ML17059B891
| ML17059B891 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Nine Mile Point  |
| Issue date: | 02/24/1998 |
| From: | Hehl C NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Mueller J NIAGARA MOHAWK POWER CORP. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML17059B892 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-220-97-12, 50-410-97-12, EA-98-033, EA-98-33, NUDOCS 9803030384 | |
| Download: ML17059B891 (10) | |
See also: IR 05000220/1997012
Text
CATEGORY 2
REGULATORY INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM (RIDS)
ACCESSION NBR:9803030384
DOC.DATE: 98/02/24
NOTARIZED: NO
DOCKET I
FACIL:50-220 Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Unit 1, Niagara
Powe
05000220
50-410 Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Unit 2, Niagara
Moha
05000410
AUTH.NAME
AUTHOR AFFILIATION
EHL,C.W.
Region
1 (Post
820201)
RECIP.NAME
RECIPIENT AFFILIATION
MUELLER,J.H.
Niagara
Mohawk Power Corp.
SUBJECT:
Forwards insp repts 50-220/97-12
E 50-410/97-12
on 971109-
980103
k notice of violation.Violations involved failure to
follow stack radiation monitor calibration procedure at Unit
1
S failure to have
emergency lighting installed.
DISTRIBUTION CODE: IEOIF
COPIES
RECEIVED:LTRj ENCL
1
SIZE:
/7
TITLE: General
(50 Dkt)-Insp Rept/Notice of Violation Response
NOTES:
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73
'ECIPIENT
ID CODE/NAME
PD1-1
INTERNAL: ACRS
NUDOCS-ABSTRACT
OGC/HDS3
ERNAL: LITCO BRYCE,J H
NRC PDR
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PLQP'PS>'OTE
TO ALL "RIDS" RECIPIENTS:
PLEASE HELP US TO REDUCE WASTE. TO HAVE YOUR NAME OR ORGANIZATION REMOVED FROM DISTRIBUTION LISTS
OR REDUCE THE NUYiBER OF COPIES RECEIVED BY YOU OR YOUR ORGANIZATION, CONTACT THE DOCUMENT CONTROI
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LTTR
19
ENCL
19
Qa
1
EA 98-033
February
24,
1998
John H. Mueller
Senior Vice President and
Chief Nuclear Officer
Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation (NMPC)
Operations Building
2nd Floor
P.O. Box 63
Lycoming, NY 13093
SUBJECT:
NRC INSPECTION REPORT NOS. 50-220/97-12AND 50-410/97-12,
NOTICE OF VIOLATION,AND EXERCISE OF ENFORCEMENT DISCRETION
Dear Mr. Mueller:
This report transmits the findings of safety inspections conducted by NRC inspectors at
the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Units
1 and 2, from November 9, 1997 through
January 3, 1998. At the conclusion of the inspection, the findings were discussed with
you, and members of your staff.
During this period, your staff operated both units safely.
Good performance was noted
during activities associated
with the Unit 1 emergency cooling (EC) condenser repair and
subsequent
plant restart; continued improvement in control room formality and
communications were also observed.
In general, we found your staff demonstrated
a good
questioning attitude as evidenced by the identification of several longstanding deficiencies.
Particularly noteworthy was the Unit 2 reactor operator's identification of the inadequate
rod sequence
control system surveillance test.
Based on the results of this inspection, the NRC has determined that violations of NRC
requirements occurred.
These violations are cited in the enclosed Notice of Violation
(Notice) and the circumstances
surrounding them are described in detail in the subject
inspection report.
Specifically, the violations involve the following: 1) the failure to follow
the stack radiation monitor calibration procedure at Unit 1, 2) the failure to have
emergency lighting installed to support operator actions during a control fire at Unit 1,
and 3) the failure to adequately test the rod sequence
control system at Unit 2.
The NRC has concluded that the information regarding the reason for the Unit 1 violations,
the corrective actions taken and planned to correct the violations and prevent recurrence
and the date when full compliance was achieved is already adequately addressed
on the
docket in Licensee Event Reports 50-220/97-13and
50-220/97-12. Therefore, you are
not required to respond to this letter unless the description therein does not accurately
reflect your corrective actions or your position.
In that case, or if you choose to provide
additional information, you should followthe instructions specified in the enclosed Notice.
For the remaining violation you are required to respond to this letter and should followthe
9803030384
980224
ADOCK 05000220
OFFICIAL RECORD
COPY
II!IIII!Illllflllllllllllrlmlilllll
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John H. Mueller
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.
I
In addition, during the 1991 modification to the rod worth minimizer system, we noted that
the system engineer's recommendation that the surveillance test be revised to ensure
adequate testing of the Unit 2 rod sequence
control system was not incorporated.
The
associated
Licensee Event Report did not discuss why this recommendation was not
incorporated.
Therefore, we request that you address this issue, including the cause and
any corrective actions taken, in your response to the violation.
The NRC also reviewed an original design and installation discrepancy at Unit 2 regarding a
breach between an equipment qualification (EQ) classified harsh environment area and a
mild environment area.
The NRC considers your identification of this longstanding design
issue to be very good.
In addition, the corrective actions taken in response to this issue
were comprehensive.
This design issue is an apparent violation of NRC requirements
which could be considered for escalated
enforcement and subject to a civil penalty.
However, after consultation with the Director, Office of Enforcement, and the Regional
Administrator, I have been authorized to not issue a Notice of Violation and not propose
a
civil penalty in this case in accordance with the provisions provided in Section VII.B.3 of
the NRC's Enforcement Policy. This decision was made after consideration that: (1) the
violation was identified by your staff's good questioning attitude; (2) corrective actions
taken were comprehensive
and timely; (3) the conditions were subtle in nature and not
likelyto be disclosed through routine surveillance or quality assurance
activities; and (4)
the violation is not reasonably linked to current performance.
The exercise
of. discretion
acknowledges your good effort to identify and correct a subtle violation, that would not be
identified by routine efforts, before degraded safety systems are called upon.
The responses
directed by this letter and the enclosed Notice are not subject to the
clearance procedures of the Office of Management and Budget as required by the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, Pub. L. No. 96.511.
~P,
1
John H. Mueller
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.
Sincerely,
Original Signed
by:
Charles W. Hehl, Director
Division of Reactor Projects
Docket Nos.
50-220, 50-410
License Nos.
Enclosures:
2.
NRC Inspection Report Nos. 50-220/97-12 and 50-410/97-12
cc w/enclosures:
B. Ralph Sylvia, Executive Vice President
R. Abbott, Vice President 5 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
G. Wilson, Senior Attorney
M. Wetterhahn, Winston and Strawn
J. Rettberg, New York State Electric and Gas Corporation
P. Eddy, 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
John H. Mueller
Distribution w/encls:
H, Miller, RA/W. Axelson, DRA (1)
Region
I Docket Room (with concurrences)
Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)
PUBLIC
NRC Resident Inspector
B. Boger, ADPR, NRR
J. Goldberg, OGC
J. Lieberman, OE (OE NIAIL)(2)
D. Holody, EO, Rl
T. Walker, SES
L. Doerflein, DRP
R. Junod, DRP
Distribution w/encls:
(VIAE-MAIL)
B. McCabe,
RI EDO Coordinator
B. Norris - Nine Mile Point
S. Bajwa, NRR
D. Hood, NRR
M. Campion, Rl
Inspection Program Branch (IPAS)
R. Correia, NRR
F. Talbot, NRR
DOCDESK
DOCUMENT NAME: GABRANCH1iNMIR9712.INS
To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box: "C" = Copy without
attachment/enclosure
"E" = Copy with attachment/enclosure
"N" = No copy
OFFICE
Rl/DRP
NAME
BNorris
Q
DATE
02/23/98
RI/SES
RI/DRP
TWalk r
LDoerflein+
02
/98
02~/98
OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
Rl/DR
CH hr
02/r 98
1