June 7, 1996
Prepared by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington

RUSSIA

Leningrad Decommissioning Study. Representatives of the Kurchatov Institute met with INSP team members May 20 through 24, 1996, in Richland, Washington. The meeting was held to finalize the overall work scope for the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Unit 1 Decommissioning Strategy Project. Agreements were reached on the terms of reference, the study task list, and the Russian statement of work for the project. (Robert Lavelle, BNL, 516-344-7747)

Kola Unit 2 Confinement Radiation Monitoring System. INSP staff were onsite at the Kola NPP May 26 through 30, 1996, reviewing installation status for the plant's high-level confinement radiation monitoring system. To date, four radiation monitors are in place on the Unit 2 steam-generator level, near two steam generators and two primary coolant loops. In-confinement power and signal cables have been pulled through steel conduits and passed through the confinement penetrations into the reactor building (ex-confinement). Pending arrival of additional coaxial cable, wiring to readout devices and remote displays will be completed. (George Greene , BNL, 516-344-2296)

Kola Unit 2 Confinement Leaktightness Testing. Tests in the Kola Unit 2 confinement, conducted May 28 through 30, 1996, show a significant improvement in leaktightness over the last measurements taken in 1995. U.S. project staff on hand for the leaktightness testing noted the marked reduction in measured leak rate is attributable to upgrades undertaken by Kola plant staff as part of the INSP--new isolation valves, replacement hutch locks, new gaskets, and the application of sealant materials to local defect sites. Kola NPP staff indicated they will continue to upgrade the Unit 2 confinement to further reduce leakage; they also hope to apply the same upgrades to Unit 1, another VVER 440-230 reactor of similar vintage. (George Greene, BNL, 516-344-2296)

UKRAINE

RBMK Working Group Meeting. Members of the RBMK reactor working group met May 20 through 24 at the Chornobyl Center for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste and Radioecology in Slavutych, Ukraine. Representatives from all RBMK facilities, ENTEK, Obninsk, Rosenergoatom (REA), the REA training center, Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), U.S. utilities, and INSP participated. Meeting topics included project status, emergency operating instruction (EOI) development, and training. During the meeting, U.S. participants provided training materials and information to staff trainers in attendance. Another meeting outcome was plans for a seminar for RBMK training representatives; the future event will likely be held in the United States, at the Hatch, Georgia, facility. (Sam McKay, PNNL, 509-372-4059)

South Ukraine Unit 1 Full-Scope Simulator. The Request for Proposal for this simulator project's U.S.-funded tasks was issued to S3 Technologies on June 3, 1996. A proposal from S3 Technologies is expected by the end of July. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982)

PLANNED ACTIVITIES

June 10-12 -- Prague, Czech Republic.
The next program review covering U.S. assistance to the Czech Republic is scheduled for June 10-12, 1996, in Prague. Based on information obtained at this review, the U.S. team will make recommendations to DOE management for future funding. The last review meeting was held in March 1995. (Nicholas Grossman, DOE, 301-903-3299)

June 10-14 -- Chornobyl NPP, Ukraine and Leningrad NPP, Russia.
Representatives from Parsons Power, Westinghouse Electric and INSP will meet with plant staff to initiate safety parameter display system projects and to develop plant-specific specifications. (Rich Reister, DOE, 301-903-0234)

June 10-14 -- Doel NPP, Belgium.
The project team for developing and implementing management and operational controls procedures will meet at Doel NPP, Belgium. The meeting is being coordinated by the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO). This location was chosen to allow the opportunity to study the implementation of similar procedures at a non-U.S. and non-Soviet designed NPP. The team will also conduct technical reviews of draft procedures and take the necessary steps to complete implementation of the procedures at pilot plants in countries with Soviet-designed NPPs. Attendees include representatives from Armenia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United States. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 202-586-7834)

June 11-20 -- Novovoronezh NPP and Moscow, Russia.
U.S. representatives will meet with representatives from Novovoronezh NPP to discuss plant-specific safety assessments. They will also meet with representatives of the Research and Development Institute of Power Engineering (RDIPE) to continue negotiations for the Leningrad plant specific safety assessment. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

June 13-17 -- Budapest, Hungary.
The next program review covering U.S. assistance to Hungary is scheduled for June 13-17, 1996, in Budapest. Based on information obtained at this review, the U.S. team will make recommendations to DOE management for future funding. The last review meeting was held in March 1995. (Nicholas Grossman, DOE, 301-903-3299)

June 15-22 -- Brookhaven National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Savannah River Site.
Representatives from the Russian regulatory agency GAN will attend a seminar titled "Quality Assurance in Research Reactors and Fuel Facilities." They will receive an overview of quality assurance as applied to research reactors in the United States when they visit BNL, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the Savannah River Site June 15-22, 1996. (Jan van Erp, ANL, 708-252-3381; Ted Ginsberg, BNL, 516-344-2620)

*June 16-22 -- Richland, Washington.
Staff from Gosatomnadzor will observe the 1996 radiological emergency preparedness exercise at Hanford. They also will tour several facilities associated with tank farm operations and emergency response. (George Vargo, PNNL, 509-375-6836)

June 17-21 -- Moscow, Russia.
Representatives from INSP will participate in a technology transfer strategy meeting with representatives from all Russian NPPs and all organizations involved with nuclear power plant personnel training (Minatom, Rosenergoatom, Atomtechenergo, VNIIAES). (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

June 21-July 2 -- Chornobyl NPP, Ukraine.
A workshop about developing and implementing EOIs will be held at Chornobyl NPP. Following the workshop, participants will identify deliverables and agree on a schedule for future work. In addition, work will begin on implementing new Management and Operational Controls procedures at Chornobyl NPP. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 202-586-7834)

*June 22-29 -- Crete, Greece.
Representatives from INSP will participate in the International Atomic Energy Agency conference on "Risk Issues for Soviet-Designed Reactors." (Dan Giessing, DOE, 301-903-2852)

June 23-29 -- Moscow, Russia.
Members of the Kola In-Depth Safety Analysis (KOLISA) project team will meet to review project guidelines, conduct a plant walkdown, and introduce human reliability concepts. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

June 24-28 -- Khmelnytskyy NPP, Ukraine.
General Physics Corporation personnel will work with Khmelnytskyy staff to continue development of the refueling floor operator, chemical operator, and control room reactor operator training courses. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

June 24-28 -- Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
There will be an EOI development workshop at Kozloduy NPP. Participants will include representatives from all VVER-440/230 and VVER-1000 NPPs. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

*June 24-29 -- Vilnius, Lithuania.
INSP representatives will attend meetings to discuss RBMK input model development, computer code assessment activities, and plant calculations. A project plan for the validation of the RELAP5 computer code for application to RBMK reactors will be developed. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

*June 28-July 6 -- Moscow, Russia.
U.S. specialists will participate in meetings to develop a detailed work scope for the Leningrad NPP deterministic safety analysis project. This activity is part of an international cooperative effort to develop a probabilistic risk assessment for the Leningrad NPP Unit 2. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

*June 29-July 3 -- Moscow, Russia.
Management and technical staff from Electrogorsk Research and Engineering Center will meet with U.S. specialists. Instrumentation issues at the Electrogorsk test facility, which provides data for validating computer codes to be used in VVER-1000 reactor safety analyses, will be discussed. DOE plans to provide the facility with surplus two-phase flow instrumentation to help resolve the issues. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

July 8-12 -- Balakovo NPP, Russia.
Sonalysts, Inc. personnel and Balakovo NPP staff will implement the pilot electrical operations training course. They will continue development of the electrical maintenance, water chemistry, and radiation protection pilot training courses and the simulator instructor specialized training project. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

*July 8-22 -- Chornobyl NPP, Ukraine.
U.S. staff will coordinate the installation of equipment for the satellite linking PNNL with the Chornobyl Center for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste and Radioecology. Once the system is operational, staff from Chornobyl NPP will be trained in its operation and and basic troubleshooting. (Dan Giessing, DOE, 301-903-2852)

*July22-July 26 -- Yerevan, Armenia.
INSP team members will meet with Metsamor NPP staff for discussions on EOIs, management and operational safety, and training. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

July 22-26 -- Brussels, Belgium, and Rivne NPP, Ukraine.
Representatives from Burns and Roe and INSP will meet in Brussels with representatives from a European community program of Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States (TACIS). The team will then travel to Rivne NPP to discuss the activities required to provide a safety parameter display system compatible with the planned TACIS upgrades of the Rivne instrumentation and control systems. (Rich Reister, DOE, 301-903-0234)

*July 29-August 2 -- Metsamor NPP, Armenia.
The VVER-440/230 EOI working group will meet at Metsamor NPP. Representatives from all VVER-440/230 NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

July TBD -- Kursk NPP, Russia.
U.S. specialists will visit Kursk NPP in Russia to train plant staff in the use of ultrasonic testing equipment and a re-engineered high-temperature suit, which have been recently delivered to the site. (Jim Guppy, BNL, 516-344-2698)

August 26-30 -- Kola NPP, Russia.
There will be a VVER-440/213 EOI working group meeting at Kola NPP. Representatives from all VVER-440/213 NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

August 26-30 -- Ignalina NPP, Lithuania.
There will be an RBMK EOI working group meeting at Ignalina NPP. Representatives from all RBMK NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

September 9-13 -- Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
There will be a VVER-1000 EOI working group meeting at Kozloduy NPP. Representatives from all VVER-1000 NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

November 4-8 -- Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
There will be a VVER-440/230 EOI working group meeting at Kozloduy NPP. Representatives from all VVER-440/230 NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

November 4-8 -- Zaporizhzhya NPP, Ukraine.
There will be a VVER-1000 EOI working group meeting at Zaporizhzhya NPP. Representatives from all VVER-1000 NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

November 18-22 -- Smolensk NPP, Russia.
There will be an RBMK EOI working group meeting at Smolensk NPP. Representatives from all RBMK NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

December 9-13 -- Bohunice NPP, Slovakia.
There will be a VVER-440/213 EOI working group meeting at Bohunice NPP. Representatives from all VVER-440/213 NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

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"*" indicates the event is a new item or has been changed from the last report.

Note: in the interest of providing a timely update on the Soviet-Designed-Reactor Safety Program, no formal document review of this weekly report has been conducted by DOE or PNNL.