ML17059B761
| ML17059B761 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Nine Mile Point  |
| Issue date: | 11/04/1997 |
| From: | Wiggins J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Sylvia B NIAGARA MOHAWK POWER CORP. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML17059B762 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-220-97-09, 50-220-97-9, 50-410-97-09, 50-410-97-9, EA-97-228, NUDOCS 9711120024 | |
| Download: ML17059B761 (8) | |
See also: IR 05000220/1997009
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November 4,
1997
Mr. B. Ralph Sylvia
Executive Vice President
and Chief Nuclear Officer
Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation
Nuclear Learning Center
450 Lake Road
Oswego, NY 13126
SUBJECT:
NRC INSPECTION REPORT NOS. 50-220/97-09 AND 50-410/97-09
Dear Mr. Sylvia:
This letter transmits the report of an inspection conducted
by Mr. Leonard Cheung and
others at Nine Mile Point Units
1 and 2 from August 4 through 29, 1997.
The inspection
was focused on areas important to public health and safety, and consisted of a review of
various engineering activities including:
(1) susceptibility of certain reactor water cleanup
system valves to fire-induced short circuits; (2) plant design changes;
(3) environmental
qualification of safety-related
equipment;
(4) control of the plant configurations and design
bases;
(5) the motor-operated
valve program; (6) staff training and qualification; and,
(7) corrective actions for NRC-identified technical issues.
At the conclusion of the
inspection, the preliminary findings were discussed with you and other members of your
staff.
Based on the results of this inspection, the inspectors determined that:
(1) your immediate
corrective actions following the identification that 40 isolation valves were susceptible to
fire-induced hot shorts were appropriate;
(2) the design change for the replacement of
recirculation system sample containment isolation valves was ineffective in resolving the
problem for which it was implemented but other design change packages
and their safety
evaluations were acceptable;
(3) Unit 2 design engineers were cognizant of the technical
issues supporting the preparations for the next refueling outage; and (4) Unit 1 service
water system design basis document was comprehensive
and well prepared.
The NRC is closing its review of your program implemented under Generic Letter 89-10,
"Safety-Related
Motor-Operated Valve Testing and Surveillance."
Closure is based on the
commitments
contained
in your letter dated September 30, 1997, including:
(1) obtain
additional industry information or analyses to bolster valve factor assumptions
pertaining to
valve groups
G and K at Unit 1 and VO3, VO6, and GLO3a at Unit 2, (2) replace the
motor-actuators
on feedwater isolation valves at Unit 1 during the next refueling outage,
97ifi20024'7ii04
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Mr. B. Ralph Sylvia
(3) develop plans for verifying butterfly valve manufacturer's
torque prediction
methodologies
at both units, (4) modify the gear sets of two main steam drain valves at
Unit 2 during the next refueling outage,
and (5) evaluate the need to perform margin
enhancement
modifications to a Unit 1 reactor water cleanup system isolation valve.
We
also
understand that you will notify the NRC in writing when commitments (1), (3), and
(5) have been completed.
Please contact us promptly if your understanding
of these
commitments differs from those discussed
in this report.
Two violations of NRC requirements were identified during this inspection period.
The
violations concerned
lack of instructions or procedures for the conduct of certain
environmental qualification (EQ) program activities, and failure to review and approve
certain EQ program documents.
These violations are cited in the enclosed Notice of
Violation (Notice) and a detailed description of the violations are included in the enclosed
report.
Please note that 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.
In addition, an apparent violation of the Fire Protection Program provisions of the Unit 2
operating license was identified.
The violation involved your staff's identification of a
potential, for fire-induced spurious operation of twenty pairs of air-operated valves in the
reactor water cleanup system.
Inadvertent valve operation was of particular concern due
to the potential for overpressurization
of low pressure
piping from the reactor coolant
system.
The apparent violation is undergoing further NRC review. We will inform you of
the results of that review at a later date.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter,
its enclosures,
and your response
will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.
Your cooperation with us is appreciated.
Sincerely,
ORIGINAL SIGNED BY:
James T. Wiggins, Director
Division of Reactor Safety
Docket Nos;
50-220, 50-410
Enclosures:
1.
2.
NRC Region
I Inspection Report Nos. 50-220/97-09 and 50-410/97-09
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Mr. B. Ralph Sylvia
cc w/encl:
R. Abbott, Vice President & General Manager - Nuclear
C. Terry, Vice President- Safety Assessment
and Support
J. Conway, Vice President - Nuclear Engineering
K. Dahlberg, Vice President - Nuclear Operations
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
P. Eddy, 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.
F. Valentino, President,
New York State Energy Research
and Development Authority
J. Spath, Program Director, New York State Energy Research
and Development Authority
Mr. B. Ralph Sylvia
H. Miller, RA
W. Axelson, DRA
J. Wiggins, DRS
L. Nicholson, DRS
Region
I Docket Room (with concurrences)
Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)
PUBLIC
NRC Resident Inspector
L. Doerflein, DRP
T. Moslak, DRP
L. Cheung,
R. Junod,
J. Lieberman, OE (2)
D. Vito, SAC, ORA
C. Miskey, DRS
K. Kennedy,
RI EDO Coordinator
S. Bajwa, NRR
B. Norris - Nine Mile Point
D. Hood, NRR
T. Scarbrough,
D. Terao, NRR
S. Tingen, NRR
D. Screnci, PAO
M. Campion,
Rl
Inspection Program Branch (IPAS)
R. Correia, NRR
F. Talbot, NRR
DOCDESK
DOCUMENT NAME':iNMP9709.INS
To receive a copy of this document, Indicate In the box: "C
Copy without auachmcnt/enclosure
"E" ~ Copy with attachment/enclosure
"N"~ No copy
OFFICE
Rl/DRS
Rl/DRS
NRR/EMEB
RI/DRS
NAME
LCheung
DATE
10/20/97
WRulan
10
V/97
DTerao
JWiggins,
10/
/97
to i
I /
/97
OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
Lllceca'ia
106 /97
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