ML20009B071
| ML20009B071 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palisades  |
| Issue date: | 06/12/1981 |
| From: | James Keppler NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Dewitt R CONSUMERS ENERGY CO. (FORMERLY CONSUMERS POWER CO.) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20009B072 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8107140735 | |
| Download: ML20009B071 (3) | |
See also: IR 05000255/1980024
Text
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UNITED STATES
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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REGION 111
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Docket No. 50-255
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Consumers Power Company
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ATTN:
Mr. R. B. Dewitt
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Vice President
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Gentlemen:
This refers t'o the inspection conducted by Messrs. D. C. Boyd, K. R. Baker,
B. L. Jorgensen, N. E. DuBry and J. K. Heller of our staff during December 1980
and January 1981 of activities at the Palisades Nuclear Generating Plant
authorized by NRC Provisional Operating License No. DPR-20. The findings
of this inspection were discussed betwee'n the inspectors and Messrs. J. S. Rang
and H. J. Palmer at the conclusion of the inspection. The battery isolation
event.of January 6, 1981, which we reviewed during this inspection, was also
discussed in numerous telephone conversations between our staffs and on
February 18 and March 18, 1981, during enforcement conferences in the
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Region III office.
The enclosed copy of our inspection report identifies areas examined
during the inspection. Within these areas, the inspection consisted of a
selective examination of procedures and representative records, observations,
and interviews with personnel.
During this inspection, certain of your activities appeared to be in non-
compliance with NRC requirements, as described in the enclosed Appendix A.
With respect to Item 1, the inspection and our review of your actions ir.
response to the January 9,1981, Immediate Action Letter and the March 9,
1981, Order Confirming Licensee Actions to Upgrade Facility Performance
showed that actions had been taken to correct the item and to prevent its
recurrence.
Consequently, no reply to this item of noncompliance is
required. A written response submitted under oath or affirmation is
required for the remaining items.
The most significant finding of the inspection relates to the battery
isolation event. Based on our inspection findings, on our review of your
analysis of the event as documented in Licensee Event Report 81-01 dated
January 16, 1981, and our review of information your staff presented in
the enforcement conference on March 18, we have concluded that the safety
function of the batteries was lost for one hour in that the batteries
were incapable of performing their safety function in the absence of
operator action. The potential consequences of the event to the safety
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of the public were significant under loss of coolant accident coincident
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with loss of offsite power. As you are aware, the event precipitated the
issuance to you of an Immediate Action Letter on January 9, 1981, and the
Order Confirming Licensee Actions to Upgrade Facility Performance on
March 9, 1981. The event and our concern relative to the recurrence of
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personnel. errors, which have caused degraded safety conditions, are
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addressed in some detail in'the Order.
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The battery isolation event-resulted in a limiting condition for operation
being exceeded and in accordance with the Interim Enforcement Policy, 45
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FR 66754 (October 7, 1980) is categorized as a Severity Level III violation.
Normally a civil penalty would be assessed for this event; however, the
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Interim Enforcement Policy (Footnote 12 to Section IV.B) allows Orders to
be issued in lieu of civil penalties. We have decided to exercise our
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discretion and not assess a civil penalty in this case because we have
concluded that the Order by itself provides for adequate remedial measures-
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as evidenced by the corrective actions you have taken in response to the
Order during the five months since the event, and because we have concluded
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that the Order by itself is an adequate deterrent against future similar
violations by you and other licensees. We wish to emphasize that you
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should not construe our action as an indication that we do not view this
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event as a very significant matter.
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In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the Commission's regulations, a copy
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of this letter, the enclosures, and your response to this letter will be
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placed in the NRC's Public Document Room.
If the enclosures contain any
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'information that you or your contractors believe to be exempt from dis-
. closure under 10 CFR 9.5(a)(4), it is necessary that you (a) notify this
office by telephone within seven (7) days from the date of this letter of
your intention to file a request for withholding; and (b) ssbmit within
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thirty (30) days from the date of this letter a written application to
this office to withhold such information. Section 2.790(b)(1) requires
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that any such application must be accompanied by an affidavit executed by
the owner of the information which identifies the document or part sought
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to be withheld, and which contains a full statement of the reasons on the
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basis which it is claimed that the information should be withheld from
public disclosure. This section further requires the statement to address
with specificity the considerations listed in 10 CFR 2.790(b)(4). The
information sought to be withheld shall be incorporated as far as possible
into a separate part of the affidavit.
If we do not hear from you in
this regard within the specified periods noted above, a copy of this
letter, the enclosures, and your response to this letter will be placed
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in the Public Document Room.
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We will gladly discuss any questions you have concerning this inspection.
Your reply to this letter and the results of future inspections will be
considered in determining whether further enforcement action may be
appropriate.
Sincerely,
James G. Keppler
Director
Enclosures:
1.
Appendix A, Notice
of Violation
'2.
IE Inspection Report
No. 50-255/80-24
cc w/encls:
Mr. D. P. Hoffman, Nuclear
Licensing Administrator
Mr. R. W. Montross, Manager
Central Files
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Reproduction Unit NRC 20b
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Public Service Commission
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