ML20023B353
| ML20023B353 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Salem  |
| Issue date: | 03/25/1983 |
| From: | Deyoung R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20023B352 | List: |
| References | |
| EA-83-006, EA-83-6, NUDOCS 8304050680 | |
| Download: ML20023B353 (2) | |
Text
.
NOTICE OF VIOLATION AND PROPOSED IMPOSITI F 0F CIVIL PENALTY Pulalic Service Electric Docket ho.
50-272 and Gas Campany License No. DPR-70 Salem Unit 1 EA 83-06 During the inspection conducted November 9 through December 21,1%2, a detailed review of plant vent monitoring capability was conducted.
This review confirmed that your plant vent particulate, iodine, and gaseous monitors were inoperable when in the " plant vent" mode during the period April 5 through October 16, 1982.
This condition resulted from a failure to adequately control design modification work for a modification interrupted prior to completion which had apparently progressed beyond the intended stop point.
When field work was perfonned to restore the previously used vent radiation monitoring systems to their original configuration, the restoration was performed without adequate detailed procedures, guidance, and controls.
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, the Nuclear Regulatory Consnission proposes to impose a civil penalty in the amount of Twenty Thousand Dollars.
In accordance with the NRC Enforcement Policy (10 CFR Part 2 Appendix C),.47 FR 9987 (March 9, 1982), and pursuant to Section 234 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 1s amended ("Act"), 42 U.S.C. 2282, PL 96-295, and 10 CFR 2.205, the particular violation and its associated civil penalty is set forth below.
Technical Specifications 3.3.3.1 and 3.9.9 require the containment gaseous, particulate, and iodine radiation monitors to be operable to provide i
automatic purge and pressure vacuum relief ioslation capability during plant venting operations.
If these monitors are inoperable, each of the purge and pressure-vacuum relief penetrations providing direct access from the containment atmosphere to the outside atmosphere are to be kept closed.
Contrary to the above, during the period April 5,1982 to October 16, l
1982, the containment gaseous, particulate, and iodine radiation monitors l
were inoperable in the " plant vent" mode due to a capped suction line, resulting in a loss of an automatic purge and pressure va.cuum relief isolation capability.
During this period, containment venting operations, which provide direct access from the containment atmosphere to the outside atmosphere were conducted on 368 occasions, for periods of 30 to 260 minutes, for an aggregate of 711 hours0.00823 days <br />0.198 hours <br />0.00118 weeks <br />2.705355e-4 months <br />.
This is a Severity Level III violation (Supplement I).
(Civil Penalty - $20,000).
8304050600 830325 gDRADOCK05 y7
. =
-. mw -
+
N Public Service Gas 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 t
isolation capability for the " plant vent" mode.
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 described therein. The violation has been classified at Severity Level III in accordance 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 l
recurrence of this violation. We recognize that you identified this violation l
as a result of troubleshooting poor plant vent monitor response during purge l
operations, and once identified, you verbally reported it to the NRC promptly.
However, because of the duration of this item before it was identified, and the fact that it was your initial error in not having adequate procedures which caused the violation, we are not mitigating 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 performed 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 i
will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.
i The responses directed by this letter and the enclosure are not subject to the clearance procedures of the Office of Management and Budget as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, PL 96-511.
Sincerely, d'#
Richard C.
oung frector Office of pecti and Enforcement
Enclosure:
~~~ Notice of Violation and Proposed e
Imposi f ivi nalt RI IE RHaynes J ebe zek R g
3/ /83 3/
83 3/[f/
[7/83 3/(/83 3/ /83
.-_ _