IR 05000220/1996006

Forwards Response to NRC Ltr Re Violations Noted in Insp Rept 50-220/96-06 on 960330-0601.C/A:made Physical Enhancements in Access Control Areas to RCA

ML18040A182
Person / Time
Site:	Nine Mile Point
Issue date:	08/15/1996
From:	SYLVIA B R NIAGARA MOHAWK POWER CORP.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NMP1L-1112, NUDOCS 9608230214
Download: ML18040A182 (12)

Text

REGULATORYINFORMATIONDISTRIBUTIONSYSTEM(RIDS)ACCESSIONNBR:9608230214DOC.DATE:96/08/16NOTARIZED:NOACIL:50-220NineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit1,NiagaraPoweUTH.NAMEAUTHORAFFIZIATIONYLVIA,B.R.NiagaraMohawkPowerCorp.RECIP.NAMERECIPIENTAFFIZIATIONDocumentControlBranch(DocumentControlDesk)

SUBJECT: ForwardsresponsetoNRCltrreviolationsnotedininsprept50-220/96-06on960330-0601.C/A:madephysicalenhancementsinAccessControlAreasto.RCA.DISTRIBUTIONCODE:IE01DCOPIESRECEIVED:LTRIENCL(SIZE:TITZE:General(50Dkt)-InspRept/NoticeoiViolationResponseNOTES:DOCKET05000220RECIPIENTIDCODE/NAMEPD1-1PDINTERNAL:ACRS~I~ECENTENRRR~RC~HHHFBNRR/DRPM/PERBOEDIRRGN1FILE01ERNAL:LITCOBRYCEgJHNRCPDRCOPIESLTTRENCL11221111111111111111RECIPIENTIDCODE/NAMEHOOD,DAEOD/SPD/RABDEDRONRR/DISP/PIPBNRR/DRPM/PECBNUDOCS-ABSTRACTOGC/HDS3NOACCOPIESLTTRENCL1111111111111111NOTETOALL"RIDS"RECIPIENTS:PLEASEHELPUSTOREDUCEWASTE!CONTACTTHEDOCUMENTCONTROLDESK,ROOMOWFN5D-5(EXT.415-2083)TOELIMINATEYOURNAMEFROMDISTRIBUTIONLISTSFORDOCUMENTSYOUDON'TNEED!TOTALNUMBEROFCOPIESREQUIRED:LTTR19ENCL19

NIAGARAMOHAWKGENERATIONBUSINESSGROUPB.RALPHSYLVIAExecutiveVicePresidentGenerationBusinessGroupChiefNuciearOfscer300ERIEBOULEVARDWEST,SYRACUSE.NEWYORK13202/TELEPHONE(315)4284983August15,1996NMP1L1112U.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommissionAttn:DocumentControlDeskWashington,DC20555RE:NineMilePointUnit1DocketNo.50-220Subject:ReplytoNoticeofViolationNRCInspectionReportNo.50-220196-06Gentlemen:NiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation's(NMPC)replytotheNoticeofViolationisenclosedasAttachmentAtothisletter.Intheattachedreply,NiagaraMohawkhasadmittedtotheviolationasstated.Verytrulyyours,B.RalpSyl'aChiefNuclearOfficerBRS/AFZ/kapEnclosurexc:RegionalAdministrator,RegionIMr.B.S.Norris,SeniorResidentInspectorMr.D.S.Hood,SeniorProjectManager,NRRRecordsManagement96082302k4960815PDRADOCK050002208PDR V,

NiagaraMohawkPowerCorporationNineMilePointUnitIDocketNo.50-220DPR-63REPLYTONOTICEOFVIOLATIONASCONTAINEDININSPECTIONREPORT50-220/96-06DuringanNRCinspectionconductedfromMarch30throughJune1,1996,aviolationofNRCrequirementswasidentified.InaccordancewiththeNRC"GeneralStatementofPolicyandProcedureforNRCEnforcementActions"(EnforcementPolicy),NUREG-1600,(60FR34381;June30,1995),theviolationislistedbelow:Title10,CodeofFederalRegulations,Part20,Section20.1101,requires,inpart,thatlicenseesimplementaradiationprotection(RP)programcommensuratewiththescopeandextentoflicensedactivities.ProcedureGAP-RRP-02,"RadiationWorkPermit,"Revision04,Paragraph3.7.4,requiresthatworkersshallaccesstheradiologicallycontrolledarea(RCA)usingeitherageneral,standing,orspecificradiationworkpermit(RWP).Paragraph2.5statesthatradiationworkersareresponsibleforcompliancewiththerequirementsoftheRWPProgram.Contrarytotheabove,thelicenseefailedtoproperlyimplementitsradiationprotectionprogramprocedures,asevidencedbythefollowingexamples:OnJanuary4,1996,anoperatorbreachedtheresidualheatremovalsystem,acontaminatedsystem,withoutfirstnotifyingtheRPdepartment,asrequiredbytheRWP.OnJanuary8,1996,acontractorenteredtheRCAwithoutwearingathermoluminescentdosimeterasrequiredbyRWP.OnJanuary22,1996,atechnicianenteredtheRCAwithoutwearingelectronicdosimetry,asrequiredbyRWP.OnMarch2,1996,aworkerenteredtheRCA,includingalockedhighradiationareawithintheRCA,withoutwearingelectronicdosimetry,asrequiredbyRW OnApril26,1996,anindividualenteredtheRCA,failedtosigninonanRWP,andthusfailedtowearelectronicdosimetry,aswouldhave,beenrequiredbytheRWP.ThisisaSeverityLevelIVviolation(SupplementIV).NiagaraMohawkadmitstotheviolationasstated.Thereasonfortheviolationisinadequatecorrectiveactionsforpreviousdeficiencieswhichresultedinafailuretopreventrecurrence.ADeviation/EventReport(DER)wasissuedfortheNoticeofViolation.Aformalrootcausewasperformedanddeterminedthatthemanagerialmethodsformonitoringofactivitiesdidnotidentifycomprehensivecorrectiveactions.Immediatecorrectiveactionsappliedforeachspecificeventhavebeensatisfactoryinpreventingrecurrencebytheindividualsinvolved,butthesecorrectiveactionsfailedtopreventrecurrenceofsimilardeviations.Thespecificeventsinvolvedaccesscontrolproblemsresultinginnoadditionalexposures,andsystembreachesresultinginnospreadofcontamination.Althoughtheradiologicalimpactoftheseindividualeventsisverylow,NiagaraMohawkrecognizesthatpreviouscorrectiveactionswerenotsufficientlycomprehensive,andtheimportanceofself-checkingandcross-checkingtoensureconformancewithRadiationProtectionpoliciesandpracticeswasnotadequatelydisseminatedtoworkers.Asnotedintheinspectionreport,thesedeficiencieswereself-identifiedandthe"effectivenessofthecorrectiveactiontopreventrecurrencewilltaketimetobeassessed."NiagaraMohawkbelievesthattheself-identificationofthesedeficienciesistheresultofmanagement'semphasisonself-assessmenttopromotecontinualimprovement.Becauseofthelowrateofthesetypesofhumanerrors,NiagaraMohawkconcurswiththeinspectionreportobservationthattheeffectivenessofthecorrectiveactioncanonlybeassessedoveraperiodoftime.Asdiscussedbelow,NiagaraMohawkwillbemonitoringthistrendandtakingappropriateactionsbasedontheresultsofthismonitoring.DERshadbeenpreviouslyissuedatthetimeoftheoccurrenceforeachofthespecificinstancesnotedasexamplesintheNoticeofViolation.Thefo11owingcorrectiveactionshavebeentakenasaresultofthesecases,andtheyhavebeeneffectiveinpreventingrecurrencebytheindividualsinvolved:PhysicalenhancementsweremadeintheAccessControlAreastotheRCA.StanddownswereconductedtoemphasizeAccessControlrequirement Managementoversightandattentionwasincreasedintheareaofradiationworkerconformancewithradiologicalcontrols.2.TheindividualsinvolvedinthespecificoccurrenceswerecounseledbyRadiationProtectionpersonnel.ThesecorrectiveactionshaveresultedinanimprovingtrendforNMPCsiteradiationworkerperformance.ThistrendisdeterminedbycomparingtheinstancesofinappropriateradiologicalworkpracticestothetotalnumberofhoursloggedontoRWPsusedonthesite.Theself-assessmentprocesswillincludeareviewofthisinformation,andwillcontinuetoevaluatetheeffectivenessofthecorrectiveactionsbasedonperformancetrends.Subsequentcorrectiveactionsbasedontheseself-assessmentswillenhancetheprogramasappropriate.RadiationProtectionpoliciesandpracticeswillcontinuetobeemphasizedwithradiationworkers.Forthenext1Smonths,seniormanagementexpectationsinthisareawillbereinforcedatleastquarterlythroughcommunicationsdisseminatedtositeradiationworkers.2.ElectronicDosimeterReaders(DR-200's)havebeenequippedwithanaudiblealarmwhichactivatesiftheelectronicdosimeterisnotremovedfromthereaderinatimelymannerafterRCAentryisgranted.Sinceinstallationofthealarm,therehavebeennorepeatinstancesofworkersleavingtheirelectronicdosimetersinthereaderandenteringtheRCA.3.Furtherhumanfactorenhancementswillbeevaluated,andifappropriate,implementedforaccesscontrolevolutionstofacilitateself-checkingandcross-checkingactions.CompletionDate:December31,1996.4.DuringpeakRCAactivities,suchasrefuelingoutages,thestationwilldedicatespecificpersonneltoenhancetheoversightofaccesscontrolandRCAentry.TheeffectivenessandthepotentialforfurtherimplementationofthisactionwillbeevaluatedfollowingthenextUnit2refuelingoutage.CompletionDate:November30,1996.TheactionsthatNiagaraMohawkhastakenhavereducedthenumberofpersonnelerrorsrelatedtotheradiationprotectionprogramovertheshortterm.NiagaraMohawk'seffortsto'strengthentheradiationprotectionprogramwillcontinuetofocusonaneffectiveself-assessmentprocess.Thefuturecollectionandevaluationofdatawillbeusedtoassesstheeffectivenessoftheseactionsandprogrammaticchanges,andwillenableNiagaraMohawktoproactivelydevelopfurtherprogramenhancementsifneeded.NiagaraMohawkbelievesthattheself-identificationofpersonnelerrorshas,initself,resultedinareductionofpersonnelperformanceissuesinthisarea.NiagaraMohawkwillcontinuetopromotetheself-identificationofconcernsandissuesbytheworkforceandbelievesthatthis

atmosphereinconjunctionwiththeperiodicre-emphasisoftheprogram'simportanceandtheenhancedhumanfactorcontrolswillreducethefrequencyofthesedeficiencies.NiagaraMohawkhasre-establishedfullcomplianceuponcompletionofthecorrectiveactionsforeachindividualeventdescribedintheNoticeofViolation.