ML17059B375
| ML17059B375 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Nine Mile Point  |
| Issue date: | 12/10/1996 |
| From: | Wiggins J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Sylvia B NIAGARA MOHAWK POWER CORP. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML17059B376 | List: |
| References | |
| EA-96-475, GL-89-10, NUDOCS 9612200109 | |
| Download: ML17059B375 (6) | |
See also: IR 05000220/1996015
Text
December
10,
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:
NINE MILE POINT MOTOR-OPERATED VALVEINSPECTION 96-15
Dear Mr. Sylvia:
This letter transmits the report of an inspection conducted
by Mr. Douglas A. Dempsey and
others at Nine Mile Point Units
1 and 2 between October 7 and November 15, 1996.
The
inspection was focused on areas important to health and safety, and consisted of an
independent
assessment
of the motor-operated
valve (MOV) programs at both units
associated
with NRC Generic Letter (GL) 89-10, "Safety-Related
Motor-Operated Valve
Testing and Surveillance."
Most of our inspection concentrated
upon the Unit 2 MOV
program, since it was committed to be completed
in September
1995, while Unit 1 is
schedule for completion in 1997. At the conclusion of the inspection, the preliminary
findings were discussed
with Mr. Carl Terry, Vice President-Engineering,
and other
members of your staff.
A significant number of MOVs at Unit 2 (NMP-2) were modified and refurbished to enhance
capability, and an attempt was made to test a reasonable
sample of valves under design-
basis conditions.
However, the NRC was unable to close its review of the NMP-2 GL 89-
10 program, because
of insufficient engineering justifications for certain important design
inputs pertaining to MOV performance.
Other elements
(such as the trending program)
also need to be addressed
before program closure.
We also note that your staff committed to dynamically test NMP-2 high pressure
core
spray valve 2CSH "MOV110 during the first quarter of 1997 to strengthen the load
sensitive behavior assumption
applied to this valve.
Please notify us promptly if your
understanding
of this commitment differs from ours.
Calculations used to estimate the ability of four NMP-2 risk-significant valves in the high
pressure
core spray, reactor core isolation cooling and residual heat removal-containment
spray systems to overcome pressure
locking forces were based on an incorrect
assumption,
specifically motor-actuator run efficiency. The valves were found by the NRC
to be questionable
in their ability to open under design-basis
conditions.
Failure of these
9612200i09 96i2i0
ADQCK 05000220
8
Mr. Ralph B. Sylvia
valves to operate would have degraded
significantly the performance of the associated
core and containment cooling systems.
The invalid design input represented
an apparent
violation of 10 CFR 50, Appendix B, Criterion III, "Design Control," that requires design
inputs to be verified or checked for adequacy.
The violation is being considered for escalated
enforcement action in accordance
with the
"General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Action" (Enforcement
Policy), NUREG 1600.
A predecisional enforcement conference to discuss the apparent
violation will be determined at a later date.
The decision to hold a predecisional
enforcement conference
does not mean that the NRC has determined that a violation has
occurred or that enforcement action will be taken.
The conference
is being held to obtain
information to enable the NRC to make an enforcement decision, such as a common
understanding
of the facts, root causes,
missed opportunities to identify the apparent
violation sooner, corrective actions, significance of the issues,
and the need for lasting and
effective corrective action.
In addition, this is an opportunity for you to point out any
errors in our inspection report and for you to provide any information concerning your
perspectives
on: (1) the severity of the violation, (2) the appiic~tion of the factors that the
NRC considers when it determines the amount of a civil penalty that may be assessed
in
accordance
with Section VI.B.2 of the Enforcement Policy, and (3) any other application of
the Enforcement Policy to this case, including the exercise of discretion in accordance
with
Section Vll.
You will be advised by separate
correspondence
of the results of our deliberations on these
matters.
No response
regarding the apparent violation is required at this time.
In
accordance
with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice,"
a copy of this letter, its
enclosure,
and your response will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR). We
appreciate your cooperation
in this matter, and
I would be pleased to discuss the
conclusions of our inspection with you.
Sincerely,
James T. Wiggins, Director
Division of Reactor Safety
Docket Nos.
50-220; 50-410
License Nos.
Enclosure:
Inspection Report Nos. 50-220/96-15; 50-410/96-15
Mr. Ralph B. Sylvia
cc w/enclosure:
R. Abbott, Vice President and 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
a1d Development Authority
J. Spath, Program Director, New York State Energy Research
and Development Authority
Distribution w/encl:
J. Wiggins, DRS
D. Screnci, PAO
Region
I Docket Room (with concurrences)
Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)
PUBLIC
NRC Resident Inspector
R. Correia, NRR
R. Frahm, Jr., NRR
L. Cunningham,
D. Barss, NRR
DRS File
Distribution w/encl:
(VIA EMAIL)
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:NM29615. INS
To receive a copy of this document. indicat
e box:
C
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E
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ff
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OFFICE
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DATE
12/06/96
12/6 /96
12/ >> /96
12/9 /96
12/
/96
OFFICIAL RECORD
COPY
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