A
Severity Level IV noncited violation of
10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B, Criterion XVI, "Corrective Action," was identified for the failure to correct a nonconforming condition in a timely manner. Specifically, since June 2001, the licensee discontinued implementation of required Technical Specification surveillance testing for the containment purge valves by declaring the valves
inoperable and installing blind
flanges. This issue was entered into the corrective action program as CRDR 2711167
The finding is greater than minor because the licensee's failure to submit a license amendment to correct the nonconforming condition impacted the NRC's ability to perform its regulatory function. Therefore, this finding was considered applicable to traditional enforcement. Although the
significance determination process is not designed to assess the significance of violations that potentially impact or impede the regulatory process, the finding can be assessed using the
significance determination process. Using the Phase 1 worksheet in Manual Chapter 0609, "
Significance Determination Process," the finding is determined to have very low safety significance because it only affected the
barrier integrity cornerstone and the installation of blind
flanges adequately maintained containment integrity.
