ML17209A269
| ML17209A269 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Saint Lucie  |
| Issue date: | 06/24/1980 |
| From: | James O'Reilly NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II) |
| To: | Schmidt A FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML17209A266 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8010240533 | |
| Download: ML17209A269 (4) | |
See also: IR 05000335/1980006
Text
1
~8 REpp
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In Reply Refer To:
RII:RZ
50-335/80-06
UNITEDSTATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
REGION II
101 MARIETTAST., N.W., SUITE 3100
ATLANTA,GEORGIA 30303
Jug 24 1980
Florida Power
and Light Company
Attn:
A. Schmidt, Vice President
Power Resources
Post Office Box 529100
Miami, FL
33152
Gentlemen:
Subject:
Health Physics Appraisal
During the period of March 10 - March 21,
1980,
the
NRC conducted
a special
appraisal
of the health physics
program at the St.
Lucie Unit
1 Nuclear Power
Station.
Thi's appraisal
was performed in lieu of certain routine inspections
normally conducted in the
area
of health physics.
Areas
examined
during this
appraisal
are
described
in the
enclosed
report
(50-335/80-06).
Within these
areas,
the
appraisal
team
reviewed
selected
procedures
and
representative
records,
observed
work practices,
and interviewed personnel't
is recommended
that
you carefully review the findings of this report for consideration
in
effecting improvements to your health physics program.
The appraisal
conducted at the St. Lucie facility was part of the NRC's general
program to strengthen
the health physics program at nuclear power plants.
As
a
first step in this effort, the Office of Inspection and Enforcement is conducting
these
special
appraisals
of the health physics programs at all operating power
reactor sites.
(These appraisals
were previously identified to you in aletter
dated
January
22,
1980,
from Mr. Victor Stello, Jr., Director,
NRC Office of
Inspection
and
Enforcement).
One of the objectives
of the health
physics
appraisals
is to evaluate
the overall
adequacy
and effectiveness
of the total
health physics program at each site and to identify areas
of weakness
that need
to be strengthened.
We also intend to use the findings from these appraisals
as
a basis for effecting improvements in NRC requirements
and guidance.
Conse-
quently,
our appraisal
encompassed
certain
areas
which may not be explicitly
addressed
by current
NRC requirements.
The next step that is planned in this
overall effort will be the imposition of a requirement
by the Office of Nuclear
Reactor
Regulation
(NRR) that all licensees
develop,
submit. to the
NRC for
approval,
and
implement
a Radiation Protection
Plan.
Each licensee will be
expected
to include in the Radiation Protection
Plan sufficient measures
to
provide lasting corrective action for significant weaknesses
identified during
the special appraisals
of the current health physics program.
Guidance for the
development of this plan will incorporate pertinent findings from the special
appraisals
and willbe issued by NRR in the fall of this year.
The findings of this appraisal at the St. Lucie facility indicate that, although
your overall health
physics
program is adequate
for present
operations,
the
permanent staff of the health physics department
appeared insufficient in number.
Splp2gp
Florida Power and Iight Company
/
JUN 2 4 1S80
e
I
This is discussed
in more detail in Appendix A, "Notice of Significant Appraisal
Findings".
Me recognize that
an explicit regulatory
requirement pertaining to
the significant
weakness
identified in Appendix A may not currently exist.
However,
to assist
our determination
as to
whether adequate
protection will be
provided for the health
and safety of workers
and the public, you are requested
to submit
a written statement
within twenty (20)
days of your receipt of this
letter, describing your corrective action for the significant weakness identified
in Appendix A including:
(1) steps
which have been taken;
(2) steps
which will
be taken;
and
(3)
a schedule
for completion of action.
This request 'is
made
pursuant to Section 50.54(f) of Part 50, Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations.
The findings of this appraisal
also indicate certain activities which apparently
were not conducted in full compliance with NRC requirements
as set forth in the
Notice of Violation enclosed
herewith as Appendix B.
The items of noncompliance
in Appendix
B have been categorized
into the levels of severity
as described in
our Criteria For Enforcement Action dated
December
1,
1974.
Section
2.201 of
Part 2, Title 10,
Code of Federal
Regulations,
requires
you to submit to this
office, within twenty
(20)
days
of your receipt of this notice,
a written
statement
or explanation in reply including:
(1) corrective
steps
which have
been
taken
by you and the results
achieved;
(2) corrective steps
which will be
taken to avoid further items of noncompliance;
(3) the date
when full compliance
will be achieved.
In accordance
with Section
2 '90 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice",
Part 2, Title
10,
Code of Federal
Regulations,
a copy of this letter and the enclosures will
be
placed in the
NRC's Public Document
Room. If this material
contains
any
information that you believe to be proprietary, it is necessary
that you make
a
written application within 20
days to this office to withhold such information
from public disclosure.
Any such application must be accompanied
by an affidavit
executed
by the owner of the information, which identifies the document or part
sought to be withheld,
and which contains
a statement of reasons
which addresses
with specificity the items which will be considered
by the Commission
as listed
in Subparagraph
(b)(4) of Section 2.790.
The information sought to be withheld
shall be incorporated
as far as possible into a separate
part of the affidavit.
If we
do not hear
from you in this regard within the specified period, this
letter and the enclosures will be placed in the Public Document Room.
Should you have any questions
concerning this inspection,
we will be pleased
to
discuss
them with you.
Sincerely,
mes P. O'Reilly
D
ector
Enclosures:
1.
Appendix A, Notice of Signi scant Appraisal Findings
2.
Appendix B, Notice of Violation
3.
Office of Inspection
and Enforcement
Inspection Report No. 50-335/80-06
cc:
(See
Page
3)
Florida Power and Light Company
JUN 2 4 1980
cc w/encl:
C.
M. Wethy, Plant Manager
Post Office Box 128
Ft. Pierce,
FL
33450
Nat Weems, Assistant
QA Manager
Post Office Box 128
Ft. Pierce,
FL
33450
APPENDIX A
NOTICE OF SIGNIFICANT APPRAISAL FINDINGS
Florida Power and I,ight Company
St. Lucie
License No. DPR-67
As discussed
in the body of this report,
the
NRC is concerned
about the apparent
insufficient number of persons
on the health physics staff at the St. Lucie
1
facility.
The majority of the negative findings of this report can be traced to the
apparent
inadequate
health physics staffing.
All the items of noncompliance
listed in Appendix
B can be traced
to the lack of staff (or lack of time
available for existing staff) necessary
to accomplish the tasks required.
It is fortuitous that the present
understaffed
health physics
group
has
functioned
as
well
as it has.
However, if a major radiological safety
event happens in the future the circumstances
may not be as favorable.
Staffing deficiencies
contributed
to the item of noncompliance
listed in
Appendix
B concerning the retraining program for health physics technicians.
The proficiency of the health physics staff obviously must be maintained to
enable
them to cope competently with both normal and abnormal situations.
Staffing deficiencies
also
contributed
to
those
problems
and
items of
noncompliance
listed in Appendix
B in the personnel
dosimetry area.
For
example, significant discrepancies
between pocket dosimeter
and
TLD results
were not evaluated,
the TLD reader
was not calibrated at sufficient frequency,
and procedural
requirements
governing the wearing of dosimetry devices
were
not strictly enforced.