IR 05000271/1983026

Discusses Insp Rept 50-271/83-26 on 830819-0902 & Forwards Notice of Violation

ML20154D468
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee
Issue date:	06/15/1987
From:	Russell W NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:	Murphy W VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER CORP.
Shared Package
ML20154D394	List: IR 05000271/1983026 IR 05000272/1983037 ML20154D389 ML20154D422 ML20154D456 ML20154D489
References
FOIA-88-92 EA-84-007, EA-84-7, NUDOCS 8809150288
Download: ML20154D468 (3)

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'g UNITED STATES l' e NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION i

j REGION 1 g 631 PARM AVENUE

%, " * * * ,e KING oF PRUS$1A. PENNSYLVANIA 19406 JUN 151987 Docket No. 50-271 License No. OPR-28 EA 84-7 f

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation ATTN: Mr. Warren P. Murphy Vice President and Manager of Operations RD 5, Box 169 Ferry Road Brattleboro, Vermont 05301

. Gentlemen:

SUBJECT:

NOTICE OF VIOLATION (NRC INSPECTION REPORT NO. 50-271/83-26)

This refers to a special team inspection conducted on August 19 - September 2, 1983, at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station, Vernon, Vermont, of activi-ties authorized by NRC License No. DPR-28. A copy of the inspection report was forwarded to you on November 2,1983. The inspection was conducted to review your compliance with the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Section 3 Ill.G, regarding fire protection features for equipment necessary to achieve and maintain safe shutdown. During the inspection, violations of these requirements were identifie The violations were discussed with you and members of your staff at a meeting in Region I on November 22, 1983 and at an '

Enforcement Conference on January 10, 1984 The enforcement action on this matter was then held in abeyance while the Commission resolved a number of

' issues pertaining to Appendix R implementation and enforcement. These actions have now been resolved and we are proceeding to issue this actio ,

The violation in the enclosed Notice of Violation (Notice) involves five examples t of the failure to provide adequate fire protection features for systems and i electrical cabling necessary to achieve and maintain hot shutdown as required '

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by Section !!!.G of Appendix R, for redundant equipment located outside the

primary centainment. The violation appears to have been the result of an

inadequate reassessment of the fire protection features at Vermont Yanke '

Discussions with your personnel at the time of the inspection indicated that i no modifications had been implemented by Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power  !

Corporation beyond those previously made to comply with NRC Branch Technical Position (BTP) 9.5-1. This BTP stated the NRC's fire protection guidelines ,

prior to Appendix R becoming effective. NRC Generic Letter 82-12 dated i February 20, 1981 specifically emphasized the need to reassess fire protection features at your facility to assure compliance with the new NRC requirements in this are )

Your efforts te improve fire protection features at Vermont Yankee prior to the i adoption of the requirements contained in Appendix R were considere However, t the failure to recognize the need to upgrade the fire protection features after l l

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PDR FOIA

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JONES 88-92 PDR

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Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation . 2 these requirements became ef fective indicates a significant breakdown in your efforts for assuring compliance with NRC requirements. The failure to recognize this need for evaluation and upgrade was evidenced by the five examples of the violation in the enclosed Notice and also by the fact that a study was not performed to assure that associated circuits in the Reactor Building were adequately protected from the effects of a fir In accordance with the "General Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions,"

10 CFR Part 2, Appendix C (1987), the violation described in the enclosed Notice have been categorized as a Severity level III violation. A civil penalty is considered for a Severity Level III violation or problem. However, af ter consultation with the Commission and the Deputy Executive Director for Regional Operations, I have been authorized to issue the enclosed Notic without a

' civil penalty. A civil penalty is not being proposed because of the apparent lack of clarity which existed regarding the fire protectior, requirements and the significant time that has elapsed since the inspection occurred. Given these factors, a civil penalty is not considered warrante You are required to respond to this letter and should follow the instructions specified in the enclosed Notice when preparing your response. In your response, you planshould docut.ent to prevent the specific actions taken and any additional actions you recurrenc You may reference previous submittals regarding this matter in your response to this lette In accordance with Section 2.790 of the NRC's "Rules and Practice," Part 2 Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, a copy of this letter and its enclosure will be placed in the NRC Public Document Roo l The responses directed by this letter and the enclosed Notice are not subject to the clearance procedures of the Of fice of Management and Budget, otherwise required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, PL 96-51

Sincerely,

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hW_ = T. f : &9 l

William T. Russell Regional Administrator I

Enclosure: Notice of Violation i cc w/ enc 1:

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R. W. Capstick, Licensing Engineer 1 J. Gary Weigand, President and Chief Executive Of ficer J. P. Pelletier, Plant Manager Donald Hunter, Vice President Cort Richardson, Vermont Public Interest Research Group, In Gernald Tarrant, Commissioner, Department of Public Service  !

State of New Hampshire State of Vermont

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Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation 3

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i DISTRIBUTION:

ACRS SECY RI Docket Room (w/ concurrences) i Management Assistant, ORHA (w/o enc 1)

Section Chief, DRP ,

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. Robert J. Bores, ORSS  !

JMiaylor OEDO

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JLieberman, OE WWong, OE JGoldberg, OGC -

WRussell, RI Enforcement Coordinators RI, RII, RI!!, RIV, RV

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TMurley, NRR

FIngram, PA

, EJordan, AE00 JBradberne, CA

BHayes, OI SConnelly, OIA l RCunningham, NMS$

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ONussbaumer, OGP/SP OE Files (3 copies + ltrhd)

EDO Rdg File DCS Public Document Room (POR)

local Pubite Document Room (LPOR)

Nuclear Safety Informantion Center (NSIC)

NRC Resident Inspector

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