RECOMMENDATION 91-5 TO THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY
                  pursuant to Section 312(5) of the 
                 Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended



Dated:  December 19, 1991



The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (the Board) has been
conducting an ongoing review of the bases and criteria for the
operational plans for the K-reactor at the Savannah River Site.
These plans currently include limitation of the power of the
reactor to 30 percent of the historical full power, or to
approximately 720 megawatts (MW).  The information reviewed has
been provided to the Board in numerous briefings and documents,
including the Savannah River K Production Reactor Safety Analysis
Report (WSRC-SA-10003).

The Board concluded on the basis of this information that
operation of the K-reactor at a power level not exceeding 30
percent of the nominal historical maximum power would impose no
undue risk to public health and safety assuming that all other
improvement measures established as necessary for startup have
been completed and effectively implemented.  In this connection,
the Board has been stationing members of its staff and some of
its outside experts at the Savannah River Site during the period
of restart to monitor the activities during restart and initial
power ascension of the K-reactor with the initial reactor
configuration.

Information in the K-14-1 Core Operations Report (September,
1991), and some of the Reactor Operations Management Plan (ROMP)
closure packages implies that at a later time the Department of
Energy may wish to increase the operating power level of the K-
reactor above the 30 percent value.  However, the Board is of the
opinion that the existing information on the  effectiveness of
the engineered safety features, especially those that would be
relied on in the event of a large loss-of-coolant accident, does
not at present support operation at a power level much above the
30 percent value.  The Board considers that justification of any
increase in power would require further refinement of the
thermal-hydraulic evidence on the cooling capability of the
emergency cooling systems under accident conditions.  Therefore,
pursuant to 42 U.S.C.  2286b(d), DOE shall inform the Board well
before any decision to increase the reactor's power level above
30 percent of the historical value of its maximum full power. 
Furthermore, if such an increase in operating power is to be
contemplated by the DOE, the Board recommends that:




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1.    The DOE should conduct more definitive studies on the
      thermal-hydraulic methodology, criteria, and experimental
      test program used in analyzing performance of core cooling
      of the K-reactor during unusual conditions that could
      prevail during accidents.  These studies should more fully
      reflect prototypical geometry and accident conditions
      (temperature, flow, pressure, and configuration).

2.    Any proposal to operate the K-reactor at a level above the
      30 percent value should be supported by accident analysis
      based on the thermal-hydraulic methodology revised in
      accordance with the above.

3.    The evaluation model for analysis of postulated loss of
      coolant accidents should be documented and controlled in
      accordance with the procedures described in 10 C.F.R. 
       50.46 (1991).  Similar controls should be implemented for
      models used in analyzing non-LOCA accidents.



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   /s/

                                                                                                                                                                                                   John T. Conway
                                                                                                                                                                                                   Chairman