IR 05000412/1993081

Informs of EC to Discuss Apparent Violation on 940118,in Region I,Re 50-412/93-81,AIT Findings Relative to EDG Load Sequencer Failures

ML20059G202
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley
Issue date:	01/05/1994
From:	Wiggins J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:	Sieber J DUQUESNE LIGHT CO.
References
EA-93-296, NUDOCS 9401240042
Download: ML20059G202 (3)

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s JAN 5 1994

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. LEA No.93-296

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License No. NPF-73- ,

Docket No. 50-412 Mr. J. ' Senior Vice President Nuclear Power Division Duquesne Light Company

Post Office Box 4

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Shippingport, Pennsylvania 15077

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Dear Mr. Sieber:

$

r SUBJECT: NRC INSPECTION REPORT NO. 50-412/93-81, AUGMENTED INSPECTION TEAM (AIT) FINDINGS RELATIVE TO EMERGENCY DIESEL GENERATOR LOAD SEQUENCER FAILURES

. The subject NRC inspection report was previously provided to'you in our letter, dated k, Dec, mber 21,1993. In this letter, and at the inspection exit meeting held on

• December 2,1993, _we informed you that we intended to conduct an enforcement conference

- to disenss the circumstances surrounding this issue.

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p Eased on the results of this inspection, one apparent violation was identified and is being

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_ considered for escalated enforcement action in accordance with the " General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Action" (Enforcement Policy),10.CFR Part 2,

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Appendix C. Accordingly, no Notice af.. Violation is presently being issued for these -

inspectio'n findings. The augmented inspection team concluded that the diesel generator load sequencers,- which are designed to protect the generators from overloading 'during loading -

evolutions, .were not able to perform their intended function under nertain conditions. The team attributed the root cause of the failures to be weak design controls during the

modification process that installed microprocessor-based digital timer / relays. This is an apparent violation of 10 CFR 50, Appendix B, Criterion III, in that the parts used in thi

modification of the sequencer were not suitable for the application. In addition, please be

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d advised th'at the number and characterization of apparent' violations desc bed in the inspection report may change as a result of further NRC review.

An enforcement conference to discuss this apparent violation has been scheduled for January 18,1994, at 2:00 p.m., in the NRC Region I office. The decision to hold an enforcement conference does not mean that the NRC has determined that a violation has occurred or that enforcement action will be taken. The purposes of this conference are to discuss the apparent violation, its cause(s), and safety significance; to provide you the 9401240042 940105- .

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Duquesne Light Company 2 opportunity to point out any errors in our inspection report; and to provide an opportunity for you to present your proposed corrective action (s). In particular, we expect you to address the design control process for the modification that installed the microprocessor-based digital timer / relays. Also, you should be prepared to discuss the auxiliary feedwater pump starting logic error that occurred following the installation of the voltage spike suppression diodes.

In addition, this is an opportunity for you to provide your perspectives on: 1) the severity of '

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the violation, if one- did ocur,2) the application of the factors that the NRC considers when it determines the amount of a civil penalty that may be assessed in accordance with Section VI.B.2 of the Enforcement Policy, and 3) any other application of the Enforcement Policy to this case, including the exercise of discretion in accordance with Section VII.

Subsequent to the conference, you will be advised by separate correspondence of the results of our deliberations on this matter. In accordance with NRC enforcement guidance, this enforcement conference will not be open for public observation. No response regarding the apparent violation is required at this time.

In accerdance 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.

Sincerely,

z James T. Wiggins, Acting Director ;

Division of Reactor Safety ec w/ encl:

G. S. Thomas, Vice President, Nuclear Services D. E. Spectry, Vice President, Nuclear Operations L. R. Freeland, General Manager, Nuclear Operations Unit K. D. Grada, Manager, Quality Services Unit ,

N. R. Tonet, Manager, Nencar Safety Department H. R. Caldwell, General Superintendent, Nuclear Operations Public Document Room (PDR)

Local Public Document Room (LPDR)

Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)

NRC Resident Inspector Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State of Ohio

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JAN 5 1994

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' Duquesne Light Company 3 bec w/ encl: [

Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)

W. Lazarus, DRP ,

D. Lew, DRP ,

W. Butler, NRR G. Edison, NRR V. McCree, OEDO J. Lieberman, OE ,

i D. Holody, ORA

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Trapp Durr Linville hWiggins 1/37 64 1/0I4 1/3 94 1/3 4 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY A:BV93-81.LTR l

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