ML121170375

Letter to Individual, Concerns You Raised to NRC Regarding the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

ML121170375
Person / Time
Site:	San Onofre
Issue date:	01/06/2010
From:	Nick Taylor NRC/RGN-IV/DRP
To:
References
FOIA/PA-2011-0157
Download: ML121170375 (3)

Text

SII V

. .UNITED STATES

• -NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION C REGION IV

_ .612 EAST LAMAR BLVD, SUITE 400

'14, . 4T i ARLINGTON, TEXAS 76011-4125 January 6, 2010

SUBJECT:

CONCERNS YOU RAISED TO THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (NRC) REGARDING THE SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION RE: ALLEGATION RIV-2010-A-0-0202 L [47)(C)

Dea This letter refers to your conversation with Mr. Larry Ricketson, Senior Health Physics inspector, on December 8, 2010, during which you expressed concerns related to maintenance on four questionable cells from battery 2B007, monitoring of grounds during maintenance, and methodology for measuring battery electrolyte specific gravity at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.

Enclosure 1 to this letter documents your concerns as we understand them. We have initiated actions to evaluate your concerns and will inform you of our findings. The NRC normally conducts an evaluation of a technical concern within 6 months, although complex issues may take longer. If the description of any of your concerns, as noted in Enclosure 1, is not accurate, please contact me so that we can assure that your concerns are appropriately described and adequately addressed prior to the completion of our review.

In your conversation with Mr. Ricketson on December 8, 2010, you indicated that you would not object to the NRC requesting information from the licensee with regard to your concerns. As part of our response to your concerns, we intend to request Southern California Edison Company to perform an evaluation and provide a written response to the NRC. Your name and any other identifying information will be excluded from the information that is provided to Southern California Edison Company in the request for information. We will request that Southern California Edison Company's evaluation be thorough, objective, and that the evaluator be independent of Southern California Edison Company's management responsible for oversight of the functional area related to your concerns. We will evaluate Southern California Edison Company's response, and consider it in developing our conclusions regarding your concerns. We will inform you of our disposition once we have evaluated Southern California CERTIFIED MAIL RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED Information in this record was depet in accordance with th om f Information/

Act, exempt n*' ,

FOJA- /

1--i*.) 2 RIV-2010-A-0202 Edison Company's response and taken any additional actions, if necessary, to address your concerns.

Enclosure 2 with this letter is a brochure entitled, "Reporting Safety Concerns to the NRC,"

which includes an important discussion (on pages 5-7) of the identity protection provided by the NRC regarding these matters, as well as, those circumstances that limit the NRC's ability to protect a concerned individual's identity. Please read that section of the brochure. The brochure includes information regarding the NRC allegation process, identity protection, and the processing of claims of discrimination for raising safety concerns.

However, you should be aware that your identity could be disclosed regarding this matter if the NRC determines that disclosure is necessary to ensure public health and safety, to respond to an order of a court or NRC adjudicatory authority or to inform Congress or State or Federal agencies in furtherance of NRC responsibilities under law or public trust, to support a hearing on an NRC enforcement matter, in accordance with requirements of the Freedom of Information Act, or if you have taken actions that are inconsistent with and override the purpose of protecting a concerned individual's identity.

The brochure also includes a discussion of your right to file a complaint with the U.S.

Department of Labor if you believe you have been subjected to employment discrimination for raising safety concerns and you desire a personal remedy.

If a request is filed under the Freedom of Information Act related to your area of concern, the information provided will, to the extent consistent with that act, be purged of names and other potential identifiers. Further, you should be aware you are not considered a confidential source unless confidentiality has been formally granted in writing.

Thank you for notifying us of your concerns. We will advise you when we have completed our review. Should you have any additional questions, or if the NRC can be of further assistance, please call me Monday - Friday between 8 am. and 4:30 p.m. Central time at 800 952-9677, extension 245, or on the NRC Safety Hotline at 800-695-7403. Should you want to respond in writing, our mailing address for allegations is IAC, PO. Box 202474, Arlington, TX 76006-2474.

Sincerely, Nicholas H. Taylor Senior Allegation Coordinator

Enclosures:

1. Statement of Concerns

2. Reporting Safety Concerns to the NRC

4' I STATEMENT OF CONCERNS ALLEGATION RIV-2010-A-0202 Concern I The licensee failed to properly evaluate the past operability of four questionable cells from battery 2B007.

Concern 2 While replacing non-vital charger 3B005 and testing non-vital battery 38010, bus 3D5A was de-energized, however, associated power panels 3D5P1, 3D5P2, 3D5P3 and 3D5P4 were energized using a temporary power source. The licensee did not check for grounds on the loads supplied from these panels during the period with this maintenance configuration.

Concern 3 The licens &LnQl e e prompt corrective actions tQ address Concern 2. Specifically, Notificatior(b)7)(C) documented the concern onl(b)( 7 )(C) but no ground detection monitoring was performed until the maintenance was completed.

Concern 4 Specific gravity measurements may not be compensated for temperature. Specifically, Notification [b)i.7i§C) documented that the digital hydrometers used to measure specific gravity in station batteries do not automatically compensate the measurement for temperature, and prompt action was not taken to address this concern.

RIV-2010-A-0202 Enclosure