ML18066A322
| ML18066A322 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palisades  |
| Issue date: | 11/12/1998 |
| From: | Grant G NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Thomas J. Palmisano CONSUMERS ENERGY CO. (FORMERLY CONSUMERS POWER CO.) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML18066A323 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-255-98-07, 50-255-98-7, EA-98-433, NUDOCS 9811170207 | |
| Download: ML18066A322 (3) | |
See also: IR 05000255/1998007
Text
EA 98-433
Mr. Thomas J. Palmisano
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
REGION Ill
801 WARRENVILLE ROAD
LISLE, ILLINOIS 60532-4351
November 12, 1998
Site Vice President and General Manager
Palisades Nuclear Generating Plant
27780 Blue Star Memorial Highway
Covert, Ml 49043-9530
SUBJECT:
PALISADES SPECIAL INSPECTION REPORT 50-255/98007(DRP)
Dear Mr. Palmisano:
This refers to the special inspection conducted April 14, 1998, through October 23, 1998, at the
Palisades Nuclear Power Plant. The purpose of the inspection was to review the events,*
circumstances, and your staffs investigation of the Technical Specification test that rendered
both trains of high pressure safety injection inoperable on April 10, 1998. Areas inspected are
identified in the enclosed report. The inspection consisted of selective examinations of
procedures and representative records, and interviews with personnel. At the conclusion of the
inspection, the findings were discussed with members of y.our staff identified in the enclosed
report. On October 23, a re~exit was conducted with you to discuss a change in the inspection
results and to convey to you the details and circumstances regardin~ the apparent violation.
Your staff rigorously investigated this incident, identified applicable root causes, and the
identified corrective actions were thorough. However, the incident is of concern because
multiple barriers to preclude performing the inadequate test procedure failed for several years.
Based on the results of this inspection, one apparent violation was identified and is being
considered for escalated enforcement action in accordance with the "General Statement of
Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions" (Enforcement Policy), NUREG-1600. The
apparent violation involved an inadequate surveillance test procedure. The violatiori occurred
because your staff failed to perform an adequate design review when the procedure was
revised in 1988 to incorporate the hot leg injection line into the test procedure. Also, your staff
missed several opportunities to identify this issue. Inadequate design reviews were performed
when the procedure was revised on two separate occasions and the inadequate procedure was
performed five other times in the past. In addition, your staff's failure to recognize the
applicable Technical Specification implications contributed to the event. The circumstances
surrounding the apparent violation and the corrective actions taken and planned to correct the
violation and prevent recurrrence and the date when full compliance was achieved are
adeql!atel~ addressed oo the docket in Licensee Event Report 98::-007. As a re~~lt, it may no.t
be necessary to conduct a predecisional enforcement conference in order for the NRC to make
an enforcement decision. In addition, a civil penalty may not be warranted in accordance with
Section Vl.B.2 of the Enforcement Policy since your staff identified the apparent violation and
proposed adequate correct actions.
9811170207 981112
ADOCK 05000255
G
P.DR
T. Palmisano
-2-
Before the NRC makes its enforcement decision, we are providing you an opportunity to
( 1) respond to the apparent violation addressed in the inspection report within 30 days of the
date of this letter or, (2) request a predecisional enforcement conference. If you request a
conference, it will be open for public observation and the NRC will issue a press release to
announce the conference. However, if you choose to accept the apparent violation discussed in
this report and the description of your corrective actions that are already docketed, then a written
reply to this letter or a predecisional enforcement conference is not required. Please contact
Bruce Burgess at (630) 829-9629 within 7 days of the date of the letter to notify the NRC of your
intended response.
If you Choose to respond, then your response should be clearly marked as a "Response to An
Apparent Violation in Inspection Report No. 50-255/98007" and should include for each apparent
violation: (1) the reason for the apparent violation, or, if contested, the basis for disputing the
apparent violation, (2) the corrective steps that have been taken and the results achieved,
(3) the corrective steps that will be taken to avoid further violations, and (4) the date when full
compliance will be achieved. Your response should be submitted under oath and affirmation
and may reference or include previous docketed correspondence, if the correspondence
adequately addresses the required response. If a response is not received within the time
specified or an extension of time has not been granted by the NRC, the NRC will proceed with its
enforcement decision or schedule a predecisional enforcement conference.
In addition, please be advised that the number and characterization of the apparent violations
described in the enclosed inspection report may change as a result of further NRC review. You
will be advised by separate correspondence of the results of our deliberations on this ma~er.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2. 790 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and the
enclosure will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR). To the extent possible, your
response should not include any personal privacy, proprietary, or safeguards information' so that
it can be placed in the PDR without redaction.
Docket No.: 50-255
License No.: DPR-20
Sincerely,
/s~eoffrey E. Grant
Geoffrey E. Grant, Director
Division of Reactor Projects
Enclosure: Inspection Report 50-255/98007(DRP)
See Attached Distribution
DOCUMENT NAME:-G:\\PALl\\PAL98007.DRP
To receive a co
with attachmenVenclosure "N" = No co y
OFFICE
Riii
NAME
DATE
11/ /98
OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
T. Palmisano *
-3-
cc w/encl:
Robert A. Fenech, Senior Vice
Distribution:
President, Nuclear, Fossil
and Hydro Operations
Nathan L. Haskell, Director
Licensing
Richard Whale, Michigan
Public Service Commission
Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality
Department of Attorney General (Ml)
Emergency Management
Division, Ml Department
of State Police
CAC (E-Mail)
Project Mgr., NRR w/entl
J. Caldwell w/encl
B. Clayton w/encl
SRI Palisades w/encl
DRP w/encl
TSS w/encl
DRS (2) w/encl
/
RI 11 PRR w/encl
PUBLIC IE-01 w/encl
.
Docket File w/encl
GREENS
IEO (E-Mail)
DOCDESK (E-Mail) .
J. Goldberg, OGC
J. Lieberman, OE
B. Boger, NRR
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