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Information Notice No. 87-58: Continuous Communications Following Emergency Notifications
IN 87-58 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION WASHINGTON, DC 20555 November 16, 1987 Information Notice No. 87-58: CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATIONS FOLLOWING EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS Addressees: All nuclear power reactor facilities holding an operating license and the following fuel facilities that have Emergency Notification Systems (ENS): Nuclear Fuel Services, Erwin, Tennessee; General Atomics, San Diego, Califor- nia; UNC, Montville, Connecticut; and B & W LRC and B & W Navy, Lynchburg, Virginia. Purpose: This information notice is provided to clarify NRC's role in emergency response and initial event analysis and to reiterate the responsibility of licensees to maintain adequate personnel on shift to permit continuous communications with the NRC in an emergency without diminishing the ability to expeditiously place the plant in a safe condition. Recipients are expected to review this information notice for applicability and consider action, as appropriate, to preclude occurrence of similar problems at their facilities. However, no specific action or written response is required. Description of Circumstances: On July 15, 1987 at 6:25 a.m., North Anna Unit 1 experienced a steam generator tube rupture while operating at 100% power. The unit was manually tripped by the operators, and an automatic safety injection actuation occurred on low pressurizer pressure at 6:36 a.m. Safety injection was terminated by the operators at 7:05 a.m. A small radioactive release to the environment oc- curred via the main condenser air ejector exhaust and the auxiliary feedwater pump turbine exhaust. An Unusual Event was declared at 6:39 a.m., and the emergency classification was upgraded to an Alert at 6:54 a.m. The licensee notified the NRC Headquar- ters Operations Center of the event via the Emergency Notification System (ENS) at 7:04 a.m. The Operations Center requested that the licensee maintain continuous communications with the NRC via the ENS and provide updates of the event status as additional information became available. The NRC Region II Incident Response Center and the Headquarters Operations Center were activated in the Standby mode. ENS communications were maintained until the NRC Centers were returned to Normal mode at 12:41 p.m. The licensee downgraded the emergency classification from Alert to Recovery when the unit reached a cold shutdown condition at 1:31 p.m. 8711090140 . IN 87-58 November 16, 1987 Page 2 of 2 Discussion: In a meeting with industry representatives after the event, licensee management indicated a concern regarding the burden placed on the plant staff by NRC requests for information during the event. In later discussions with the licensee, the licensee stated that the intent during that meeting was to inform other industry representatives of the importance of planning to provide for communications with the NRC during an emergency. 10 CFR 50.72(c)(3) requires reactor licensees to maintain continuous communi- cations with the NRC when they are requested to do so. This requirement was reemphasized in Information Notice No. 86-97, "Emergency Communications System." Information Notice No. 85-80, "Timely Declaration of an Emergency Class, Implementation of an Emergency Plan, and Emergency Notifications," reiterated licensees' event notification responsibilities. Licensees have a responsibility to provide enough on-shift personnel knowledgeable about plant operations and emergency plan implementation to enable timely, accurate, and reliable reporting of operating events without interfering with plant operation. The effectiveness of the NRC during an event depends in large measure on complete and accurate reports from licensees. During an emergency, the Region Incident Response Center and the Headquarters Operations Center become focal points for action by the NRC. Licensee actions during an emergency are monitored by the NRC to ensure that appropriate action is being taken to protect the health and safety of the public. When requested, the NRC supports licensees with technical analysis and coordinates logistics support. The NRC keeps other Federal agencies informed of the status of an incident and provides information to the media. In addition, the NRC assesses and confirms the appropriateness of protective actions recommended by the licensee to local and state authorities. No specific action or written response is required by this information notice. If you have any questions about this matter, please contact the technical contact listed below or the Regional Administrator of the appropriate regional office. Charles E. Rossi, Director Division of Operational Events Assessment Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Technical Contact: Kevin P. Wolley, AEOD (301) 492-8373 Attachment: List of Previously Issued Information Notices
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Friday, May 22, 2015
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