IR 05000272/1999007

Forwards Insp Repts 50-272/99-07 & 50-306/99-07 on 990721- 0831.One Potentially Safety Significant Issue Identified Dealing with Control Room Special Ventilation System.Four Addl Issues of Low Safety Significance Identified

ML20212J611
Person / Time
Site:	Salem, Prairie Island
Issue date:	09/28/1999
From:	Lanksbury R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:	Wadley M NORTHERN STATES POWER CO.
Shared Package
ML20212J616	List: IR 05000272/1999007 IR 05000282/1999007
References
50-282-99-07, 50-306-99-07, NUDOCS 9910050217
Download: ML20212J611 (3)

Text

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\*****/ September 28, 1999 Mr. M. Wadley l President, Nuclear Generation Northern States Power Company 414 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN 55401 SUBJECT: PRAIRIE ISLAND INSPECTION REPORT 50-282/99007(DRP);

50-306/99007(DRP)

Dear Mr. Wa;tley:

On August 31,1999, the NRC completed an inspection at your Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant. The results of this inspection were discussed on August 31,1999, with Mr. J. Sorensen and other members of your staff. The enclosed report presents the results of that inspection.

The inspection was an examination by the resident inspectors of activities conducted under your license as they relate to reactor safety, verification of performance indicators, event followup, and to compliance with the Commissions rules and regulations and with the conditions of your license, in addition, a followup review of your readiness for Year 2000 was conducted in accordance with Temporary Instruction 2515/141, " Status of Year 2000 (Y2K) Readiness of Computer Systems." Within these areas, the inspection consisted of a selective examination of procedures and representative records, observations of activities, and interviews with personnel.

Based on the resutis of this inspection, one potentially safety significant issue was identified dealing with the control room special ventilation system which may never have been capable of withstanding a high energy line break. This issue is an apparent violation of your Technical Specifications. The system has now been made operable and the NRC is reviewing the finding.

The NRC will soon inform you of its final determination of the significance of the condition and any associated enforcement ution.

The NRC also identified four additional issues of low safety significance that have been entered into your corrective action program and were determined to involve violations of NRC requirements. Because of their low safety significance the violations were not cited. However, we are concemed with the lack of a questioning attitude by your staff that allowed a modification to be installed, and the use of the modification proceduralized, without an evaluation having been performed to verify that the installed parts were a functional equivalent.

Only questioning by the resident inspectors prevented the reliance on the installed equipment for operability of safety-related equipment. Subsequent analysis by your staff determined that the installed equipment would have failed under design basis conditions, i 9910o50217 99092s

[DR ADOCM 05000282 PDR S l

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M. Wadley~ -2 -

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~ If you contest these non-cited violations, you should p ovide a response within 30 days of the date of this inspection report, with the basis for your denial, to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington, DC 20555-0001; with copies to the Regional Administrator, Region lil; the Director, Office of Enforcement, United States Nuclear

' Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; and tne NRC Resident Inspector the Prairie Island facility; In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter, its

. enclosure, and your response, if you choose to provide one, will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.

Sincerely,

I

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/s/ R. D. Lanksbury Roger Lanksbury, Chief  ;

Reactor Projects Branch 5  !

Docket Nos. 50-282,50-306 License Nos. DPR 42, DPR-60 Enclosure: Inspection Report 50-282/99007(DRP);

l 50-306/90007(DRP)

cc w/ encl: Site General Manager, Prairie Island Plant Manager, Prairie Island S. Minn, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Public Service L State Liaison Officer, State of Wisconsin

Tribal Council, Prairie Island Dakota Community l

DOCUMENT NAME: G:\PRAl\PRA99007 DRP.WPD To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box "C" = Copy w/o attach /enci "E" =

Copy w/ attach /enci "N" = No copy OFFICE - Rlli l6 Rlli l A> l l NAME Kunowski/copot Lanksbury atD1 DATE. 9/25/9 9 9/a/99-OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

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a M. Wadley -3-Distribution:

CAC (E-Mail)

RPC (E-Mail)

TJK3 (Project Mgr.)(E-Mail)

M. Branch, NRR (E-Mail)

T. Frye, NRR (E-Mail) .

A. Madison, NRR (E-Mail)

S. Stein, NRR (E-Mail)

J. Dyer, Rlll w/enci J. Caldwell, Rlli w/enci B. Clayton, Rill w/enci .

SRI Prairie Island w/ encl DRP w/enci DRS w/ encl Rlli PRR w/ encl PUBLIC IE-01 w/enci I

Docket File w/ encl GREENS LEO (E-Mail)-

DOCDESK (E-Mail)

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