August 9 through 22, 1997
Prepared by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, Washington

RUSSIA

Novovoronezh Staff Collaborate on Factory Acceptance Tests of Emergency Water Supply System. On August 13 and 14, two representatives from Novovoronezh nuclear power plant (NPP) inspected the emergency water supply pumping system assembled for the first time at the Wheatley Gaso pump test facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Novovoronezh specialists collaborated in conducting factory acceptance tests of the pump, diesel driver, and diesel generator. They subjected the system to a range of tests including multiple cold starts, cycling of protective trips, and a 24-hour operational run-in period. Minor performance discrepancies noted during the testing are being resolved. The pumping system will be shipped to the Novovoronezh plant in September. Representatives from Parsons Power, the U.S. contractor for the project, witnessed the tests along with U.S. technical specialists. (Dan Couch, PNNL, 509-372-4591)

Battery Technology Transferred via Moscow Workshop. In close collaboration with Rosenergoatom, U.S. team members conducted a workshop on July 29 to transfer technology on direct-current power supplies. The objectives of the workshop were to transfer technology for upgrading direct-current power supply systems at Russian NPPs and to identify future needs for safety-grade batteries at Russian NPPs. Participants included representatives from Rosenergoatom, Atomenergoproekt, Gosatomnadzor, and U.S. and Russian battery manufacturers. Representatives of each of the Russian nuclear power plants (NPPs) and contractor Burns & Roe also participated. Specialists from Burns & Roe and Atomenergoproekt (St. Petersburg) presented information on the direct-current power supply project at Kola NPP. Kursk NPP staff also gave a presentation on the Kursk direct-current power supply project. Gosatomnadzor personnel provided regulatory perspectives on the Kola and Kursk projects and described Russian standards. Representatives of the Russian Battery Research Institute, Russian battery manufacturer Electrotiaga, and U.S. battery manufacturers NLI and GNB Battery Technologies also gave presentations. The Russian NPP representatives discussed the current status of and future needs for battery technology at their plants. Rosenergoatom provided a summary of these needs. Based on input from this workshop, a revised technology transfer plan will be developed. (Ron Wright, PNNL, 509-372-4076; Norm Fletcher, DOE, 301-903-3275)

Criticality Safety Training Under Way in Moscow. A criticality safety course for Gosatomnadzor personnel began in Moscow on August 18 and continues through August 28. The course modules, comparable to those used in training personnel from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, are being presented by Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) and ORISE consultants. The objective of the course is to familiarize Gosatomnadzor staff with modern methods for addressing criticality safety for fuel cycle facilities. This objective is particularly relevant in light of the two recent criticality accidents in Russia, one of which resulted in a fatality. (Jim Wiborg, PNNL, 509-375-6745)

UKRAINE

Zaporizhzhya Plant Managers Tour U.S. Commercial Nuclear Power Plants. In early August, several key personnel from Zaporizhzhya NPP toured two commercial nuclear power plants in the United States. The Zaporizhzhya plant?s shift supervisor and the heads of the quality assurance, technical support, and information systems departments were accompanied by representatives of U.S. contractor Stone & Webster Engineering Company. The visit to North Anna NPP on August 6 included a tour of the simulator, demonstrations of North Anna?s configuration management database, a tour of the plant including the control room, and a question-and-answer period. North Anna staff provided documents describing their configuration management program. The visit went well, with the Zaporizhzhya personnel asking many perceptive questions and gaining a good understanding of how a configuration management program functions at a typical U.S. plant. The delegation from Ukraine visited Catawba NPP for similar meetings on August 11 before returning home on August 12. (Dan Couch, PNNL, 509-372-4591)

Workshop Teaches Effective Use of Simulators for Training Plant Staff. Simulator training specialists from Khmelnytskyy and Zaporizhzhya NPPs and the Engineering and Technical Center for the Training of Nuclear Industry Personnel participated in a workshop at Zaporizhzhya NPP during the week of August 18. The workshop, conducted by U.S. training specialists, was designed to assist trainers at Ukraine?s NPPs to use simulators more effectively in plant operator training activities. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

CHORNOBYL INITIATIVES

New Leaders Participate in Workshop on Research and Development Management Principles. Seven key managers for the Chornobyl Center/Slavutych Laboratory spent the first two weeks of August in Seattle, Washington, reviewing Western principles and techniques of management and learning how to apply them to the design and operation of their new research and development (R&D) complex. Participants included a Ukrainian government official and six managers of the Chornobyl Center for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste and Radioecology/ Slavutych Laboratory for International Research and Technology--four from Kyiv and two from Slavutych. All are expected to play key roles in establishing management conventions and practices for the new Chornobyl Center/Slavutych Laboratory.

U.S. team members designed and conducted the workshop, which was focused on six key areas:

• issues to be considered in R&D organization design and operation
• relevant worldwide trends in the R&D industry and their impact on R&D providers
• critical factors for success of the center
• functional departments for the center
• principles of management and leadership
• next steps in center design and operation.

In addition to classroom discussion sessions, the workshop included tours and talks with representatives of several R&D and commercial facilities in the northwest Washington--Pacific Northwest National Laboratory?s Marine Sciences Laboratory, the Boeing Company, and Microsoft Corporation. The workshop activities enabled the participants to work together for the first time and get to know one another. The sessions also exposed participants to issues that until recently were not a part of Ukrainian business operations--for example, contracting, marketing, estimating overheads, determining staff labor costs.

The workshop discussions

• provided an initial framework for designing center functions
• identified functions requiring more in-depth focus
• identified short- and long-term needs for staff training
• provided a preliminary management plan for the center
• identified management and leadership issues that center management will address as new staff members are hired. (Jon Olson, PNNL, 206-528-3200)

European Bank Requests Expressions of Interest in Projects at the Chornobyl Shelter. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) issued its requests for expressions of interest and capabilities on August 15 as scheduled. The two announcements request responses from industry to submit bids for work on the early biddable projects and to act as the project management unit (the entity that will manage the work in the field). The expressions of interest are due to the EBRD by September 15. The team preparing the specifications for the early biddable projects will present those specifications to the Ukrainian Nuclear Regulatory Administration (NRA) for review on September 9. NRA comments and any comments from the EBRD will be incorporated into the specifications during the following week to support preparation of the tenders for the four groups of early biddable projects. Those groups are civil engineering, operations and monitoring, emergency systems, and fuel-containing material. (Dennis Kreid, PNNL, 509-375-2170)

Canada and United States to Provide Joint Funding for Chornobyl Unit 3/4 Ventilation Stack Repairs. Canada and the United States jointly will fund Ukrainian-led and -directed repairs to the Unit 3/4 ventilation stack and foundation. A request for proposal was sent to managers of the Chornobyl Shelter in early August for their review. Their response is expected to provide the basis for issuing Canadian and U.S. contracts with the Shelter for the material and construction services necessary to repair the ventilation stack damage caused by the April 1986 accident. Participants in the effort are striving to begin the actual repairs before the end of 1997 and the onset of inclement weather. (John Schmidt, PNNL, 509-372-6377)

Radiation Zone Clothing and Respirators en Route to Chornobyl Shelter. An initial shipment of respirators and radiation-zone clothing arrived at the port of St. Petersburg on August 7. As of August 22, the shipment was on its way to Ukrainian customs at Chernigev, about 30 miles from Chornobyl. The equipment and clothing were provided by four sites from within the U.S. Department of Energy complex--Hanford, Idaho Falls, Oak Ridge, and Savannah River--which no longer had need for them. The U.S. team now is working with those sites to obtain and recondition radiation survey and personnel survey instruments to meet outstanding needs at the Shelter. (John Schmidt, PNNL, 509-372-6377)

PLANNED ACTIVITIES

• "*" indicates the event is a new item or has been changed from the last report.
  
• "TBD" means the event date or location is to be determined.
  
• Note: in the interest of providing a timely update on the Soviet-Designed-Reactor SafetyProgram, no formal document review of this weekly report has been conducted by DOE or PNNL.

August 22-September 18 -- Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA.
An introductory training course in applying the RELAP5 computer code to safety assessments of Soviet-designed NPPs will be conducted. This session?s participants will be specialists from Rivne, Khmelnytskyy, and Zaporizhzhya NPPs, and the Energoatom organization, all in Ukraine. (Don Fletcher, INEEL, 208-526-7652; Ross Jensen, ANL, 208-533-7911)

*August 22-30 -- Moscow, Russia.
Meetings will be held to organize the framework of cooperation for the Kursk Unit 1 in-depth safety assessments. Participants include representatives of Rosenergoatom, the Research and Development Institute for Power Engineering, Kursk NPP, and the U.S. team. They plan to obtain agreement on project organization; identify plant involvement, responsibilities, and commitments; and define responsibilities of other Russian participants. Drafts of initial statements of work will be developed during the meetings. (Gary Smith, PNNL, 509-375-4482)

August 25-30 -- St. Petersburg and Sosnovy Bor, Russia.
A U.S. specialist and representatives of Leningrad NPP will discuss plant-specific procedures for collecting data for use in the Leningrad Unit 1 probabilistic safety analysis. The meeting goal is to integrate generic data collection information with specific plant information to produce a working draft of the data collection procedure to be used. (Walter Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

August 25-September 4 -- Moscow, Russia.
Nuclear safety inspectors from Gosatomnadzor will attend a criticality safety training course. Staff of the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education will present the course at Gosatomnadzor head- quarters. (Ed Branagan, Jr., DOE, 301-903-6509; George Vargo, PNNL, 509-375-6836)

*August 30-September 13 -- Richland, Washington; Oak Ridge, Tennessee; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Five participants from Ukraine will witness acceptance tests for the neutron monitoring system and review needs for remote systems technologies for the Chornobyl Shelter. (Dennis Kreid, PNNL, 509-375-2170) (Workshop No. 97-142; Travel Coordinator Gail Flora, PNNL, 509-375-6554)

*August 31-September 4 -- St. Petersburg, Russia.
A closing seminar will be held for phase I of the Leningrad Unit 2 probabilistic safety assessment. The seminar will involve participants from Sweden, Russia, Great Britain, and the United States, including representatives from the Swedish International Projects office, ENTEK, AEA-Technologies, Gosatomnadzor, Leningrad NPP, and technical leads from the U.S. team. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

September 1-5 -- Chornobyl NPP, Ukraine.
A U.S. training specialist will work with Chornobyl NPP staff to prepare training materials for the Control Room Reactor Operator training course. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

*September 1-12 -- Bilibino NPP, Russia.
A U.S. training specialist will conduct the first working visit to assist in preparing training materials for the Shift Supervisor training course. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

September 1-12 -- Novovoronezh Training Center, Russia.
A U.S. training specialist will conduct a working visit to assist in preparation of training materials for the Shift Supervisor training course. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

September 1-12 -- Kalinin NPP, Russia.
U.S. training experts will conduct a working visit to assist in the preparation of training materials for the Mechanical Maintenance training course at Kalinin NPP. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

September 1-12 -- Kursk NPP, Russia.
U.S. training experts will assist in preparing training materials and then observe the implementation of the Mechanical Maintenance training course at Kursk NPP. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

*September 1-December 1 -- Rockville, Maryland, USA.
A training course on the ADAM computer code will be taught by code developer Energy Research, Inc. ADAM (Accident Diagnostics, Analysis, and Management Systems) is intended for application to accident progression analysis, severe accident studies, source term characterization, and evaluation of emergency operating and severe accident procedures in light water reactors. A representative of Slovakia?s Nuclear Regulatory Authority will attend the course. (Gary Smith, PNNL, 509-375-4482) (Workshop No. 97-140; Travel Coordinator Chrissy Garcia, PNNL, 509-372-4013)

*September 2-4 -- Reston, Virginia, USA.
Representatives of Rosenergoatom, the Research and Development Institute for Power Engineering, the Kurchatov Institute, and Kursk NPP will meet with U.S. specialists to plan the Kursk Unit 1 in-depth safety assessment. They will discuss the scope of the assessment and participant roles and responsibilities. Initial tasks will be identified for all participants. (Gary Smith, PNNL, 509-375-4482) (Workshop No. 97-143; Travel Coordinator Jennifer Carpenter, PNNL, 509-372-4139)

*September 4-14 -- Chelan, Washington, USA.
Three Russian participants will attend a conference on nuclear criticality safety. (John Schmidt, PNNL, 509-372-6377) (Workshop No. 97-134;Travel Coordinator Gail Flora, PNNL, 509-375-6554)

*September 6-13 -- St. Petersburg, Russia.
Representatives of the U.S. team will brief prospective Russian bidders on the Shelter Implementation Plan task that will be tenederd by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Briefings will cover both the structure and logic of the plan and the European Bank?s contracting process. Briefings will be held with representatives of the Khlopin Radium Institute, the All-Russian Planning and Design, Research and Technological Association, the Kurchatov Institute, Institute of Physics and Power Engineering, Research and Development Institute for Power Engineering, and the Russian Academy of Sciences Nuclear Safety Institute. (Ray Hunter, DOE, 202-586-2240)

*September 7-12 -- Kyiv, Ukraine.
The coordinating committee for the Ukraine plant fire safety upgrade will meet to begin work on upgrade activities. Participants include representatives of Derzhkomatom, Energoproekt, the Ukraine State Department for Fire Safety, the Nuclear Facility Licensing Department of the Nuclear Regulatory Administration, and Zaporizhzhya NPP. (Chuck Ramsey, DOE, 301-903-5999)

September 8-12 -- Prague, Czech Republic.
Specialists from Science Applications International Corporation will conduct a training workshop on probabilistic risk assessment at the company?s offices in Prague. Russian participants in the Novovoronezh Units 3 and 4 in-depth safety assessment will participate, as will a representative of the U.S. team. The hands-on workshop will include practice applications of the software to be used in the probabilistic risk assessment work. (Jordi Roglans, ANL, 630-252-3283)

September 8-12 -- Obninsk, Russia.
The Second International Information Exchange Forum on Analytical Methods and Computational Tools for NPP Safety Assessment will be conducted at the Institute for Physics and Power Engineering in Obninsk, Russia. Both the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Energy Agency have committed support for the workshop. A wide range of participants is anticipated, representing bilateral and multilateral assistance projects involving safety analysis of Soviet-designed reactors. (Jan Van Erp, ANL 630-252-3381; Jeff Binder, ANL 630-252-7265)

September 8-12 -- Oradell, New Jersey; Washington, D.C., USA.
Representatives from Armenia NPP will meet with U.S. project team counterparts to conduct a project review meeting. A technical tour of Indian Point NPP is planned. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 301-903-1418) (Workshop No. 97-141; Travel Coordinator Gail Flora, PNNL, 509-375-6554)

September 8-16 -- Moscow, Russia, and Kyiv, Ukraine.
Members of the U.S. team will meet in Moscow with plant management from Kola, Kalinin, Novovoronezh, Balakovo, and Bilibino NPPs to discuss the status of simulator projects for each site. Similar discussions will be held in Kyiv for Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982; Walter Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

September 8-19 -- Rivne NPP, Ukraine.
U.S. training experts will conduct the first working visit to assist in the preparation of training materials for the Instrumentation and Control training course at Rivne NPP. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

September 8-19 -- Zaporizhzhya NPP, Ukraine.
U.S. training experts will conduct the first working visit to assist in the preparation of training materials for the Water Chemistry training course at Zaporizhzhya NPP. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

September 8-19 -- Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
U.S. training experts will assist in preparing training materials and then observe the implementation of the Mechanical Maintenance training course at Kozloduy NPP. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

*September 8-23 -- San Diego, California, USA.
Three Russian participants will attend a training course covering quality assurance for circuit breaker manufacturing. U.S. technical specialists also will attend. (Ron Wright, PNNL, 509-372-4076) (Workshop No. 97-099; Travel Coordinator Gail Flora, PNNL, 509-375-6554)

*September 9-12 -- Kyiv and Slavutych, Ukraine.
A member of the U.S. team and the European Commission Shelter Project Coordinator will meet with staff from Chornobyl NPP and the Ukrainian ministries to review the specification packages for the early biddable projects. (Ray Hunter, DOE, 202-586-2240; Dennis Kreid, PNNL, 509-375-2170)

September 9-13 -- Argonne, Illinois, USA.
Two representatives of Slovakia?s Nuclear Regulatory Authority will attend an International Atomic Energy Agency meeting at Argonne National Laboratory. (Gary Smith, PNNL, 509-375-4482) (Workshop No. 97-079; Travel Coordinator Jennifer Carpenter, PNNL, 509-372-4139)

September 10-12 -- Kyiv, Ukraine.
Representatives of Ukraine?s State Scientific and Technical Center, the Bulgarian Regulatory Authority, and Rivne, Zaporizhzhya, and Kozloduy NPPs will discuss and finalize the first section of a draft regulation for emergency operating instructions for VVER reactors in Ukraine. U.S. team members will provide technical support during the meetings. (Ed Branagan, Jr., DOE, 301-903-6509)

September 12-18 -- Stockholm, Sweden.
The steering committee for the Leningrad Unit 2 probabilistic and deterministic safety assessment will hold its biannual meeting. The agenda includes review and discussion of all aspects of the project, including milestones, management issues and financial status. Meeting participants will include senior management from all involved organizations including the Swedish International Projects office, ENTEK, AEA-Technologies, Gosatomnadzor, and Leningrad NPP. U.S. technical specialists also will attend. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

September 12-18 -- Kyiv and Energodar, Ukraine.
A U.S. technical specialist and representatives of Stone & Webster Engineering Company will meet with representatives of Energoatom and Zaporizhzhya NPP for discussions about the Zaporizhzhya configuration management project. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 301-903-1418)

*September 13-19 -- Darmstadt, Germany.
The specifications team for the early biddable projects will meet to complete the specifications packages. The team?s goal is to deliver an electronic copy of the packages to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development by September 20. (Dennis Kreid, PNNL, 509-375-2170)

September 15-19 -- Sofia and Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
U.S. representatives will meet with representatives from the Ministry of Energy, the regulatory organization, technical support organizations, and Kozloduy NPP to review current projects and to plan activities for 1998. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 301-903-1418)

September 15-26 -- South Ukraine NPP, Ukraine.
U.S. training experts will conduct the first working visit to assist in the preparation of training materials for the Instrumentation and Control training course at South Ukraine NPP. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

September 15-26 -- Argonne, Illinois; Richland, Washington, USA.
Gosatomnadzor representatives will participate in a workshop on decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of nuclear facilities. Staff from Argonne National Laboratory and representatives of the Hanford contractors at Richland will conduct the workshop. The development of regulatory requirements for safe conduct of D&D activities will be emphasized. (Ed Branagan, Jr., DOE, 301-903-6509; George Vargo, PNNL, 509-375-6836) (Workshop No. 97-088; PNNL Travel Coordinator TBD)

September 22-October 3 -- Smolensk NPP, Russia.
U.S. training experts will assist in preparing training materials and then observe the implementation of the Mechanical Maintenance training course at Smolensk NPP. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

September 22-October 3 -- Smolensk Training Center, Russia.
U.S. training experts will assist in preparing training materials and then observe the implementation of the Shift Supervisor training course at the Smolensk training center. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

September 27-28 -- Smolensk Training Center, Russia.
U.S. experts will participate in a training technology transfer project coordination meeting at the Smolensk training center. Attendees will include representatives from VNIIAES, Rosenergoatom, Balakovo NPP, the Novovoronezh training center, and Minatom. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

*Date changed to September 29-October 10 -- Novovoronezh NPP, Russia.
A U.S. training specialist will conduct a working visit to assist in preparation of training materials for the Shift Supervisor training course. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

September 27-October 3 -- Helsinki, Finland.
The Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) will hold its second meeting for simulator and plant analyzer specialists. Participants, limited to specialists nominated by delegates to the CSNI, will exchange information and experiences and discuss the future of simulators and plant analyzers. (John Yoder, DOE, 301-903-5650)

*October 2-10 -- Moscow and Novovoronezh NPP, Russia.
A U.S. specialist and representatives of Parsons Power Group, Inc., will meet with representatives of Rosenergoatom, Gosatomnadzor, and Novovoronezh NPP to discuss the Novovoronezh configuration management project. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 301-903-1418)

October 2-29 -- Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA.
An introductory training course in applying the RELAP5 computer code to safety assessments of Soviet-designed NPPs will be conducted. This session?s students will be specialists from Kalinin NPP and the Research Institute of Nuclear Reactors (NIIAR) in Dimitrovgrad. (Don Fletcher, INEEL, 208-526-7652; Ross Jensen, ANL, 208-533-7911)

October 13-17 -- Vilnius and Ignalina NPP, Lithuania.
U.S. representatives will meet with representatives from the Ministry of Economy, the regulatory organization, technical support organizations, and Ignalina NPP to review current projects and to plan activities for 1998. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 301-903-1418)

* TBD -- Bilibino NPP, Russia.
U.S. training experts will conduct the second working visit to assist in preparing training materials for the plant?s Shift Supervisor training course. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)