Dresden Nuclear Power Station, Unit 2 issued the following announcement on Jan. 2.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials will hold a pre-decisional enforcement conference
Jan. 9 with representatives of Holtec International to discuss apparent violations of NRC regulations
stemming from changes Holtec made to one of its spent nuclear fuel storage canister designs.
The conference will be held in the Commission Hearing Room at NRC Headquarters,
11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Md., from 1-5 p.m., Eastern Time. The conference will be open to the
public and will be webcast.
The apparent violations stem from an incident last March, when workers at the San Onofre
Nuclear Generating Station discovered a loose four-inch stainless steel pin at the bottom of a canister as
it was being prepared to be loaded with spent fuel. The pin was part of a shim designed to support the
fuel basket and allow airflow to the fuel assemblies within the canister. As such, the shim is considered
essential to the function of the fuel basket.
An NRC inspection report issued Nov. 29 described two apparent violations of NRC’s quality
assurance regulations. The NRC determined Holtec, when it changed the shim to the pin design in
2016, failed to establish adequate design control measures for selecting and applying materials, parts,
equipment and processes essential to the function of safety-related structures, systems and components.
Holtec also failed to maintain written records of changes to its canister design, including an evaluation
of why the design change could be implemented without applying to the NRC for an amendment to the
canister’s Certificate of Compliance.
The NRC offered Holtec a choice between the pre-decisional enforcement conference or
third-party mediation. Holtec chose the conference, at which its officials will be able to present
additional information for the NRC staff to consider in assessing the significance of the subject
violations. No final action will be taken at the Jan. 9 conference.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up