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NRC NEWS
U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION IV
611 Ryan Plaza Drive - Suite 400
Arlington, Texas 76011-8064 |
| CONTACT: |
Breck Henderson (817) 860-8128 |
RIV: 96-29 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Breck Henderson May 8, 1996
OFFICE: 817/860-8128
PAGER: (800) 443-7243 (065477)
NRC STAFF TO HOLD OPEN PREDECISIONAL
ENFORCEMENT CONFERENCE MAY 10 WITH WOLF CREEK
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold a
predecisional enforcement conference with officials of Wolf Creek
Nuclear Operating Corp. May 10 at 9 a.m. at NRC Region IV
headquarters in Arlington, Tex. to discuss apparent violations
arising from the January 30-31 "frazil ice" incident at Wolf
Creek Nuclear Generating Station near Burlington, Kan.
During a period of severe cold the unusual icing phenomena
known as "frazil ice" blocked the intakes of Wolf Creek's cooling
water systems and threatened to cut off cooling to essential
plant components. The conference will be open to public
observation, but participation will be limited to NRC and Wolf
Creek officials.
Scheduled to be discussed at the conference are apparent
violations found by an NRC inspection conducted March 18-25. The
inspection identified ten apparent violations that are being
considered for escalated enforcement. These violations involve
the root causes behind the icing of the essential service water
system, root causes for the failure of the turbine driven
auxiliary feedwater pump to function properly, failure to have
required procedures in the control room, and the failure to
conduct a timely cooldown to Mode 4 in accordance with technical
specifications.
The decision to hold an enforcement conference does not mean
the NRC has made a final determination that violations occurred
or that enforcement action will be taken. Rather, the purpose is
to discuss apparent violations, their causes and safety
significance; to provide the licensee an opportunity to point out
any errors that may have been made in the NRC inspection report;
and to enable the company to outline its proposed corrective
actions.
No decision on the apparent violations or any contemplated
enforcement action, such as a civil penalty, will be made at this
conference. Those decisions will be made by senior NRC officials
at a later time.
The forthcoming conference with Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating
Corp. will be open to the public as part of a trial program to
open some of these sessions for public observation.
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