A State inspector and a State Agreements program reviewer examine a waste burial trench at Barnwell, S.C. Low-level radioactive wastes are deposited in such trenches and covered with backfill. Only three low-level waste burial sites are now operating in the United States. Barnwell is the only site in the eastern part of the country. The other two sites are at Hanford, Washington and Beatty, Nevada. jurisdiction. NRC will provide technical assistance to the States in carrying out their responsibilities under the Act. Technical assistance to the Agreement States by NRC will continue to cover non-routine safety and environmental assessment. For example, a tailings impoundment failure occurred at the United Nuclear Corporation uranium milling operation at Church Rock, N.M., on July 16, 1979. New Mexico is an Agreement State and the milling complex was licensed by the State in May 1977. Estimates of the amount of tailings released have varied, but it appears that about 100 million gallons of acidic tailings solutions and 1,100 tons of tailings solids escaped from the tailings impoundment area before the break in the dam could be closed. The State of New Mexico requested technical assistance from NRC and NRC personnel were dispatched to the site to aid the State. Extensive technical studies and analyses were also performed by NRC. Technical assistance to the State of New Mexico will continue to be provided by NRC in 1980. NRC Assessment of DOE Remedial Action Plans NRC initiated in 1979 its evaluation of DOE remedial action plans for inactive sites. This will be a five year program which implements NRC's part of Title I of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978. DOE is responsible for remedial action at 21 inactive mill tailings sites and one other former ore processing site as specified in the Act. NRC is required to review DOE's proposed remedial actions and determine whether the remedial action plans are acceptable. During 1979, the NRC continued to implement the plan calling for resident inspectors at each operating power reactor plant, at those plants in the later stages of construction, and at selected fuel cycle facilities. The accident at Three Mile Island (TMI) led to a decision to increase the number of resident inspectors to a level of one inspector for each unit at a multireactor site. Single unit sites will have two resident inspectors. By December 31, 1979, 60 inspectors were stationed as residents at 48 power reactor and fuel facility sites. Table 1 provides a listing of these sites. This additional effort has required an increase in the number of personnel from a staff ceiling of 715 in 1979 to 861 in 1980 for the NRC Office of Inspection and Enforcement. By the end of fiscal year 1980 there will be 157 resident inspectors on site compared to the original goal of 76. The reactor training provided for operations inspectors will be increased from a minimum of seven weeks to 10 weeks during 1980, with additional simulator and special plant observation training. was TMI impacted heavily on the planned inspection program. Special teams were sent to all operating pressurized water nuclear plants to review with licensee management the actions required as a result of the TMI accident. Review groups were formed to study the TMI accident and the lessons learned from it that would affect future inspection programs. An augmented 24-hour surveillance program established at TMI that has required staffing support from all five NRC regional offices. From April through July of 1979, a 24-hour watch was established in each region and at the NRC Operations Center in Bethesda, Maryland, to provide the capability for responding immediately to any incidents or accidents. A direct "hotline" telephone system was installed in the Operations Center. This provides a direct line to each operating reactor power plant and all fuel processing facilities in the country. The system provides conference call capability between the NRC Operations Center, a plant, and the regional NRC office. In August, the 24-hour duty Officers in the regions were replaced by a communications system connected directly to the NRC Operations Center where 24-hour duty officer coverage is maintained. All calls to regional offices during non-duty hours are now diverted to the NRC Duty Officer at the Operations Center, who can promptly respond to the situation. As a result of these actions associated with the TMI accident and related inspections, the number of routine inspections in 1979 was less than originally planned. Table 2 summarizes the inspections conducted during fiscal year 1979. One or more noncompliance items were found in 33 percent of the more than 6,000 inspections and in 36 percent of the 121 investigations. The more severe sanctions imposed on licensees for failure to comply with NRC requirements included nine civil penalties and three orders to "cease and desist" operations, or for modifications, or suspensions of licenses (see Tables 4 and 5). THE INSPECTION PROGRAM The inspection and enforcement program is directed by NRC's Office of Inspection and Enforcement (IE), with a headquarters staff located in Bethesda, Maryland, and a field staff deployed in NRC's five regional offices located in or near Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and San Francisco. About 80 percent of the total office on-board staff of 730 is assigned to the regions. The objectives of inspections are: • To determine whether licensees are complying with NRC requirements. To identify conditions that may adversely affect public health and safety, the common defense Table 1. Sites Manned by Resident Inspectors During 1978 and 1979 Licensee Arkansas Power & Light Co. Tennessee Valley Authority Tennessee Valley Authority Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. Texas Power & Light, Dallas Power & Light, Texas Electric Service Toledo Edison Co. Indiana & Michigan Electric Co. Public Service Co. of Colorado Commonwealth Edison Co. Consumers Power Co. Northern States Power Co. Virginia Electric & Power Co. Pennsylvania Power & Light Co. Portland General Electric Co. Florida Power & Light Co. Washington Public Power Supply System Commonwealth Edison Co. Babcock & Wilcox Co. Parks Township, Pa. Westinghouse Electric Corp. Erwin, Tenn. Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc. *Assigned during calendar year 1978. **Inspector stationed at Apollo, Pennsylvania, acts as inspector on a rotating basis at B&W's Apollo and Leechburg facilities and Westinghouse's Cheswick facility. and security, the environment or the safeguarding of nuclear materials and facilities. • To provide information to assist in developing a basis for issuance, denial, or amendment of an authorization, permit or license. • To determine whether licensees and their contractors and suppliers have implemented adequate quality assurance programs. When an inspection or investigation discloses events or conditions that present a potential or actual threat to public health and safety, the environment, or the safeguarding of nuclear materials and facilities, the NRC takes prompt action and routinely communicates with other parts of government, licensees and the public. During fiscal year 1979, 174 new inspection procedures and/or instructions were issued and 123 were revised. In the area of construction inspection, for example, 22 extensively revised inspection procedures pertaining to welding were issued. Reporting Defects and Noncompliance On June 6, 1977, the NRC published in the Federal Register a regulation (10 CFR Part 21) setting forth the requirements for implementing Section 206 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974. Individual directors or responsible officers of a firm involved in the nuclear industry are required to report noncompliance with NRC regulations or the existence of defects which could create a substantial health and safety hazard. Any such person who knowingly and consciously fails to provide the required reports to the NRC is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000 for each failure and a total amount not to exceed $25,000 within any 30-day period. The regulation became fully effective on January 6, 1978. About 150 Part 21 Reports have been received by the NRC since the regulation became effective. The reports are reviewed to assess the reported deficiency, the adequacy of the proposed corrective action and the possibility of generic problems. IE inspectors ensure that appropriate followup actions are taken. Types of Inspections NRC's inspections are of two basic types: routine and reactive. In routine inspections, NRC inspectors concentrate on determining the effectiveness of quality assurance systems by direct observation and verification of licensee activities, and by reviewing procedures, checking records, interviewing people, and, where appropriate, making direct measurements. Reactive inspections are conducted in response to information received by NRC regarding conditions or events affecting licensed facilities or material under NRC jurisdiction. Such information may come from routine NRC inspections; from an applicant, licensee, contractor or supplier; or from licensee employees or other members of the public. Inspections cover the entire range of NRC licensed activities. Reactor-related inspections cover all phases of nuclear power plants (preconstruction activities, construction, preoperational testing and startup, operation, shutdown and decommissioning) and similar phases of research and test reactors. In addition, NRC inspects the quality assurance programs of contractors and vendors who supply safety-related equipment, components and services to power reactors under construction or in operation. Licensee, Contractor and Vendor Inspection Program Approximately one-half the work associated with constructing a nuclear facility is accomplished off-site. |