IR 05000219/2004003
| ML043080050 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Oyster Creek |
| Issue date: | 11/02/2004 |
| From: | Blough A Division of Nuclear Materials Safety I |
| To: | Crane C AmerGen Energy Co |
| References | |
| EA 04-142, IR-04-003 | |
| Download: ML043080050 (5) | |
Text
ber 2, 2004
SUBJECT:
FINAL SIGNIFICANCE DETERMINATION FOR A GREEN FINDING (NRC Inspection Report 05000219/2004003)
Oyster Creek Generating Station
Dear Mr. Crane:
The purpose of this letter is to provide you with the final results of our significance determination of the preliminary Greater Than Green finding identified in the subject inspection report at Oyster Creek during an inspection completed on June 30, 2004. The results of the inspection were discussed with Mr. Swenson and other members of your staff on July 15, 2004.
The inspection finding was assessed using the significance determination process and was preliminarily characterized as Greater Than Green, a finding of greater than very low safety significance, resulting in the need for further evaluation to determine significance, and therefore the need for additional NRC action. This preliminary Greater Than Green finding involved the failure to follow procedures during a two-year overhaul of the #1 Emergency Diesel Generator (EDG1) in April 2004. As a result, one pillow block bearing bolt fell out and another loosened during a surveillance test on May 17, 2004, causing excessive vibration and noise that prompted an emergency shut down of EDG1.
In a letter dated August 12, 2004, the NRC provided you an opportunity to attend a Regulatory Conference to discuss this preliminary finding, or to provide a written response. At your request, a Regulatory Conference was held on September 27, 2004, to further discuss your views on this issue. A copy of the handout you provided at the conference has been recorded in ADAMS under accession number ML042860063. During the conference, your staff described the significance of the finding, its root cause, and detailed corrective actions.
Specifically, you agreed that there was a performance deficiency, but you contended that this issue should be classified as a Green finding.
Based on our evaluation of the inspection findings, including the additional information you provided at the Regulatory Conference, the NRC has made a final significance determination that the finding is appropriately classified as Green, a finding of very low safety significance.
The basis for our determination is documented in the enclosed Final Risk Determination.
Nonetheless, the finding is a violation of Technical Specification 6.8.1, which requires you to establish, implement, and maintain written procedures, in part, for maintenance that can adversely affect the performance of safety-related equipment. Specifically, on April 30, 2004, maintenance technicians completed work on EDG1, a safety-related component, without fully establishing and implementing procedural requirements. In particular, the technicians did not
Christopher torque two pillow block bearing bolts to the value specified by Maintenance Instruction 1200.
However, because the violation had very low safety significance and because it was entered into your corrective action program, the NRC is treating the violation as a non-cited violation in accordance with Section VI.A.1 of the NRCs Enforcement Policy. If you deny the non-cited violation, you should provide a written response with the basis for the denial, within 30 days of the date of this letter, to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001; with copies to the Regional Administrator, Region I, the Director, Office of Enforcement, and the NRC Resident Inspector at Oyster Creek.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and its enclosure will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of NRCs document system (ADAMS) on the NRC Website at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).
Sincerely,
/RA/
A. Randolph Blough, Director Division of Reactor Projects Region I Docket No. 50-219 License No. DPR-16 Enclosure: Final Risk Determination cc w/encl:
Chief Operating Officer, AmerGen Site Vice President, Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, AmerGen Plant Manager, Oyster Creek Generating Station, AmerGen Vice President - Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, AmerGen Manager Licensing - Oyster Creek, AmerGen J. Fewell, Assistant General Counsel, Exelon Nuclear Correspondence Control Desk, AmerGen J. Matthews, Esquire, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Mayor of Lacey Township K. Tosch - Chief, Bureau of Nuclear Engineering, NJ Dept. of Env. Protection R. Shadis, New England Coalition Staff N. Cohen, Coordinator - Unplug Salem Campaign W. Costanzo, Technical Advisor - Jersey Shore Nuclear Watch E. Zobian, Coordinator - Jersey Shore Anti Nuclear Alliance
Christopher