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SECY 98-092

April 30, 1998

Contents	Enclosure
Nuclear Reactor Regulation	A
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards	B
Nuclear Regulatory Research	C
Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data	D
General Counsel	E*
Administration	F
Chief Information Officer	G*
Chief Financial Officer	H
Human Resources	I
Small Business & Civil Rights	J
Enforcement	K*
State Programs	L
Public Affairs	M
International Programs	N
Office of the Secretary	O
Region I	P
Region II	P
Region III	P
Region IV	P
Executive Director for Operations	Q*
Congressional Affairs	R
*No input this week

ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 24, 1998

1998 Regulatory Information Conference

The Tenth Annual NRC Regulatory Information Conference was held on April 14-15, 1998, at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., with 766 registered participants. Of the registered individuals who attended the conference, 45 percent represented nuclear utilities; 35 percent represented private companies associated with the nuclear power industry, including manufacturers, architect/engineers, vendors, law firms, and consultants; and 20 percent represented other government agencies, national laboratories, research organizations, and foreign organizations from Australia, Canada, England, France, Spain, Japan, Korea, and Sweden. Forty-five utilities were represented, including 150 representatives from senior management.

Salem Nuclear Generating Station Units 1 and 2

Operational Status - Salem Unit 1 is currently at about 47 percent power in its power ascension testing program. Upon completion of fuel conditioning on April 22, 1998, followed by load variations to test the digital feedwater control system, the licensee will be ready to raise power to the next hold point. The NRC resident staff with support from regional personnel is providing augmented coverage of the restart ascension activities.

Salem Unit 2 is operating at 100 percent power. The station continues in an abnormal operating procedure for high river grass loading level that requires increased monitoring of heat exchanger differential pressures and performance for bio-fouling.

Salem Assessment Panel (SAP) - The next SAP meeting will be scheduled after the licensee completes its second hold-point at 50 percent power for fuel conditioning and feedwater control system testing. The licensee is also required to provide the results of its self-assessment of unit performance within 30 days after returning to full-power operation.

ACRS Briefing - The ACRS has requested a briefing from the licensee on September 2, 1998, regarding the lessons-learned from the extended dual-unit shutdown.

D.C. Cook Units 1 & 2

The licensee is currently investigating a concern about ice basket operability. During a review of ice basket weight data from the Unit 1 and Unit 2 1997 weighings, the licensee discovered that the data for the measured weights for certain ice baskets is suspect. Based on these preliminary results the possibility exists that Technical Specification (TS) 4.6.5.1.b.2 that requires weighing a representative sample of ice baskets to ensure operability of the ice condenser containment has not been satisfied. The licensee's investigation is ongoing.

Melting of the ice in the Unit 1 ice condenser is now scheduled to begin May 19, 1998. Unit 1 is the lead plant for the ice melt. The licensee has obtained all the necessary permits from the state of Michigan to release the melted ice into Lake Michigan. The licensee will submit the ice melt and ice condenser inspection plan to the NRC by the end April 1998.

Monticello

As of April 22, 1998, the plant is in a cold shutdown condition, and it is ready for startup from a scheduled 32-day refueling outage except for the following unresolved issue.

During the reactor vessel hydro test on April 17, 1998, the licensee identified a thruwall crack in the bend section of the control rod drive (CRD 34-27) withdraw line. Water drops formed on the pipe at a visible linear flaw approximately 2" long. The pipe is 3/4" diameter, type 304 stainless steel, schedule 80s. It was designed to USAS B31.1 and is inspected to ASME Section XI, Class 2. It is not part of the reactor coolant pressure boundary, being separated from the reactor coolant by the CRD seals. Each control rod drive has its own insert and withdraw lines. The Monticello reactor has 141 control rods. A problem affecting one line would not impact operation of other rod drives. Loss of pressure in either a withdraw or insert line will cause the rod to insert. At reactor operating pressure, rods will scram using reactor pressure regardless of the condition of the insert or withdraw line.

A metallurgical evaluation of the flawed specimen indicated that the thruwall crack initiated from the outside surface due to aggressive transgranular stress corrosion from chloride contamination on the outer surface. The licensee has not yet identified the source of the chloride contamination.

Thus far, the licensee has conducted the following inspections to determine the extent of the problem: (1) the full length of the leaking pipe was liquid penetrant tested (PT), showing additional flaws (linear flaws as well as pitting); (2) additional PT was performed on the lines near the cracked line, showing two additional withdraw lines with flaws propagating from surface pits; (3) additional PT was performed on the bend section of 14 lines in the same bundle of lines in locations similar to the area of the thruwall crack with no indications (the CRD insert and withdraw lines approach the reactor vessel in four separate "bundles"); and (4) a sample of lines in the other three bundles of CRD lines were PT'd with no indication of flaws.

Based on the above, the licensee concluded that the problem is limited to one bundle of the CRD lines. The licensee has replaced the entire length of the leaking line, and it is in the process of buffing out the flaw indications on the other two lines. The licensee is also cleaning lines in the affected bundle to remove potential chloride contamination. In addition, the licensee is in the process of establishing a basis for continued operation. The staff, together with the regional personnel, are following the licensee's actions.

Management Changes

Corbin McNeil, Chairman and CEO of PECO Energy Company, announced on April 15, 1998, that Dickinson Smith, President of PECO Nuclear, is retiring; and Jerry Rainey, Senior Vice President - Nuclear Operations, is to be nominated to replace him.

McNeil said that under Dickinson Smith's leadership, both Peach Bottom and Limerick plants became the highest rated nuclear plants in the nation. McNeil said that he would recommend to the PECO Board of Directors that Jerry Smith be elected to replace Dickinson Smith.

Virginia Power Company announced the retirement of Bob Saunders, Vice President of Nuclear Engineering and Services. He will be replaced by Leslie Hartz, currently Manager of Nuclear Engineering. Ms. Hartz will be replaced by Bruce Leonard, an INPO loanee, who will act in a temporary capacity.

ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 24, 1998

U.S. Enrichment Corporation -- Management Meeting

On April 21, 1998, the Director of the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, and staff from the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, Office of the General Counsel, and Division of Facilities and Security held an open meeting with the U.S. Enrichment Corporation (USEC) management to discuss a range of current activities and issues. Topics addressed included the status of USEC Compliance Plan completions, certificate amendment requests, and USEC efforts to: (1) address whether a chilled environment exists among the plant staff; (2) implement a corrective action plan to address nuclear criticality safety deficiencies at the Portsmouth plant; and (3) upgrade seismic resistance for buildings at the Paducah plant. USEC also reported on its progress and plans to cope with "Y2K" computer problems.

Following the above discussions, the meeting was closed to the public to allow for a brief discussion of USEC privatization activities.

Implementation of Strengthened Safeguards System

On April 15, 1998, a representative from the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, International Safeguards Section (ISS), participated in an interagency meeting with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) on the subject of implementation impacts of the Additional Protocol to the U.S./International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Safeguards Agreement. NEI circulated a request to the licensed industry for expression of concerns or questions relative to Protocol implementation but has received few responses. The ISS representative described the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) perceived impacts on the licensees and the NRC, which are projected to be minimal.

An Energy Information Agency (an Agency within the Department of Energy (DOE)) representative described the reporting responsibilities that DOE will undertake which will include production data from mines and mills, nuclear grade graphite producers, and manufacturers of equipment listed in Annex II of the Additional Protocol. The latter will be an Energy Information Agency coordinated effort with NRC since equipment exports are licensed by NRC. A representative from the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency discussed the projected chronology of events to bring the Additional Protocol into force. Senate ratification of the Additional Protocol is necessary. It will likely be 1999 before the Additional Protocol is effective. In the interim, the U.S. and the IAEA will be coordinating on the development of implementing Subsidiary Arrangements.

Design Basis Threat Training

During the week of April 13, 1998, staff from the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, and contractor personnel presented a workshop in Kiev, Ukraine, on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Design Basis Threat methodology. The workshop was attended by representatives of the Ukrainian regulatory agency, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety.

Publication of Draft NUREG-1556, Vol. 6 for Comment

As part of the staff's effort to redesign the materials licensing process, the staff is consolidating and updating numerous guidance documents into a NUREG-series of reports. Recently, the staff published draft NUREG-1556, Vol. 6, "Consolidated Guidance about Materials Licenses: Program-Specific Guidance about 10 CFR Part 36 Irradiators," dated March 1998. This draft report is intended for use by applicants, licensees, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Agreement State staff interested in the panoramic and underwater irradiators subject to the requirements of Part 36. Where applicable, the draft report takes a risk-informed, performance-based approach to licensing these irradiators consistent with the current regulations. The report is strictly for public comment and is not for use in preparing or reviewing applications for Part 36 licenses until it is published in final form. Copies of the draft report have been sent to existing irradiator licensees and soon a copy will be available on the NRC Home Page. The comment period closes in late July 1998.

Interagency Steering Committee on Radiation Standards Subcommittee Meeting on Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials

On April 20, 1998, the Senior Level Advisor for Health Physics from the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards attended an Interagency Steering Committee on Radiation Standards (ISCORS) subcommittee meeting on Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) at the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Headquarters offices in Washington, D.C. The ISCORS subcommittee members discussed the previous subcommittee meeting minutes, a proposed NORM subcommittee mission statement, and an update on the use of a Department of Transportation exemption for recycling materials and wastes that are discovered in transit. In addition, two technical documents associated with NORM were discussed: (1) an International Atomic Energy Agency technical document on the "Clearance of Materials Resulting from the Use of Radionuclides in Medicine, Industry and Research," (TECDOC--1000); and (2) a recently issued National Radiological Protection Board document on "Radiological Protection Objectives for Land Contaminated with Radionuclides." Mr. Ray Paris, Manager of the Oregon Health Division, presented the current status of the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors proposed Part N regulations for NORM. Mr. Paris stated that the Conference plans to conduct two workshops on these proposed regulations on July 24-25, 1998, in Crystal City, Virginia, and on September 11-12, 1998, in Dallas, Texas. The next NORM subcommittee meeting is set for June 22, 1998, at EPA.

State of California Requests Nuclear Regulatory Commission Review of Tritium Test Protocols for Ward Valley

In a March 25, 1998, letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Manager of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Program in the State of California requested NRC review of a summary of its tritium test protocols to be used at the Ward Valley site. These test protocols are designed to implement the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences' committee that reviewed Ward Valley issues in 1994 and 1995, and to resolve remaining issues concerning water movement beneath the site, and migration of radionuclides into the groundwater.

In previous studies at the site, tritium had been measured at depths as great as 30 meters. Tritium at this depth could indicate that water was migrating through the unsaturated zone faster than the conceptual models for the site in the license application predict. In the committee's opinion, a likely explanation for the elevated tritium was from sampling and procedural practices. The committee, however, recommended additional testing to confirm this opinion.

Elevated tritium in the atmosphere is from nuclear weapons testing in the 1950's and early 1960's. It becomes incorporated into water molecules and joins the earth's hydrologic cycle. Thus, it is a tracer for movement of water through soil. Because it is found in the atmosphere, it is also a potential contaminant in sampling, which involves drilling and exposure of soil to air. The presence of tritium in samples thus may not be indicative of groundwater movement.

The NRC staff performed a review for similar Bureau of Land Management (BLM) tritium test protocols and documented the results in a November 25, 1997, letter to BLM. BLM test data is planned to be used to address this issue in the Department of Interior Environmental Impact Statement supplement that is being prepared in connection with transfer of the land to the State of California.

The NRC staff expects to complete its review of the test protocols in early May 1998 with a letter to the State.

Shipments Suspended by Combustion Engineering

On April 20-24, 1998, the Spent Fuel Project Office conducted a 10 CFR Part 71 Quality Assurance Program Implementation inspection at ABB Combustion Engineering in Hematite, Missouri. At the entrance meeting, Combustion Engineering (CE) notified the inspectors that they had voluntarily suspended all shipments because they had identified a number of discrepancies between their transportation packagings and the pertinent Certificates of Compliance. CE also noted that they had initiated several amendment requests for the affected packagings.

Meeting with the Department of Energy on the Foreign Reactor Research Program

On April 17, 1998, Spent Fuel Project Office (SFPO) staff met with the Department of Energy (DOE) and foreign research reactor (FRR) spent fuel shipping agents regarding DOE's future shipping plans, and methods to improve coordination and communications for the associated SFPO licensing reviews. DOE provided an overview of the FRR spent nuclear fuel program, including a two-year receipt plan, and the various domestic and foreign transportation casks that may be selected to carry out the shipments. The shipping agents, Nuclear Assurance Corporation (NAC) International and Edlow International, described the current shipping plans, and the status of cask certifications and route approvals to support future shipments. SFPO staff and DOE explored methods to improve communications and appropriately plan and prioritize the licensing reviews required for future shipments. It is evident that the dynamics associated with DOE's FRR spent nuclear fuel program will necessitate a few expedited SFPO licensing reviews over the next few years.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission/Electric Power Research Institute/International Atomic Energy Agency Coordinated Research Meeting

During the week of April 20, 1998, staff from the Spent Fuel Project Office and Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research attended, as observers, the Coordinated Research Meeting on Spent Fuel Performance Assessment and Research sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The meeting was held in the Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI) offices in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the meeting was to coordinate international research activities by bringing researchers with similar interests together to exchange information about international programs and experiences in spent fuel management. During the course of the meeting, observers for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy, and EPRI met separately to initiate a dialogue on ways to achieve an integrated U.S. research and development program in the areas of spent fuel storage and disposal. The group discussed the potential for parceling funding and sharing information for projects, established points of contact, identified informational needs, and set a date for a video-teleconference meeting.

ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 24, 1998

DOE and EPRI Meeting

On April 22, 1998, RES management and staff met with representatives from DOE and EPRI to discuss NRC Research comments on the "Joint DOE-EPRI Strategic Research and Development Plan to Optimize U.S. Nuclear Power Plants." The significance of this meeting relates to evaluation of the DOE-EPRI plan for potential overlap/duplication with NRC Research efforts and for coordination of activities that are complementary or supplementary in nature.

The DOE-EPRI plan proposes a very broad program of research, starting in FY 1999 and valued at approximately $10M/year, that is focused on: R&D for managing plant aging; license renewal; and general optimization. In general, the preliminary NRC evaluation discovered certain areas of overlap (e.g., steam generator tube mock-up task). However, in most of the technical areas, there was ample room for conducting the proposed research without direct overlap with NRC efforts, provided that appropriate periodic communication is maintained through the planning and execution phases. The exact protocol(s) for this communication remain to be determined. The DOE-EPRI plan also contains many examples of "developmental" work that is mostly outside of the RES charter. An example would be development of advanced sensors and probes for non-destructive evaluation. The primary action resulting from the meeting was for NRC to provide DOE-EPRI with a written summary of the comments on the plan.

The DOE-EPRI plan could have a significant impact on LWR research in the U.S. and on the NRC Research Program. If funded independently, the program can have a positive impact through addressing areas that the NRC cannot fund due to legislative constraints or funding limitations. Another impact of the plan would be to present conflict of interest (COI) issues with research funded at the same DOE laboratories by both NRC and DOE-EPRI. There are mechanisms that exist for dealing with COI in these circumstances, however, the exact process has not yet been worked out and may have to be performed on a case-by-case basis.

ENCLOSURE D

Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 24, 1998

Assessment of Westinghouse Reactor Protection System Reliability

The Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data has issued the draft report "Westinghouse Reactor Protection System Unavailability, 1984--1995" for technical review. The study is part of our ongoing evaluation of the reliability of risk-significant safety systems. Using data obtained from licensee event reports and the Nuclear Plant Reliability Data System (NPRDS), the study provides an estimate of the associated system unavailability (i.e., the probability the system will fail when demanded including maintenance unavailability) based on actual and test demands between 1984 through 1995 and identifies dominant contributors to potential system failure.

This is the first major evaluation of the Reactor Protection System (RPS) by the NRC since the mid 1980s when NRC developed simple RPS logic models in support of the Anticipated Transients Without Scram (ATWS) rulemaking activities. A major contribution of this current study is the collection of common-cause failure (CCF) data related to the RPS. The report also include a comparison with RPS reliability estimates published in probabilistic risk assessments (PRAs) and individual plant examinations (IPEs), and an evaluation of the most significant trends.

Training Session for Salem Exercise

Members of AEOD management and staff participated in a training session and walk-down in preparation for the Salem intermediate phase exercise to be conducted May 5-7, 1998. Other participants included the States of New Jersey and Delaware, the Department of Energy, and Public Service Electric and Gas. This session was to ensure coordination among the various participants in an event with significant radiological consequences offsite that are postulated for this exercise.

Preliminary Notifications

1. PNO-I-98-013, Peco Energy Company, (Limerick 1 2), ALERT DECLARED AT LIMERICK GENERATING STATION
   
   
2. PNO-I-98-014, Management Engineering Corporation, CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT INVOLVING A MOISTURE/DENSITY GAUGE
   
   
3. PNO-II-98-023, The Applied Radiant Energy Corp., LOOSE SEALED SOURCE FOUND IN IRRADIATOR POOL
   
   
4. PNO-IV-98-018, Queens Medical Center, MISADMINISTRATION OF THERAPEUTIC DOSES OF PHOSPHOROUS-32

ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 24, 1998

Contract Awards

Contract No. NRC-04-98-053 entitled "Computational Two-Phase Flow Dynamics and Heat Transfer for Analysis of LWR Transients" was awarded to the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida on April 21, 1998. This contract award resulted from a competitive selection among several proposals submitted in response to a Broad Agency Announcement on Thermal Hydraulics Research published in the Commerce Business Daily on September 5, 1998. The contractor will develop a numerical solution scheme based on Navier-Stokes formulation of single component two-phase systems. The total contract value is $148,417 for a one year performance period. The following streamlining measures were utilized in the acquisition process: (1) electronic submission of research interest areas to be solicited, (2) RFP issued as CBD notice synopsis, and (3) award without discussions.

Computer Security Inspection of NFS Erwin

On April 15-16, 1998, DFS participated in an NRC team (ADM, OCIO, NMSS and Region II) inspection of NFS, Erwin, TN. The purpose of the inspection was to determine if classified information was being stored and processed on an unclassified and unprotected computer system.

U.S. Enrichment Corporation (USEC)

ADM staff attended a USEC privatization meeting on April 23, 1998, with representatives from NMSS, DOE and USEC. The issue of responsibility (DOE or NRC) for the personnel security program at the gaseous diffusion plants was raised again by DOE. DOE is interested in meeting with NRC's General Counsel on this issue. Additional USEC meetings are scheduled for April 28, 1998 and May 6, 1998, regarding USEC's plan to submit a license application for the Advanced Vapor Laser Isotope Separation process by late 1998 or early 1999. ADM staff will be meeting with USEC representatives directly responsible for the "Security Plan for the Protection of Classified Information" that will be part of the license application.

ENCLOSURE G

Chief Information Officer
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 24, 1998

Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Requests Received during the 5-Day Period of April 17, 1998 - April 23, 1998:

ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 24, 1998

Meeting of the Interagency Advisory Group Networks on Employee Relations and Health and Assistance Attended

On April 21, 1998, Pat Kaplan, Employee Assistance Program Manager, attended a meeting of the Interagency Advisory Group Networks on Employee Relations and Health and Assistance at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The purpose of the meeting was to inform Federal agencies about resources available to assist them in developing strategies to deal with potentially violent situations and in developing programs to prevent workplace violence. Several members of the Interagency Working Group on Violence in the Workplace, which developed the handbook, "Dealing with Workplace Violence: A Guide for Agency Planners," gave presentations covering such issues as "lessons learned" in establishing programs in violence prevention, threat assessment, and investigations. Presenters were from OPM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Government Printing Office, U.S. Secret Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the National Labor Relations Board's Office of Inspector General.

U.S. Government Training Officers Conference Annual Institute Meeting Attended

On April 19-22, 1998, Dr. August Spector of the Human Resources Development staff gave presentations at the U.S. Government Training Officers Conference Annual Institute, held in Ocean City, MD. His presentation "Coping with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD) in the Workplace," discussed how to diagnose and cope with learning disabilities and ADHD in workplace and training situations. He also presented three roundtable discussion sessions on the same topic. More than 350 Federal training managers attended the Institute, which had sessions on numerous topics related to improving training and organizational development in the government.

Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) Keyworker Appreciation and Victory Celebration Attended

On April 20,1998, Henry Rubin, CFC Campaign Manager, attended a CFC Keyworker Appreciation and Victory Celebration at the Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University. The purpose of the celebration was to show appreciation for all the Federal workers who helped make the 1997 Combined Federal Campaign, which raised $38,130,000, a record-breaking success. The keynote speaker was the Honorable Rodney E. Slater, Secretary of Transportation, and Chair of the 1997-98 CFC of the National Capital Area.

University of Maryland Career Fair Attended

On April 23, 1998, Henry Rubin, Office of Human Resources; Ed Connell, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation; and Skip Young, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, attended the University of Maryland Spring Fair. Several excellent candidates were identified from this event.

ENCLOSURE J

Office of Small Business & Civil Rights
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 24, 1998

"Bring Your Children to Work Day"

On April 25, 1998, SBCR and the Federal Women's Program Advisory Committee sponsored the Agency's Bring Your Children to Work Day Program. The festivities began with some educational film clips, which included The Magic of the Atom. Following this introduction, the children visited the Hearing Room where a mock hearing was conducted. The remaining visits included the Emergency Operations Center, the White Flint Country Day School, and the Audiovisual Services Center. In addition, the Energy Federal Credit Union included a special presentation for the children, which focused on the importance of savings. Lunch in the TWFN Cafeteria was the setting for a lively "chew and chat" session where the children provided their insights to the morning's events. This program has increased in popularity over the years. Over 150 children participated in this years program, compared to approximately 70 children who participated last year.

ENCLOSURE L

Office of State Programs
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 24, 1998

Meeting with State of Louisiana Officials

On April 21-22, 1998, NRC management and staff representatives from the Office of State Programs, the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, Region IV, and the Office of General Counsel met with officials from the Agreement State of Louisiana, Radiation Protection Division. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss radiography operations conducted by Louisiana licensees in offshore coastal waters where NRC has jurisdiction, i.e., beyond the 3-mile jurisdiction of Louisiana. The discussions successfully clarified the jurisdictional issues and understandings related to the 1967 Atomic Energy Act Section 274i Agreement between the Atomic Energy Commission and the State of Louisiana that continues in effect and that authorizes the State of Louisiana to conduct inspections of Louisiana licensees operating in Federal offshore waters. Louisiana officials agreed to send a letter to Louisiana licensees that defines the Federal versus State jurisdiction and that notifies them of the Part 150 requirement to notify Region IV (or the State of Louisiana, per Part 150) before working in offshore waters where NRC has jurisdiction. Louisiana also agreed to apply the NRC, or equivalent, inspection program to their conduct of field-site inspections in offshore locations. NRC committed to take the lead in proposing necessary revisions to the 1967 274i Agreement. The applicability of certain requirements in 10 CFR 34.20 to radiography cameras which do not have radioactive source crankouts was also discussed during the meeting. Both NRC and Louisiana agreed that any exemptions to those requirements should be addressed on a case-by-case basis; NRC and Louisiana also agreed to coordinate on any such exemption requests submitted to both NRC and the State of Louisiana by the same licensee. NRC further committed to evaluate the need for amendment to 10 CFR 34.20, to modify the requirements for non-crankout radiography cameras, as part of a currently planned future revision of 10 CFR 34.20 to address "associated equipment."

ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 24, 1998

Media Interest

Three newspaper reporters attended the decommissioning meeting at Fermi.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is planning an article on TVA's nuclear plants.

A television report is planned on WNP-2 and their refueling activities.

There was press interest in the demand for information to Envirocare and the LES decision to withdraw its application for a uranium enrichment facility.

School Volunteers Program

Bill Dean and Doug Coe, NRR, and Dan Schwartz, OCIO, judged a science fair at St. Peter's School.

ENCLOSURE N

Office of International Programs
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 24, 1998

IAEA Vacancy Notices

The following notices from the International Atomic Energy Agency have been posted on NRC bulletin boards:

ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 24, 1998

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. 10 CFR Part 50; Codes and Standards: IEEE National Consensus Standard; Proposed Rule.
   
   
2. Aharon Ben-Haim, Ph.D.; Docket No. IA-97-068; Notice of Evidentiary Hearing on May 27-29, 1998, in Newark, New Jersey.
   
   
3. Private Fuel Storage, L.L.C.; Docket No. 72-22-ISFSI; Notice of Hearing.

ENCLOSURE P

Region I
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 24, 1998

Permagrain Products, Inc. Public Meeting

On Thursday April 16, 1998, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Land Management hosted an evening public meeting regarding the upcoming decommissioning project at Permagrain Products, Inc. Permagrain, located in Karthaus, PA, approximately 35 miles northwest of State College, is a site listed on the Site Decommissioning Management Plan due to contamination remaining in six hot cells from previous research and development work. The meeting participants included PA Bureau of Land Management, PA Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Radiation Protection, NES, Inc., the decommissioning contractor, and NRC. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the financially responsible party for this site due to previous contractual agreements with Permagrain. The audience was comprised of approximately 20 members of the local public and a representative of a local newspaper. The meeting provided an overview of the project to date and the decommissioning scheduled for summer 1998.

Mobile Radiological Measurements Laboratory Fire

On the afternoon of April 14, 1998, RI staff determined that the interior of the NRC Region I Mobile Radiological Measurements Laboratory had been damaged by fire that had occurred at an undetermined time since the mobile lab had last been entered about April 1. The fire was investigated by both the Federal Protective Service and the local township fire marshall. The preliminary determination was that the fire was caused by faulty electrical wiring and was accidental. The fire was confined to the interior ceiling and upper wall area, and apparently burned itself out due to lack of oxygen. The gamma spectrometry system, including the detector, appeared not to have been damaged by the fire. Region I management is reviewing repair/replacement options.

Pre-Decisional Enforcement Conference with Thielsch Engineering, Inc.

On April 21, 1998, a pre-decisional enforcement conference was held with Thielsch Engineering, Inc. of Cranston, Rhode Island. The purpose of the conference was to discuss the findings of an NRC inspection conducted on March 9, 1998 (IR No. 150-00038/98-001), which identified two apparent violations involving the following: 1) the licensee's failure to restrict access to a restricted area while performing radiography, and 2) failure to file an NRC Form-241 prior to performing radiography in NRC jurisdiction. The licensee admitted the violations and described their corrective actions.

Haddam Neck Public Meetings

Staff from the Region I Decommissioning and Laboratory Branch attended two public meetings with citizen's groups concerning the decommissioning of the Haddam Neck plant in Haddam, CT. On Thursday evening, April 16, 1998, staff attended the Connecticut State Nuclear Energy Advisory Council, chaired by State Representative Terry Concannon. On Tuesday evening, April 21, 1998, staff also attended the Citizens Decommissioning Advisory Panel. Both meetings were held at Connecticut Yankee's Information Center. At each meeting, the NRC presented a summary of the results of the Haddam Neck Historical Team Review, which looked at historical radiological issues, including effluent releases and control of radioactive materials, over the operating life of the plant. The major point of discussion was a request by both committees that resident coverage continue at the site during the entire period of decommissioning. Both committees stated that such a request would be submitted in writing to the NRC.

ENCLOSURE P

Region II
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 24, 1998

Florida Power Corporation - Crystal River

On April 20, 1998, representatives from Florida Power Corporation met with Regional Management to discuss the assessment of performance at Crystal River Unit 3.

Tennessee Valley Authority - Sequoyah

The Regional Administrator and the Director of DRS presented the results of the Sequoyah facility's Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance (SALP) on April 21, 1998. Following the presentation, a separate meeting was held with State and local officials to discuss activities at the Sequoyah facility.

Southern Nuclear Operating Company

On April 22, 1998, representatives from Southern Nuclear Operating Co., Inc. (SNC) met with Regional managers to discuss year 2000 computer issues. SNC discussed the project and plans being implemented and their assessment of actions that are being performed to assess needed actions, prioritize the actions and perform remedial actions or institute contingency plans for the Year 2000 computer issues.

Duke Power Company - Oconee

On April 22, 1998, the Director of NRR and the Regional Administrator toured the Oconee station including the Keowee Emergency Hydro Station. Also on

April 22, a public meeting was held, at the site, by the Oconee Management Oversight Group (MOG) with the licensee to discuss the MOG's charter.

Moisture Protection Systems Analystis Inc.

An Order revoking the license for use of a moisture gauge containing 40 millicuries of Am-241 was issued on April 20, 1998. The licensee had failied to respond to previous orders suspending the license for non-payment of fees, had moved from the location of use on the license to a new location without notifying the NRC, and had failed to respond to numerous attempts by NRC inspectors, though phone calls and attempted inspections at licensee facilities, to contact licensee representaives.

Dr. Jose Colon Vaquer

On April 21, 1998, the NRC issued a confirmatory order modifying Dr. Jose Colon Vaquer's license for a Sr-90 eye applicator. The order discontinued authorization to use the source and required that the source be kept in safe, secure storage. The order was issued because an inspection identified numerous violations, including use of the source during a period when his previous license had expired, and also identified two misadministrations.

Emergency Preparedness and Radiation Protection Counterpart Meetings

Region II hosted the Emergency Preparedness Counterpart meeting and the Radiation Protection counterpart meeting. Both meetings were attended by representatives of Headquarters and all of the Regional Offices. Following the EP Counterpart Meeting, several EP training pilot courses were presented to Headquarters and Regional staff.

ENCLOSURE P

Region III
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 24, 1998

Architect-Engineer Inspection Public Exit -- Braidwood Nuclear Power Station.

On April 24, 1998, an Architect-Engineer Inspection public exit meeting was conducted at the Braidwood plant site in Braceville, Illinois, between the management representatives of Commonwealth Edison Company and members of the NRC staff. The meeting was held to discuss the preliminary findings of the special design inspection. The inspection, which began March 16, 1998, concluded April 24, 1998. The six-member inspection team was led by Sampath Malur from the NRC Headquarters office in Rockville, Maryland, and included five contact employees from the engineering firm of Stone & Webster.

Perry SALP Public Meeting

On April 21, 1998, the NRC Region III Deputy Regional Administrator James Caldwell and other members of the regional and headquarters staffs met at Perry High School, Perry, Ohio, with representatives of Centerior Service Company to review the recently issued Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance (SALP) report for the Perry Nuclear Power Plant. The plant received ratings of "good" in operations, maintenance, and engineering, and "superior" in plant support.

Management Meeting with Commonwealth Edison Company - Quad Cities Nuclear Station

On April 22, 1998, a management 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 discussion focused on plans to restart the Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station's two units. NRC Region III Regional Administrator A. Bill Beach participated in the meeting.

Management Meeting with Consumers Energy Company - Palisades Nuclear Plant

On April 21, 1998, a management meeting was conducted in the Region III Office, Lisle, Illinois, between management representatives from Consumers Energy Company and members of the NRC staff. The meeting discussed engineering, operations and radiation protection issues at the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant. NRC Region III Deputy Regional Administrator James Caldwell participated in the meeting.

Fermi Unit 1 Decommissioning Public Meeting

On April 22, 1998, an evening public meeting was held at the Monroe County Court House, Monroe, Michigan, to discuss the future decommissioning plans of Unit 1 of the Fermi Nuclear Power Station. Unit 1, which permanently shut down in 1972, is in long-term storage. Its fuel was shipped from the site in 1973. Detroit Edison Company, operator of the plant, currently plans to dismantle Unit 1 when Unit 2's operating license expires in 2025. Approximately 70 people attended the evening meeting. Three members of the news media were also present at the meeting.

ENCLOSURE P

Region IV
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 24, 1998

Operability of Standby Gas Treatment System (SGTS) at River Bend Station

The SGTS at River Bend has been the subject of NRC review for several months. Currently, the operational characteristics of the system are such that personnel access to the reactor auxiliary building is challenged when the system is in operation as a result of excess differential pressure (dP). As a short-term solution, an operator aid (a chain fall on the access door) is in place to facilitate access. The licensee had committed to implement a permanent solution to this problem during the recent forced outage.

While reviewing the proposed modification to the system, the licensee discovered that the flow through the system was approximately 20 percent greater than assumed. The licensee has rebalanced the system to achieve the desired flow characteristics. However, the engineering solution for eliminating the excess dP (and the associated challenge to containment access) has been precluded at this time. The licensee's rebalancing efforts also resulted in a slightly increased iodine dose to the thyroid at the exclusion area boundary. Since the dose increase (from 32 to 38 rem) was well within the 10 CFR 100.11 limit of 300 rem, the licensee considered the SGTS operable at the new flow rate. They documented the change in flow as a nonconformance and plan to address the nonconformance in accordance with their 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B, corrective action system. The licensee now expects to resolve the challenge to reactor auxiliary building access prior to the next refueling outage.

ENCLOSURE R

Office of Congressional Affairs
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 24, 1998