IR 05000272/1998081
| ML18106A389 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Salem  |
| Issue date: | 03/17/1998 |
| From: | Linville J, Vandoorn P NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML18106A388 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-272-98-81, 50-311-98-81, NUDOCS 9803240239 | |
| Download: ML18106A389 (97) | |
Text
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Report:
Licens.e:
Licensee:
Facility:
Location:
Inspection Period:
Team Leader:
Inspectors:
-Reviewed by:
Approved by:
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
.REGION I 50-272,311/98-81 DPR-70, DPR-75 Public Service Electric and Gas Company Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1 and 2 P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, New Jersey 08038 February 10-20, 1998 Peter K. VanDoorn, Senior Resident Inspector Region II, Watts Bar S. Sanders, Special Inspection Branch, NRR W. Hansen, Contractor P. Bissett, Senior Operations Engineer F. Lyon, Resident Inspector, Beaver Valley B. McDermott, Resident Inspector, Susquehanna 3J,z/1r Date Areas Inspected: Management Programs and Independent Oversight, Operations, Maintenance and Surve1illance, Engineering.
- Results: Inspection results are summarized.in the attached executive summary.
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BACKGROUND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Readiness Assessment Team Inspection Salem Unit 1 Nuclear Power Plant NRC Inspection Report No. 50-272,311/98-81 Salem Units 1 & 2 were removed from service by Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&Gl on May 16, 1995, and June 7, 1995, respectively. The plants were shut down as a result of specific plant conditions and events. As a result of continued performance *
deficiencies, weak management oversight, and ineffective communications, coupled with the Technical Specifications (TS) required shutdown of both units, the licensee voluntarily agreed to extend the duration of the outages for Salem Units 1 & 2. In response to this voluntary action, NRC Region I issued a Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL) on June 9, 1995. This CAL delineated licensee commitments that must be satisfied prior to the restart of either unit. The Readiness Assessment Team Inspection (RATI) was conducted to verify that PSE&G made sufficient progress in addressing the issues leading to the shutdown and to verify that plant equipment and staff were ready to safely restart and operate Salem Unit 1 while supporting continued operation of Unit 2.
MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS AND INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT The inspectors concluded that effective management oversight programs. were in place to suppor~ safe restart of Unit 1 while Unit 2 is also operating. A strong management team with a good safety ethic was evident. Goals and expectations were effectively communicated with occasional exceptions. Management plans to continue to refine performance indicators to permit more rapid and efficient detection and resolution of developing plant and process problems are appropriate. (Section M&O 1.1)
The Quality Assurance organization was performing its assigned functions and responsibilities adequately to support the restart of Salem Unit 1. (Section M&02.1)
The licensee's self-assessment programs were actively used to support the mode change phases of Unit 1 startup and planned to proactively support the other startup phases. The programs were used to make improvements in most organizations' operations and processes. However, improvements in the programs of some staff organizations such as the Corrective Action and Licensing groups were necessary to take full advantage of
- self-assessment techniques. (Section M&02.2) *
Review committees functioned in a formal, efficient, and effective manner and were adequate to support the restart of Unit 1. (Section M&02.3)
The low threshold of reporting problems gave the inspectors confidence that problems were being* identified in the Corrective Action Program. Quality Assurance.audits produced a high quality product and identified a number of deficiencies in the Corrective Action Program. In spite of the problems identified, effective management oversight of the Corrective Action.Program was not evident. (Section M&03.2)
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Executive Summary Other negative observations included difficulty in utilizing the root cause training data base, the apparent lack of significant progress in performing effectiveness reviews, and a cumbersome corrective action process. (Section M&03.3)
OPERATIONS The licensed operators were knowledgeable, professional, and conscientious regarding safe plant operations. Control room conduct was excellent with good command and control.
Communications were very good. Individual and shift turnovers were professional, detailed, and thorough. Pre-briefs, prior to plant evolutions and tests, were routinely accomplished. Management involvement and oversight was noted throughout the course of the inspection. The shutdown of Unit 2 and the heatup of Unit 1 were accomplished in a deliberate and well controlled manner. Shift technical advisor involvement was evident, especially in regard to reactivity management. (Section 01. 1)
The non-licensed equipment operators were knowledgeable, were aware of their assigned responsibilities, assured plant deficiencies were corrected, and conducted good turnovers.
(Section 01.2)
Existing operator work-arounds, control room indicator deficiencies, and operator burdens were being managed and tracked appropriately. A general decline had been noted in the number of outstanding items in these areas, and the operators indicated that they were comfortable with those that existed. They also noted that significant improvements had been made in this area, and that Maintenance and Engineering were actively supporting operations in an effort to resolve those deficiencies that did exist. The tagging process and equipment lineups were found to be adequate. The TS tracking methods were
.effective in maintaining operator awareness of the status of TS action statement requirements. (Section 02.1)
Operations procedures were technically correct, operators complied with the procedures, initials and signatures were entered as appropriate, and appropriate reviews were performed prior to and following completion of a procedure. (Section 03.1)
The training and qualifications of Operations personnel were satisfactory. Licensed operator performance at the training simulator was professional and requalification evaluation results were satisfactory. Overall, the inspector concluded that training and qualification of the operations staff were sufficient to provide for a safe plant startup and continued operation. (Section 05.1)
The Operations self-assessment process was in place and effective in identifying strengths and weaknesses in operator performance. Quality Assurance was actively involved in ongoing operational activities and reports were detailed and effective in keeping management informed of operations and personnel performance trends. (Section 07.1)
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Executive Summary MAINTENANCE AND SURVEILLANCE.
Inspectors assessed that implementation of the Preventive Maintenance (PM) program was adequate. The backlog of PMs was large, but was properly managed and was trending down. The backlog was properly categorized and safety-related PMs were performed as required.. PM deferrals were adequately justified. (Section M 1.2)
The limiting condition for operation (LCO) maintenance plan formal critiques were thorough and self-critical, and addressed areas for improvement, successes, and failures. The LCO maintenance process was a good initiative, but was not yet mature. Continued management attention is appropriate until the process is fully developed. (Section M1.3)
The surveillance test program and inservice test program were adequately scheduled and implemented. (Section M 1.4)
Personnel complied _with procedural requirements, exhibited good work practices, and were knowledgeable. Rework was being tracked appropriately. (Section M1.5)
The overall plant material condition and housekeeping were adequate to support restart.
Some minor deficiencies were observed that indicated continued aggressive attention was necessary to ensure management standards were met and to identify and capture material problems in the plant. Use of the equipment malfunction identification system deficiency tag system *was inconsistent. The corrective maintenance backlog was large, but was properly managed. A reasonable plan had been developed to reduce the backlog. (Sectfon M2.1)
Maintenance procedures reviewed were adequate. The procedure revision backlog was properly prioritized with reasonable reduction goals. The process to control issue of the most up-to-date procedure revision to the field from the document control system was adequate. (Section M3.1)
The Maintenance department was able to support the plant. The organization was adequately staffed and demonstrated strong management and teamwork during routine and emergent activities. The maintenance planning and scheduling processes were not mature, but were adequate to track and address plant equipment deficiencies. The prioritization and planning for safety-related activities was adequate. (Section M6. 1)
. The Maintenance self-assessment and corrective action program was effectively identifying and evaluating problems. The condition report backlog was properly prioritized and managed. Action plans were in place to address problems identified by trending of condition reports. Maintenance and Planning self-assessments and Quality Assurance surveillances were effective in identifying problem trends to management. (Section M7. 1 )
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Executive Summary ENGINEERING System Engineering management oversight and involvement ensured station priorities were being addressed. Daily conference calls between the Engineering departments and an action item tracking system were effective tools for communicating engineering priorities.
Direct management involvement was observed in significant issues with the potential to affect plant safety. (Section E1.1)
A review of operability determinations concerning significant design and licensing issues found that the licensee provided appropriate technical and regulatory justifications. No safety concerns were identified with regard to the current plant condition and the licensee was communicating with the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation to resolve and/or clarify certain Salem licensing basis requirements. (Section E2.1)
System performance monitoring programs provided an appropriate framework for predicting equipment problems prior to their development. Procedural guidance reflects the integration of input from other performance monitoring programs such as inservice test and motor/pump trending programs. However, the monitoring role of system managers was not yet fully implemented due to emergent issues associated with current plant status. A planned transition to full implementation of the performance monitoring program, following the Unit 1 restart effort, is intended to ensure acceptable safety system reliability and availability. (Section E3.1)
A review of recent deficiencies entered in the licensee's corrective action program found the majority of issues were adequately addressed. Two exceptions were identified. In one case, an engineering evaluation for unacceptable Emergency Control Air Compressor test results was not performed as required due to personnel error, and a cognizant system manager did not follow-up ori the problem. In the second case, a safety-related cooler was significantly degraded by grass in the service water system, and the impact on other service water cooled equipment was not formally evaluated as required. Information relied upon by the licensee in an undocumented evaluation of generic implications was not verified or confirmed. (Section E4.1)
System managers were actively supporting resolution of priority station issues and were working to reduce the corrective maintenance backlog for their systems. During interviews and discussions regarding specific issues, system managers demonstrated a good general knowledge of their systems and responsibilities. The oversight and development of less
- experienced Salem System Engineering staff continues to be a challenge for licensee management. (Section E4.2)
The licens,ee is committed to reduction of the corrective action and modification backlogs.
Appropriate reviews have been performed to ensure the backlog is understood and will not impact the safe restart of Unit 1 or the continued operation of Unit 2. A sample review of the corrective action item backlog by the inspector found no outstanding items requiring action before restart. (Section E6. 1)
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Execu~ive Summary The licensee's self-assessments provide insightful views on engineering programs and their implementation. In light of the current engineering workload and backlog of corrective action items, licensee management attention is necessary to ensure corrective actions for self*assessment findings are implemented and are effective. (Section E7. 1)
The root cause investigation and repair activities associated with the failure of the 2A emergency diesel generator turbocharger received excellent management oversight.
Appropriate technical support was provided for the investigation using internal and external personnel. Affected components were controlled to ensure evidence was preserved.
Although the licensee's root cause investigation was not finished at the conclusion of this inspection, the observed portions of the licensee's investigation were well performed.
(Section E7.2)
OVERALL CONCLUSIONS The team concluded that the licensee was ready to restart of Salem Unit 1 upon completion of required testing and emerging maintenance issues. However, important challenges remain which include completion of Corrective Action Program improvements, completion of the work control process implementation, backlog reduction, and maturing of the system engineering program.
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SUMMARY
Licensee has Strong Management Team with Good Safety Ethic.
- Appropriate Management Programs and Oversight.
- Operators Professional & Knowledgeable.
- Staff Generally Adequate and Qualified.
- Material Condition of Plant Ready.
- Programs & Processes are in Place.
- Challenges Include Completion of Corrective Action Program Improvements; Completion of the Work Control Process Implementation, Backlog Reduction, and Maturing of the System Engineering Program.
CONCLUSION NRC Readiness Assessment Team concludes that Salem Unit 1 is Ready for Restart upon completion of required testing and emerging maintenance issues.
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NRC Public Meeting Salem 1 Restart February 27, 1998 Dennis Zannoni State of New Jersey (NJ)*
Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP)
Bureau of Nuclear Engineering (BNE)
609 984 7440 dzannoni@dep.state.nj.us http://www. state.nj. us/ dep/rpp/bne/bneindex.htm
THANK YOU. MY NAME IS DENNIS ZANNONI.
I WORK FOR THE STATE OF NEW 0ERSEY, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, BUREAU OF NUCLEAR ENGINEERING. I
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PARTICIPATED AS AN OBSERVER IN THE NRC's INSPECTION WHICH IS BEING DISCUSSED HERE TODAY.
THOUGH THE TEAM WORKED CLOSELY TOGETHER, MY MISSION WAS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION WANTED AN INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT CONCERNING SALEM UNIT I 1S READINESS FOR RESTART.
I WAS PART OF THE NRC's INSPECTION TEAM WHICH REVIEWED SALEM UNIT 2 1S READINESS FOR RESTART BACK IN 0UNE OF I 997. THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION CONCLUDED THAT NO REASON EXISTED TO OPPOSE THE RESTART OF SALEM UNIT 2. OUR POSITION WAS OUTLINED I
- 1N A LETTER TO THE NRC ON 0UNE 20, I 997. THE RESULTS OF OUR PARTICIPATION IN THE SALEM 2 NRC READINESS ASSESSMENT TEAM INSPECTION WERE COMPLETED 0ULY 27, 1997
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I WANT TO THANK THE NRC TEAM LEADER, KIM VANDORN AND THE NRC TEAM MEMBERS FOR THEIR COOPERATION.
IN SPITE OF MY STATE STATUS, I WAS ACCEPTED AS PART OF THE TEAM AND GIVEN COMPLETE ACCESS TO ANY INFORMATION AND STAFF NECESSARY TO COMPLETE MY REVIEW. I ALSO WANT TO THANK NRC REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR Hus MILLER FOR PROVIDING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO ALL OF YOU HERE TODAY.
FINALLY, I WANT TO THANK PSE&G FOR THEIR COOPERATION 1Letter from NJ DEP to NRC dated June 20, 1997 (Attachment A).
2Letter from NJ DEP to U.S. NRC dated July 18, 1997 (Attachment B).
DURING THIS IMPORTANT INSPECTION. YOUR STAFF WAS SUPPORTIVE, OPEN, AND RESPECTFUL OF MY INTRUSION INTO THEIR WORK AND YOUR PLANTS.
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BEFORE I MAKE SOME BRIEF COMMENTS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE, FOR THOSE UNFAMILIAR WITH OUR PARTICIPATION IN NRC INSPECTIONS, THAT THE NJ DEP AND THE U.S. NRC HAVE AN AGREEMENT GOVERNING INSPECTION ACTIVITY
.
IN KEEPING WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE AGREEMENT AND SINCE THE NRC INSPECTION REPORT FOR THIS INSPECTION HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED, DISCRETION WILL BE EXERCISED.
MY OBSERVATIONS ARE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT THAT THOSE EXPRESSED BY THE NRC TEAM PRESENTED HERE TODAY.
DURING THE INSPECTION, I SHARED INFORMATION WITH THE NRC DAILY AND MY QUESTIONS, OBSERVATIONS AND ISSUES WERE CONSIDERED DURING THE INSPECTION PROCESS. *As I NOTED EARLIER, THIS TEAM WAS VERY SENSITIVE TO MY OBSERVATIONS, ISSUES, AND CONCERNS.
THE NRC PRESENTATION REFLECTS THE EFFORT OF THE TEAM AND PROVIDED A GOOD ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT PICTURE HERE AT SALEM, AS WELL AS, THE.DIRECTION THEY NEED TO TAKE TO IMPROVE AND MAINTAIN THE SUCCESS REACHED SO FAR.
I TOOK PART IN THIS INSPECTION WITH SPECIFIC GOALS IN.
MIND FOR DETERMINING SALEM I READINESS FOR RESTART.
OUR MANAGEMENT WANTED TO KNOW IF THE CULTURE WAS OPEN MINDED, PROMOTED A QUESTIONING ATTITUDE, ADDRESSED 3Letter from U.S NRC to NJ DEP dated June 1987 (Attachment C).
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PROBLEMS DIRECTLY, AND WAS DETERMINED TO FIX BROKEN
- EQUIPMENT. I HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THEY DO.
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OUR MANAGEMENT WANTED TO KNOW IF THE STAFF IDENTIFIED AND RAISED CONCERNS, PROPERLY CATEGORIZED AND EVALUATED PROBLEMS, IMPLEMENTED CORRECTIVE ACTIONS, AND PROPERLY VERIFIED THOSE ACTIONS ARE EFFECTIVE. I HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THEY DO.
IMPROVEMENT IS NEEDED IN THE AREA OF CORRECTIVt=: ACTION VERIFICATION. THERE IS ALSO ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN THE ORGANIZATION'S UTILIZATION OF THE CORRECTIVE ACTION PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND ITS SUPPORT BY MANAGEMENT.
OUR MANAGEMENT WANTED TO KNOW IF THE GOOD PRACTICES OBSERVED HERE ARE BECOMING MORE INGRAINED IN THE ORGANIZATION WHICH IS A GOOD INDICATION OF LONGER TERM SUCCESS. THINGS HAVE IMPROVED BUT THIS *1s AN AREA WHICH WE WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH.
MR. VANDORN'S PRESENTATION PROVIDED AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF ENGINEERING, MAINTENANCE, OPERATIONS, AND MANAGEMENT. WE OBSERVED GOOD PERFORMANCE IN THESE AREAS BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, EACH DISCIPLINE UNDERSTANDS WHERE THEY NEED TO IMPROVE AND HAVE PLANS TO GET THERE.
I HAVE THREE CAUTIONS.
I. ADDRESS THE GOOD OBSERVATIONS MADE BY THE NRC TEAM AND USE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVING YOUR ORGANIZATION. Too OFTEN THESE HAVE BEEN MISSED OPPORTUNITIES.
2. TAKE YOUR TIME MOVING FORWARD. GOOD CAREFUL
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DECISIONS MADE NOW ARE IMPORTANT AS YOU PREPARE TO STABILIZE THE ORGANIZATION AND SETTLE DOWN FOR THE LONG TERM OPERATIONS \\OF ALL THREE UNITS.
3. AS YOU MAINTAIN YOUR FOCUS AND CONTINUE TO HOLD STAFF ACCOUNTABLE YOU NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK HARD UNTIL THE POSITIVE CHANGES NECESSARY FOR LONG TERM SUCCESS HERE ARE INGRAINED INTO THE ORGANIZATION.
WE WILL STAY INVOLVED.
THE MESSAGE I WILL TAKE BACK TO MY MANAGEMENT AND INTERESTED PARTIES WILL BE POSITIVE.
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Attachment A
~tat.e of ~
efu Werse~
Christine Todd Whitman Go~*ernor
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Department of Environmental Protection Hubert Milier, Region I Administrator U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 4 75 Allendale Road King of Prussia, Pa. 19406
Dear Administrator !\\filler:
June 20, 1997 Robert C. Shinn,.Jr.
Commissioner The Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Nuclear Engineering has been actively involved with the Salem Unit 2 startup process since the ~'RC issued the June 9, 1995 Confirmat.ory Action Letter. This shutdov.rn period provided an opportunity for PSE&G and the
~1RC to address long standing management, equipment, cultural, and corrective action concerns.
Our involvement in the review, observation ofNRC inspections and technical review of various safety and non-safety related issues has prepared us to make some judgements concerning PSE&G's restart of Salem Unit 2 and the NRC's regulatory effectiveness concerning Salem Unit 2. Since the NRC will soon determine whether or not Salem Unit 2 is ready fc; restart, the Department of Environmental Protection has prepared this letter for your con~deration.
As you know, we have devoted a lot of attention to this very important process. We have reviewed 20 technical and programmatic Salem Unit 2 restart issues, observed 12 NRC inspections and 6 ~1RC inspections associated with the State's list of issues, attended 10 NRC Salem Unit 2 Assessment Panel meetings, attended 25 PSE&G Management Review Committee meetings, formally met \\\\ith PSE&G 4 times and.the NRC 6 times and recently completed participation in the NRC Readiness Assessment Team Inspection. Additional time was spent in preparation for the meeting, briefing our upper management, and formulation of our issues list.
Overall PSE&G has changed for the better. In fact, most plant improvement processes, management and equipment have dramatically improved. This is evidenced, in part, by a good corrective action program which is utilized throughout the organization and supported by
- - management. Most importantly, the new management team has made solid progress to support continued safe operation of Salem 2. The new culture is open-minded, promotes a questioning attitude, addresses problems directly, and is determined to fix broken equipment. We recognized that important and substantive change has occurred by PSE&G for Salem 2 and we do not have any reason to oppose the restart of Salem Unit 2.
Some areas exist which require continued vigilance by PSE&G so that the positive changes remain in place especially during plant operation. PSE&G must continue to demonstrate a strong ability to identify and raise concerns, properly categorize and evaluate problems, implement corrective actions, and properly verify that actions are effective. Management must New Jersey is an Equal Opportunity Employer Recycled Paper
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demonstrate a continued commitment to promote an open-minded culture, and maintain a stable work force. There are specific issues with generic implications that the state would like to see effectively resolved~ e.g. the fire protection issue.
The NRC regulatory attention was effective in our judgement. A substantial level of attention, involvement, review and support by the NRC was applied to the Salem 2 restart process. After your appointment as Regional Administrator, we experienced better interaction, more fruitful involvement and recognized your increased attention to the restart of Salem 2 as a high priority. This was highly visible in the quality, number of staff devoted to this activity and use of contractors, in spite of budgetary constraints. The Salem Assessment Panel process was comprehensive, effective and well supported by the NRC. Increased involvement by NRR helped to effectively address mutual issues raised by Region I and those by 1'.1RR. This proved to be a
- more effective approach when dealing with issues that required coordinated attention.
Overall, during the Salem restart effort, the proper resources were pro... ided, the right staff re... iewed the critical issues, and the RA TI provided an objective look at the condition of Salem 2 in order to confirm Salem Unit 2's readiness to restart. In keeping with the spirit of our MOU, our specific RA TI conclusions will not be discussed here but our.preliminary results reveal that a strong confirmation exists to suggest that reasonable assurance exists for the safe startup of Salem 2. But caution is required and we recommend that increased oversight by NRC remain until it can be ascertained that the changes made at PSE&G NBU are ingrained into the organization.
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Our next step is to remain involved. Salem 1 still needs to restart and we* want to ensure that many of the practices started at the NBU remain in place for the longer term. I hope that our participation has contributed to support safe operation and help build public confidence. It is our intention to share our comments with the NRC Commission directly June 25, 1997 when the
~~C Commission is briefed by the NRC and PSE&G about the status of Salem 2 restart.
Please contact me if you have any questions or would like to discuss these comments further.
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Director Gerald P. Nicholls, Ph.D., NJ DEP John Zwolinski, NRC John Hoyle, NRC
Sincerely,
~ /1 /-__ h-jlK-1 /~~
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- fiil Lipoti, Ph.D.
Assistant Director Radiation Protection Programs NJDEP
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Attachment B
- §tnte of Xe&i ]crseg hr1sl1nt Tedd Whi1r
- i~n 1.."" trn.Jr D~partment of Environment.ii Prutect1on Robtrt C 5'h1nn. Jr C,Jm:n1ss1vr.~t
Mr. Hubert Miller Regional Administrator U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Co~mission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406
Dear Sir:
Subject:
Salem Unit 2 Docket No. 50-311 July 18, 1997 Restart Assessment Team Inspection (RATI)
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Nuclear Engineering (BNE) recently. completed its observation of the NRC' s RATI for Salem Unit :2.
This letter provides our feedback.
During the inspection team's preparation week, two BNB personnel met with the team and provided issues that the BNE requested to be addressed in the scope of the inspection. The team was receptive to this input and it was accommodated accordingly.
By,participating during this preparation week, the BNE personnel began the inspection with an awareness of the plans and schedules for the two weeks of inspection.
This allowed the BNB to better plan its observations during the inspection.
Our two person observation of the RAT!
afforded us an opportunity to confirm our belief that PSE&G's efforts to improve Salem have been effective.
The RATI was a good means of focusing the integration of changes made throughout the*organization and the plant over a two year period.
By participating in interviews, plant walkdowns, observation of problem solving sessions, control room activities, and various management meetings, we were able to
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see the day to day safety consciousness of PSE&G and how the corrective act ion process. is becoming the nonn throughout the organization.
During the inspection, the team leader and team members were receptive to our input, respected our interests and opinions, and effectively followed up on several issues that emerged during the inspection.
As stated by Dr. Lipoti at the Commissioners' briefing we are anticipating a successful restart of Salem Unit 2, but continued vigilance on the part of P~E&G and the NRC is essential. It is our intention to stay actively involved during the Salem Unit 2 process and continue to participate, as necessary, during the Salem 1 restart process.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely, Kent W. Tosch, Manager Bureau of Nuclear Engineering C:
Jill Lipoti Assistant Director, Radiation Protection Programs N.J. DEP Dennis Zannoni, Supervisor, Nuclear Engineering N.J. DEP Curtis Cowgill, RA.TI Team Manager U.S. NRC
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- NRC KING OF PRUSSl~-2 P02 Ufi'ITIO (TATU N(XL£AR AEOULATOAY COMMISSION
.-lGIOH I U1 PA"K AVIJlfVI KIN(J O' HIUU~. *INNSY~V~IA 1"40t qi chard T. Oewl ing, Pl'\\. O., P. E.
CoM1ssioner Oepart.Aent of Env1ronrnent~1 Pro tee t 1 on 401 East State Str-ett CH (02 Trenton, New Jersey 0862~
Dear Co.tn1ss1oner Otwling:
Attachment C
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This 1etter is to conf1rt1 the general agreement reached as the result of our meetings with Or. Berko-witz and his staff regarding the surve11lance of the nuclear power plants ~pirating in New Jersey.
During those meetings we agreed th~t ~here was a ~eed to have a more for*al way of coordinating NRC and State activ\\ties related to plant operations and that tht Depart.Gent of Environmental Protection's Sureau of Nuclear E~~1neer1ng (BNE) will be the interface with the
~RC on a day-to-day basis.
Tne areas addressed by this letter art:
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State attendance at NRC meet1n9s with licensees relative to licensee p1rfor11anc1, including; enforcement conferences, plant inspections and licensing actions.
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NRC and BNE 1xch&ngos of 1nfonnat1on regird1n9 plant con-ditions or events that have the potenti1l for or are of safety s1gn1f1cance.
W@ agree tl'lat New Jersey officials uy atte.nd, as observers, NRC tnforc*:Mnt conferences and NRC "4tt1ngs with licensees, including Systematic As~essment of Licensee PtrfoMRance (SALP) rev11ws, with rtspect to nuclear power plants operating in Hew Jersey (PSE&G, GPUN).
Wt sh*ll g1ve timely notification to the BNE of such 11tett1n91, 1nclud1n~ the issues expected to be addressed.
A1though 1 do not expect such casts to ar1st frequintly, we must reserve th*
right to c1ost any enforcement conf1rence that deals with high1y s1ns1tivt safeguards mattrtal or info~tion that is the subject of an ongoing invest1*
gation by the HRC Office of Investigation (01), wh*r-e the pre~ature disclosure of infort1ation could jeopardht tffecthe reguht*Jry action.
In such cuts, we
~ould brief you or your 1taff after the enforcement conference and would expect the State to maint11n the conf1dentf1l,ty of the briefing.
With re~ard to NRC 1nspect1ons at nuclear PO'tttr p11nts 1n Hew Jersey, wt agree that the BHE staff may acc011p&ny NRC inspectors to observe 1nsptctfons.
To th*
@xtent practicable, HRC will advist tht Stitt sufffc1ently 1n advance of our inspections such that Stitt inspectors c1n 11&kt 1rr1nge,...nt1 to attend.
In order to assure that those 1nspectfons 1rt effective and Beet our 11Utu1l netds, I su~gest th* following gutd*lfnts:
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e 14 '87 15t11 NRC KING OF PRUSSIR-2 P03
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The Statt of New Jersey will *ake arran~~ents with the licensee to have New Jersey participants tn MAC inspec-tions trained and badged at each nuclear plant for unescorted access in accordance with utility reQuirements.
2.
Tht State will give NRC adequate prior notification wnen planning to accow.pany NRC insptctors on insptctions.
3.
Prior to the release of NRC inspection reports, the Statt will exercise discretion 1n d1sc1osing to the pvblic its obser...,1t.ions dur1~ 1nspectfons.
When the conclusf ons or obstr...,1tions ~ade by the Hew Jersey participants art sub-stantf al 1y different froe those of tht HRC inspectors, Ntw Jersey will aakt their obser...,1t1ons available in writing to the NRC and the licensee. It 1s understood that these co~unications wfll become publicly available along with the NRC inspection reports.
With reQard to connun1cations, w! agree to the fo11o-wing:
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The NRC shall transmit technical infor11ation to BNE relative to plants within Ne~ Jersey con~ernin~ operat1o~s. d@si~n.
external t\\lents, etc. i for hsuu thit either have the potential for or are of safety si~n1f1cance, 2.
The NRC shall transMit 111 Prtli*inary Not,f1cat1ons r@1at@d to nuclear plant operations for New Jersey facilities to the BNE routinely.
3.
The BNE shall coW11un1cate to the NAC any concern or Question reQarding plant conditions or events, and any Stat! f nfor11iation about nuclear power p1ants.
Please let Me know 1f these agree~nts are satisfactory to you.
Sincerely,
{v./.~
Wil 1 fa11 T. Russe 11 Region11 Adllin1strator
Bureau of Nuclear Engineering FY-98 & FY-99 PROGRAM FUNCTION Section responsible NUCLEAR EMERGENCY RESPONSE Nuclear Emergency Preparedness Section NUCLEAR EMERGENCY FACILITY MAINTENANCE AND TRAINING Nuclear Emergency Preparedness Section NUCLEAR PLANT SAFETY REVIEW (SHOLL Y)
Nuclear Engineering Section NUCLEAR PLANT INSPECTIONS Nuclear Engineering Section NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ENVIRONMENT AL SURVEILLANCE Nuclear Environmental Engineering Section CREST SYSTEM Nuclear Environmental Engineering Section NUCLEAR WASTE TRANSPORT Office of the Bureau Chief
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PRIORITIES
- Ingestion P.athway Exercise and development of generic plan for State's to use the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center
- Change emergency response planning under FEMA strategic plan
- Change emergency response planning under decommissioning
- Requisite planning changes for the varied responses
- Nuclear Emergency Response Act (N.J.S.A. 26:2D-37 et seq.)
- Training of State and local responders for a FR..\\1AC response
- Facility changes and facility designation for a full FR..\\1AC response
- Electronic infrastructure changes at facility to improve communications and flexibility during a response Nuclear Emergency Response Act (N.J.S.A. 26:2D-37 et seq.)
- Strategic reviews.of Salem Restart changes
- License review through the decommissioning process
- Review and comment on the long term storage of spent fuel in dry cask or spent fuel pool at Oyster Creek Public Law-415 for "No Significant Hazard Determination"
- Salem Restart inspections
- Increased Team inspections w/NRC at Oyster Creek and Hope Creek NRC/Department of Environmental Protection (MOU)
- Develop IFB for analytical services for environmental surveillance
- NEPPS the environmental program and work with EPA to support radiological monitoring
- Train on new methods used for decommissioning (MARSSIM)
Nuclear Emergency Response Act (N.J.S.A 26:2D-37 et seq.)
- Migrate from VAX to PC for telemetry data.
- Repositioning of the R~al time monitoring system to reflect operational changes.
Nuclear Emergency Response Act (N.J.S.A. 26:2D-37 et seq.)
)
- Northeast Task Force develops a position for funding for training personnel for increased waste transports.
- Draft Policy statements for the safe transport of high level waste in New Jersey.
(Governor's designee for Highway Route Control Quantity shipments, IOCFR70 &73)
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.!t
-- Public Service Electric & Gas It's All About Safety Safety, Reliability and Cost-Effectiveness Through People
--
Agenda The Power of Commitment OPS~G
- Readiness to*
Restart Chris Bakken
- Areas for Management Attention
- Journey to Excellence Chris Bakken Harry Keiser
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Readiness to Restart Salem Unit 1 Chris Bakken General Manager -
Salem Operations We Stayed the Course
- Salem Restart Plan
- Successful Start-up of Unit 2
- Equipment Performance
- Operators Have Confidence
- Readiness to Restart
- Unit 1. ls Ready for Restart
- Start-up Test Program
- Implemented Unit 2 Lessons Learned
_,_
Improvement Areas I.
I
- Human Performance.
- Supervisory Involvement
- Corrective Action Program
- Backlogs
- 12-Week Work Process
- System Engineering Process
..
~
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Unit 1 Restart
- Controlled
- Delibe~ate
- Focused on Safety
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NBU Plants, Processes, and People Are Ready for Three Unit Operation Journey to Excellence Harry Keiser Executive Vice President -
Nuclear Business Unit
. -~
--
.
Journey to Excellence
- Safety Conscious Work Environment
- Find It - Fix It
- Restart Only When We Can Operate Safely and Reliably
- Event-Free Operation
--
Journey to Excellence
- Excellence Is Achieving Top Quartile Performance in:
-Safety
- Reliability, and
- Cost-Effectiveness
- Through People
. -~
\\...,
Cornerstones of Excellence
. * People
- Plant
- Processes Safety, Reliability and Cost-Effective Operations through People We Are Ready to Restart Salem Unit 1 With Our Plant, People, and Processes
Letters should he confined to one subject UNITED ASSOCIATION of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United Scares and Canada UA Local Union:
Subject:
74 Plumbers & Pipefitters
- 2111 W. Newport Pike Wilmington, DE 19804-3719 (302) 636-7400 (302) 994-5474 - Fax February 27, 1998 Marcin J. Maddaloni General President Michael A. Collins General Secretary-Treamrer C. Randal Gardner Assistant General Pr,esident My name is John Czerwinski, Business Manager, of Local 74 Plumbers &
Pipefitters based in Wilmington, Delaware. I am here today to speak in support of the restart and continued operation of the Salem Generating Station.
Our Local, along with Local Union 322, and the Delaware and New Jersey Building Trades, are very familiar with the operation of Salem Station. Over the years, many of our members, including myself, have worked there, first of all in the original construction and, in recent years, in the refurbishing of all three units.
- This facility has significant economic impact, not only in Salem County, New Jersey, but in the entire region. In addition to our members, many of the operating personnel live in Delaware. PSE&G has demonstrated that it has made the commitment to change through the successful start-up of Salem Unit II and the continued safe operation of Hope Creek. I believe we will see the same performance on Salem Unit II.
- I
PSE&G has set new standards for personnel performance and has built a culture that wants to do a good job. Our members are proud to be a part of that team.
We urge the continued operation of Hope Creek and Salem II and the start-up of
..Salem Unit I as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
~~rwI~.n~s~ki~
............ ~:::::::::::::-
Business Manager Local Union #74