NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION IV 1450 Maria Lane, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
	CONTACT:	Mark Hammond (510) 975-0254/E-mail: mfh2@nrc.gov

RIV-6696

December 31, 1996

CONTACT: Mark Hammond

Office: (510) 975-0254

(415) 674-1024

Pager: (800) 916-4952

email: mfh2@nrc.gov

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold a predecisional enforcement conference this week with officials of the Southern California Edison Co. to discuss apparent violations of NRC requirements at the San Onofre nuclear power plant.

The conference will begin at 9 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 3, at the NRC Region IV office in Arlington, Texas. SCE operates the San Onofre plant near San Clemente, California. The meeting will be open to the public for observation; NRC officials will be available afterwards for questions.

An NRC inspection conducted in October found three apparent violations of a requirement known as the maintenance rule, under which plant operators must have in place programs to monitor the effectiveness of maintenance on certain structures, systems and components.

The decision to hold a predecisional enforcement conference does not mean that NRC has made a final determination that a violation did occur or that enforcement action, such as a monetary fine, will be taken. The purpose is to discuss the apparent violation, its cause and safety significance; to provide SCE an opportunity to challenge or correct portions of the NRC inspection report; and for the licensee to outline its corrective actions.

No decision on the apparent violations or any enforcement action will be made at the conference. Those decisions will be made later by senior NRC officials.