IR 05000458/2015009
| ML15253A352 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | River Bend  |
| Issue date: | 09/10/2015 |
| From: | Dapas M NRC Region 4 |
| To: | Olson E Entergy Operations |
| References | |
| EA-15-043 IR 2015009 | |
| Download: ML15253A352 (6) | |
Text
tember 10, 2015
SUBJECT:
RIVER BEND STATION - FINAL SIGNIFICANCE DETERMINATION FOR A WHITE FINDING AND NOTICE OF VIOLATION; NRC SPECIAL INSPECTION REPORT 05000458/2015009
Dear Mr. Olson:
This letter provides you the final significance determination of the preliminary White finding discussed in our letter dated July 7, 2015, which included the subject inspection report (Nuclear Regulatory Commissions (NRC) Agency wide Documents Access and Management System [ADAMS] Accession ML15188A532). The finding involved the failure to maintain the simulator so it would accurately reproduce the operating characteristics of the facility.
Specifically, the River Bend Stations simulator failed to accurately model feedwater flow and reactor vessel level response following a scram, failed to provide the correct alarm response for loss of a reactor protection system motor generator set, and failed to correctly model the operation of the startup feedwater regulating valve.
In a letter dated July 30, 2015 (ML15216A612), you provided a response to the NRC staff's preliminary determination regarding this finding. Your response indicated that you agreed with the performance deficiency and the violation. After considering the information developed during the inspection and the additional information you provided in your letter, the NRC has concluded that the finding is appropriately characterized as White, a finding of low-to-moderate safety significance.
You have 30 calendar days from the date of this letter to appeal the staff's determination of significance for the identified White finding. Such appeals will be considered to have merit only if they meet the criteria stated in the Prerequisites and Limitations sections of Attachment 2, Process for Appealing NRC Characterization of Inspection Findings (SDP Appeal Process), of NRC Inspection Manual Chapter 0609, Significance Determination Process. An appeal must be sent in writing to the Regional Administrator, Region IV, 1600 East Lamar Blvd., Arlington, Texas 76011-4511.
The NRC has also determined that the failure to maintain the simulator so it would accurately reproduce the operating characteristics of the facility is a violation of 10 CFR 55.46(c)(1), Plant-Referenced Simulators, as cited in the attached Notice of Violation (Notice). The circumstances surrounding the violation were described in detail in the subject inspection report.
In accordance with the NRC Enforcement Policy, the Notice is considered to be an escalated enforcement action because it is associated with a White finding.
You are required to respond to this letter and should follow the instructions specified in the enclosed Notice when preparing your response. If you have additional information that you believe the NRC should consider, you may provide it in your response to the Notice. The NRC review of your response to the Notice will also determine whether further enforcement action is necessary to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
As a result of our review of River Bend Stations performance, including this White finding, we have assessed that the River Bend Station will remain in the Regulatory Response column of the NRCs Action Matrix, effective the second quarter of 2015. Therefore, we plan to conduct a supplemental inspection using Inspection Procedure 95001, Supplemental Inspection for One or Two White Inputs in a Strategic Performance Area, when your staff has notified us of your readiness for this inspection.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRCs Rules of Practice, a copy of this letter, its enclosure, and your response, will be made available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the NRCs document system (ADAMS), accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To the extent possible, your response should not include any personal privacy, proprietary, or safeguards information so that it can be made available to the Public without redaction.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Marc L. Dapas Regional Administrator Docket: 50-458 License: NPF-47 Enclosure:
Notice of Violation
SUNSI ReviewBy: JK ADAMS Publicly Available Non-Sensitive Keyword:
Yes No Non-Publicly Available Sensitive NRC-002 OFFICE SES:ACES TL:ACES C:DRP D:DRP RC OE NRR:DD:DIRS RA NAME JKramer MHay GWarnick TWPruett KFuller NHilton AHowe MDapas SIGNATURE /RA/ /RA JK for /RA/ /RA/ /RA/ /RA/ RC for /RA/ LC for /RA/
DATE 8/11/15 8/11/15 8/11/15 8/24/15 8/26/15 9/2/15 8/28/15 9/10/15
Letter to Mr. Eric from Mark L. Dapas dated September 10, 2015.
SUBJECT: RIVER BEND STATION - FINAL SIGNIFICANCE DETERMINATION FOR A WHITE FINDING AND NOTICE OF VIOLATION; NRC SPECIAL INSPECTION REPORT 05000458/2015009 DISTRIBUTION:
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NOTICE OF VIOLATION Entergy Operations, Inc. Docket: 50-458 River Bend Station License: NPF-47 EA-15-043 During an NRC inspection conducted January 26 through June 29, 2015, a violation of NRC requirements was identified. In accordance with the NRC Enforcement Policy, the violation is listed below:
10 CFR Part 55.46(c)(1), Plant-Referenced Simulators, requires, in part, that a simulator must demonstrate expected plant response to operator input and to normal, transient, and accident conditions to which the simulator has been designed to respond.
Contrary to the above, as of January 30, 2015, the simulator failed to demonstrate expected plant response to operator input and to normal, transient, and accident conditions to which the simulator has been designed to respond. Specifically, the River Bend Stations simulator failed to correctly model leakage flow rates across the feedwater regulating valves; failed to provide the correct alarm response for a loss of a reactor protection system motor generator set; and failed to correctly model the behavior of the startup feedwater regulating valve controller. These simulator modeling issues led to negative training of operators. This subsequently complicated the operators response to a reactor scram in the actual plant on December 25, 2014.
This violation is associated with a White Significance Determination Process finding.
Pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR 2.201, Entergy Operations, Inc., is hereby required to submit a written statement or explanation to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington, DC 20555-0001, with a copy to the Regional Administrator, Region IV, and a copy to the NRC Resident Inspector at the facility that is the subject of this Notice, within 30 days of the date of the letter transmitting this Notice of Violation (Notice). This reply should be clearly marked as Reply to a Notice of Violation; EA-15-043.
The reply should include: (1) the reasons for the violation, (2) the corrective steps that have been taken and the results achieved, (3) the corrective steps that will be taken, and (4) the date when full compliance will be achieved.
Your response may reference or include previous docketed correspondence, if the correspondence adequately addresses the required response. If an adequate reply is not received within the time specified in this Notice, an Order or a Demand for Information may be issued as to why the license should not be modified, suspended, or revoked, or why such other action as may be proper should not be taken. Where good cause is shown, consideration will be given to extending the response time.
If you contest this enforcement action, you should also provide a copy of your response, with the basis for your denial, to the Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
Enclosure
Because your response will be made available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the NRCs document system (ADAMS), accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html, to the extent possible, it should not include any personal privacy, proprietary, or safeguards information so that it can be made available to the public without redaction. If personal privacy or proprietary information is necessary to provide an acceptable response, then please provide a bracketed copy of your response that identifies the information that should be protected and a redacted copy of your response that deletes such information.
If you request withholding of such material, you must specifically identify the portions of your response that you seek to have withheld and provide in detail the bases for your claim of withholding (e.g., explain why the disclosure of information will create an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy or provide the information required by 10 CFR 2.390(b) to support a request for withholding confidential commercial or financial information). If safeguards information is necessary to provide an acceptable response, please provide the level of protection described in 10 CFR 73.21.
In accordance with 10 CFR 19.11, you may be required to post this Notice within 2 working days of receipt.
Dated this 10th day of September 2015 2