ML19276G611
| ML19276G611 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Midland |
| Issue date: | 06/07/1979 |
| From: | James Keppler NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Howell S CONSUMERS ENERGY CO. (FORMERLY CONSUMERS POWER CO.) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7907240251 | |
| Download: ML19276G611 (1) | |
Text
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Docket No. 50-329 Docket No. 50-330 Consumers Power Company ATTN:
Mr. Stephen H. Howell Vice President 1945 West Parnall Road Jackson, MI 49201 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.
+
4 James G. Keppler Director
Enclosure:
IE Information Notice No. 79-15 cc w/ encl:
Central Files Director, NRR/DPM Director, NRR/ DOR PDR Local PDR NSIC TIC Ronald Callen, Michigan Public Service Commission Dr. Wayne E. North Myron M. Cherry, Chicago 7 007240 AS/
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF, INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT RECION III June 7, 1979 IE Information Notice No. 79-15 DEFICIENT PROCEDURES S a ry 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 syste= re=aining isolated during subsequent power operation.
Description of Circu= stances On June 2 while Arkansas Nuclear One - Unit I was preparing for startup, an NRC inspector in the control room found that during a surveillance test of the main feedvater check valves, the controls of the emergency feed-water syste= were positioned so that the system could not auto =atically 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 feedvater system or to return it to nor=al.
The plant operators, without approved procedures covering this aspect of the test, bypassed the controls that would have started the feedvater system automatically. Lacking a procedural requirement to re-turn the system to nor=al, there was no assurance that emergency feedvater would be provided automatically if needed.
Following the Three Mile Island accident, the NRC required that operators be trained to initiate promptly the emergency feedvater system manually if it does not come on automatically. Thus, while no i= mediate safety hazard existed at the Arkansas Unit 1 plant because of the i= proper action, the NRC staff is concerned about the potential safety hazard of leaving 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 perfor=ing the surveillance test.
Arkansas Power and Light Cc=pany has returned the plant to cold shutdown.
The June 2, 1979, NRC Order confirmed the requirement for a_ cold until the C d ssion staff is a trolling the development of ope procedures, and until there is DUPLICATE DOCUMENT from these procedures.
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