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INFORMATION

SECY-00-0091

April 20, 2000

Contact:  M. Satorius, OEDO

WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING APRIL 14, 2000

The Weekly Information Report is compiled by the Office of the EDO and includes highlights of Headquarters and Regional Office activities.

Contact: M. Satorius, OEDO by E-mail: mas@nrc.gov.

ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 14, 2000

Reactor Oversight Process Improvements

The Inspection Program Branch (IIPB) issued NRC Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) 2000-08, "Voluntary Submission of Performance Indicator Data," on March 29, 2000, to inform power reactor licensees that the NRC will begin implementation of its revised reactor oversight process (RROP) on April 2, 2000. This RIS also provides information on the process to be used by licensees to voluntarily submit performance indicator data to the NRC beginning April 21, 2000. The performance indicator data submitted will provide input to the NRC process for overseeing the performance of nuclear reactor plants.

On April 7, 2000, the Technical Training Center (TTC) staff completed the final region-based RROP Training session for NRC inspectors. The TTC staff will conduct a three-day RROP Training session for NRR staff on May 16-18, 2000.

A working group consisting of IIPB; Quality Assurance, Vendor Inspection and Maintenance Branch (IQMB) staff; and regional representatives met on April 5, 2000, to discuss cross cutting issues as they pertain to the RROP. The working group identified key issues and formulated actions that could be taken to achieve resolution. It was recognized by the group that resolution of these issues would likely be a long term effort (6 - 12 months) and will be aided by the additional experience that will be acquired with initial implementation of the RROP. The working group also discussed how external stakeholders would be included in resolution and formulation of the key issues. The group will solicit external stakeholder input in the review process in the near future.

Public Meeting on Risk Informing 10 CFR Part 73

On April 6, 2000, the Reactor Safeguards Section conducted a public meeting at NRC headquarters. Attendees included NRC staff, members of industry, and representatives of Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI). NRC staff presented a draft outline of the areas being addressed in current rulemaking activities regarding the risk informing of 10 CFR Part 73. Discussions were held on each of the major topics currently identified for inclusion in 10 CFR 73.55, "Requirements for Physical Protection of Licensed Activities in Nuclear Power Reactors Against Radiological Sabotage." The next public meeting on this activity will be held April 20, 2000, and will discuss industry's Security Response Self-Assessment Guide. A separate, closed breakout session to discuss safeguards information pertaining to the adversary characteristics specified in relation to the design basis threat at nuclear power facilities is scheduled to be conducted in conjunction with the next meeting.

OSRE Visit at Perry

An Operational Safeguards Response Evaluation (OSRE) was conducted at the Perry Nuclear Power Station on April 3-6, 2000. The OSRE did not result in any adverse findings. NRC Chairman Richard A. Meserve observed two days of OSRE activities at the station and conducted an April 5 press conference on his visit to Perry.

NRC Staff Participation in NEI Licensing Issues Workshop

On April 10-11, 2000, David Matthews, Director, Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR), and staff, attended in an NEI workshop on licensing issues. The workshop focused on guidance for implementation of the revised 10 CFR 50.59, including the draft regulatory guide, DG-1095, which is being issued for public comment in April. The industry representatives discussed their plans for developing review forms and training materials to be made available for all licensees as a means to enhance consistency. The workshop included discussion about other topics, including the recently-issued draft regulatory guide (DG-1093) on Guidance and Examples for Identifying 10 CFR 50.2 Design Bases, the recently-accepted NEI Commitment Management Guidelines, Licensing Action Task Force Initiatives, and NRR Office Letter 807 (Control of Licensing Bases).

Uprating Plants with Existing or New Feedwater Venturi Measurement Devices

On March 30, 2000, the NRC staff met with Westinghouse to discuss Westinghouse's approach to applying NRC approved and accepted 95/95 uncertainty methodology to facilitate plant uprates up to 1.2% rated thermal power (RTP). The approach would demonstrate that the existing feedwater flow venturi measurement instrumentation is accurate enough to justify the power increase. The approach is consistent with NRC proposed rulemaking to modify Appendix K. Westinghouse does not plan on submitting a generic topical report for this issue. The various licensees who want to incorporate this approach would perform a 10 CFR 50.92 evaluation and associated Technical Specification changes to incorporate their power uprate. The first submittal is currently anticipated early next year.

Grand Gulf Nuclear Station (GGNS)

On March 22, 2000, NRC issued Amendment No. 143 to GGNS Operating License No. NPF-29. This amendment authorizes revision of the GGNS licensing basis by approving a limited scope implementation of one of the alternate source term insights described in NUREG-1465, "Accident Source Terms for Light Water Nuclear Power Plants." The amendment allows a change in the GGNS Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR) for the timing assumed for the onset of fission product release from failed fuel rods; i.e., gap activity release, following a postulated design basis loss-of-coolant accident. The timing of the gap activity release phase of a severe accident may now be delayed by up to 121 seconds instead of the instantaneous release previously specified in the GGNS UFSAR. Grand Gulf is the first BWR to implement this particular provision of the alternate source term. Benefits anticipated from implementation of this design basis change include improvements in performance and reliability of primary containment isolation valves. With a longer allowable stroke time for closure, the valve actuators can be modified to decrease component stresses and improve both reliability and margin for weak link components. Operations improvements are also anticipated resulting from increased valve availability due to fewer occurrences of inoperability from failure to meet surveillance testing requirements.

Maine Yankee Atomic Power Station

On April 6, 2000, Maine Yankee, with assistance from Barnhart Crane & Rigging and Stone & Webster (the Decommissioning Operations Contractor), lifted and removed the pressurizer from the containment building. Dose rates on the majority of the external surface of the pressurizer had been reduced to 1 - 4 mrem/h during a previous reactor coolant system chemical decontamination. The pressurizer was moved to an outside laydown area adjacent to the containment building which included concrete shielding to reduce offsite dose rates. NRC Region I inspectors and a Maine State Inspector observed the movement of the pressurizer.

On April 7, 2000, steam generator #1 contacted a hook hanging from a gantry crane outside the equipment hatch while it was being removed from the containment. The top beam of gantry crane fell onto the steam generator and then onto the ground. No personnel injuries occurred. The contamination-control coating on the exterior surface of the steam generator was abraded in several areas, but health physics personnel confirmed that no radiological contamination was released. The generator was moved to its laydown area, but additional steam generator movements are being suspended pending completion of a root cause analysis. Neither the NRC nor the State observed the event.

The licensee conducted a corrective action review board for April 12, 2000, to determine corrective actions to take. NRR and Region I staff is evaluating the licensee's corrective action activities to determine the appropriate NRC staff response.

South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2

On April 10 and 11, 2000, the staff met with representatives from STP Nuclear Operating Company to discuss the risk-categorization process being used to support the licensee's request for exemption from the special treatment requirements of 10 CFR Part 50. The licensee provided the staff with a discussion of the current process being used to categorize systems and components, and how that process has evolved from that used during the development and implementation of Graded Quality Assurance at South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2. Following the licensee's presentation, a working level meeting was held to discuss the draft responses to questions raised by the staff's January 18, 2000, request for additional information related to the risk-categorization process. South Texas personnel agreed to revise a number of their responses to reflect comments from the staff. At the conclusion of the meeting the staff and the licensee provided generally positive feedback to NRR managers on the outcome of the meeting.

Use of Risk Information in Review of Non-Risk Informed License Amendments

The NRC plans to issue staff guidance for applying risk-informed decisionmaking in non-risk informed license amendment reviews as a new appendix to Chapter 19 of the Standard Review Plan. The proposed new appendix was published in the Federal Register for public comment on April 10, 2000; the comment period ends on May 31, 2000. A public meeting to discuss the appendix is planned before the close of the comment period. The proposed guidance was also transmitted to the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards in advance of a May 11, 2000, full-committee meeting on this topic, and to the Committee to Review Generic Requirements for information.

Visit of Chinese Delegation on Safety Reviews at Nuclear Power Plants on April 17 and 18

Chinese Delegation:

Team Leader

ZHANG Chongyan, Deputy Director General, National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA)

LI Ziping, Deputy Director, National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA)

ZHANG Jiangping, Senior Engineer, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC)

YAN Jiapeng, Senior Engineer, Qinshan Nuclear Power Company

XU Shiming, Senior Engineer, Qinshan Nuclear Power Company

REN Junsheng, Senior Engineer, Nuclear Safety Center (SEPA/NSC)

HAO Xiaofeng, Senior Engineer, Nuclear Safety Center (SEPA/NSC)

WANG Jun, Senior Engineer, National Nuclear Safety Administration (Assignee to NRR) (will assist as interpreter)

NNSA - National Nuclear Safety Administration
CNNC - China National Nuclear Industry Corporation
QNPC - Qinshan Nuclear Power Company
SEPA/NSC - Nuclear Safety Center of State Environmental Protection Administration

University of Missouri - Unplanned High Radiation Field

The University of Missouri has reported a potential to cause an overexposure to the NRC. While performing inspections of the reactor pool lines, several radiation shielding blocks were removed. Later, while moving reactor fuel assemblies, a part of a regularly scheduled evolution, technicians discovered high radiation levels at the areas when the shield blocks were removed. Immediate steps were taken to move fuel away from the area and the radiation levels returned to normal.

NRC has dispatched a team of inspectors to review this issue.

ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 14, 2000

Staff Visit to Sandia National Laboratory

On April 4-5, 2000, staff from the Spent Fuel Project Office (SFPO) met with Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) staff in Albuquerque for discussions on the Package Performance Study Issues/Resolution Report, and the Reexamination of Spent Fuel Shipment Risks Brochure. An early draft of the Issues/Resolution Report was discussed and SFPO comments were provided. SFPO and SNL staff developed an extended outline for the Brochure. The Issues/Resolution Report is on schedule for submittal to NRC at the end of April 2000. The brochure is scheduled for delivery to NRC by mid-June 2000.

Vienna Meeting on Need to Revise the "Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material"

During the week of April 3-7, 2000, a staff member from the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards participated in an open-ended technical drafting group meeting to assist the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in preparing technical papers to encourage wider adherence to the "Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material" among the international community. These technical papers will be used as the basis for discussion during the June 2000 working group meeting on whether there is a need to revise the Convention and to suggest improvements in the IAEA's program to assist Member States in physical protection implementation. Twenty-eight representatives from eighteen countries participated in the meeting with the staff of the IAEA Secretariat.

U.S. Enrichment Corporation

On April 11, 2000, staff from the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards and the Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, Region III, met with the U.S. Enrichment Corporation (USEC) at the Region III office in Lisle, Illinois, to discuss USEC's transition plan for the proposed layoffs at the two plants. The purpose of the meeting was for NRC to understand the breadth and depth of the planned reductions and their potential impacts on safe plant operations. USEC announced plans on February 3, 2000, to lay off approximately 850 staff, about 425 at each of the two uranium enrichment gaseous diffusion plants located in Piketon, Ohio, and Paducah, Kentucky. The layoffs will begin in mid-July 2000. In 1998, USEC conducted a voluntary reduction in force (VRIF) of 500 persons. Currently, the Paducah and Portsmouth plants have workforces of approximately 1600 and 2000, respectively. The layoffs are part of a larger plan to re-size the plant workforces to the current market needs. The planned layoffs will involve a combination of a VRIF and termination notices.

ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 14, 2000

Draft Regulatory Guide on Design Bases

Draft Regulatory Guide DG-1093, "Guidance and Examples for Identifying 10 CFR 50.2 Design Bases," was issued recently. This guide is being developed to provide a better understanding of the term "design bases" as defined in NRC's regulations. This better understanding is to help the industry and the NRC staff implement the regulations that use the term design bases. DG-1093 proposes to endorse an NEI document; Appendix B, "Guidelines and Examples for Identifying 10 CFR 50.2 Design Bases," to NEI 97-04, "Design Bases Program Guidelines."

ENCLOSURE D

Incident Response Operations
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 14, 2000

Preliminary Notifications

1. PNO-III-00-010, American Electric Power, (Cook 2) D. C. COOK UNIT 2 BEGINS LOADING FUEL
   
   
2. PNO-III-00-011, Illinois Roofing Consult. Assoc. Inc., STOLEN PORTABLE MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE
   
   
3. PNO-III-00-012, American Electric Power, (Cook 1 2) NRC RESTART INSPECTIONS RESCHEDULED FOR D.C. COOK UNIT 2
   
   
4. PNO-III-00-013, Mallinckrodt, Inc., POTENTIAL FOR EXTREMITY EXPOSURE IN EXCESS OF 2.5 GRAY (250 RADS)

ENCLOSURE G

Chief Information Officer
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 14, 2000

Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Requests received during the 5-Day Period of April 7, 2000 through April 13, 2000:

ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 14, 2000

Office of Workers' Compensation Program (OWCP) Seminar Attended

On April 11, 2000, Henry Rubin attended a one-day OWCP Seminar at the Library of Congress. The seminar focused on ways to improve agency workers' compensation programs and methods to achieve the goals specified in President Clinton's Federal Worker 2000 Presidential Initiative. These goals include reducing the overall occurrence of occupational injuries by 3 percent per year and reducing the rate of lost production days by 2 percent per year. Speakers included Ralph Slighter, Technical Advisor, OWCP; David Hull, Workers' Compensation Specialist, Veterans Administration Medical Center; and Kara Szirotnzak, OWCP Workers' Compensation Program Manager, Veterans Administration Medical Center.

ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 14, 2000

News Conference on April 13

Reporters from Inside NRC, Energy Daily, Atomic Energy Clearinghouse, the Associated Press, Reuters and Dow Jones News Service attended Chairman Richard A. Meserve's news conference at NRC headquarters on April 13, 2000.

ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 14, 2000

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey dated April 6, 2000, concerns the status of Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 2.
   
   
2. Letter to William G. Kennedy, Office of Strategic Planning and Program Evaluation, DOE, dated April 6, 2000, provides NRC's comments on the working draft of the Department of Energy's Strategic Plan.

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards/Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste Joint Subcommittee Meeting; Notice of Meeting.
   
   
2. ACRS Subcommittee Meeting on Planning and Procedures; Notice of Meeting.

ENCLOSURE P

Region I
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 14, 2000

Tennessee Visit

On April 10, 2000, Region I Division of Nuclear Materials Safety staff accompanied staff from the Office of State Programs and members of the State of Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation (TDEC) on a tour of the nickel refining process at the Manufacturing Sciences Corporation (MSC) facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. MSC staff members described the development of the refining process, how they derived their proposed radiological criteria for release of the refined nickel, and the laboratory analyses they performed to verify that the refined nickel could meet those criteria. On April 11 and 12, 2000, the NRC staff visited the TDEC office in Nashville to review the records of licensing of the nickel refining process, and to discuss the TDEC process for approval of the release criteria. This visit was part of the evaluation, begun in 1999 by the NRC at the request of Congressmen Dingell, Klink, and Markey. Specifically, the evaluation was to review the TDEC approval of volumetric radiological criteria for the release of refined nickel by MSC. No material has been distributed under the proposed criteria, and all contaminated nickel is being returned to DOE.

Region I Meeting with Permagrain Products, Inc.

A meeting open to the public between Permagrain Products, Inc. (PPI) and the NRC was held in the Region I office on April 13, 2000 regarding the pending application for a new cobalt-60 pool irradiator. Representatives from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and IT Corporation, the contractor that designed the new irradiator, also were in attendance. The NRC staff provided requirements for the license application, criteria for license approval and timeliness goals for license applications. RI also described construction inspection activities. The licensee stated that their goal was to provide an application to Region I by June 1, 2000.

Georgetown University Medical Center Licensing Visit to Region I

On April 12, 2000, the management and legal counsel representing Washington Hospital Center (Medstar Health Inc.) and the Georgetown University Medical Center met with Region I staff. The visit was to discuss the pending change of ownership of certain Georgetown University Medical facilities to Medstar Health Inc., the parent company of Washington Hospital Center. The licensee described the proposed organization, anticipated license amendments, and future protocols for operations at the new facilities. The meeting was beneficial to both the NRC Region I staff and the licensee in understanding some of the complex regulatory issues demanded in these transactions, including the required license amendments and the time constraints involved. At the conclusion of the visit, the licensee stated that the license amendment requests will be submitted to Region I in the near future.

Reactive Inspection at Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA

Region I conducted a reactive inspection at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia on March 31, and April 5, 2000. The inspection was prompted by notification that the licensee had built and was operating a new High Dose Rate Afterloading facility. The Region I inspector's initial radiation measurements indicated that the radiation dose levels outside the cell during source exposure may have exceeded 2 millirem in an hour. The licensee suspended patient treatment pending shielding repairs. After the completion of shielding repairs, the inspector performed a confirmatory radiation survey and verified that the radiation doses outside the cell were within acceptable levels. On April 11, 2000, a license amendment approving the new HDR facility was issued and Fox Chase resumed patient treatment.

ENCLOSURE P

Region II
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 14, 2000

Southern Nuclear Operating Company - Plant Hatch and Nuclear Nonoperating Owners Group Conference in Savannah, GA

On April 12, 2000, the Regional Administrator toured the Hatch Nuclear Plant in Baxley, GA, and visited the NRC resident inspectors and licensee representatives. On April 13, the Regional Administrator participated in the Spring 2000 Nuclear Nonoperating Owners Group conference in Savannah, GA. Topics discussed included the new reactor oversight process and changes to the NRC Enforcement Policy.

National Radiological Emergency Preparedness Conference

On April 10-13, 2000, the Regional State Liaison Officer participated in the National Radiological Emergency Preparedness Conference in Reno, Nevada. A part of the meeting's objectives was to discuss NRC and other agency representatives' plans to address revisions to program goals (e.g., NRC reactor oversight changes).

Diversity Training

On April 10 and 11, 2000, the Office of Small Business and Civil Rights (SBCR) and Region II held training sessions on diversity training with the Region II staff. This was a part of the Regional plan to increase the level of awareness in this area. The Manager of the Affirmative Action Program, SBCR, attended the training and met with Regional managers and staff.

ENCLOSURE P

Region III
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 14, 2000

Revised D.C. Cook Inspection Plan

Region III staff members sent a letter to American Electric Power Co. on April 11, 2000, providing the revised inspection dates at the D.C. Cook plant that are planned prior to restart. The new inspection dates triggered media interest. An article in Nucleonics Week inaccurately stated that the NRC had delayed the restart of D.C. Cook. The reporter plans to correct the inaccurate information in a Nuclear News Flash that also will discuss the Manual Chapter 0350 meeting that was held at the Cook plant on April 18. A news release was issued announcing that public meeting. Additionally, NRC inspectors conducted a motor-operated valve inspection at Cook from April 10-14, 2000.

Special Inspection at Mallinckrodt, Inc. Facility due to Reported Overexposure

Region III staff conducted a special inspection at the Mallinckrodt, Inc. facility in Maryland Heights, Missouri, following the report of a worker receiving an extremity overexposure. The inspection, which is focusing on worker training, worker knowledge and procedures, will continue during the week of April 17, 2000.

ENCLOSURE P

Region IV
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 14, 2000

Diablo Canyon Organization Alignment Changes

On March 31, 2000, Pacific Gas & Electric announced a reorganization that transferred responsibility for Engineering and Learning Services from the Vice President, Nuclear Technical Services to the Vice President and Plant Manager. This reorganization has all site organizations other than Quality Assurance, Nuclear Safety Assessment, and Licensing reporting to the Vice President and Plant Manager. The Vice President, Nuclear Technical Services has added responsibility for special projects and hydro/fossil positions and a new title. The new title is Vice President, Hydro/Fossil Generation and Nuclear Services & Special Projects. This individual will continue to have responsibility for Nuclear Safety Assessment and Licensing at Diablo Canyon. Quality Assurance will continue to report directly to the Senior Vice President, Generation and Chief Nuclear Officer.

ENCLOSURE R

Office of Congressional Affairs
Items of Interest
Week Ending April 14, 2000

The Senate is in recess until April 25, and the House is in recess until May 2.