ML19093A407

Response to a Letter of 11/11/1977 in Reference to Inspection Conducted on 10/04-10/07/1976 and Reported in IE Inspection Report Nos. 05000280/1977029 & 05000281/1977029

ML19093A407
Person / Time
Site:	Surry
Issue date:	12/21/1977
From:	Stallings C Virginia Electric & Power Co (VEPCO)
To:	O'Reilly J NRC/IE, NRC/RGN-II
References
IR 1977029
Download: ML19093A407 (2)

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t l Decod.ler 21. 1977 nr. J.L1.Ei]S r. O' :::oilly, Di.rector Office of Inspection and EnforCE$\Cnt U. s. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region II - Suite 818 230 Peachtree Street, Northwest Atlanta, Georgia 30303

Dear I1r. O'Reilly:

This is in rasponse to your letter of november 11, 1977 in reference to the inspection conducted at Durry ~ewer Station on October 4-7, 1976 and reportetl in IE Inspection Report Hos. 50-280/77-29 and 50-281/77-29. Your letter citod fivo items of uon-co~pliance and requested a description of those actions taken or planned to !JD.prove the effectiveness of our manage.ment control systei:l. Our letter of Dccmlll1er 6~ l.9-77 ioclu<lec ou:r re:spor.sa to the five items of non-compliance. Thie latter discusilca actiona which have been taken and actions in progreee to improve health phyaica activitiea at Surry rower 3tat1on.

In view of the history of probluns ia station health physics activitiea, u review of tho station health phyeica progratt was completed during the spring of 1977. At that timo, it was dutemined that many of the probleu which baYa been experienced were attributable to inadequacies in tho training, devalopmaat and retention of health phyaica personnel. Non-cOD!petitive aalariea and inade-quate training have aade tba retar.tion of an experienced staff difficult. In rusponae to theaa proble!US, a comprehezmive training and develop:mmt prograa for hellltb physics persounel ham been developed and was initiated in July of 1977. 'i'he progra-ni waa davelopod in accordance vith AfiSI-:N18.l Gtandards for Selection, Qualification and Training of Nucloar Power Plant ?ersomtel. Thia i!I an eigh*t step, four 7"1ar program. designed to pravid~ the noee*sary technical knowledge and develop the job skills required of a Health Phy*ics Technician.

Salary practices have bean revised to coapleza.ant the devalopaoot program and to encourage rapid im,_>rovemeat of coapatauce level. Thasa change* in aalary policy should improve the retention of more highly qualified health phy*ic*

personnel. As this progl:'am continue* we are confident that the OYerall co*-

petence level of our atation health physic* *taff will iaprove conaiderably.

In addition, a corporate level Superv:laor of liealth Pbyaics will be added to the *staff of the Director of Nuclear Opexatioua. It is anticipated that this poaition will be filled during the first quarter of 1978. The add-ition of a corporate level Supervisor of Health I?hydc* will enable 11&nage-ment to be aore aware of aud reaponaive to the need* of the station health phyaica 'departments. Aa a result 1 management can more cloaely mouitor the development of an improved staff and provide immediate support in-the areas of personnel policies, recruitment, training e.nd aquisition of health phyaic*

equipment. Converaely, tbe preferancea of management can be mor4 directly c0Jm.:1unicsted to station pereonnal, r

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.... Mr.:. JsmE:;la P. 0 1 Reilly Page 2

. . We have tak~n positive ~tep~ ~t the. ~tatio!i,\ and* c;iiporate'. '!ev~ls to

. improve the quality of: our station health- physics depat~me~ta.

• We are* con-* : .

fident that these changes -will ai.nimi:ie* .the incidence of unsa.tiBfact;ory health*. *..

physics pr*c~ices. in the. future~ . We ,ir_e firmly committed* to the development ..

. . of an. excellent health. physiee st~£'£ and will continue to review and improve our health phyttics .

prograllls ..

arid practieea.

~ Very. trw.f yours~--*

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• _}ir *. Robert. W~

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