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SECY-00-0014

January 19, 2000

PURPOSE:

To inform the Commission of final preparations for the IAEA Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) Mission at the North Anna Nuclear Power Plant, January 24 - February 10, 2000.

BACKGROUND:

In SECY-98-116, OIP informed the Commission of plans to invite the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to send an OSART to a U.S. nuclear power plant. Such missions review the operation of a plant and the performance of the plant management and staff. They do not address the adequacy of a plant's design. The U.S. has previously hosted three OSARTs: Calvert Cliffs in 1987, Byron in 1989, and Grand Gulf in 1992. In each case, and in the upcoming OSART at North Anna, the host facility volunteered to participate in the OSART process and agreed to pay its own associated costs (e.g. preparatory, administrative, and hospitality costs).

DISCUSSION:

The preparatory meeting to discuss arrangements for an OSART mission at the North Anna nuclear power plant was held in February, 1999. IAEA representatives briefed NRC and Virginia Power management and staff on how the mission would be conducted and discussed details such as costs, U.S. participation and team composition. During that meeting, final dates for the Mission were set.

The entrance meeting, to be held at North Anna on January 24, will include presentations to the IAEA team by Virginia Power corporate representatives, the plant manager, and Region II Administrator Luis Reyes. Mr. Reyes will address the role of the regulatory body in the U.S., its relationship with its plant licensees, and how it regulates nuclear power plants. Chairman Meserve will also participate in the opening session, making brief remarks. The OSART Entrance Meeting Agenda is included as Attachment 1 .

A two hour exit meeting, scheduled for February 10, will consist of summarized presentations of all areas evaluated, including recommendations and good practices identified by the OSART team. The OSART team leader will summarize the report and provide the technical notes to the plant management. Plant management and senior NRC management will be given an opportunity to provide closing remarks.

The OSART team will be composed of representatives from France, the U.K., Slovakia, Brazil, Canada, Spain and Slovenia, with observers from Russia, Ukraine and Mexico (see Attachment 2 ).

The summary OSART report on the results of the mission, including team recommendations, will be given to the NRC and will remain a restricted IAEA document for up to 90 days or until NRC notifies IAEA that it may release it to the public. A follow-up IAEA visit to North Anna, consisting of two IAEA staff members, will be made twelve to eighteen months after completion of the Mission to review plant actions taken in response to the OSART team recommendations.

RESOURCES:

As identified in SECY-98-116, resources of $60,000 are required to host the OSART. These resources are available within the FY 2000 budget. No additional resources will be required.

COORDINATION:

The Office of the Chief Financial Officer has reviewed this Commission Paper for resource implications and has no objections.

Attachments: As stated (2)