ML030730764

NMC Employee Update - NRC Issues Preliminary Red Finding to Point Beach.

ML030730764
Person / Time
Site:	Point Beach
Issue date:	04/05/2002
From:	Nuclear Management Co
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
FOIA/PA-2003-0094
Download: ML030730764 (1)

Text

POItTBEAC-i PAGE 02 i4/08/2002 10:1S SO207554374 Employee Update Beach NRC issues preliminary red finding to Point April 5, 2002 Point Beach for apparent violations concerning The NR* has issued a preliminary red finding to discovered the potential common mode the plantNs auxiliary feedwater pumps Plant employees risk assessment model improvement failures in late November as part of a comprehensive to NRC and prompt interim corrective actions process. tThe matter was immediately reported were i4lemented.

preliminary red finding on Monday At that time, The NRý is expected to publicly announce the Beach's request for a regulatory conference to NMC will issue a news release, highlighting Point action is unnecessary.

review Nirhy the plant believes that further NRC of a situation that was not self-revealing, the The disdovery by plant staff was a good catch the design was consistent with the original plant corrcctij'e actions have been appropriate, and to handle these situations, the control room design oiad license. While operators are trained operators should take to prevent damage to these procedules were not explicit about actions the pumps for the auxiliary feedwater pumps are As the plant was designed, the recirculation valves by an air system that is not safety-related and has no back-up. If the air system were operatea of water flowing lost, the,valves would automatically close. This could reduce the amount down on the pumps' them to overheat if operators throttled throughthe pumps and cause plant conditions.

unaffected discharge valves in response to scenarios, the auxiliary feedwater pumps could Point Boach staff discovered that in certain to maintain enough flow of water through overheat if operators did not take the proper actions with our plant design and license and the the punlps, which are self-cooling. This is consistent that the control room procedures were not system is fully operable Point Beach discovered to prevent damage to these pumps in all explicit about actions the operators should take situations.

matches ensure operators have explicit guidance that Point Beach has updated the procedures to Point Beach also has installed backup air training and to ensure the situation is not overlooked.

supplieh for the valves.

news media coverage, as this is only the second The NRC announcement is expected to prompt Point nuclear plant received a red finding red inspection finding in the industry. The Indian followog its steam generator tube rupture situations like this undergo review to determine Under the new NRC reactor oversight program, recognizes that some situations can exist that their significance. Additionally, the NRC process of the finding. The NRC recently amended its

"'color" are notvappropriately characterized by the taken so that inappropriate enforcement actions are not proceduires to address such situations issues. NMC will and correcting old design against plant operators for aggressively pursuing discuss this issue with the NRC.

P.02 AFR-08-2002 10:26 9207554374