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SECY 98-053

March 19, 1998

ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 13, 1998

Beaver Valley Power Station, Units 1 and 2

Both units remain in cold shutdown while the licensee continues to review the technical specification (TS) surveillance requirements program. During previous plant operations, the licensee had detected minor (within allowable limits) seat leakage through all three Unit 2 PORVs. Following repairs to the PORVs, the licensee determined that the technical specifications for both units prohibited changing plant modes to perform required post-modification testing and, therefore, considered seeking an emergency license amendment to permit performance of the required testing. However, upon further review, the licensee determined that several other plant systems were also potentially affected by the same prohibition. Therefore, the licensee decided to maintain both units in cold shutdown until license amendments can be processed applicable to all potentially affected systems for both units. This action is expected to delay startup of both units approximately another month.

By letter dated March 3, 1998, the licensee submitted a commitment to convert the Beaver Valley, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 TSs to the Improved Standard Technical Specifications of NUREG-1431. The licensee stated that the conversion process is expected to begin in the third quarter of 1999, following completion of its UFSAR verification project.

Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1 and 2

Operational Status - Salem Unit 2 is currently in Mode 3 while completing final testing for restart from the forced outage that began on February 11, 1998. The licensee has determined that the service water system (SWS) bio-fouling from grass intrusion was caused by several missing 1.5-inch strainer disks in the no. 22 SWS strainer basket and excessive basket to housing clearance in the no. 21 strainer. These problems have been corrected, and inspections and testing of various heat exchangers have been satisfactory. Pending completion of Mode 3 testing, the unit should restart on March 14, 1998.

Salem Unit 1 remains in Mode 4 while preparations and surveillance testing continue for entry into Mode 3. The licensee has completed repairs to the charging and residual heat removal pumps that experienced vibration. The results from the inspection and testing of the Unit 1 SWS heat exchangers for bio-fouling have also been satisfactory.

The current schedule estimates March 15, 1998, as the earliest date for Mode 3. Assuming a 7 to 10 day allowance for a cooldown to Mode 5 to make repairs, the Mode 2 date is April 11, 1998. If the cooldown is not required, the unit will be ready for Mode 2 on about April 1, 1998.

Salem Assessment Panel - The Salem Assessment Panel (SAP) met on March 10, 1998, to discuss Unit 1 readiness for restart. The staff's inspection of all technical issues needed for restart of Unit 1 has been completed. The two programmatic issues regarding motor-operated valve testing and the integrated test plan will be completed within the next week. Upon receipt of the licensee's request for authorization to restart the unit, the SAP should be ready to make its restart recommendation to the Regional Administrator and the confirmatory action letter will be modified to acknowledge its closeout. The licensee will be required to provide the results of its self-assessment of unit performance within 30 days after returning to full-power operation. The next SAP meeting will be scheduled after the licensee completes the first hold-point at 25 percent power.

Zion, Units 1 and 2

On March 9, 1998, ComEd provided a written certification that all fuel had been removed from the Zion Station, Units 1 and 2 reactor vessels, and committed that those units will remain permanently defueled. This certification was submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(a)(1)(ii). On February 25, 1998, ComEd personnel removed the last fuel bundle from the Unit 2 reactor. On February 13, 1998, ComEd had provided written certification of permanent cessation of operations at Zion Station in accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(a)(1)(I).

The original certification of permanent fuel removal was received on March 10, 1998, and docketed. In accordance with 50.82(a)(2), upon docketing of this second certification, ComEd's 10 CFR Part 50 license for Zion Station no longer authorizes operation of the reactor or emplacement or retention of fuel in the reactor vessels.

The staff has prepared a transition plan to transfer the Zion Station project management responsibilities from DRPW to DRPM. In addition, the NRR staff is working with ComEd and Region III staff to close out open items that are no longer needed because of Zion Station's permanent shutdown.

ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 13, 1998

Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board's Radiation Advisory Committee Public Meeting

On March 3, 1998, the Senior Level Advisor for Health Physics from the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards attended the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board's Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC) public meeting. One of the agenda items included a briefing from EPA staff to the RAC on Federal Guidance Report (FGR) 13, Health Risks from Low-Level Environmental Exposure to Radionuclides. The RAC discussions after the EPA presentation focused on concerns by the RAC as to the quantification of uncertainties in this report. At the request of the RAC, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission representative was asked to provide a quick overview of NRC's concerns with FGR 13. NRC's representative summarized NRC's five major comments as outlined in a February 4, 1998, letter from the Deputy Executive Director for Regulatory Programs, NRC, to the Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, EPA. The RAC then advised that they would be accepting the request to review FGR 13 from EPA, and that when this Committee next meets (sometime in early May), they would request that NRC make a presentation to more fully describe its concerns with FGR 13.

Renewal of Source Material License SUA-1534, Crow Butte Resources, Inc.'s Crow Butte In-Situ Leach Uranium Project

On March 4, 1998, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff notified Crow Butte Resources, Inc. (CBR) that it had completed its review of CBR's license renewal application for Source Material License SUA-1534, and that it was authorizing the renewal of SUA-1534 for continued operations at the Crow Butte in-situ leach uranium project, located near Crawford, Nebraska. The NRC staff prepared an Environmental Assessment, in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR Part 51, and a Safety Evaluation Report to document the results of its review. A final Finding of No Significant Impact was published in the Federal Register on February 23, 1998. With this licensing action, the NRC staff authorized continued operations for a ten-year period under the Performance-Based License Condition format.

Call for Papers for the International Symposium on Radioactive Waste Disposal to be held in Stockholm, Sweden

Staff from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have received an announcement and call for papers for an International Symposium on Radioactive Waste Disposal to be held in Stockholm, Sweden, from August 31 to September 4, 1998. The Symposium is organized by the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Stockholm Environment Institute. The principal focus of the Symposium is health and environmental criteria and standards for storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste. Staff of the EPA Office of Radiation and Indoor Air are represented on the Program Committee and the Scientific Secretariat for the Symposium. A staff member of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects is also on the Program Committee. Division of Waste Management (DWM) staff anticipates that EPA will use this Symposium as a forum to promote the policies adopted in the Office of Management and Budget submittal draft of the Yucca Mountain Standard. DWM staff plan to participate and submit an abstract describing its strategy to develop a Yucca mountain site specific rule in response to the call for papers.

Public Workshop on Decommissioning of Non-Reactor Facilities and Other Routine Materials Cases

On March 19, 1998, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will host a public decommissioning workshop in Rockville, Maryland, as part of a program to identify and evaluate new and different approaches to the decommissioning process for materials licensees. This program is one of several initiatives which resulted from NRC's recent Strategic Assessment and Rebaselining Initiative, begun in September 1995. The workshop is a response to Commission direction to the staff in the Staff Requirements Memorandum (SRM) dated March 31, 1997. Option 2 of Direction Setting Issue 9 (DSI-9) suggested a change in the decommissioning review process that would implement a more simplified, performance-oriented decommissioning review process.

The objectives of the workshop are to: (1) elicit comments from workshop participants related to the existing decommissioning review process and procedures; (2) obtain ideas from participants on, and discuss potential improvements in, the regulatory process for decommissioning; (3) discuss ideas for designing a pilot program to evaluate improvements to the decommissioning review process, using sites of volunteer licensees; and (4) determine licensee interest in participating in a pilot program.

The NRC staff will use the comments and information obtained during the workshop to develop recommendations for improvements in the decommissioning process. After consulting with the Commission concerning these recommendations, the staff will conduct a pilot program with volunteer licensees, implementing the improvements on a limited basis.

Renewed License for Subcritical Assembly at the University of Texas at Austin

On March 5, 1998, the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safety, Fuel Cycle Licensing Branch, issued a renewed license (SNM-180) for the University of Texas at Austin for the continued use of its subcritical assembly and associated sources for educational and research purposes. The renewed license includes an exemption from the requirements in 10 CFR Part 70.24 based on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff's finding that the assembly will remain subcritical under a full range of conditions. The staff renewed the license for a full ten-year term.

Response to the Department of Energy's Request for Assistance on Potential Collocation of a Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility

On March 6, 1998, the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, Fuel Cycle Licensing Branch, responded to a request from the Department of Energy (DOE) on the ability to license a mixed oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication facility with collocated, non-licensed nuclear operations. DOE's Office of Fissile Materials Disposition informed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that it is currently evaluating the siting of a MOX fuel fabrication facility at the Fuels and Materials Examination Facility (FMEF) at the Hanford Reservation. DOE anticipates, assuming that future legislation grants NRC licensing authority for the MOX facility, that the MOX fuel fabrication facility could be collocated with other nuclear operations that would remain under DOE regulation. Consequently, DOE requested NRC assistance under the NRC-DOE Reimbursable Agreement (Task Order 97-01) to discern whether collocating licensed and non-licensed operations is possible. Based on the information presented by DOE and NRC's analysis, the staff concluded that no issues have been identified to date that would prevent collocation of licensed and non-licensed nuclear operations at the FMEF. However, the staff emphasized that regulation of a collocated MOX fuel fabrication facility may be complicated and burdensome, depending on the degree of integration between the MOX facility and the other facilities.

ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 13, 1998

Participation in IAEA Advisory Group

During the week of March 2, 1998, O. P. Gormley of the Generic Safety Issues Branch in the Division of Engineering Technology participated as a member of an IAEA advisory group preparing a Technical Report (TECDOC) on the use of quality management principles to achieve excellence in the operations of regulatory bodies. A TECDOC is a nonbinding IAEA publication on varied subject matter that is expected to be useful in the international nuclear community. This particular document, when completed, is expected to be used by nations that now find themselves managing nuclear regulatory bodies in an open environment where the degree of independent scrutiny may exceed that previously experienced and where the scope of the scrutiny may now extend beyond technical excellence in operation of the regulatory body. The document is expected to be useful in benchmarking the regulatory body's activities and performance against recommendations that reflect international expertise. It may also be useful in supporting requests for both technical and financial resources from the legislative body to be used for improving performance where a need for such improvement is indicated. Mr. Gormley has previously consulted for the IAEA with the Czech. Republic in 1996 on a similar topic.

ENCLOSURE D

Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 13, 1998

Inspection Procedures Course (G-108)

The presentation of the Inspection Procedures (G-108) course was conducted in Pittsburgh Pa. March 9-13, 1998 in the offices of the State of Pennsylvania. This course is normally presented at the Technical Training Center in Chattanooga Tn. In order to more efficiently meet the geographical needs of the attendees, the course was moved to Pittsburgh. The course provides an understanding of materials related health physics inspections. Course topics include: how to prepare for, schedule, and conduct a routine inspection; enforcement; instrumentation theory; medical inspections; broad license inspections; radiography and well logging operations; industrial devices and sources; inspection documentation; communications with the media; transportation of radioactive materials; incident response and reporting. Casework problems and a complete inspection exercise were conducted. Twenty seven people were in attendance; 3 from NRC and 24 from existing or near term Agreement States (1 Arkansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, 5 Ohio, 14 Pennsylvania).

State Outreach Training Session at Paducah

An IRD staff member conducted a State Outreach Training Session along with a staff member from Region III in Paducah, Kentucky at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant on March 10, 1998. This Outreach session is part of a program to brief States on NRC incident response and Federal resources on a three year cycle. In attendance were the NRC Resident Inspector, representatives from USEC (operator), State and local responders from Kentucky and Illinois, Department of Energy and representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency, Region IV. The EPA On Scene Coordinators would assist if there were a chemical emergency at a Gaseous Diffusion Plant.

Preliminary Notifications

1. PNO-II-98-010A, Moses Cone Health Systems, MISSING BRACHYTHERAPY SOURCES (UPDATE)
   
   
2. PNO-II-98-011, Athens Regional Medical Center, THERAPEUTIC MISADMINISTRATION TO WRONG TREATMENT SITE
   
   
3. PNO-II-98-012, Jose Colon Vaquer, M.D., STRONTIUM 90 EYE APPLICATOR MISADMINISTRATION
   
   
4. PNO-II-98-013, Southern Nuclear Operating Co. (Farley 1 2), FARLEY UNITS 1 AND 2 NOUE DECLARED DUE TO HIGH RIVER LEVEL
   
   
5. PNO-II-98-014, Engineering Sciences Inc. STOLEN TROXLER MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE
   
   
6. PNO-III-98-022, University of Minnesota, BRACHYTHERAPY MISADMINISTRATION (UNDERDOSE)
   
   
7. PNO-III-98-023, Wisconsin Electric Power Co (Point Beach 2), SHUTDOWN TO ANALYZE AND CORRECT POTENTIAL DESIGN ISSUES
   
   
8. PNO-III-98-024, Detroit Macomb Hospital Corporation, (POSSIBLE MISADMINISTRATION INVOLVING AN UNDERDOSE OF IRIDIUM-192)
   
   
9. PNO-IV-98-010, Texas Agreement State, La Gloria Oil and Gas, LOSS OF PROCESS CONTROL LEVEL GAUGE CONTAINING CESIUM-137
   
   
10. PNO-IV-98-011, Halliburton Energy Services, REPORT OF LEAKING SEALED SOURCE

ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 13, 1998

Acquisition Training

On March 6, 1998, the Division of Contracts and Property Management conducted its Acquisition for Project Managers module, "Overview of the Acquisition Process," for 19 project managers. This module serves as the primer for other workshops in the acquisition training program. The workshop familiarizes participants with the entire NRC acquisition process including FAR/FIRMR applicability, commercial contracts, and DOE laboratory interagency agreements.

U.S. Enrichment Corporation

During the week of March 16, 1998, DFS representatives will travel to Lawrence Livermore National Labs to tour USEC's AVLIS demonstration facility, to discuss the AVLIS process with USEC and LLL personnel, and to hold AVLIS classification guide discussions with LLL and DOE classification personnel.

On March 4, 1998, NRC and DOE completed their preliminary conditional FOCI review of USEC's Initial Public Offering package for privatization. Based on the initial information submitted by USEC, DOE and NRC agreed there are no apparent FOCI concerns. This preliminary conditional FOCI determination has been coordinated with NMSS and the Commissioners' staffs. A letter to be sent on March 13, 1998, will advise USEC of NRC's approval, noting that additional FOCI information is still needed and that USEC's FOCI status could change.

Restack

The next scheduled Restack move will begin March 18, 1998 and be completed on March 23, 1998. The move includes the relocation of NRR personnel from the 12th floor to the 5th floor. ADM plans to complete as much of the move activity as possible during the day. Elevator use will be monitored to determine the impact, if any, on other NRC operations. ADM is prepared to stay after hours if needed to finish the move. The current schedule is as follows:

White Flint Projects Planned and Underway

Work continues on repairs to the OWFN secondary water condenser loop throughout the building. Work up to this point has been confined to the replacement of deteriorating black iron pipes with copper pipe in copy and computer rooms. Work will soon start in the mechanical closets on each floor to replace the pipe that rises between floors. A second part of this project involves sealing air conditioning duct joints in the ceilings of each floor and in the Penthouse area. This work is now scheduled to start on March 16, 1998.

Prairie Island Coalition; Receipt of a Petition for Rulemaking (PRM-72-4)

A document that requests public comment on a petition for rulemaking submitted by the Prairie Island Coalition was published in the Federal Register on March 12, 1998 (63 FR 12040). The petitioner requests that the NRC undertake a rulemaking to examine certain issues relating to the potential for thermal shock and corrosion in dry cask storage. The petitioner requests that the NRC amend its regulations that govern independent storage of spent nuclear fuel in dry storage casks to define the parameters of acceptable degradation of spent fuel in dry cask storage. The petitioner also requests an amendment to the regulations that would define the parameters of retrievability of spent nuclear fuel in dry cask storage and to require licensees to demonstrate safe cask unloading ability before a cask may be used at an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation. The comment period on this action closes May 26, 1998.

ENCLOSURE G

Chief Information Officer
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 13, 1998

Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Requests Received during the 5-Day Period of March 6, 1998 - March 12, 1998:

ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 13, 1998

ENCLOSURE J

Office of Small Business & Civil Rights
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 13, 1998

Small Business Forum

On March 11, 1998, the Office of Small Business and Civil Rights conducted its first Quarterly Small Business Forum for FY98. The purpose of the forum was to bring together 8(a) businesses to discuss procurement opportunities with the NRC. It provided the NRC program representatives the opportunity to meet the small businesses and find out, first hand, about their capabilities. Representatives from the CIO, AEOD, and ADM/DCPM were in attendance. Presentations were made by three 8(a) firms. Similar forums will be held on a quarterly basis and will focus on 8(a), small, disadvantaged, women-owned firms qualified for and interested in requirements listed in the Agency's Forecast of Contract Opportunities.

ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 13, 1998

Media Interest

The North County Times (San Diego, CA) published a story on lost security plan documents at San Onofre.

School Volunteers Program

Mark Delligatti, SPFO, and John Craig, RES, visited Patrick Henry E.S. to talk with students and assist them with their science projects.

ENCLOSURE N

Office of International Programs
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 13, 1998

Visit by Indian Atomic Energy Regulatory Board Chairman P. Rama Rao

On Monday, March 9, 1998, Indian Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) Chairman P. Rama Rao toured the Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Plant, accompanied by Mr. Ashok Thadani, Deputy Executive Director for Regulatory Effectiveness. Dr. Rao was briefed on operational issues, including internals, digital instrumentation upgrades, wide range nuclear instrumentation, and the Peach Bottom IPE. He subsequently met with NRC representatives, and discussions focused on the roles of the regional and resident offices, regional interfaces with NRC headquarters and with the licensee, and other regulatory issues.

On Friday, March 13, 1998, Chairman Rao, accompanied by AERB Vice Chairman S. V. Kumar, visited NRC headquarters to conduct technical meetings with the staff, focusing on developing and implementing the three NRC-AERB nuclear safety projects. These projects, approved by the U.S. and Indian Governments in 1995, are exchanges in (1) backfits and design modifications to existing nuclear power plants which experience and safety reviews have concluded were necessary or cost beneficial; (2) historical information on previous fire hazards and the use of good fire protection engineering practices to develop operational improvements and enhance nuclear fire safety; and (3) symptom-based emergency procedures with a view to gaining an understanding of Indian training philosophy with regard to response to undesirable but anticipated occurrences (such as loss of off-site power). It is expected that, sometime later this year, an AERB technical team will come to the NRC to begin implementing the three safety projects, followed by an NRC technical team visit to India.

ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 13, 1998

Commission Correspondence Released to the Public

1. Letter to Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, dated march 5, 1997, concerns the availability of potassium iodide for use by the general public in the event of an emergency at a nuclear power plant.
   
   
2. Letter to Naomi Alazraki, M.D., Veterans Affairs Medical Center, dated March 5, 1998, offers an appointment to the NRC's Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes.
   
   
3. Letter to Congress, dated March 6, 1998, provides proposed legislation which authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1999.
   
   
4. Letter to Russell Jim, Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Indian Nation, dated March 6, 1998, concerns incidental waste classification of processed or residual high-level waste in tanks at DOE sites.

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. 10 CFR Part 72; Docket No. PRM-72-4; Prairie Island Coalition; Receipt of Petition for Rulemaking.
   
   
2. Yankee Atomic Electric Company (Yankee Nuclear Power Station); Docket No. 50-029-LA; Establishment of Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (Gleason/Murphy/Elleman).
   
   
3. ACRS Subcommittee Meeting on Advanced Reactor Designs; Notice of Meeting on March 31 and April 1, 1998.

ENCLOSURE P

Region I
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 13, 1998

Breitling USA Watch Company

On February 18, 1998, Region I was notified by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection about the possibility that Breitling USA Watch Company, located in Stamford, Connecticut, may be engaging in unauthorized activities involving licensed materials. As a result of conversations with Breitling officials NRC determined that Breitling USA had been possessing, distributing, and repairing Swiss-made watches containing 1.7 to 3.1 millicuries of tritium luminous paint since 1989 (with repair commencing in 1990) and had been performing these activities without an NRC license authorizing distribution of exempt quantities or possession and repair. On March 6, 1998, Region I issued a Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL) to Breitling confirming that they will cease and desist all distribution and repair of watches containing tritium, put all radioactive material in locked storage, survey and decontaminate their facility, and apply for appropriate licenses. On March 10, 1998, inspectors from Region I confirmed that Breitling is in compliance with the CAL. Enforcement action is under consideration.

Washington Hospital Center (WHC)

During an inspection conducted on February 24-26, 1998 at the WHC, the NRC inspector noted that waste materials collected from various areas within the facilities, on a daily basis (app. 5,000 lb./day), were not adequately identified and segregated. As a result, radioactive waste was often mixed with other waste and taken to the incinerator facility. Since 1996, that waste has been monitored by a process radiation detector and the process radiation detector has often alarmed, indicating the presence of radioactive materials, and unqualified/untrained workers were responding to the process radiation detector alarms. The workers often attempted to identify the cause of the radiation alarm by sorting through the waste bags and boxes.

Numerous apparent violations were identified involving inadequate radiological surveys, failure to train workers, inadequate posting and labeling of radioactive materials and unauthorized disposal of radioactive wastes. Immediately after the inspection, the licensee committed to implement actions to correct the identified program deficiencies and a Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL) was issued by Region I on March 2, 1998. Enforcement action is under consideration.

ENCLOSURE P

Region II
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 13, 1998

Carolina Power and Light Company - Harris

On March 12, 1998, the Regional Administrator presented the results of the Harris Nuclear Facility's Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance (SALP). Following the SALP presentation, a separate meeting was held with State and local officials to discuss activities at the Harris facility.

Region II - Operator Licensing

On March 11, 1998, NRR completed its annual review of the operator licensing function in Region II. The review covered six of the seven areas normally reviewed. Performance in each area reviewed was found to be satisfactory.

ENCLOSURE P

Region III
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 13, 1998

Commonwealth Edison Performance Oversight Panel Meeting

On March 12, 1998, the Commonwealth Edison Performance Oversight Panel, composed of Region III and Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation representatives, met with Commonwealth Edison Co. officials to review performance of the licensee's nuclear power stations under the process established by the licensee in response to the staff's 10 CFR 54.54(f) letter issued in January 1997. The meeting focused on the Dresden and Quad Cities nuclear power station.

ENCLOSURE P

Region IV
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 13, 1998

Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance Meeting for Arkansas Nuclear One

On Wednesday, March 5, 1998, NRC management met with members of Entergy Operations, Inc. management to discuss the results of the Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance for Arkansas Nuclear One, Units 1 and 2.

Management Meeting with Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation

On March 6, 1998, in the Region IV office, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation, and members of the Wolf Creek staff, met with the Regional Administrator, members of the regional staff, and members of the headquarters project directorate (via video conference). The meeting was the third in a series of "focus meetings" to review the progress of Wolf Creek's engineering improvement activities. Discussions centered on the design and licensing bases fidelity at the site and the programs that have been implemented in this area. Initiatives discussed included the licensee's USAR Fidelity Review, their Margin Management and Calculation Control Reviews, the implementation of improved Technical Specifications, and their development of an integrated Engineering Information System. Insights from the recently completed Architect Engineering inspection were used as focal points during the meeting.

Assessment of Offsite Conditions to Support Cooper Nuclear Station (CNS) Startup

On March 8, 1998, while the plant was in cold shutdown for a scheduled maintenance outage, CNS reported to the NRC that several offsite evacuation routes had been closed because of blowing and drifting snow. On March 10, 1998, the licensee indicated their desire to perform a reactor startup and indicated to the NRC that the offsite conditions supported plant startup. Region IV implemented NRC Inspection Manual Chapter 1601, "Communication Protocol for Assessing Offsite Emergency Preparedness Following a Natural Disaster." Later that day, the NRC received written confirmation from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that the offsite conditions in the vicinity of CNS were adequate to support plant operation. The confirmation included the concurrence of both FEMA Region VII and FEMA Headquarters. CNS began the plant startup on March 13, 1998.

ENCLOSURE R

Office of Congressional Affairs
Items of Interest
Week Ending March 13, 1998