ML18106A366
| ML18106A366 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Salem  |
| Issue date: | 03/05/1998 |
| From: | Hehl C NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Keiser H Public Service Enterprise Group |
| Shared Package | |
| ML18106A367 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-272-97-21, 50-311-97-21, EA-98-038, EA-98-38, NUDOCS 9803180024 | |
| Download: ML18106A366 (4) | |
See also: IR 05000272/1997021
Text
EA 98-038
Mr. Harold W. Keiser
Executive Vice President
Nuclear Business Unit
March 5, 1998
Public Service Electric and Gas Company
Post Office Box 236
Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038
SUBJECT:
NRC INTEGRATED INSPECTION REPORT 50-272/97-21,50-311/97-21
NOTICES OF VIOLATION AND EXERCISE OF ENFORCEMENT DISCRETION
Dear Mr. Keiser:
On February 1, 1998, the NRC completed an inspection at your Salem 1 & 2 reactor
facilities. The enclosed report presents the results of that inspection.
During the nine-week period covered by this inspection, your conduct of activities at the
Salem facilities was generally characterized by safety-conscious operations, sound
engineering and maintenance practices, and careful radiological work controls. Operation
of Unit 2 continued to be generally very good. Unit 1 refueling and mid-loop operations
were well performed. Your staff made significant progress in completing modification and
testing activities to support the restart of Unit 1 . Good quality assurance department
oversight of station activities was evident.
During the period, we completed our inspection of all but two existing restart issues for
Unit 1. Your actions to address a variety of restart items and previously identified items
and violations were acceptable and the underlying issues properly resolved. Although the
current backlog of engineering activities is properly managed and prioritized, your
continued vigilance in this area is needed to ensure that backlogged items are addressed in
a timely manner.
A review of the radiation controls program was conducted by region based inspectors.
The radiation controls program was determined to be effectively implemented. Previously
identified program weaknesses in the areas of corrective actions and internal exposure
were being improved. Radiation protection technician continuing training was identified by
your staff as being poor with appropriate actions in place to correct this deficiency.
*
Based on the results of this inspection, the NRC has determined that four violations of NRC
requirements occurred. These violations are cited in the enclosed Notices of Violation, and
the circumstances surrounding them are described in detail in the enclosed report. In the
first violation, we are concerned with the repetitive nature of configuration control errors
by your staff and believe that increased management oversight is warranted. Our review
of engineering activities also identified two violations of NRC requirements, one pertaining
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9803180024 980305
ADOCK 05000272
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Mr. Harold W. Keiser
2
to lack of surveillance of a circuit breaker providing containment penetration protection and
the other for inadequate review of test results. We are concerned about these two
violations because they both appear to be .the result of inadequate attention to detail. A
fourth violation regarding lack of environmental qualification of the power range neutron
detectors involved. an inadequate evaluation of the device's safety functions.
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. A response to the fourth violation is not required because our
inspector verified your corrective actions during this inspection.
The NRC also reviewed an issue involving past design deficiencies related to the
containment fan coil units being outside the plant design basis. 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 Region I 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 Vll.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 attitudes; (2) corrective actions were comprehensive and timely; (3) the
conditions were subtle in nature and i:tot likely to 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 subtle violations, that would not be identified by routine efforts, before the
degraded safety systems are called upon.
In your letter No. LR-N970774, dated December 11, 1997, you informed us that you
would no longer pursue a total replacement of the current overhead annunciator system, as
you stated you would do in your response to a Notice of Violation issued with Inspection
Report No. 50-272 & 311 /95-81. You based your decision on the success of the
modifications and procedural changes you made to the Unit 2 overh~ad annunciator
system. While some failures did occur after these changes, your inclusion of the system in
the Maintenance Rule Program should improve its reliability.
Mr. Harold W. Keiser
3
In accordance with 10 CFR 2. 790 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter
and its enclosures will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR).
Docket Nos.: 50-272, 50-311
Enclosures:
1 .
Notices of Violation
Sincerely,
Original Signed By:
Charles W. Hehl, Director
Division of Reactor Projects
2.
Inspection Report 50-272/97-21,50-311/97-21
cc w/encl:
L. Storz, Senior Vice President - Nuclear Operations
E. Simpson, Senior Vice President - Nuclear Engineering
E. Salowitz, Director - Nuclear Business Support
A. F. Kirby, Ill, External Operations - Nuclear, Delmarva Power & Light Co.
C. Bakken, General Manager - Salem Operations
J. McMahon, DirE!ctor - QA/Nuclear Training/Emergency Preparedness
D. Powell, Manager, Licensing and Regulation
R. Kankus, Joint Owner Affairs
A. Tapert, Program Administrator
J. J. Keenan, Esquire
M. J. Wetterhahn, Esquire
J. A. Isabella, Manager, Joint Generation
Atlantic Electric
Consumer Advocate, Office of Consumer Advocate
William Conklin, Public Safety Consultant, Lower Alloways Creek Township
Public Service Commission of Maryland
State of New Jersey
State of Delaware
--- ------ --*------
~ '
Mr. Harold W. Keiser
Distribution w/encl:
Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)
Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)
NRC Resident Inspector
PUBLIC
H. Miller, RA/W. Axelson, ORA
J. Linville, DRP
S. Barber, DRP
L. Harrison, DRP
C. O'Daniell, DRP
N. Della Greca, DRS
Distribution w/encl: (Via E-Mail)
B. McCabe, OEDO
J. Stolz, PDl-2, NRR
P. Milano, NRR
M. Callahan, OCA
Inspection Program Branch, NRR (IPAS)
R. Correia, NRR
F. Talbot, NRR
DOCDESK
DOCUMENT NAME: G:\\BRANCH3\\SA972121.INS
4
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
Jlinville
DATE
03/05/98
03/ /98
03/ /98
OFFICIAL RECORD COPY