Information Notice No. 93-60, Supplement 1: Reporting Fuel Cycle and Materials Events to the NRC Operations Center

UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS
WASHINGTON, D.C.  20555

October 20, 1994


NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 93-60, SUPPLEMENT 1:  REPORTING FUEL CYCLE AND          
                                             MATERIALS EVENTS TO THE NRC       
                                             OPERATIONS center 

Addressees

All 10 CFR Part 70 fuel cycle licensees.

Purpose

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is issuing this information notice to
alert addressees to a recent revision of the form used by Headquarters
Operations Officers (HOOs) who document safety-related fuel cycle events
reported to the NRC Operations Center.  It is expected that recipients will
review the information for applicability to their facilities and consider
actions, as appropriate, to ensure proper reporting.  However, suggestions
contained in this information notice are not NRC requirements; therefore, no
specific action nor written response is required.

Background

On August 4, 1993, Information Notice 93-60, "Reporting Fuel Cycle and
Materials Events to the NRC Operations Center," was issued.  The information
notice was issued to alert addressees to recent problems associated with 
reporting of safety-related events to the NRC Operations Center.  Attached to  
the information notice was an example of the form used by HOOs to document
safety-related event reports.  This form was recently revised to better assist
the HOOs in documenting reports regarding degraded criticality safety controls
(ref. NRC Bulletin 91-01) at fuel cycle facilities and determining whether the
immediate attention of the NRC technical staff is required.

Discussion

Subsequent to the issuance of Information Notice 93-60, the attached "Fuel
Cycle and Materials Event Notification Worksheet" revision was developed to
specifically indicate that licensees are expected to:  (1) identify whether
the report concerned a deficient criticality safety analysis or an event;
(2) provide information describing the credible criticality accident pathways
involved; (3) provide information describing the controlled-parameter(s)
(mass, moderation, geometry, etc.) and control(s) (or controlled systems)
established for the criticality accident pathways; (4) provide a description
of the licensed material involved; and (5) describe the status of corrective
actions taken to restore safety systems. 



9410140257.                                                      IN 93-60, Supp. 1
                                                      October 20, 1994
                                                      Page 2 of 2


Fuel cycle licensees reporting events should be prepared to provide the
following information for the affected controlled parameter(s) of each
criticality accident pathway:

    1.  Describe the potential criticality pathway(s) involved.

    2.  Identify the controlled parameter(s).

    3.  Describe the nuclear criticality safety controls or control systems
        and the failure(s) or deficiencies that occurred.

    4.  Estimate the amount, enrichment, and form of licensed material 
        involved, including process limits and what percent of the worst-case
        critical mass was reached.

    5.  Describe the status of corrective actions taken to restore safety
        systems, and when each was implemented.

To save time and ensure accuracy in reporting an event, licensees may send an
electronic facsimile of the completed form to the NRC Operations Center, whose
fax number is (301) 816-5151.

This information notice requires no specific action nor written response.  If
you have any questions about this notice, please call the technical contact
listed below or the appropriate regional office. 

                              /s/'d by Elizabeth Q. Ten Eyck/for


                              Robert F. Burnett, Director
                              Division of Fuel Cycle Safety
                                and Safeguards
                              Office of Nuclear Material Safety
                                and Safeguards


Technical contact:  J. Roth, NMSS 
                    (301) 415-7156