ML19256B515
| ML19256B515 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Dresden, Byron, Braidwood, Quad Cities, Zion, LaSalle  |
| Issue date: | 06/07/1979 |
| From: | James Keppler NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Brian Lee COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7907240241 | |
| Download: ML19256B515 (1) | |
Text
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~ CENTRAL FILES '
JUN 7 1979 Docket Fos. 50-10, 50-237, 50-249, 50-254, 50-265, 50-295, 50-304, 50-373, 50-374, 50-454, 50-455, 50-456 and 50-457 Commonwealth Edison Company ATTN:
Mr. Byron Lee, Jr.
Vice President Post Office Box 767 Chicago, IL 60690 Gentlemen:
This Information Notice is provided as an early notification of a possibly significant matter.
It is expected that recipients will review the infor-mation for possible applicability to their facilities.
No specific action or response is requested at this time.
If further NRC evaluations so indi-cate, an IE Circular, Bulletin, or NRR Generic Letter will be issued to recommend or request specific licensee actions.
If you have questions regarding the matter, please contact the Director of the appropriate NRC Regional Office.
Sincerely, James G. Keppler Director
Enclosure:
IE Information Notice No. 79-15 cc w/ enc 1:
Mr. B. B. Stephenson, Mr. R. Cosaro, Project Station Superintendent Superintendent Mr. N. Kalivianakis, Central Files Station Superintendent Director, KRR/DPM Mr. N. Wandke, Station Director, NRR/ DOR Superintendent PDR Mr. L. J. Burke, Site Local PDR Project Superintendent NSIC Mr. T. E. Quaka, Quality TIC Assurance Supervisor Anthony Roisman, Esq.,
Mr. R. H. Holyoak, Station Attorney Superintendent Mr. Dean Hansell, Office Mr. Gunner Sorensen, Site of Assistant Attorney Project Superintendent General RIII RIII RJII g/ [
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6/7/79 G' 7 7907240241
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT REGION III June 7, 1979 -
IE Information Notice No. 79-15 DEFICIENT PROCED"RES Summary On June 2, 1979, at Arkansas Nuclear One - Unit 1, while observing conditions in the control room, an NRC inspector discovered an operational deficiency that could have resulted in the emergency feedwater system remaining isolated during subsequent power operation.
Description of Circumstances On June 2 while Arkansas 7uclear One - Unit I was prepc-iag for startup, an NRC inspector in the contr'l room found that during a surveillance test of the main feedwater check valves, the controls of the emergency feed-water systec were positioned so that the system could not automatically respond if needed. The NRC inspector found that the test procedure being used by the licensed operators did not include, as it should have, instruc-tions either to bypass the emergency feedwater system or to return it to normal. The plant operators, without approved procedures covering this aspect of the test, bypassma the controls that would have started the feedwater system automatically. Lacking a procedural requirement to re-turn the system to normal, there was no assurance that emergency feedwater veuld be provided automatically if needed.
Following the Three Mile Island accident, the NRC required that operators be trained to initiate promptly the emergency feedwater systec manually if it does not come on automatically. Thus, while no ic=ediate safety hazard existed at the Arkansas Unit 1 plant because of the improper action, the NRC staff is concerned about the potential safety hazard of leasing the emergency feedwater system in the bypassed condition, about the possibility that other procedures at the Arkansas plant may be deficient and about the fact that the operators deviated from procedures in performing the surveillance test.
Arkansas Power and Light Company has returned the plant to cold shutdown.
The June 2, 1979, NRC Order confirm until the Ce==ission staff is satis trolling the development of operati DUPLICATE DOCUFENT procedures, and until there is assu from those procedures.
Entire document previously entered into system under:
ANO 7967djg/g/
No. of pages:
'7
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