ML12293A206
| ML12293A206 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Columbia  |
| Issue date: | 10/19/2012 |
| From: | Nick Hilton NRC/OE |
| To: | Energy Northwest |
| Gulla G | |
| References | |
| EA-12-092 EN 12-047 | |
| Download: ML12293A206 (3) | |
Text
October 19, 2012 EN 12-047 OFFICE OF ENFORCEMENT NOTIFICATION OF SIGNIFICANT ENFORCEMENT ACTION Licensee:
Energy Northwest EA-12-092 Columbia Generating Station Docket No.: 50-397
Subject:
ISSUANCE OF FINAL SIGNIFICANCE DETERMINATION AND NOTICE OF VIOLATION This is to inform the Commission of escalated enforcement actions that will be issued on or about October 24, 2012, to Energy Northwest (licensee) as a result of an inspection at Columbia Generating Station. The escalated enforcement actions consist of two White Significance Determination Process findings, both of which are associated with a violation, and a Severity Level III Notice of Violation. The White findings are issues of low to moderate safety significance and will require additional inspections. These violations were discovered during a baseline inspection involving the site dose assessment methods and emergency action levels.
The first White finding involved the licensees failure to maintain a standard emergency action level scheme in accordance with 10 CFR 50.47(b)(4). An inaccurate calculation of Site Area Emergency and General Emergency effluent thresholds were incorporated into the licensees emergency action level table. These errors affected the licensees ability to properly classify an emergency event involving a radiological release.
The second White finding involved the licensees failure to maintain adequate methods for assessing and monitoring actual or potential offsite consequences of a radiological emergency condition in accordance with 10 CFR 50.47(b)(9). A change to parameters used in offsite dose calculations for the reactor building effluent monitor resulted in inaccurate offsite dose calculations. This adversely affected the licensees ability to assess the consequences of a radiological release and classification of emergencies using dose assessment results. It also had the potential to impact protective action recommendations necessary to protect public health and safety.
A Severity Level III Notice of Violation is being issued for violation of 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(xiii) which, in part, requires a licensee to notify the NRC as soon as practical and within eight hours of any event that results in a major loss of emergency assessment capability. Although the licensee identified longstanding inaccuracies in their dose projection system, they failed to recognize these inaccuracies as a major loss of emergency assessment capability and did not report the deficiencies in radiological assessment methods to the NRC within the allotted timeframe.
In response to the preliminary determination letter, the licensee attended a joint Regulatory Conference and Pre-decisional Enforcement Conference and presented its observations and prospective on the findings and violations. After reviewing the information developed during the inspection, and the information provided by the licensee, the staff concluded that the findings and violations are appropriately characterized as discussed above. The licensee has informed the NRC that multiple corrective actions are in place and/or planned.
2 It should be noted that the licensee has not been specifically informed of the enforcement actions. The schedule of issuance and notification is:
Mailing of Final Significance Determination October 24, 2012 Telephone Notification of Licensee October 24, 2012 The State of Washington will be notified.
CONTACTS: Gerry Gulla, OE, (301) 415-2872 Nick Hilton, OE, (301) 415-2741
3 Distribution: EN-12-047, October 19, 2012 OWFN Chairman Macfarlane Comm. Svinicki Comm. Apostolakis Comm. Magwood Comm. Ostendorff SECY OCA OPA OIP OWFN EDO DEDR DEDMRS OE OGC NRR OI OIG TWFN OCFO OP CENTER FSME RES ACRS OIS NSIR NRO EBB NMSS Regional Offices RI RII RIII RIV MAIL ADAMS OE staff Electronic DISTRIBUTION:
R. Zimmerman, OE N. Hilton, OE G. Gulla, OE OE r/f EN binder X PUBLIC X NON-SENSITIVE ADAMS ML12293A206 OFFICE OE:ES OE: BC NAME GGulla/nxh2 NHilton DATE 10/18/2012 10/19/2012 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY