ML20023B350
| ML20023B350 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Salem  |
| Issue date: | 03/25/1983 |
| From: | Deyoung R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE) |
| To: | Uderitz R Public Service Enterprise Group |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20023B352 | List: |
| References | |
| EA-83-006, EA-83-6, NUDOCS 8304050677 | |
| Download: ML20023B350 (3) | |
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UNITED STATES
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Docket Nos.
50-272 50-311 EA 83-06 Public Service Electric and Gas Company ATTN: Mr. Richard A. Uderitz Vice President - Nuclear P. O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, New Jersey 08038 Gentlemen:
Subject:
Combined Inspection 50-272/82-33, 50-311/82-31 This refers to the rotatine resident safety inspection by Messrs. L. Norrholm and R. Summers on November 9 through December 21, 1982 at the Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Hancocks Bridge, New Jersey.
The inspection consisted of document reviews, interviews, and observation of activities.
During this inspection, a violation of a technical specification limiting condition for operation was identified.
The. principal causes of this violation were weak-nesses in controlling modifications to safety systems completed incrementally over more than one outage and the proper testing of such systems when they are returned to service prior to the completion of the modification. The findings were discussed with Mr. H. J. Midura of your staff.
l The violation, which is described in the attached Notice, involved the inopera-bility of the isolation function of the particulate, iodine and gaseous monitors during those periods the monitors were aligned in the " plant vent" mode between April 5 - October 16, 1982.
These monitors are required by technical specifi-cations to be operable in the " plant vent" mode to provide a'utomatic isolation of the containment purge and pressure vacuum relief paths in the event of a high radiation level in the plant vent.
Inoperability of the isolation function of these monitors was caused by a capped suction line which prevented the monitors from sensing the radiation level in these containment vent paths.
The suction line was apparently capped as a result of inadequate control of a design modification to the radiation monitoring system in that the procedures covering the modification were not adequate to return the system to an operable condition nor were adequate testing requirements stated.
"E The radiation monitoring system has the capability of sampling either from a.
containment or from the plant vent, and also provides an automatic isolation signal when operated in the " plant vent" mode.
This system was modified during g o the Spring 1982 outage.
Additional monitors were installed whose sole function N
would be to sample the plant vent and provide its isolation capability.
88 mo CERTIFIED MAIL g
NETURT E CETPT REQUESTED a.O
Public Service Gas
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llAR 2 51983 and Electric Company The original monitors were to be used solely for sampling of containment.
When it was recognized that the installation of the isolation capabilities for the newly installed monitors would not be complete prior to the end of the outage, adequate control was not exercised during the restoration of the vent sampling system to the original monitors, resulting in loss of automatic isolation capability for the " plant vent" mode.
N In order to emphasize the need for adequate procedures for design modifications to assure that all portions of a safety system are returned to service and the plant is operated in accordance with technical specifications, we are issuing the enclosed Notice of Violation and Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalty in the amount of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000) for the violation de' scribed therein.
The violation has been classified at Severity Level III in accordance l
with the NRC Enforcement Policy,10 CFR Part 2 Appendix C, 47 FR 9987 (March 9, 1982).
The base civil penalty amount of $40,000 has been mitigated by 50%
because of unusually prompt and comprehensive corrective action.
Prior to the identification of this violation, but after the modification was implemented, you recognized a problem with implementation of design modifications and had instituted initiatives to correct these problems. These initiatives were completed in December 1982 and, if diligently implemented, should prevent i
recurrence of this violation.
We recognize that you identified this violation as a result of troubleshooting poor plant vent monitor respon,se during purge operations, and once identified, you verbally reported it to the NRC p omptly.
However, because of the duration of this item befo; e it was identified, and the fact that it was your initial error in pot having adequate procedures which caused the violation, we are not mitig,ating for self-identification and prompt reporting.
You are required to respond to the Notice and should follow the instructions specified therein when preparing your response.
In your response, you should address the actions that you have taken, or will take, to ensure adequate control of modifications, particularly modifications perforced over more than one outage.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," Part 2, Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, a copy of this letter and the enclosures-will be.placed in the NRC Public Document Room.
The responses directed by this letter and the enclosure are not subject to the l
clearance procedures of the Office of Management and Budget as required by the l
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 PL 96-511.
Sincerely, Richard C.
oung, D ctor Office of Inspection and Enforcement
Enclosure:
Notice of Violation and Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalty
Public Service Electric and Gas Company Distribution PDR LPDR SECY ACRS CA RCDeYoung, IE JHSniezek, IE JAAxelrad, IE RHaynes, RI JLieberman, ELD VStello, DED/ROGR Regional Coordinators RI, RII, RIII, RIV, RV HDenton, NRR MWilliams, NRR Project Manager, NRR JCrooks, AE0D EJordan, IE JTaylor, IE CThayer, IE JCummings, 0IA BHayes, 01 EA File ES File
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ED0 Reading File James R. Zazzali, Atty. Gen.
Dept. of Law & Public Safety State House Annex, 2nd Fl.
Trenton, NJ 08625 George H. Barbour, Pres.
Board of Public Utilities 101 Commerce Street Newark, NJ 07102 t
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