ML17059B352
| ML17059B352 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Nine Mile Point  |
| Issue date: | 11/25/1996 |
| From: | Doerflein L NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Sylvia B NIAGARA MOHAWK POWER CORP. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML17059B353 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9612030113 | |
| Download: ML17059B352 (6) | |
See also: IR 05000220/1996010
Text
November 25,
1996
Mr. B. Ralph Sylvia
Executive Vice President Generation
Business
Group and Chief Nuclear Officer
Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation
Nuclear Learning Center
450 Lake Road
Oswego, New York 13126
SUBJECT:
NOTICE OF VIOLATIONAND NRC COMBINED INSPECTION REPORT
NOS. 50-220/96-10 AND 50-410/96-10
Dear Mr. Sylvia:
This report transmits the findings of safety inspections conducted
by NRC inspectors at
the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Units
1 and 2, from July 28 through September
7,
1996.
At the conclusion of the inspection, the findings were discussed
with members of
your staff.
During this period, your staff operated
both units safely.
In particular, we noted good
management
oversight of the Unit 1 plant startup on August 20, 1996.
However, we also
noted some problems with the planning and control during the Unit 1 shutdown on July 28
that resulted in a high reactor vessel water level and challenged the operators.
In addition,
we noted poor maintenance
practices during work on the Unit 1 shaft driven feedwater
pump which resulted in damage to the dental clutch and the potential for personal injury.
Based on the results of this inspection, the NRC has determined that violations of NRC
requirements
occurred.
The violations are cited in the enclosed
(Notice), and the circumstances
surrounding the violations are described
in the enclosed
report.
Specifically, the violations involved (1) a temporary change to a procedure without
the required approval of a licensed senior reactor operator and (2) several examples of
workers not properly implementing maintenance/surveillance
procedures.
You are required to respond to this letter and should follow the instructions specified in the
enclosed
Notice when preparing your response.
The NRC will use your response,
in part,
to determine whether further enforcement action is necessary to ensure compliance with
regulatory requirements.
With respect to the first violation, we noted your program allowed a procedure
change to
be implemented without the required approvals.
As discussed
in NRC Inspection Report
50-220/96-01
and 50-410/96-01, we previously noted that your program for temporary
modifications allowed changes to be made to the plant design prior to the approval of the
necessary
safety evaluation.
We are concerned that this is the second weakness that we
identified, in which the requirements of the license were not adequately translated into the
approved procedures
for implementation of required processes.
It appears that a thorough
96i2030ii3 96ii25
ADOCK 05000220
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IE: 01
330030
OFFICIAL RECORO
COPY
Mr. B. Ralph Sylvia
procedure review and approval process would have identified these problems before the
NRC did. Consequently,
your response
to the violation should also address
our concern
that your procedure review process did not identify these problems earlier.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice,"
a copy of this letter
and its enclosures,
and your response,
will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.
We appreciate your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Original Signed
by:
Lawrence T. Doerflein, Chief
Projects Branch
1
Division of Reactor Projects
L Ucket Nos.
License Nos.50-22U, 50-410
Enclosures:
1.
2.
NRC Inspection Report Nos, 50-220/96-10 and 50-410/96-10
cc w/enclosures:
R. Abbott, Vice President & General Manager - Nuclear
C. Terry, Vice President-Nuclear
Engineering
M. McCormick, Vice President
- Safety Assessment
and Support
N. Rademacher,
Unit
1 Plant Manager
J. Conway, Unit 2 Plant Manager
D. Wolniak, Manager, Licensing
J. Warden, New York Consumer Protection Branch
G. Wilson, Senior Attorney
M. Wetterhahn, Winston and Strawn
J. Rettberg, New York State Electric and Gas Corporation
Director, Electric Division, Department of Public Service, State of New York
C. Donaldson,
Esquire, Assistant Attorney General, New York Department of Law
J. Vinquist, MATS, Inc.
P. Eddy, Power Division, Department of Public Service, State of New York
F. Valentino, President,
New York State Energy Research
and Development Authority
J. Spath, Program Director, New York State Energy Research
and Development Authority
0
Mr. B. Ralph Sylvia
Distribution w/encls:
D. Screnci, PAO (1)
Region
I Docket Room (with concurrences)
Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)
PUBLIC
NRC Resident Inspector
L. Doerflein, DRP
T. Moslak, DRP
R. Junod,
Distribution w/encls:
(VIA E-MAIL)
W. Dean OEDO
B. Norris - Nine Mile Point
S. Bajwa, NRR
D. Hood, NRR
K. Cotton, NRR
M. Campion,
Rl
Inspection Program Branch (IPAS)
DOCUMENT NAME: A:iNMIR9610.BSN
TO reCeiVe a COPy Oi thia dOCument, tndioate in the bOrd
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u COPy WithOut attaChment/enCIOSure
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NAME
DATE
Rl/DRP
8Norris
1 'I gy/96
RI/DRP
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11gg96
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