ML18107A270
| ML18107A270 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Salem  |
| Issue date: | 04/30/1999 |
| From: | Miller H NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Keiser H Public Service Enterprise Group |
| Shared Package | |
| ML18107A271 | List: |
| References | |
| EA-99-035, EA-99-35, NUDOCS 9905110067 | |
| Download: ML18107A270 (4) | |
Text
4 *.
EA 99-035 Mr. Harold W. Keiser e
e UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION I
. 475 ALLENDALE ROAD KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA 19406-1415 April 30, 1999 President and Chief Nuclear Officer Nuclear Business Unit Public Service Electric and Gas Company Post Office Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, New Jersey 08038
SUBJECT:
NOTICE OF VIOLATION (NRC Office of lnvestig9tion Report No. 1-98-011)
Dear Mr. Keiser:
This letter refers to the NRC investigation conducted by the NRC Office of Investigations (01) after you had identified and reported to.the NRC that a chemistry supervisor at yourSalem,facility made*
a change to a procedure without proper review, and signed a record. which -'iridicatect that, independent verifications had been perfonned of a calculation for an intended release: from the. :*.
Chemical Voiume Control System (CVCS) Monitor Tank, when not all required *independent
- verifications had been done.
Based on its investigation,. 01 concluded that the sujlervisor..
deliberately falsified sections of a procedure by indicating that two independent verificatioris:ofthe.
- release calculation were completed, when he knew that not all of the verifications had been*
completed in accordance with your procedures. A copy of the synopsis of the 01 investigation is enclosed.
Based on the information developed during the 01 investigation, as well as your internal review; one violation of NRC requirements is being cited as described in the enclosed Notice of Violation. The violation involved the revision of effluent release rate calculations to remove the conservatism factor used to account for non-gamma emitting radionuclides. Removal of the conservatism factor was contrary to the requirements of your Technical Specifications (TS) and Offsite Dose Calculation Manual (ODCM). The chemistry supervisor violated your TS requirements when he revised the release rate calculation for an intended release of the CVCS Monitor Tank on February 23, 1998.
Additionally, the chemistry supervisor falsified the release permit record by indicating that all requirements had been met for the release, when he knew that all of the independent verifications of the release rate calculations had not been done. You identified the problem before the release was made. During your internal review, you identified that similar revisions were made to release permits used to support two radiological effluent releases on January 3, i 998.
The NRC recognizes that your staff identified the violation, and, after completion of a root cause analysis, you implemented aggressive corrective actions to address this violation, including (1) termination of the employment of the individual; (2) revision to several chemistry procedures; and (3) additional training of chemistry and operations staff regarding the effluent discharge and I /.
I : /'.
procedure change processes. Nevertheless, the violation involved the deliberate actions of a
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II (JI 9905110067 990430 PDR ADOCK 05000272 G
Public Service Electric and Gas Company 2
chemistry supervisor, who, as a licensee official, was in a position to directly control or influence the actions of others. Therefore, a Notice of Violation is being issued to Public Service Electric and Gas Company to emphasize that neither you nor the NRC can tolerate individuals, especially licensee officials, who willfully choose not to comply with regulatory requirements.
The actual consequences of the removal of the conservatism factor from the release rate calculations and the falsification of records were low because the concentration of radioactive material that was released in January, or that would have been released in February, was significantly below the regulatory limits specified in 10 CFR Part 20 and your Technical Specifications. Because the actual safety consequences of the violation were low, the violation is classified at ~everity Level IV in accordance with the "General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions" (Enforcement Policy), NUREG-1600.
The NRC has concluded that the reason for the violation, and the corrective ~ctions taken and planned to correct the violation and prevent recurrence are already adequately addressed herein.
Therefore, you are not required to respond to this letter unless our understanding does not accurately reflect your corrective actions or your position.
- In that case, or if you choose to provide additional information, you should follow the instructions specified in the enclosed Notice.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2. 790 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter; the enclosed Notice, and any response, if you chose to provide one, will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR).
Sincerely, rt J. Miller egional Administrator
Enclosures:
- 1.
- 2.
01 Synopsis
Public Service Electric and Gas Company ccw/encls:
3 L. Stori, Senior Vice President - Nuclear Operations.
E. Simpson, Senior Vice President :-- Nuclear Engineering E. Salowitz, Director - Nuclear Business Support A. Kirby, Ill, External Operations - Nuclear, Delmarva Power & Light Co.
D. Garchow, General Manager - Salem Operations J. McMahon, Director - QA/Nuclear Training/Emergency Preparedness D. Powell, Director, Licensing, Regulation and Fuels R. Kankus, Joint Owner Affairs
- A. Tapert, Program Administrator J. Keenan, Esquire M. Wetterhahn, Esquire J. Isabella, Manager, Joint Generation Atlantic Electric Consumer Advocate, Office of Consumer Advocate W. Conklin, Public Safety Consultant, Lower Alloways Creek Township*
Public Service Commission of Maryland State of New Jersey State of Delaware
Public Service Elec:tric and Gas Company DISTRIBUTION:
SECY CA PUBLIC wrravers, EDO MKnapp, DEDE JLieberman, OE HMiller, RI
$Collins, NRR BSheron, NRR WKane, NRR DDambly, OGC Enforcement Coordinators RI I Rll, Riii, RIV BBeecher, OPA HBell, OIG Plohaus, OSP GCaputo, 01 OE:EA OE:Chron
.:NUDOCS.
- NuClear Safety Information Center (NSIC)
DScrenci, PAO-RI NSheehan, PAO-RI NRC Resident Inspector - Salem
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