IR 05000269/1996003
| ML15118A106 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Oconee  |
| Issue date: | 04/16/1996 |
| From: | Ebneter S NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II) |
| To: | Hampton J DUKE POWER CO. |
| References | |
| EA-96-090, EA-96-90, NUDOCS 9605140400 | |
| Download: ML15118A106 (5) | |
Text
April 16, 1996
SUBJECT:
NRC INSPECTION REPORT NOS. 50-269/96-03, 50-270/96-03, AND 50-287/96-03
Dear Mr. Hampton:
This letter refers to an inspection conducted between January 28 and March 9, 1996, at your Oconee facility. During the inspection, the NRC examined the'
facts and circumstances surrounding your identification of a design deficiency associated with the Containment Hydrogen Control Systems (CHCS) for each Oconee unit, as described in Technical Specification (TS) 3.16.1. The subject inspection report was transmitted to you by letter dated April 4, 1996.
- As discussed in detail in the subject inspection report, on February 1, 1996, your engineering staff determined that the CHCS could be rendered inoperable by the accumulation of condensate in common lines associated with the hydrogen recombiner unit and the reactor building hydrogen purge system. The condensate would inhibit CHCS flow, potentially allowing a buildup of hydrogen gas in the containment following a design basis loss of coolant accident. The root cause of this operability issue was a design error introduced at initial construction, when the designers of the CHCS neglected to consider the effects of condensing steam in the process stream. As a result of NRC's initial review of the matter, an apparent violation of TS 3.16.3.b was identified.
Technical Specification 3.16.3.b requires, in part, that the components in the CHCS flow path be operable for each unit whenever any unit is above Cold Shutdown.
Based on the information developed during the inspection, the NRC has determined that a violation of NRC requirements occurred. However, as discussed in the "General Statement of Policy and Procedures for Enforcement.
Actions" (Enforcement Policy), NUREG-1600, the NRC encourages licensees to initiate efforts to identify and correct subtle violations that are not likely to be identified by routine efforts before degraded safety systems are called upon to function. In accordance with Section VII.B.3 of the Enforcement Policy, the NRC may refrain from issuing a Notice of Violation (Notice) and proposing a civil penalty for a Severity Level III violation involving a past problem, such as a violation involving an old engineering, design, or installation deficiency provided that certain criteria are met.
9605140400 960416 PDR ADOCK 05000269 G
- Duke Power Company
After review of this violation and after consultation with the Office of Enforcement, the NRC has concluded that the criteria for enforcement discretion have been met and that neither the proposal of a civil penalty nor the issuance of a Notice is appropriate in this case. The specific bases for this decision are: (1)
you identified the violation during a special engineering review which was a voluntary initiative, (2)
you conducted a prompt and thorough investigation, (3)
you implemented appropriate corrective action, including implementation of a modification which would collect the condensate from these lines and return it to the reactor building, (4)
the violation was not likely to have been identified by routine surveillance or quality assurance activities, (5)
the error occurred during plant construction and is not reasonably linked to current plant performance, and (6)
there had been no prior notice such that you should have reasonably identified the violation earlier.
This letter serves to document the closure of the apparent violation 50-269, 270, 287/96-03-02 and completes NRC action in this matter. No formal-response to this letter is required. In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's
"Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.
If you should have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Mr. Richard Crlenjak, Chief, Branch 1, Division of Reactor Projects, at 404-331-5506.
Sincerely, Original Signed by Stewart D. Ebneter Stewart D. Ebneter Regional Administrator Docket Nos. 50-269, 270 and 287 License Nos. DPR-38,.DPR-47, DPR-55 cc:
Mr. J. E. Burchfield Compliance Duke Power Company P. 0. Box 1439 Seneca, SC 29679 Mr. Paul R. Newton Legal Department (PB05E)
Duke Power Company 422 South Church Street Charlotte, NC 28242-0001 cc:
Cont'd on Page 3
Duke Power Company
cc (cont'd):
Mr. Robert P. Gruber Executive Director Public Staff - NCUC P. 0. Box 29520 Raleigh, NC 27626-0520 Mr. Robert B. Borsum Babcock and Wilcox Company Nuclear Power Generation Division 1700 Rockville Pike, Suite 525 Rockville, MD 20852 Mr. J. Michael McGarry, III, Esq.
Winston and Strawn 1400 L Street, NW Washington, D. C. 20005 Office of Intergovernmental Relations 116 West Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27603 Mr. Max Batavia, Chief Bureau of Radiological Health South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control 2600 Bull Street Columbia, SC 29201 County Supervisor of Oconee County Walhalla, SC 29621 Manager, LIS NUS Corporation 2650 McCormick Drive Clearwater, FL 34619-1035 Mr. G. A. Copp Licensing - ECO50 Duke Power Company P. 0. Box 1006 Charlotte, NC 28201-1006 Ms. Karen E. Long Assistant Attorney General N. C. Department of Justice P. 0. Box 629
- Duke Power Company
Distribution JTaylor, EDO JMilhoan, DEDR RZimmerman, NRR SEbneter, RH JLieberman, OE JGoldberg, OGC Enforcement Coordinators RI, RI, RIII, RIV FIngram, OPA GCaputo, 01 WMcNulty, RII:OIFO EJordan, AEOD CGrimes, SECY BKeeling, CA LNorton, OIG JBeall, OE OE:EA File (2) (ATTN: B. Summers)
RCrlenjak, RH (IFS entry required)
RTrojanowski, RHI RWoodruff, RII KClark, RH RCarroll, RH GHallstrom, RH LWeins, NRR PUBLIC NRC Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 78128 Rochester Highway Seneca, SC 29672 SEND TO PUBLIC DOCUMENT ROOM?
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&rj, -I NAME RCRLENJAK GIBSON
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