed information, go to: http://mepas.pnl.gov/FRAMESV1/index.html ). Development of FRAMES is being supported by the NRC, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Energy (DOE), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as part of the interagency cooperative activities under the Memorandum of Understanding on research in multimedia environmental modeling. NMSS and RES staff, along with the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analysis (CNWRA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and DOE attended the demonstration held at NRC. The demonstration illustrated the use of FRAMES to incorporate various contaminant source, pathway, and dose assessment models. Activities Related to Cyber Security On November 3, 2003, RES staff met with representatives from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to discuss plans for assessing the Westinghouse Common Q system. This is the second system to be evaluated in the RES Safety System Isolation Study regarding cyber security vulnerabilities. On November 4, 2003, RES staff visited Bell Laboratories (Bell Labs) to discuss digital system security assessment techniques and tools for safety-critical digital systems. Bell Labs has an extensive research facility for Internet systems, including research and development of security systems. The exchange included discussion of both design review criteria and inspection techniques (e.g., audits, inspections, reviews, and penetration testing). On November 6, 2003, RES staff participated in a North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) task force meeting on process control system security. The NERC Process Control Systems Security Task Force is working toward improving critical electricity sector systems. Through interactions with the NERC task force, RES staff gained additional insight on the "front-line" issues related to security and reliability of systems. NUREG/CR Reports on Electromagnetic Compatibility RES staff published NUREG/CR-5609, "Electromagnetic Compatibility Testing for Conducted Susceptibility Along Interconnecting Signal Lines" and NUREG/CR-6782, "Comparison of U.S. Military and International Electromagnetic Compatibility Guidance." NUREG/CR-5609 provides recommendations for addressing the effects of conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio-frequency interference (RFI) along signal lines in safety related instrumentation and control systems, particularly those in nuclear power plants. NUREG/CR-6782 compares the standards for addressing EMI and RFI effects that are included in Regulatory Guide 1.180, the U.S. military applications, and those issued by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). These reports are part of the technical basis for Regulatory Guide 1.180, "Guidelines for Evaluating EMI/RFI in Safety Related Instrumentation and Control Systems." Reactor Operating Experience Results and Databases Web Page RES has launched a new web site, Reactor Operating Experience Results and Databases, on the NRC Intranet. The site contains web pages documenting the updated industry trends for initiating events, system performance, component performance, common-cause failures, and fire events. The site is maintained for the NRC by the Idaho Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). This web-based system replaces the previous paper-based systems of NUREG-series reports (NUREG/CR-5500 series, NUREG/CR-5750, and NUREG/CR-5497) to provide greater stakeholder access to the information. The web pages provide industry trends updated through FY 2002. The data collection classification, analysis, and quality assurance used in the previously issued and peer-reviewed studies were used in the update of the trends, but the analysis methods have been standardized for all the studies. Meeting of Equipment Performance and Information Exchange (EPIX) Ad hoc Working Group, INPO Headquarters in Atlanta, GA On November 5, 2003, RES staff participated in a meeting of the EPIX Ad hoc Working Group at INPO headquarters in Atlanta. The meeting reported on the status of EPIX-related activities such as Consolidated Data Entry (CDE), the Mitigating System Performance Index (MSPI), and a survey of EPIX usage. CDE is the new system developed by INPO for industry to enter raw data to meet reporting requirements for the Reactor Oversight Process (ROP), Monthly Operating Reports (MOR), and for the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO). CDE will go into full production on November 17, 2003. It will provide the MOR data for submittal to NRC on December 15, 2003, and the ROP data for submittal to NRC on January 15, 2004. If the MSPI is approved for use with the ROP, INPO will develop database software products for implementing and producing each utility's MSPIs. NRC staff gave the Group a presentation on Agency usage of EPIX data including: input into the Agency's Reliability and Availability Data system; updates of system and component reliability and trends; updates of common cause failure parameters; updates of fire event frequencies and trends; and input into the MSPI pilot program. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Study Steering Committee Meeting in Washington, DC On November 6, 2003, RES staff attended an IARC study steering committee meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to review the status of the epidemiological review of commercial nuclear power reactor workers from the U.S. Dr. Geoffrey Howe, Columbia University, described the methodology being used to assess the health of 54,000 workers at 52 U.S. commercial nuclear power reactors. The U.S. data was supplied from the NRC 's Radiation Exposure Information Reporting System (REIRS). This study is part of an overall combined mortality study of approximately 500,000 nuclear workers in fifteen countries, known as the International Collaborative study of Cancer Risk Among Radiation Workers in the Nuclear Industry. The U.S. data, which consists of cancer and non-cancer mortality data, will be submitted to the journal, Radiation Research, for review and publication within the next few months. The comprehensive IARC study is scheduled for completion by mid-2004 and the final IARC report should be published by late-2004. The results from this study should improve the ability of regulatory agencies to estimate health risks associated with occupational exposure to ionizing radiation. Nuclear Security and Incident Response Preliminary Notifications
Office of Administration Policy Statement on the Treatment of Environmental Justice Matters in NRC Environmental Justice Matters in NRC Regulatory and Licensing Actions On November 5, 2003, the Federal Register Notice (68 FR 62642) published the draft policy statement on the treatment of environmental justice matters in NRC regulatory and licensing actions. It reaffirms that the Commission is committed to full compliance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in all of its regulatory and licensing actions. Assessment of Access Authorization Fees (Parts 11 and 25) On November 5, 2003 (68 FR 62509) published a final rule amending the regulations to change the way the agency accesses authorization fees. The NRC is replacing its set fee schedules for special nuclear material access authorization and national security information or restricted data access authorization with a formula for calculating fees based on current Office of Personnel Management billing rates for personnel background investigations. Chief Information Officer Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Requests received during the period of November 1 through November 6, 2003:
Office of Human Resources
*Reassigned from Region I Office of Public Affairs Media Interest OPA and NRR met with representatives of the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan on October 31 to discuss the regulatory role of the NRC and how we communicate with the public. OPA Region III conducted an in-depth interview with PBS' "The NewsHour" for a segment to air later in November on nuclear power and the early site permit process.
Office of the Secretary
Commission Correspondence
Federal Register Notices Issued
Region I Region I Regional Administrator Meeting with Atlanta Staff On November 6, 2003, the Region I Regional Administrator met with the Region I materials staff who are based in the Region II office in Atlanta, GA. As a result of the consolidation of the materials programs in Region I and II, effective on October 1, 2003, the materials staff in Atlanta are now part of the Region I Division of Nuclear Materials Safety. The Regional Administrator met with the members of the staff individually and as a group and discussed the issues associated with the consolidation. Region I - Limerick Unit 1 Control Rods Declared Inoperable Due to Channel Bow During channel bow testing this week at Limerick Unit 1, two control rods were declared inoperable because they failed the GE-recommended interim surveillance test criteria. The control rods passed the Tech Spec scram time requirement, but failed the continuous insert stall test, which was indicative of excessive friction between the control rod and the fuel channel. These rods were considered susceptible for channel shadow corrosion effects and are believed to be the first in the industry declared inoperable based on the GE test criteria. Region II Region I and II Visit with Puerto Rico Secretary of Health On November 4, 2003, the Region II Regional Administrator and the Region I Director of Nuclear Materials Safety and a Branch Chief met with Dr. Johnny Rullan, Secretary of Health of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss with Dr. Rullan the consolidation of the Region I and II materials program in King of Prussia and to affirm the continuing importance of close work between the NRC and the Department of Health in the safe use of nuclear materials in Puerto Rico. Executive Director of Operations and Deputy Executive Director for Reactor Programs Visits Region II On November 7, 2003, the Executive Director of Operations and Deputy Executive Director for Reactor Programs were in the Region II office to meet with Region II Management. Tennessee Valley Authority - Watts Bar Emergency Exercise On November 4-7, 2003, the State Liaison Officer participated as a member of the Regional Assistance Committee in the full scale Watts Bar exercise, involving officials of the State of Tennessee and the applicable local governments. Georgia Institute of Technology American Nuclear Society Meeting On November 5, 2003, representatives from the Georgia Institute of Technology Student Chapter of the American Nuclear Society were in the Region II Office to meet with Region II staff on NRC activities and employment opportunities. Region III Predecisional Enforcement Conference with Westinghouse Electric Co. On November 4, 2003, members of the Region III staff conducted a predecisional enforcement conference with Westinghouse Electric Co. The purpose was to discuss an apparent violation of NRC requirements associated with the inadvertent shipment of fuel pellets among zirconium tubing sent from the former Hematite, Missouri, fuel fabrication facility to a metal recycling facility in Ontario, Canada. The meeting was closed to public observation because it involved safeguards information. Region IV Periodic Meeting with the State of Kansas The Director, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, the Region IV State Agreements Officer, and a representative from the Office of State and Tribal Programs conducted a periodic meeting in Topeka, Kansas on November 4, 2003, with State of Kansas representatives. The purpose of the meeting was to review the State's regulatory program for nuclear materials. The last Kansas Integrated Materials Performance Evaluation Program (IMPEP) review was performed in April 2002. At that time, NRC decided to monitor the performance of the program. Public Meeting with Nebraska Public Power District On November 4, 2003, the Director, Division of Reactor Projects led a public meeting with Nebraska Public Power District officials in Brownville, Nebraska, to discuss the results of recent inspection activities at Cooper Nuclear Station. This was an exit meeting for the quarterly inspection of the licensee's improvement program and the baseline inspection of the problem identification and resolution program. The meeting was well attended by the public, plant employees, and the media. South Texas Project Public Meeting On November 5, Region IV staff held a public meeting in the regional office with representatives of the South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company. Topics discussed in the meeting, which was held at the licensee's request, included plant challenges and the site's Strategic Performance Improvement Plan. Office of Congressional Affairs
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