ML17055E024
| ML17055E024 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Nine Mile Point  |
| Issue date: | 07/06/1988 |
| From: | Russell W NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Donlon W NIAGARA MOHAWK POWER CORP. |
| References | |
| EA-87-104, NUDOCS 8808010261 | |
| Download: ML17055E024 (8) | |
Text
July 6, 1988 Docket No. 50-410 License No.
NPF-69 EA 87-104 Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation ATTN:
William Donlon President 301 Plainfield Road
- Syracuse, New York 13212 Gentlemen:
Subject:
NRC Office of Investigations Report I-85-020 This refers to the investigation conducted by the NRC Office of Investigations (OI) concerning (1) the adequacy of your Quality First Program (Q1P) investi-gation of the circumstances associated with the installation of certain neutron monitoring system (NMS) cables at Nine Mile Point, Unit 2, in May,
- 1985, and (2) the accuracy of the facts concerning the installation effort as reported in a letter to the NRC dated July 11, 1985.
The Q1P investigation had been conducted at the request of the NRC after the NRC had informed your Executive Director for: Nuclear Operations, in a letter dated June 7,
1985, that this office had received an allegation that there was improper installation of the NMS cables due to excessive pulling tension, inadequate quality control (QC) coverage of this activity,'nd improper pressure by contractor employees to complete installation.
In your July 11 response letter, which was signed by the Director of Quality Assurance and reviewed by your Nuclear Compliance and Verification Group, you stated that the installation of the cables was technically satisfactory, and the QC Program was adhered to.
- However, the letter did not indicate that
( 1) pushing of the cable during the installation was done without a procedure, (2) pulling of the cable during the installation was done without using a tension monitoring device, as required, and (3) Quality Control personnel, although physically monitoring the installation effort as required by the QC program, did not have specific inspection criteria and inspection procedures available to determine the acceptability of the cable installation.
Although procedural violations associated with the installation effort were previously identified during an NRC inspection conducted in November and
- December, 1985,
(
Reference:
NRC Inspection Report No. 85-42) and were cited in a Notice of Violation sent to you on January 22,
- 1986, the NRC is also concerned that the July 11, 1985 response to Region I was incomplete and misleading, and that the Q1P investigation which formed the basis for that response was not adequately
- planned, conducted or evaluated.
The basis for this concern is set forth in the OI Synopsis and the NRC letter, dated January 11, 1988, which transmitted the synopsis.
For this reason, an enforcement conference was conducted on March 18, 1988 with you and members of your staff to discuss these underlying concerns and your corrective actions.
07 0+
MSQSO Cg 0500 102~~ 1 "'='4 1 f>
pfiO pOt~
P 07/05/88
~-ul, OFFICIAL RECORD COPY CP NINE MILE 87-104/Rl 0001.0.0
0
Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation During the enforcement conference, NMPC contended that the July 11, 1985 letter. was not false.
This contention was based, in part, on the adequacy of the cable installation, and the adequacy of the gC coverage.
(Details of items discussed at the enforcement conference are documented in a separate enforcement conference report).
Notwithstanding your position, the NRC maintains that the July 11, 1985 letter and its enclosure were incomplete and misleading for the reasons set forth above.
Furthermore, we note that any such future submittal of inaccurate, incomplete and/or misleading information to the NRC would constitute, at a minimum, a violation of 10 CFR 50.9, which became effective on February 1,
- 1988, and could subject you to NRC enforcement action, including civil penalties, modification, suspension, or revocation of your license.
In order to emphasize the importance NRC places upon complete and accurate communication from its licensees and to ensure that NRC can rely upon future NMPC correspondence, please provide this office, within 30 days of the date of this letter, a written statement, that describes in 'detail the corrective actions taken or planned to correct the underlying causes of the incomplete and misleading July 11, 1985 letter and prevent recurrence of similar inaccurate and incomplete communications.
In accordance with Section 2.790 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice,"
Part 2, Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, a copy of this letter will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.
The response requested by this letter is not subject to the clearance proce-dures of the Office of Management and Budget as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, PL No.96-511.
Your cooperation with us in this matter is appreciated.
Sincerely, Oz-<ginzl S:)gnat By 4z.... z.
i:uS~~LL William T. Russell Regional Administrator OFFICIAL RECORD COPY CP NINE MILE 87-104/R1 0002.0.0 07/05/88
Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation cc w/encl:
J.
A. Perry, Vice President, Quality Assurance W. Hansen,
- Manager, Corporate Quality Assurance R.
G. Smith, Unit 2 Superintendent, Operations C.
- Beckham, Manager, Nuclear Quality Assurance Operations T. J. Perkins, Vice President, Nuclear Generation R.
B. Abbott, Unit 2 Station Superintendent J. Willis, General Station Superintendent C. Terry, Vice President Nuclear Engineering and Licensing W. Drews, Technical Superintendent Connor
& Wetterhahn John W. Keib, Esquire Department of Public Service, State of New York State of New York, Department of Law Public Document Room (PDR)
Local Public Document Room (LPDR)
Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)
NRC Resident Inspector State of New York
Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation bcc:
Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)
Management Assistant, ORNA (w/o encl)
DRP Section Chief Region I SLO Robert J.
- Bores, DRSS SECY J. Taylor, DEDO J.
Lieberman, OE W. Russell, RI T. Murley, NRR D.
Ho 1 ody, RI J. Goldberg, OGC T. Martin, DEDRO Enforcement Directors RII-III Enforcement Officers RIV-RV F.
- Ingram, PA J.
Bradburne, CA E, Jordan, AEOD B. Hayes, OI C. White, OI:R1 S. Connelly, OIA 0
~ Nussbaumer, SLITP OE Files (3 copies
+ ltr hd)
EDO Rdg File R.
Capra K. Abraham W. Cook RI: EO DHolody/pj 03/
/87 RI O'RA JAl'1 an
'I 03//88 RI[.. DRP WKhpe
/
03/ I /87 zinger QZO(iS~
RI:OGC Goldberg Og/
/88 RI.DRP
+Johnson 03+3 /87
- RA
)/ RI:NRR WRus Q
FMiragl ia OP
/88 0+
/88 RI: DRS WJohnston 03/
/87 RI:,'RC
'Gutierrez OP/'88 RI:OE JLieberman RI:DEDRO JTaylor OP/
/88 0+
/88 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY CP NINE MILE 87-104/R1 - 0004.0.0 07/05/88