ML022820705

Assessment Followup

ML022820705
Person / Time
Site:	Oconee
Issue date:	10/09/2002
From:	Reyes L Region 2 Administrator
To:	Mccollum W Duke Energy Corp
References
IR-01-004
Download: ML022820705 (4)

Text

October 9, 2002 Duke Energy Corporation ATTN: Mr. W. R. McCollum Vice President Oconee Site 7800 Rochester Highway Seneca, SC 29672

SUBJECT:

ASSESSMENT FOLLOWUP - OCONEE NUCLEAR STATION

Dear Mr. McCollum:

By letter dated August 26, 2002, you were informed that Oconee Unit 1 performance during the first and second quarters of 2002 was within the Multiple/Repetitive Degraded Cornerstone Column of the NRCs Action Matrix. Unit 1 was in the Multiple/Repetitive Degraded Cornerstone Column because the degraded Mitigating Systems Cornerstone had continued for five consecutive quarters. At the end of the second quarter, the Mitigating Systems Cornerstone included a finding of low to moderate safety significance (White) and a Heat Removal System performance indicator (PI) that reflected performance at a level requiring increased regulatory response (White). The White inspection finding involved an inadequate tornado mitigation strategy utilizing the spent fuel pool as a suction source for a high pressure injection pump, which was initially identified in November 2000. This finding was closed after we completed our supplemental followup inspection during the second quarter of 2002. The White PI involved the maintenance-induced unavailability of the 1B motor driven emergency feedwater pump during the first and second quarters of 2001.

Ordinarily, performance assessed to be in the Multiple/Repetitive Degraded Cornerstone Column of the Action Matrix would require that a Supplemental Inspection be performed under Inspection Procedure 95003, Supplemental Inspection For Repetitive Degraded Cornerstone, Multiple Degraded Cornerstone, Multiple Yellow Inputs, Or One Red Input. However, in this rare instance, the NRC has determined that the regulatory actions required by the Action Matrix are not appropriate for the following reasons: (1) the actual safety significance of the associated PI issue was determined to be very low (Green) per a Significance Determination Process (SDP) review (documented in NRC Inspection Report No. 50-269/01-04); (2) the extended duration of the White PI, from the first quarter of 2001 to present, has existed, in part, because of lengthy discussions between your staff and the NRC regarding operability of the 1B motor driven emergency feedwater pump; (3) had the PI initially been reported as White during the second quarter of 2001, the Supplemental Inspection that was performed in the fourth quarter of 2001 under Inspection Procedure 95002, Inspection For One Degraded Cornerstone Or Any Three White Inputs In a Strategic Performance Area, would have also reviewed the White PI; (4) provided that your corrective actions had been thorough, the fault exposure hours associated with the PI could have been reset at the completion of the 95002 inspection per the guidance in NEI 99-02, Regulatory Assessment Performance Indicator Guidance, Revision 2; (5) there appears to be a significant difference between the root/contributing causes of the White tornado finding and the White PI; and (6) had the old design issue option been

2 DEC available in the Reactor Oversight Program at the time the tornado issue was identified, it most likely would have been applied to the tornado issue and therefore the finding would not have been factored into Action Matrix considerations. Consequently, in accordance with Inspection Manual Chapter 0305, Operating Reactor Assessment Program, Region II obtained the approval of the Executive Director for Operations to deviate from the Action Matrix and to implement the regulatory actions in the Degraded Cornerstone Column. Therefore, a Supplemental Inspection will be performed under Inspection Procedure 95002 in lieu of Inspection Procedure 95003.

Since the White Mitigating Systems tornado finding is already closed, the 95002 Supplemental Inspection scheduled for the week of November 4, 2002, will assess the White Mitigating Systems PI involving the maintenance-induced unavailability of the 1B motor driven emergency feedwater pump. In addition, the inspection will also assess a Barrier Integrity Cornerstone inspection finding involving a problem with the abnormal procedure for maintaining and/or restoring containment closure during reduced inventory conditions.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRCs Rules of Practice, a copy of this letter will be made available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of NRC's document system (ADAMS).

ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

If circumstances arise which cause us to change the planned inspection, we will contact you to discuss the change as soon as possible. Please contact Mr. Robert Haag at 404-562-4550 with any questions you may have regarding this letter or the planned inspection.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Luis A. Reyes Regional Administrator Docket Nos. 50-269, 50-270, 50-287 Licensee Nos. DPR-38, DPR-47, DPR-55 cc:

L. E. Nicholson Compliance Manager (ONS)

Duke Energy Corporation Electronic Mail Distribution Lisa Vaughn Legal Department (PB05E)

Duke Energy Corporation 422 South Church Street Charlotte, NC 28242 cc:

Continued see page 3

3 DEC cc: Continued Anne Cottingham Winston and Strawn Electronic Mail Distribution Beverly Hall, Acting Director Division of Radiation Protection N. C. Department of Environmental Health & Natural Resources Electronic Mail Distribution Henry J. Porter, Director Div. of Radioactive Waste Mgmt.

S. C. Department of Health and Environmental Control Electronic Mail Distribution R. Mike Gandy Division of Radioactive Waste Mgmt.

S. C. Department of Health and Environmental Control Electronic Mail Distribution County Supervisor of Oconee County 415 S. Pine Street Walhalla, SC 29691-2145 Lyle Graber, LIS NUS Corporation Electronic Mail Distribution M. T. Cash, Manager Regulatory Issues & Affairs Duke Energy Corporation 526 S. Church Street Charlotte, NC 28201-0006 Peggy Force Assistant Attorney General N. C. Department of Justice Electronic Mail Distribution

4 DEC Distribution w/encl:

D. LaBarge, NRR RIDSNRRDIPMLIPB PUBLIC OFFICE RII RII SIGNATURE rch lrp bsm NAME RHaag LPlisco BMallett DATE 10/08/2002 10/09/2002 10/09/2002 E-MAIL COPY?

YES YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO PUBLIC DOCUMENT YES OFFICIAL RECORD COPY DOCUMENT NAME: C:\\ORPCheckout\\FileNET\\ML022820705.wpd