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INFORMATION REPORT

SECY-00-0151

July 6, 2000

Contact: J. Shea, OEDO

ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Items of Interest
Week Ending June 30, 2000

Indian Point Unit 2

The staff met with the public, members of Congress, and various State and local officials on Sunday, June 25, 2000, at the Cortlandt Town Hall, Cortlandt Manor, New York. The purpose of the meeting was to (1) provide the public with a brief overview of the NRC's overall process for reviewing Indian Point 2 plant performance; (2) discuss the current status of NRC's ongoing review of steam generator tube integrity issues; and (3) provide an informational forum to allow the public to ask questions associated with the above issues. The consensus coming from the Congressional and local politicians called for the NRC to take action to ensure that the steam generators would be replaced prior to the plant being restarted.

The staff continues its review of the Consolidated Edison Company of New York (the licensee) steam generator inspection condition monitoring and operational assessment reports submitted on June 2, 2000. The staff has received answers to the earlier letters requesting additional information from the licensee. However, during recent discussions with the licensee to better understand various aspects of the operational assessment, the staff requires information in several areas, in particular regarding predicted burst pressure model and probability of detection in the U-bend region.

Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant

On June 20, 2000, the Commission issued a Memorandum and Order in response to the Board of Commissioners of Orange County, North Carolina's (BCOC's) May 22, 2000, petition for review of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board's (ASLB's) May 5, 2000, decision in the Harris Nuclear Plant spent fuel storage case.

The Commission's June 20, 2000, ruling, dismissed BCOC's petition, without prejudice, on the ground that it was prematurely filed. The Commission stated that "After the Board ultimately rules on Orange County's environmental contentions and issues a final decision, Orange County may then resubmit to us its arguments that the Board erred in rejecting the merits of the two contentions concerning criticality prevention and quality assurance."

In its May 5, 2000, decision, the ASLB ruled that an evidentiary hearing was not necessary and that the technical contentions related to criticality and quality assurance issues were resolved in favor of the licensee, Carolina Power and Light Company (CP&L). An ASLB ruling on the admissibility of the late-filed environmental contentions is still pending.

Meeting with NEI and Okonite on Cable LOCA Test Failures

On June 22, 2000, NRR/RES staff participated in a meeting with NEI and the Okonite Company to discuss a Brookhaven National Laboratories (BNL) report of Okonite single conductor bonded-jacket cable LOCA test failures. These failures involved cables subjected to a simulated LOCA environment after being subjected to a severe aging process.

At the meeting, the industry representatives presented information indicating that the Okonite cables would be acceptable for use in applications equivalent to a 40-year plant life below 60 degrees C (140 degrees F). NEI stated that it plans on issuing a survey in the next two to three weeks to alert the industry to this issue. The survey will also request licensees that have the subject cable to determine if the cable is used in safety-related applications above 60 degrees C inside or outside of containment. Survey results will be made available to NRC in about four months.

Draft Generic Aging Lessons Learned Report

The staff held public meetings with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) on June 20-22, 26, and 27, 2000, to discuss industry comments on the draft "Generic Aging Lessons Learned (GALL)" report addressing license renewal. The staff had previously made the draft GALL report publicly available at a December 6, 1999, public workshop to invite early public participation in the development of license renewal guidance documents. NEI provided significant comments on the draft GALL report. Although some differences remained, the staff found the NEI comments constructive. NEI indicated that the industry would consider providing supplemental comments by the first week in July. The staff is proceeding to prepare the draft GALL report for issuance for formal public comment in August as scheduled. The staff will also issue a revised draft Standard Review Plan for License Renewal and draft Regulatory Guide for public comment in August as scheduled. In addition, a public workshop is planned for September to gather public comments.

ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
Items of Interest
Week Ending June 30, 2000

Presentation at Health Physics Society Meeting

On June 26, 2000, a representative from the Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety made a presentation on intravascular brachytherapy at the annual Health Physics Society meeting in Denver, Colorado. The presentation focused on the current requirements for intravascular brachytherapy and the impacts of the revision to 10 CFR Part 35 for licensees performing intravascular brachytherapy.

Staff Holds Public Meeting on Changes to the Rancho Seco Decommission Plan

On June 20, 2000, staff from the Division of Waste Management and Region IV (R-IV) participated in a public meeting hosted by the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) in Galt, California, to discuss changes to the decommissioning plan for the Rancho Seco nuclear power plant. In November 1999, the licensee submitted an amendment to its Post-Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report, which outlines its plan for full plant dismantlement with a target date for license termination of 2008.

The meeting was moderated by a supervisor for the County of Sacramento. Approximately 15 people attended. Following the introductions and brief opening remarks, presentations were made by NRR, R-IV, and Rancho Seco staff. A question and answer period followed the presentations. Concerns raised during the question and answer session included: (1) disposal of low-level waste and high-level waste; (2) release of solid materials; (3) disposition of greater than Class C waste; (4) applicability of the Generic Environmental Impact Statement for reactor decommissioning; (5) transfer, storage, and inspection of spent fuel; and (6) liquid effluent discharges. Earlier in the day, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the NRC contractor (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) staff toured the Rancho Seco plant.

Threat Briefing for the Southeast Nuclear Security Association

On June 19-20, 2000, a member of the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards participated in the annual Southeast Nuclear Security Association (SENSA) meeting. SENSA is composed of nuclear site and corporate security managers from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC's) Region II and meets annually. A threat briefing was presented to the association and was followed by a question and answer period. The briefing was well received and, as a result, NRC has been invited to present a similar threat brief to the Midwest Nuclear Security Association on October 5-6, 2000, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The bi-annual National Nuclear Security Association conference scheduled for June 18-19, 2001, in Cleveland, Ohio, is expected also to request a threat briefing.

Shipment of "Empty" Container from Westinghouse-Hematite to Sweden

On May 22, 2000, Westinghouse-Hematite fuel fabrication facility in the U.S. shipped a presumed empty pellet container (drum) to Westinghouse Atom AB in Sweden. When the container was opened in Sweden for re-filling, it was found to contain almost 40 kg of fresh fuel pellets. The pellets are believed to have been produced originally in Sweden and then delivered to Hematite, where they should have been removed. The container should then have been returned to Sweden empty. A preliminary investigation at Hematite indicates that the pellets were natural uranium with gadolinium, however the paper trail is unclear. Because the drum was thought to be empty, standard procedures for nuclear material shipments were not followed. The Swedish nuclear authorities are also investigating the incident. They plan to analyze the pellets and will report the results to us. The investigation in the U.S. is continuing.

International Atomic Energy Agency Visit to BWX Technologies

On June 26, 2000, representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Department of Energy (DOE ), including Naval Reactors, visited the BWX Technologies (BWXT) facility in Lynchburg, Virginia. The principal purpose of the meeting was to familiarize IAEA management with the high enriched uranium down blending facility to which the IAEA is currently applying safeguards. A number of technical issues that have adversely impacted the IAEA's ability to apply the agreed upon safeguards approach were discussed as well as the status of actions to alleviate the problems. The most difficult issue involves the handling and processing of process data essential for the IAEA to verify activities. As the lead agency for information security at the site, DOE has the responsibility for clearing on an acceptable procedure. Progress on resolution of this problem was made and final resolution is needed by September 2000. Other technical issues related to IAEA monitoring of process parameters are anticipated to be resolved in the near future.

Following the BWXT meeting, the IAEA representatives visited the DOE Savannah River Site for discussions on the possible future application of IAEA safeguards to some activities at that site.

International Verification of Excess Fissile Material

During June 12-14, 2000, a member of the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards participated with U.S., Russian, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officials in meetings held to address issues related to the development of a model agreement for international verification of excess fissile material at IAEA Headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Formerly known as the Trilateral Initiative, this is a joint effort between the U.S., Russia, and the IAEA started in 1996 to address the IAEA verification of fissile materials deemed excess to defense needs by the two countries. Though some progress was made on outstanding model agreement issues, agreement has not been reached on: (1) mandatory third-party resolution of disputes under the verification regime; (2) the relationship of this regime to other bilateral agreements between the parties; and (3) the point at which verification will end on nuclear material placed under this regime.

Sherwood Uranium Mill Tailings Site

On June 21, 2000, staff from the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards (FCSS) met with state of Washington personnel to determine if the Sherwood tailings embankment located near Spokane, Washington, should be classified as a dam under the Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety. Contractors from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) accompanied FCSS staff. If the structure meets the Federal definition for a dam, procedures for license termination and costs for long-term surveillance and monitoring may be affected.

Embankment design information was reviewed, and questions related to dam stability, liquefaction, and surface disruption from seismic events were discussed. A preliminary determination of the dam classification will be made, and the FERC report will identify additional information that may be required for the final assessment.

ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
Items of Interest
Week Ending June 30, 2000

Program Reviews at Argonne National Laboratory

Commissioner Merrifield, the RES Office Director, Ashok Thadani, and members of the RES staff visited the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) on June 13 and 14, 2000, for an overview of RES programs, including work on Cladding Metallurgy at High Burnup, Environmentally Assisted Cracking in LWRs, and Steam Generator Tube Integrity. Of particular significance during the reviews were discussions of the reliability and effectiveness of steam generator tube inspections in light of the recent (February 2000) tube rupture at Indian Point, Unit 2 (IP-2). Members of the ANL technical staff have been involved in reviewing inspection methods and procedures used during the 1997 outage at IP-2.

The group visited a mockup of a steam generator tube bundle that contains laboratory and service-induced flaws, which is being used for a round-robin evaluation of the performance of industry inspection teams; a unique facility for testing steam generator tubes under typical operational pressures and temperatures and simulated accident conditions; a facility for evaluation of steam generator tubes under severe accidents conditions; and hot cells and dedicated equipment for metallurgical evaluations of high burnup fuel cladding and environmentally assisted cracking.

Workshop on Multiscale Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling

Jocelyn Mitchell of DRAA, RES, participated in a Workshop on Multiscale Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling Within the Federal Community. The workshop, held on June 6-8, 2000, was sponsored by the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology to foster communication and cooperation within the Federal community on meteorological issues. She presented NRC's requirements for dispersion modeling and modeling capabilities and participated in a panel on technical barriers to dispersion modeling. The workshop was worthwhile in that several aspects of measurements and models funded by other Federal agencies are of interest to the NRC. For instance, in October 2000 DOE is funding measurements of atmospheric transport at various scales in and around Salt Lake City. The smallest scale measurements may have application to control room habitability for power plants. Further, FAA and NOAA are concerned about spreading and transport of volcanic plumes. This issue may be applicable to post-closure events at Yucca Mountain. RES will maintain contacts with the other agencies to ensure that NRC receives the information in a timely manner. RES has informed NRR, IRO, and NMSS of the results of the workshop and will continue to keep other NRC offices informed on this work.

Component Performance Study: Motor-Driven Pumps, 1987-1998

The Operating Experience Risk Analysis Branch of RES has issued Volume 2 of NUREG-1715, "Component Performance Study: Motor-Driven Pumps, 1987-1998." The objectives of this study were to determine the reliability of motor-driven pump (MDP) assemblies and to compare the results with estimates used in probabilistic risk assessment (PRAs) and individual plant examinations (IPEs). This report includes a review of the operational data, from an engineering perspective, to determine trends and patterns and gain insights from the study results. The values for the probabilities of failure on demand estimated in this study for MDPs were generally consistent with the values in PRAs and IPEs and in versions of NUREG/CR-4550 on analysis of core damage frequency, which were data input to NUREG-1150, "Severe Accident Risks: An Assessment for Five U.S. Nuclear Power Plants." Failures associated with the circuit breaker subcomponents were the predominant cause of MDP failures (greater than 75%). No adverse failure trends were observed during the period 1987 through 1998.

OECD/NEA/RWMC Integration Group for the Safety Case

On June 14-16, RES staff and a contractor from the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (CNWRA) participated in the inaugural meeting of the OECD/NEA Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) Integration Group for the Safety Case (IGSC) of about 30 delegates representing regulators or waste disposal site developers from 14 countries. A safety case comprises the integrated technical basis, at a given stage of development, in support of the long-term safety of the waste disposal sites. The IGSC will focus on developing means to establish confidence in technical safety cases and their underlying methodological and scientific bases, recognizing that the emphasis in national programs is shifting to the integrated implementation of tools and knowledge for decision making on development of waste disposal sites. The IGSC is intended to better integrate previously separate activities on site characterization and performance assessment and to promote effectiveness and efficiency within the Radioactive Waste Management Committee of the NEA. This inaugural meeting was a planning meeting with the initial technical meeting to be held November 15-17, 2000.

ENCLOSURE D

Incident Response Operations
Items of Interest
Week Ending June 30, 2000

Preliminary Notifications

1. PNO-I-00-018, George Washington University Hospital, POTENTIAL MISADMINISTRATION DURING THE FIRST OF A TWO FRACTION BRACHYTHERAPY PROCEDURE

2. PNO-II 00-026A, Professional Engineering & Inspect., STOLEN TROXLER GAUGE RECOVERED

3. PNO-IV-00-016, Washington Public Power Supply System (Washington, Nuclear 2), RANGE FIRE NEARBY NRC LICENSED FACILITIES (SIEMENS POWER CORPORATION AND WNP-2)

ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration
Items of Interest
Week Ending June 30, 2000

Electronic Commerce

On June 29, 2000, Division of Contracts and Property Management staff attended an interagency meeting of the Procurement Executive Committee's Subcommittee on Electronic Commerce. This subcommittee meets to identify and resolve issues that influence federal government electronic commerce-related management decisions. Such issues involve current electronic commerce acquisition legislation and regulations, examples of agencies' successful electronic commerce practices, and Office of Management and Budget policy principles. Members of the committee represent federal agencies, as well as agency representatives from Chief Information Officers' Council, and the Chief Financial Officers' Council. The subcommittee is currently reviewing a proposal by the Joint Financial Management Improvement Program (JFMIP) to develop Government-wide requirements for electronic commerce acquisition systems which will allow the acquisition and the financial communities to interface their common financial requirements.

ENCLOSURE G

Chief Information Officer
Items of Interest
Week Ending June 30, 2000

Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Requests received during the 5-Day Period of June 23, 2000 through June 29, 2000:

ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources
Items of Interest
Week Ending June 30, 2000

ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs
Items of Interest
Week Ending June 30, 2000

Media Interest

Mike Weber, NMSS, was interviewed by National Public Radio for a "day-in-the-life" program on federal agency officials. NRC's segment of the program will feature a call-in session with Chairman Meserve and is expected to air on WAMU radio July 26 at 1:00 p.m. Cheryl Trottier, RES, Chip Cameron, OGC, and Dave Matthews, NRR, were also briefly interviewed.

ENCLOSURE N

Office of International Programs
Items of Interest
Week Ending June 30, 2000

Nuclear Safety Assistance Funding

OIP recently concluded a new interagency agreement with USAID. This agreement provides NRC with $2 million in FY 2000 funds to support activities with the Armenian, Kazakh and Russian regulatory authorities. OIP also concluded modifications to existing interagency agreements with USAID to extend the completion date for using prior-year funds until September 30, 2001.

OIP views conclusion of these two efforts as a significant improvement over previous years. In previous years new funding was not typically received until very late in the fiscal year (i.e., late September). Receipt of funding so late in the fiscal year allowed very little time for the funds to be used.

Nuclear Safety Discussions in Armenia

J. Ramsey, OIP, participated in nuclear safety-related activities in Armenia the week of June 19. These included dedication of the new emergency response center for the Armenian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (a joint U.S.-U.K. project), discussions to identify regulatory strengthening projects that recently received USAID funds, and a ceremony to mark the 5th anniversary of nuclear safety assistance activities between NRC and the Armenian Nuclear Regulatory Authority.

Assistance to Ukraine: Seminar on Legal Enforcement

Representatives of several NRC offices conducted a seminar at NRC headquarters for lawyers and inspectors from the Ukrainian nuclear regulator on the legal aspects of enforcement during the week of June 23, 2000. The seminar fulfilled one of the commitments made at the annual planning meeting held early this year.

Visit of OECO/NEA Director General, Luis Echavarri

On Thursday, June 22, Mr. Luis Echavarri, OECD/NEA Director-General, visited the NRC to discuss the results of the May NEA Steering Committee Meeting and events that have taken place since then. Mr. Echavarri was accompanied by Mr. Samuel Thompson, Deputy Director-General, OECD/NEA. Beth Lisann, Science Advisor for Nuclear Energy Affairs at the U.S. Mission in Paris accompanied the group as an observer.

Mr. Echavarri met with each of the Commissioners, the Executive Director for Operations, and the Director, Office of International Programs during his visit. The topics of discussion included the IAEA/NEA MOU, the Joint Declaration of Cooperation With Russia, expanded NEA membership, and the policy debate on sustainable development, recent changes in the regulatory structure in Japan, and license renewal accomplishments in the U.S..

Visit of Taiwan Inspectors

Two Resident Inspectors from the Taiwan Atomic Energy Council, Mr. Y.P. Liu and Mr. J.S. You, visited NRC headquarters on Thursday, June 29, for discussions on NRC's new Reactor Inspection and Oversight Program. They recently completed the GE Technology Course (R-304B) at the Technology Training Center in Chattanooga, and will return there next week for the GE Advance Technology Course (R-504B).

Visit of Director General of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority

On June 28, Dr. Jozsef Ronaky, Director General of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (HAEA), Dr. Sandor Elo, HAEA Director of External Relations, and Sandor Nagy, Director General of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, went on a tour of the Calvert Cliffs NPP. The two resident inspectors, along with several BG&E staff, explained the license renewal process and waste storage procedures. On June 29 the visitors met with the Chairman, available Commissioners, and members of the NRC headquarters staff.

ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary
Items of Interest
Week Ending June 30, 2000

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Senator Charles E. Schumer, dated June 23, 2000, concerns Indian Point 2 Nuclear Power Station.

2. Letter to Joe F. Colvin, President & CEO, Nuclear Energy Institute, dated June 22, 2000, concerns the industry position on the use of manual scrams as part of the revised reactor oversight process.

3. Letter to Robert R. Loux, Executive Director, Office of the Governor, Nevada, dated June 21, 2000, concerns the Commission's review and concurrence process for the U.S. Department of Energy's draft final "General Guidelines for Nuclear Waste Repositories and Yucca Mountain Site Suitability Guidelines" (10 CFR Part 963).

4. Letter to Ivan Itkin, U.S. Department of Energy, dated June 20, 2000, concerns the draft final "General Guidelines for Nuclear Waste Repositories and Yucca Mountain Site Suitability Guidelines."

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste; Notice of Meeting.

2. 10 CFR Parts 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 40, 50, 61, 70, 72, and 76; Docket No. PRM-30-63; Natural Resources Defense Council; Receipt of Petition for Rulemaking.

3. 10 CFR Part 55; Operator License Eligibility and Use of Simulation Facilities in Operator Licensing; Proposed Rule.

4. Nominations of New Members of the Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes; Call for Nominations.

ENCLOSURE P

Region I
Items of Interest
Week Ending June 30, 2000

Management Meeting on Haddam Neck and Yankee Rowe

On June 27, 2000, management and staff of Region I's Division of Nuclear Materials Safety and representatives of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation met with senior management of the Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company (CYAPCo) and the Yankee Atomic Electric Company (YAEC). The meeting was held in the Region I office. Bechtel managers, representing CYAPCo's Decommissioning Operations Contractor also participated in the meeting. The discussions were open by phone lines to the State of Connecticut inspector for Haddam Neck, and to licensee representatives and members of the public at the HN facility. Four members of the HN Community Decommissioning Advisory Committee were present at HN. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the organization at the facilities and common links, the decommissioning status at both facilities, and the worker concerns program. Specific improvements and exposure controls for the Reactor Vessel Segmentation process at Haddam Neck were also discussed.

Periodic Management Meeting with Maryland

On June 29, 2000, the Regional State Agreements Officer (RSAO) and the Agreement State Project Officer (ASPO) from the Office of State and Tribal Programs met with representatives from the State of Maryland to discuss the status of their Agreement State Program. The meeting focused on the State's actions in response to the recommendations made in the 1999 Integrated Materials Performance Evaluation Program (IMPEP) report, particular for the licensing and sealed source and device program indicators. Based on the information collected at this meeting, the RSAO and ASPO will be briefing the Management Review Board (MRB) later this summer on the status of Maryland program. The MRB will then decide if the follow up IMPEP review scheduled for this summer will be delayed until next summer as requested by the State.

Management Meeting on Safety Light Corporation

On June 26, 2000, Region I's Division of Nuclear Materials Safety held a meeting with representatives of Safety Light Corporation (SLC) to discuss site remediation issues at the licensee's facility in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The meeting, open to public observation, was attended by individuals from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Radiation Protection and the Department of Health. Also in attendance were individuals from EPA Region III and the Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Discussions centered on current remediation activities and potential future activities. These issues included the current status of the project to remove the radioactive material from the two underground silos; the status of SLC's insurance litigation to recover additional monies to be used for site remediation; and future plans for remediation, including an assessment of the site with respect to 10 CFR 20, Subpart E, for license termination.

ENCLOSURE P

Region II
Items of Interest
Week Ending June 30, 2000

BWX Technologies, Inc., - Licensee Performance Review

On June 27, the Director, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety meet with representatives of BWX Technologies, Inc. in Lynchburg, VA to discuss the results of the recent Licensee Performance Review.

Roberto Buxeda-Dacri Closed Predecisional Enforcement Conference

On June 28, Region II held a closed Predecisional Enforcement Conference with Roberto Buxeda-Dacri, M.D discuss three apparent violations associated with the use of strontium-90 for treatment of eye disease.

Full-Scale Shearon Harris Nuclear Exercise

On June 26-30, the Regional State Liaison Officer participated as a member of the Regional Assistance Committee in the full-scale Shearon Harris nuclear exercise involving officials of the State of North Carolina and applicable local governments.

Florida Power Corporation - Crystal River; South Carolina Electric and Gas Company - V. C. Summer; Southern Nuclear Company, Inc. - Vogtle; Tennessee Valley Authority - Browns Ferry; and Florida Power and Light - Turkey Point Public Meetings

On June 26-28, public meetings were conducted at Crystal River, V. C. Summer, Vogtle, Browns Ferry and Turkey Point to discuss the NRC's recently revised reactor inspection and oversight process.

Division Director's Counterpart Meeting in Region IV

On June 28, the Regional Directors, Division of Reactor Safety and Division of Reactor Projects were in Arlington, Texas, Region IV, attending the DIIP/Regional bi-monthly counterpart meeting. The main focus of the meeting was to review the proposed assessment criteria and metrics for the Reactor Oversight Program. These metrics will be use to judge the efficacy of that program.

ENCLOSURE P

Region III
Items of Interest
Week Ending June 30, 2000

Paducah Enforcement Conference

On June 26, 2000, the staff conducted an enforcement conference with representatives of USEC to discuss the apparent violations involving the inappropriate control of classified information, failure to report an infraction of the Paducah Classified Matter Security Plan, and several potential instances of discrimination against employees who engaged in protected activities. Consistent with NRC policy for employment discrimination cases, the conference was closed to the public.

NRC Special Inspection Continues at Southeast Missouri State University

Region III inspectors continued monitoring activities at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, involving the discovery of contamination in various locations in one of the university's science buildings. Region III issued a Confirmatory Action Letter June 22 to the university specifying short and long term actions to be taken by the university to address the contamination. The university is expected to submit its decommissioning plan to Region III by July 5. There continues to be media interest in the local area.

D.C. Cook Restart Activities Continue

As D.C. Cook Nuclear Power Station's Unit 2 in Michigan continues to increase its power levels, NRC inspectors are continuing their monitoring of the restart activities. On June 28, NRC inspectors ended their around the clock monitoring that began when the unit started up on June 22.

Minnesota Public Meeting to Discuss Changes in Reactor Oversight

NRC officials June 26 held a public meeting in Monticello, Minnesota, to discuss the NRC's reactor oversight process.

NRC Discusses Monticello, Minnesota, Plant Assessments

NRC officials on June 27 met with Northern States Power Co. officials to discuss Monticello's latest plant performance results. The meeting was held at the plant.

NRC Discusses Davis-Besse, Ohio, Plant Assessments

NRC officials on June 28 met with FirstEnergy Corp. officials to discuss Davis-Besse's latest plant performance results. The meeting was held at the plant.

NRC Discusses Prairie Island, Minnesota, Plant Assessments

NRC officials on June 28 met with Northern States Power Co. officials to discuss Prairie Island's latest plant performance results. The meeting was held at the plant.

NRC Discusses Byron, Illinois, Plant Assessments

NRC officials on June 28 met with Commonwealth Edison Co. officials to discuss Byron's latest plant performance results. The meeting was held at the plant.

Illinois Public Meeting to Discuss Changes in Reactor Oversight

NRC officials June 28 held a public meeting in Byron, Illinois, to discuss the NRC's reactor oversight process.

ENCLOSURE P

Region IV
Items of Interest
Week Ending June 30, 2000

Meeting with the Public at St. Francisville, Louisiana, to Present the New Reactor Oversight Program for the River Bend Station

On June 29, 2000, the Chief, Projects Branch B held a public meeting to present the new NRC Reactor Oversight Program. The meeting was well attended by members of the public, some utility personnel, and an individual from the media.

Meeting with the Public at San Luis Obispo, California, to Present the New Reactor Oversight Program for Diablo Canyon

On Thursday, June 29, 2000, the Director, Division of Reactor Projects, and other members of the NRC staff held a meeting with the public in San Luis Obispo, California, to discuss the new NRC Reactor Oversight Program. The meeting had minimal public attendance and some press coverage.

Public Meeting at Diablo Canyon to Discuss a Fire and Loss of Offsite Power

On Thursday, June 29, 2000, the NRC staff held a public exit meeting in San Luis Obispo, California, with the senior mangers of PG&E, the licensee for Diablo Canyon. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the results of the special inspection of the 12 kV bus fire and subsequent loss of offsite power that occurred on May 15, 2000. There were several members of the public in attendance as well as television and newspaper coverage.

Range fire near NRC licensed facility

On June 29, 2000, the licensee for the WNP-2 power plant made a courtesy notification regarding the range fire that was burning around the plant. The licensee had released all nonessential personnel from the site. As of the evening of June 29 the fire was approximately 2-4 miles west of the plant, with no immediate theat to the plant. The fire did not threaten the station or offsite power. On June 30, most of the range fire had been contained. Region IV supplemented its onsite resident staff to provide round-the-clock coverage.

ENCLOSURE R

Office of Congressional Affairs
Items of Interest
Week Ending June 30, 2000

Note: Congress is in recess until Monday, July 10.