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SECY 98-009

January 22, 1998

ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Items of Interest
Week Ending January 16, 1998

CRGR Meeting to Discuss Proposed Generic Letter on the Year 2000 Computer Problem

On January 13, 1998, staff from the Division of Reactor Controls and Human Factors and the Generic Issues and Environmental Projects Branch met with the Committee for the Review of Generic Requirements (CRGR) to discuss the staff's proposed generic letter on the Year 2000 computer problem. The staff is proposing to issue a generic letter requiring submittal of information from each nuclear power plant licensee confirming that they are implementing a program to address the Year 2000 computer problem and certify they are Year 2000 ready and in compliance with their license. The CRGR concurred with issuance of the proposed generic letter for public comment based on staff agreement to incorporate several minor wording changes and clarifications to the proposed generic letter. The staff expects to publish the draft generic letter for public comment by the end of January 1998.

Oconee

On December 28, 1997, Unit 1 was shut down due to indication of approximately 400 gallons per day (gpd) steam generator tube leakage in the 1A steam generator. The technical specification leakage limit is 150 gpd from any one steam generator. By performing a nitrogen pressure "bubble" test, the licensee determined that the leakage path was through the space between the outside of various steam generator tubes and the tubesheet, through the rolled region and the tube-to-tubesheet weld. Only one of these paths was responsible for a significant leak rate and some of the other leakage paths may have existed for some time. These problems are being corrected by rewelding, rerolling, plugging, or plug replacement as appropriate, followed by eddy current tests. A total of 38 tubes have been plugged. In addition, a large number of periphery tubes (2222) have been rerolled because a significant number of seal weld problems were found during the pressure tests due to hole distortion from tube sheet bow and because these locations see the greatest axial loading during cooldown. A bubble test of the 1B steam generator also detected a number of weld leaks, which have also been repaired. The leaks have not been classified as steam generator "tube" leaks, since the leakage path is not through the steam generator tube wall. It should be noted, however, that during plant operation, leakage from this path would be detected and classified as tube leakage and the appropriate limits applied since it is not possible to determine if the leakage is through-wall or through the weld. Unit restart is expected late next week.

St. Lucie Unit 1 -- Completion of Steam Generator Replacement Outage

St. Lucie Unit 1 returned to service on January 7, 1998, after completing a 79-day outage during which both steam generators were replaced. The replacement steam generators were manufactured by Babcock & Wilcox, Canada. The original steam generators are being stored temporarily on site and will be transported to Barnwell, South Carolina, for permanent burial.

No significant problems were encountered during the outage relating to the steam generator replacement.

Crystal River 3 -- Preparations for Restart

Florida Power Corporation (FPC) met with the staff on January 12, 1998, to discuss the status of preparations to restart CR3. The unit has been shut down since September 1996, and a Confirmatory Action Letter specifies NRC authorization prior to restart. Modifications to the plant are nearing completion, and the licensee expects to be ready to enter Mode 4 within the next few days. Region II is continuing to inspect corrective actions associated with the deficiencies that caused the extended shutdown. NRR is continuing to review license amendment requests that are needed prior to restart. Before and during the extended shutdown, several Unreviewed Safety Questions (USQs) were identified. Resolution of a number of the USQs required review and approval of license amendments prior to restart.

Management Changes -- Cooper

Phil Graham, VP of Nuclear Energy at Cooper, announced his resignation, effective February 2. John Swailes, General Manager of Engineering at WNP-2, has been named to succeed Graham. Graham will remain at Cooper for an unspecified transition period.

ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
Items of Interest
Week Ending January 16, 1998

Meeting on High Enriched Uranium Inventory Report

On January 14, 1998, staff from the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards met with Department of Energy (DOE) staff and contractors to discuss the status of DOE's High Enriched Uranium Inventory Report. The report will address the history of high enriched uranium from its initial production through mid-1996. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff previously provided comments to DOE on the initial draft of the report and were meeting to discuss how DOE intended to address those comments.

Food and Drug Administration Workshop -- Minimizing Medical Product Errors: A Systems Approach

On January 8, 1998, staff from the Offices of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards and Nuclear Regulatory Research attended a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-sponsored workshop entitled Minimizing Medical Product Errors: A Systems Approach. Approximately 200 attendees represented a spectrum of stakeholders from the medical, drug, device, journalism, insurance, and regulatory communities.

Most discussions revolved around human error; means to reduce the likelihood of such error; means to increase the likelihood of early detection and correction of error which does occur; and means to increase the likelihood of early and effective mitigation of the effects of error which is not detected and corrected. The participants stressed the need for a systems approach which recognizes the influence that other elements (e.g., hardware, software, practices and procedures, and management and organization) of medical systems have on human performance.

Meeting with Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc.

On January 13, 1998, staff from the Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety met with the Director of Risk Management of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI). ISRI requested the meeting to discuss the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's current regulation of generally and specifically licensed devices, and how NRC and other government agencies respond to situations where radioactive material enters the public domain. ISRI indicated that the information will be useful when formulating its comments on the NRC staff's recommendations provided in SECY-97-273, "Improving NRC's Control Over, and Licensees' Accountability for, Generally and Specifically Licensed Devices." ISRI will participate in the January 21, 1998, Commission Briefing on SECY-97-273.

Meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency Representative

On January 13, 1998, the Spent Fuel Project Office (SFPO) hosted H. Peter Dyck, Scientific Secretary and Unit Head for Spent Fuel Storage, of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Mr. Dyck presented a summary of the IAEA meetings related to the interim storage of spent fuel during 1997, and discussed meetings planned for 1998. SFPO provided Mr. Dyck with an overview of licensing and inspection activities pertaining to interim storage of spent fuel.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Licenses the Uranium Mill Tailings Disposal Site at Rifle, Colorado

On January 13, 1998, Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff formally accepted the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Long-Term Surveillance Plan (LTSP) for the permanent uranium mill tailings disposal site at Estes Gulch near Rifle, Colorado. With the acceptance of the LTSP, NRC has licensed DOE for the long-term custody, maintenance, and monitoring of the Estes Gulch disposal site to ensure the continued protection of the public health and safety, and the environment.

Rifle is one of the 24 abandoned mill tailings sites designated for DOE's remedial action by the end of 1998, under the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978. The Estes Gulch disposal site was used by DOE to receive the mill tailings from the two abandoned uranium processing sites near the town of Rifle. On January 9, 1998, NRC staff issued its Completion Review Report for the remediation of the two processing sites near Rifle, and thereby concurred in DOE's certification that it had completed the remediation of those sites in accordance with the NRC-approved Remedial Action Plan and the Environmental Protection Agency standards in 40 CFR 192. The approval of the LTSP and the licensing of the permanent disposal site marks the completion of DOE's planned surface remedial action activities for the two abandoned mill tailings sites near Rifle.

License Termination and Site Transfer Protocol with the Department of Energy for Uranium Mill Sites

On January 8, 1998, the Uranium Recovery Branch, Division of Waste Management, signed a "License Termination/Site Transfer Protocol Between the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission." Under Title II of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978, the Department of Energy (DOE) has a statutory obligation to accept title to uranium and thorium byproduct material disposal sites for long-term surveillance and maintenance, if the state in which the site is located does not elect to become the long-term custodian. After termination of the specific license for a Title II site and the acceptance by the NRC of the site Long-Term Surveillance Plan, the site will come under the DOE's general license for custody and long-term care pursuant to 10 CFR 40.28, "General License for Custody and Long-Term Care of Uranium or Thorium Byproduct Materials Disposal Sites." This protocol, which has been under development for the past couple of years by the Uranium Recovery Branch staff and the DOE, formalizes the successful approach currently being implemented by the NRC and the DOE. To date, two Title II sites, the Atlantic Richfield Company's Bluewater, New Mexico site, and the Tennessee Valley Authority's Edgemont, South Dakota site, have been placed in the custody and long-term care of DOE under 10 CFR 40.28.

Issuance of Source Material License for Crownpoint, New Mexico, Mining Project

During the week of January 5, 1998, staff from the Division of Waste Management issued a five-year source material license (SUA-1508) to Hydro Resources, Inc. (HRI) to construct and operate the Crownpoint Uranium Solution Mining Project in McKinley County, New Mexico. The staff based its licensing action on the results of its environmental and safety reviews documented in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), dated February 1997, and the Safety Evaluation Report (SER), dated December 1997, respectively. In the FEIS, the staff concluded that HRI's proposed Crownpoint Project was environmentally acceptable, and that potential impacts of the project could be mitigated. These mitigative measures are enumerated as conditions in the license. Additionally, the staff concluded in its SER review that issuance of a license, with certain conditions specified therein, would not be inimical to the common defense and security, or to the public's health and safety, and otherwise meets the applicable requirements of 10 CFR Parts 19, 20, 40, and 71, and the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended. Seven petitions for leave to intervene have been filed on the project. The presiding office has held a determination of standing in abeyance pending completion of the staff review. The issuance of the license is the last step in the staff's review, and it is expected that the determinations of standing will now be made.

State of Nevada Accepts Custody of Beatty Low-Level Waste Disposal Site

On December 30, 1997, the State of Nevada accepted permanent custody of the former low-level radioactive waste disposal site at Beatty, Nevada, according to a press release issued by American Ecology Corporation. The site operated from 1962 until it stopped accepting waste at the end of 1992. Since then, the licensee, U.S. Ecology, a subsidiary of American Ecology, has been implementing closure activities at the site (e.g., decontaminating and/or dismantling buildings) and monitoring its performance. Transfer of the license to the State is one of several steps eventually leading to termination of the license at the end of the institutional control period, which may be as long as 100 years.

ENCLOSURE D

Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data
Items of Interest
Week Ending January 16, 1998

Auxiliary Feedwater System Reliability Draft Report

The Safety Programs Division of the Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data has issued the draft report, "Auxiliary/Emergency Feedwater System Reliability, 1987-1995," INEEL/EXT-97-00740, for internal and external peer review. The objective of this study was to assess auxiliary feedwater system performance in 72 PWRs based on operating experience from 1987-1995. Major findings of the study include the following:

• There were no failures of the entire system identified in 1,117 unplanned system demands.
• The operational unreliability of the AFW system calculated by arithmetically averaging the results of 72 plant-specific models is 3.4 × 10^-5. Individual results vary over two orders of magnitude, from 1.5 × 10^-6 to 6.2 × 10^-4.
• The variability in AFW system unreliability reflects the diversity found in AFW system designs, and to some extent variation in results among plants with similar designs.
• AFW designs composed only of turbine-driven pumps were the least reliable, while AFW designs comprising three redundant trains of diverse design (e.g., two motor and one turbine driven pumps) were more reliable. The benefit of additional trains of redundancy to AFW system reliability is offset by the effects of common cause failures.
• Performance is generally comparable to or better than previous evaluations for regulatory programs such as the station blackout rule, the ATWS rule, and the standard review plan.

Loss of Offsite Power Experience Draft Report

The Safety Programs Division of the Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data has issued the draft report, "Evaluation of Offsite Power Events at Nuclear Power Plants: 1980-1996," INEEL/EXT-97-00887, for internal and external peer review. The objective of this study was to update the loss of offsite power (LOSP) estimates (frequency and probability of recovery) found in NUREG-1032, "Evaluation of Station Blackout Accidents at Nuclear Power Plants." This study used the same data classification scheme as in NUREG-1032, i.e., plant-centered, grid, and severe weather-related events. In addition to estimating LOSP frequency during power operation, the study also estimated the LOSP frequency during shutdown. Major findings of the study include the following:

• The frequency of LOSP events at power is 0.04 per plant critical year for plant-centered events, 0.009 per plant critical year for severe weather events, and 0.002 per plant critical year for grid-related events.
• The LOSP frequency from grid-related events is a very small contributor to LOSP events.
• Plant-centered LOSP events at power do not show plant-to-plant variability while plant-centered events during shutdown do show significant statistical plant-to-plant variability.
• Severe weather LOSP events showed site-to-site variability for both power and shutdown modes.
• LOSP frequencies and durations are generally better than those calculated in support of the station blackout rulemaking in NUREG-1032.

Dosimety and Whole Body Counting Course

The annual presentation of the Internal Dosimetry and Whole Body Counting (H-312) course was conducted in Region I, January 12 - 16. This course is normally presented at the Technical Training Center in Chattanooga, TN. In order to more efficiently meet the geographical needs of the attendees, the course was moved to Region I. The course provides an understanding of the sources and hazards of internal deposition of radioactive material. Course topics include protective measures for preventing internal contamination, protocols for internal monitoring of personnel, and dose evaluation models. Also covered are methods of evaluating extent of internal contamination including whole body counting procedures, calibration, quality assurance and data analysis and biological sampling procedures, types of samples which may be collected, collection procedures, processing of samples, quality assurance programs and reporting of results. Twenty one people were in attendance; 10 NRC, and 11 Agreement State personnel.

PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATIONS

1. PNO-I-98-001, Nth Consultants, Ltd., DAMAGED PORTABLE GAUGE AT A TEMPORARY JOBSITE IN EXTON, PA
2. PNO-I-98-001, Nth Consultants, Ltd., DAMAGED PORTABLE GAUGE AT A TEMPORARY JOBSITE IN EXTON, PA (UPDATE)
3. PNO-II-98-002, Wilson, Miller, Barton & Peak, Inc., STOLEN PORTABLE GAUGE
4. PNO-III-98-004, Indiana Michigan Electric Co. (Cook 1 2), STARTUP ACTIVITIES DELAYED
5. PNO-III-98-005, Wisconsin Centrifugal, Inc., NOTIFICATION OF RADIOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTION AND OFF-SCALE DOSIMETER
6. PNO-III-98-006, Commonwealth Edison Co. (Zion 1 2), ANNOUNCEMENT OF PERMANENT SHUTDOWN OF ZION STATION
7. PNO-IV-98-001, Entergy Operations, Inc. (Arkansas Nuclear 1), UNPLANNED PLANT SHUTDOWN GREATER THAN 72 HOURS
8. PNO-IV-98-0001A, Entergy Operations, Inc. (Arkansas Nuclear 1), UNPLANNED PLANT SHUTDOWN GREATER THAN 72 HOURS
9. PNO-IV-98-002, A. G. Wassenaar, Inc., THEFT OF MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE

ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration
Items of Interest
Week Ending January 16, 1998

Deliberate Misconduct by Unlicensed Persons (Parts 30, 32, 40, 50, 52, 60, 61, 70, 71, 72, 110, and 150)

A final rule that extends NRC's deliberate misconduct rule to six categories of persons was published in the Federal Register on January 13, 1998 (63 FR 1890). The deliberate misconduct rule placed licensed and unlicensed persons on notice that they may be subject to enforcement action for actions that cause a licensee to be in violation of the Commission's requirements or for deliberately providing incomplete or inaccurate information to the NRC. The final rule extends this rule to applicants for NRC licenses; applicants for, or holders of, certificates of compliance; applicants for, or holders of, early site permits, standard design certifications, or combined licensees for nuclear power plants; applicants for, or holders of, certificates of registration; applicants for, or holders of, quality assurance program approvals; and employees, contractors, subcontractors, and consultants of these categories of persons. The final rule becomes effective February 12, 1998.

Drug Testing

NRC conducted a total of 1,073 drug tests of all types during CY 1997. Of these, 835 were random tests, 203 pre-employment tests, 17 follow-up tests, and 18 tests were conducted under 10 CFR Part 10 procedures. All tests were negative except for one NRC employee who, under random selection procedures, tested positive for marijuana in March 1997. In addition, one contractor, under 10 CFR Part 10 procedures, tested positive for marijuana in August 1997.

Assistance to Montgomery County

On January 12, 1998, at the County's Fire and Rescue Services station in Darnstown, MD, NRC was presented with a certificate in recognition and appreciation for NRC's "... generous contribution in support of the Montgomery County Department of Fire and Rescue Services Bomb Squad." The Office of Administration worked closely with this organization following their handling, along with Maryland State authorities, of a suspicious package here at NRC. ADM's help, along with other organizations, enabled the County to fully staff and equip this important emergency response Bomb Squad.

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Upgrade Project

Underground boring for conduit and cabling to new exterior camera locations has been completed. Work continues on the installation of conduit and cabling through the P1 level to electrical closet locations. The project includes the replacement of black and white cameras with color cameras and enhancements to the Central Alarm Station in O-P1-34. Work is scheduled to be completed in May 1998.

ENCLOSURE G

Chief Information Officer
Items of Interest
Week Ending January 16, 1998

Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Requests Received during the 5-Day Period of January 9, 1998 - January 15, 1998:

ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources
Items of Interest
Week Ending January 16, 1998

Senior Executive Service (SES) Recertification Completed

The 1997 SES recertification process has now been completed. A total of 148 executives were recertified. The next recertification cycle will be in 2000.

ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs
Items of Interest
Week Ending January 16, 1998

Media Interest

There was extensive press coverage in Region III at the announcement that the Zion plant was shutting down.

The media reported on Chairman Jackson's meeting with INRA in Walnut Creek, and the tours of Lawrence Berkeley Lab and Yucca Mountain.

The New London Day is planning a story on the resident inspector program generally, and at Millstone; The New York Times is also planning a story on Millstone.

ENCLOSURE N

Office of International Programs
Items of Interest
Week Ending January 16, 1998

Visit of Mr. Lars Hogberg, Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate

On Thursday, January 15, Lars Hogberg, Director General of the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, met with the Commissioners and senior staff to address a number of issues of mutual interest. These included regulatory excellence, inspection practices, decommissioning radiation limits, NEA membership and safety research interests. Mr. Hogberg stated that he is now the Swedish Governor to the IAEA.

Meetings Between NRC and Japanese Representatives

On Thursday, January 15, an eight-member government, industry and utility delegation from Japan, led by Dr. Michio Ishikawa, Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC), met with representatives from NRR, RES and OGC to discuss welding inspection practices in the U.S. and NRC's regulatory requirements. "Less than genuine data" on post-weld heat treatment has been identified for over two hundred suspicious welds at fourteen BWRs in Japan.

On Thursday, January 15, Mr. Hideto Aoki, NUPEC, and Mr. Toshimitsu Homma, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, met with RES. Japan is interested in NRC's rebaselining analyses of operating reactors using NUREG-1465 source term. The visitors provided preliminary analysis of implementing NRC's revised source term at Japanese reactors.

ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary
Items of Interest
Week Ending January 16, 1998

Commission Correspondence Released to the Public

1. Letter to Kaname Ikeda, Director General of the Japanese Science and Technology Agency, dtd 1/5/98, concerns the possible assignment of a foreign assignee for a 12-month period.
2. Letter to Senator Fred Thompson, dtd 1/5/98, provides comments on S.981, the Regulatory Improvement Act of 1997.
3. Letter to William Parent, Harvard University, dtd 1/5/98, provides NRC's nomination for the 1998 Innovations in American Government Awards.
4. Letter to Senator Joseph Lieberman and Representative John Dingell, dtd 1/5/98, concerns status of implementation of recommendations in GAO report on Nuclear Employee Safety Concerns.
5. Letter to Congress, dtd 1/5/98, provides the annual report on the gaseous diffusion plants located in Paducah, Kentucky and Portsmouth, Ohio.

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. 10 CFR Part 50; Docket No. PRM-50-63A; Peter G. Crane; Receipt of an Amended Petition for Rulemaking; Extension of Comment Period to February 17, 1998.
2. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; Notice of Meeting on February 5-7, 1998.
3. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; Meeting of the ACRS Subcommittee on Planning and Procedures; Notice of Meeting on January 30 and 31, 1998.

ENCLOSURE P

Region I
Items of Interest
Week Ending January 16, 1998

NTH Consultants, Ltd.

On January 12, 1998 at about 2:30 p.m., the licensee's Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) contacted the NRC Region I staff to report that one of their Troxler Model 3440 portable gauges had been damaged by a bulldozer at a construction site in Exton, Pennsylvania. The gauge contained cesium-137 and americium-241 sealed sources of approximately 8 and 44 millicuries respectively. Region I dispatched an inspector to the site to monitor and assist in the licensee's recovery efforts. The licensee secured the site to prevent unauthorized entry and contacted the manufacturer for guidance. The handle of the source rod had been sheared off and the source rod was bent at a thirty degree angle, thus making retraction of the source rod to the shielded position impossible. Lead sheeting was wrapped about the source rod and the gauge was brought back to the licensee's storage facility in the gauge's transport case at about 1:30 p.m., on January 13, 1998, for transfer to the manufacturer. The licensee determined that no personnel were injured, that the bulldozer was not contaminated, and that no residual contamination was left behind at the jobsite.

Eastern Testing & Inspection, Inc.

On January 14, 1998, the NRC terminated the June 6, 1996 Settlement Agreement between the licensee and the NRC. The Settlement Agreement, which required oversight and audits by an independent third party, resulted from staff inspection and an OI investigation in 1995-96 which identified numerous violations of NRC requirements. The decision to terminate the Agreement was based on the licensee's acceptable performance of licensed activities since the issuance of the Agreement.

Indian Point Unit 3

The Indian Point, Unit 3, Special Inspection Team (SIT) completed its inspection this week and conducted an exit management meeting. The SIT was dispatched on December 19, 1997, in response to an event of December 18, 1997, in which the No. 32 Residual Heat Removal Pump Breaker (Type DS-416) failed to open on demand at the completion of a surveillance test on the pump. The team noted that the licensee conducted testing of the failed breaker onsite to support engineering diagnostic review. The licensee then used the test results to develop an operability determination on the remaining installed breakers of that type and the plant was subsequently restarted. The failed breaker was then taken to the vendor facility for additional measurements, testing and non-destructive dismantlement. NRR representatives visited the vendor's site to review the vendor's activities. Licensee and vendor efforts are focused on identification of the root cause of the failure. The licensee's preliminary review is that the breaker failure probably resulted from a combination of alignment and lubrication factors.

Hope Creek

Region I management held two predecisional enforcement conferences (PEC) with PSE&G management on January 14 to discuss Hope Creek issues. The first PEC involved failure to follow procedures associated with reactivity management during a November 12, 1997 shutdown margin demonstration. The other PEC addressed predecisional inadequate scoping and performance criteria identified during the 1997 Maintenance Rule inspection. Enforcement Action is under consideration. Senior Region I staff also held subsequent discussions with licensee management of NRC observations of poor maintenance performance during the recent Hope Creek refueling outage.

Haddam Neck- Public Outreach

On January 14, 1998, the NRR Project Manager and the Senior Resident Inspector for Haddam Neck met with Keith Ainsworth, who recently took office as the First Selectman for Haddam, Connecticut and the town's nuclear consultant, Edward Flynn. This introductory meeting was requested by NRC to provide an opportunity to personally meet the primary NRC contacts and to open a dialogue for concerns of the town. Topics discussed included: the town's preference for multi-dry cask storage as opposed to spent fuel pool storage; timely and safe release of the site, preferably in stages, to allow for other industrial reuses; and safety issues concerning the spent fuel pool, specifically, seismic qualification and long term fuel cladding integrity. Additional information on these topics will be forwarded to the town for their review.

ENCLOSURE P

Region II
Items of Interest
Week Ending January 16, 1998

Hospital Metropolitano Predecisional Enforcement Conference

On January 13, 1998, Region II held a predecisional enforcement conference with the licensee at the licensee's facility in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss apparent violations related to the failure to control access to licensed materials (a cesium-137 brachytherapy source) and failure to inventory brachytherapy sources after removal from patients. The licensee presented the corrective actions they were taking or will take to prevent a recurrence of the violations. Members of the media were present at the conference, including a T.V. station and a local newspaper.

St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital Predecisional Enforcement Conference

On January 13, 1998, Region II held a predecisional enforcement conference with the licensee in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss apparent violations related to the operation of the licensee's Caribbean Nuclear Pharmacy. The licensee acknowledged that the oversight of the pharmacy was inadequate and provided corrective actions to address the root causes.

Baxter Healthcare Corporation of Puerto Rico Predecisional Enforcement Conference

On January 12, 1998, Region II held a predecisional enforcement conference held with the licensee and individuals at the licensee's facility in Aibonito, Puerto Rico. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss apparent violations, including the deliberate operation of the licensee's irradiator facility with a safety system inoperable. The licensee denied that action was deliberately taken to keep the irradiator operating with an inoperable system once it was known to management. The licensee also presented corrective actions taken to address each of the apparent violations.

Tennessee Valley Authority - Watts Bar

On January 14, 1998, Region II held a predecisional enforcement conference with the licensee in the Regional Office. The purpose of the conference was to discuss apparent violations regarding an unplanned radiation exposure to an individual who picked up small pieces of radioactive material during a refueling outage maintenance activity. The licensee presented corrective actions to address the root causes of the violations.

South Carolina Electric and Gas Company - V. C. Summer

On January 14, 1998, Region II held a meeting with representatives from the

V. C. Summer Nuclear Plant to discuss the results of the recent, multiple, failures of the A emergency diesel generator. Issues discussed included licensee troubleshooting efforts, interface with vendors for refurbished electrical and mechanical governor control system parts, and post maintenance testing.

Virginia Electric and Power Company - Surry

On January 16, 1998, representatives from the Surry Nuclear Plant attended a self-assessment meeting in the Regional Office. Virginia Power managers discussed the strengths and challenges, as well as initiatives being taken at their Surry station during the past year.

ENCLOSURE P

Region III
Items of Interest
Week Ending January 16, 1998

Fermi Nuclear Power Station SALP Public Meeting

On January 13, 1998, the NRC Region III Regional Administrator and other members of the regional and headquarters staffs met with representatives of Detroit Edison Company to review the recently issued Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance (SALP) for the Fermi Station. The Fermi facility received a rating of "superior" in plant support and "good" in operations, maintenance, and engineering.

Management Meeting with Commonwealth Edison Company

On January 14, 1998, a meeting was conducted in the Region III Office, Lisle, Illinois, between management representatives from Commonwealth Edison Company and members of the NRC staff. The meeting discussed the utility's performance as it relates to actions it has taken in response to the NRC's January 27, 1997, letter regarding safety performance at Commonwealth Edison's nuclear facilities. NRC Regional Administrator participated in the meeting.

Management Meeting with Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety

On January 15, 1998, a management meeting was conducted in the Region III Office, between Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety representatives and members of the NRC staff. This was a routine management meeting to discuss issues relative to implementation of both the American Society of Mechanical Engineers code and the State Resident Engineer Memorandum of Understanding between the State of Illinois and the NRC.

Management Meeting with Centerior Service Company - Davis Besse Nuclear Power Station

On January 15, 1998, a management meeting was conducted in the Region III Office, between management representatives from Centerior Service Company and members of the NRC staff. The meeting discussed the status of the Davis-Besse Station. NRC Region III Deputy Regional Administrator participated in the meeting.

Management Meeting with United States Enrichment Corporation

On January 15, 1998, a management meeting was conducted at the NRC Headquarters between management representatives from United States Enrichment Corporation and members of the NRC staff. The meeting discussion focused on NRC's December 8, 1997, letter to the United States Enrichment Corporation on issues related to chilling effects. NRC Region III Regional Administrator participated in the meeting.

Dresden Nuclear Power Station SALP Public Meeting

On January 16, 1998, the NRC Region III Regional Administrator and other members of the regional and headquarters staffs met with representatives of Commonwealth Edison Company to review the recently issued Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance (SALP) for the Dresden Station. The Dresden facility received an improved rating of "good" in maintenance, continued "good" in operations and plant support, and a continued "acceptable" rating in engineering.

ENCLOSURE P

Region IV
Items of Interest
Week Ending January 16, 1998

Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance (SALP) Public Meeting at South

Texas Project

On January 12, 1998, the Deputy Regional Administrator and other members of the NRC staff held a SALP public meeting at the South Texas Project site. The SALP covered the period of March 24, 1996, through November 15, 1997. The meeting was attended by representatives of the State Bureau of Radiation Health and Department of Public Safety, Matagorda County Judge, Matagorda County Sheriff, disaster service officials, as well as the Mayors of Bay City and Palacios. Representatives of the local print media were also present. Subsequent to the public meeting, the Deputy Regional Administrator met privately with the state and local officials.

ABB Combustion Engineering Nuclear Operations

Members of ABB Combustion Engineering Operations and Region IV management held a meeting to discuss an overview of ABB nuclear activities. The meeting was open to attendance by members of the general public.