IR 05000361/2012009

Final Significance Determination of White Finding and Notice of Violation, NRC Inspection Report 05000361-12-009 and 05000362-12-009

ML13357A058
Person / Time
Site:	San Onofre
Issue date:	12/23/2013
From:	Dapas M L Region 4 Administrator
To:	Thomas J. Palmisano Southern California Edison Co
References
EA-13-083 IR-12-009
Preceding documents:	ML14035A317 (4 February 2014)
Download: ML13357A058 (6)

Text

December 23, 2013 EA-13-083

Mr. Tom Palmisano Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer Southern California Edison Company San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station P.O. Box 128 San Clemente, CA 92674-0128

SUBJECT: SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION - FINAL SIGNIFICANCE DETERMINATION OF WHITE FINDING AND NOTICE OF VIOLATION, NRC INSPECTION REPORT 05000361/2012009 AND 05000362/2012009

Dear Mr. Palmisano:

This letter provides you the final results of our significance determination of the preliminary White finding identified in NRC Inspection Report 05000361/ 2012009; 05000362/ 2012009 (NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession ML13263A271) dated September 20, 2013. The finding involved the failure to verify the adequacy of the thermal-hydraulic and flow-induced vibration design of the Unit 3 replacement steam generators, which resulted in significant and unexpected steam generator tube wear and the loss of tube integrity on Unit 3 Steam Generator 3EO-88 after 11 months of operation.

In a letter dated October 21, 2013, (ML13296A018), you provided a response to the NRC staff's preliminary determination regarding this finding. Your response included your agreement that the finding has low-to-moderate safety significance and is, therefore, appropriately characterized as a White finding. After considering the information developed during the

inspection and the additional information you provided in your letter, the NRC has concluded that the finding is appropriately characterized as White, a finding of low to moderate safety significance.

You have 30 calendar days from the date of this letter to appeal the staff's determination of significance for the identified White finding. Such appeals will be considered to have merit only if they meet the criteria given in the IMC 0609, Attachment 2. If you choose to appeal, you must send your appeal to the Regional Administrator, Region IV, 1600 East Lamar Blvd., Arlington, Texas 76011-4511.

The NRC has also determined that the failure to verify the adequacy of the thermal-hydraulic and flow-induced vibration design of the Unit 3 r eplacement steam generators is a violation of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B, Criterion III, "Design Control," with an associated violation of UNITED STATESNUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONREGION IV1600 EAST LAMAR BLVDARLINGTON, TEXAS 76011-4511 Technical Specification 5.5.2.11, "Steam Generator Program." The circumstances surrounding the violation were described in detail in NRC Inspection Report 05000361/2012009 and 05000362/2012009. In accordance with the NRC Enforcement Policy, this violation is considered an escalated enforcement action because it is associated with a White finding.

The NRC has concluded that the information regarding the reason for the violation is already adequately addressed on the docket through detailed inspection reports and your response letter dated October 21, 2013. Additional information regarding the reason for the violation is not required, unless the description therein does not accurately reflect the reasons for the violation or your position. However, you are required to respond to this letter and provide the results of your evaluation of the extent of condition related to the reasons for the violation.

Specifically, if you determine that any reason for this violation may apply to work activities during decommissioning and dry cask storage, including oversight of contractor activities, then for each such reason, your reply should include: (1) the corrective steps that have been taken and the results achieved, (2) the corrective steps that will be taken, and (3) the date when all associated corrective actions will have been implemented. If you determine that no reason for this violation could reasonably apply to decommissioning or dry cask storage activities, then your reply should include a statement to that effect. You should follow the instructions specified in the enclosed Notice when preparing your response.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter, its enclosure, and your response, will be made available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from ADAMS, accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To the extent possible, your response should not include any personal privacy, proprietary, or safeguards information so that it can be made available to the public without redaction.

Sincerely,

/RA/ Marc L. Dapas Regional Administrator

Dockets: 50-361, 50-362 Licenses: NPF-10, NPF-15 Enclosure: Notice of Violation

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