ML17054A023
| ML17054A023 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Nine Mile Point  |
| Issue date: | 01/31/1983 |
| From: | Martin T NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Rhode G NIAGARA MOHAWK POWER CORP. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML17054A020 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8308240559 | |
| Download: ML17054A023 (6) | |
See also: IR 05000220/1981022
Text
82 JAN tlap
Docket No. 50-220
License
No.
DESIGNATED ORIGINAB
P~ztifioil By,
Niagara
Mohawk Power Corporation
ATTN:
Mr. Gerald
K.
Rhode
Senior Vice President
System Project
Management
c/o Miss Catherine
R. Seibert
300 Erie Boulevard West
Syracuse,
13202
Gentlemen:
Subject:
Investigation
No. 50-220/81-ZZ
Enforcement
Conference
No. 50-220/81-26
h
'
This refers to the investigation
conducted
by Mr. D.
L. Caphton
and others of
the
NRC Region I (King of Prussia,
office on August 18-25
and .
September
1-3,
1981 concerning
the operation of the Nine Mile Point Unit
1
reactor with both emergency
diesel
generators
This condition was
discovered
by plant personnel
on August 18,
1981
and promptly reported to the
NRC.
Your contingency
measures
to assure
continued
safe operation of the
reactor
were confirmed in an
NRC Immediate Action Letter (IAL 81-28) dated
August 18,
1981 from the Director,
NRC Region I.
At our request,
a subsequent
Enforcement
Conference
was held at the Region I Office on September
29,
1981,
between
you and members of your staff and Mr. James
M. Allan, Deputy Regional
Administrator,
and other members of the Region I staff.
Reports of the
investigation
and the Enforcement
Conference
are enclosed
as Investigation
Report
No. 50-220/81-22
and Enforcement
Conference
Report
No. 50-220/81-26,
respectively.
Based
on our investigation,
we have determined that the diesel
generators
were
from August 16,
1981 until August 18,
1981,
and could have
been
as early as August 6,
1981,
when the diesel
generators
last
operated
during
a routine surveillance
test.
On August 16,
an auxiliary
operator
observed that
a fuel oil filter sight glass
on each diesel
generator
was empty, but he did not realize that this indicated the diesels
were
and thus did not report the condition to shift supervision.
When
the diesel
generators
failed to start
on August 18, during
a special
operability test,
the inoperable condition was then recognized.
Your
investigation of the inoperable
status
of the diesel
generators
determined
that the petcock drains
on both fuel oil filters were open, that the fuel oil
supply lines were
empty and that there
was
no evidence of the missing fuel.
Operation of the reactor with both diesel
generators
inoperable is
a signifi-
cant violation of NRC requirements
and is classified
violation in accordance
with the
NRC Enforcement Policy (10 CFR 2, Appendix
C).
With the diesel
generators
certain safety
systems
designed
to
OFFICIAL RECORD
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prevent or mitigate
a serious
safety event would not have
been able to perform
their intended function if a loss of offsite power occurred.
Although we have
given serious consideration
to this matter
and to the
need for additional
enforcement actions,
we have exercised
our judgment
under the
NRC Enforcement
Policy and have decided
not to take additional
enforcement
action at this
time.
In making this decision,
we considered
the facts that
( I) your program
for surveillance testing of the diesel
generators
was in accordance
with
technical
specifications;
(2) your emergency
condenser
system which does
not
rely on the diesel
generators
remained
(3) our investigation
has not
provided
any reasonable
explanation for the draining of the fuel supply lines
other than
a deliberate
act of tampering
accomplished
by an individual or
individuals who had unescorted
access
to the vital area;
and, (4) your
security program
was being implemented
in accordance
with the
NRC approved
security plan.
Nonetheless,
this violation demonstrates
the
need for program
improvements at
the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Generating Station, specifically
in the security
program,
and the program for monitoring critical parameters
of the diesel
generators.
As
a minimum, these
improvements
should consist of (1) written
procedures
that provide
a basis for operator monitoring of the diesel
generators
to ensure that they are in a state of operational
readiness,
(2) training of
the auxiliary operators
in these
procedures
and their bases,
and (3) specific
security
improvements
as delineated
in Appendix B.
We understand
that these
improvements
have
been
completed,
with the exception of Item
3 in Appendix B.
1
- 'ou
are required to respond to the attached
Notice (Appendix A) and in preparing
your response,
you should follow the instructions specified therein.
In your
response
confirm that the necessary
improvements
indicated
above
have
been
completed
and delineate
the specific details of all improvements
made to
prevent recurrence
of a violation of this type.
Sections
of the enclosures
contain details of your security program that have
been determined to be exempt from public disclosure
in accordance
with either
10 CFR 73.21 (Safeguards
Information) or
(commercial
or
financial information).
Therefore,
the sections
so identified will not be
placed
in the
NRC Public Document
Room and will receive limited distribution.
The investigation report cover sheet,
this letter,
and any remaining portions
of the enclosures will be placed in the Public Document
Room, in accordance
with 10 CFR 2.790(a),
unless
you notify, by telephone,
the Supervisor,
Files,
Mail and Records,
USNRC Region I, at (215) 337-5223, within 10 days of the
date of this letter and submit written application to withhold information
contained
in the report within thirty days of the date of this letter.
Such
application must be consistent with the requirements
The responses
directed
by this letter
and the attached
Notice are not subject
to the clearance
procedures
of the Office of Management
and Budget
as requi red
by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980,
PL 96-511.
OFFICIAL RECORD
COPY
- Deleted in accordance
with 10 CFR 2.790(d)(l).
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Niac,ara
Mohawk Power Corporation
Your cooperation with us in this matter is appreciated.
Sincerely,
'Ozg
q<~ sg~8agq g
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Thomas
T. Hartin, Director
Division of Engineering
and Technical
Programs
Enclosures:
1.
Appendix A, Notice of Violation
2.
Appendix B, Recommendations
of Improved Security of Diesel
Generator
Areas (Contains
Safeguards
Information)
3.
NRC Region I Investigation
Report
No. 50-220/81-22
(Contains
Commercial
or
Financial or Safeguards
Information in Section
IV.D and Exhibits 7,
(pg. 3), 8,
and
10
(pgs.
1, 2,
& 3) *
4.
NRC Region I Enforcement
Conference
Report
No. 50-220/81-26
(Contains
Safeguards
Information in Paragraph 3.b.)*
cc w/encls (w/o Appendix B, Investigation
Report Section
IV.D 5 Exhibits
7 (pg. 3), 8, and
10 (pgs.
1, 2,
5 3) and Enforcement
Conference
Report
Paragraph 3.b):
T.
E.
Lempges,
Vice President,
Nuclear Generation
T. Perkins,
General
Superintendent,
Nuclear Generation
T.
Roman, Station Superintendent
J. Aldrich, Supervisor,
Operations
.W. Drews, Technical
Superintendent
'"Troy B. Conner, Jr.,
Esquire
John
W. Keib, Esquire
Director,
Power Division
Public Document
Room (PDR)
Local Public Document
Room (LPDR)
- Also, additional portions
of the cover letter and
Enclosures
3 and
4 have
been
withheld because
they contained
e$ ther, Commercial
or Financi al
Information or the identities
of persons
interviewed
as part
of the investigation.
Nuclear Safety Information Center
(NSIC)
NRC Resident Inspector
(w/cp of enclosures)
State of New,York
J. J. Sunser,
Manager,
System Security
(w/cp of enclosures)