ML20044H207
| ML20044H207 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Oyster Creek |
| Issue date: | 05/31/1993 |
| From: | Cooper R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | J. J. Barton GENERAL PUBLIC UTILITIES CORP. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20044H208 | List: |
| References | |
| EA-93-136, NUDOCS 9306080068 | |
| Download: ML20044H207 (4) | |
See also: IR 05000219/1993007
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IO 31 1993,
Docket No.
50-219
Mr. John J. Barton
Vice President and Director
GPU Nuclear Corporation
Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station
P.O. Box 388
Forked River, New Jersey 08731
Dear Mr. Barton:
Subject:
NRC Reactive Inspection No. 50-219/93-07
An announced safety inspection was conducted by Mr. J. Furia and Dr. W. Pasciak of this
office on May 17-18, 1993. The inspection findings were discussed with you and members
of your staff at the conclusion of this inspection on May 18, 1993.
This reactive inspection was conducted to examine the events which occurred at your facility
on May 7 and May 11,1993 involving work in the Fill Aisle of the New Radwaste Building.
The inspection consisted of a review of pertinent records and plant procedures and interviews
with plant personnel.
Based upon the results of this inspection, five apparent violations of NRC requirements were
identified. These are: failure to follow plant Technical Specifications and procedures in
initiating a radiation work permit (RWP) in that the RWP did not clearly define the work;
failure to survey a work area and failure to provide adequate instructions to workers prior to
a worker entering the area (grouped as a single violation); failure to follow plant Technical
Specifications and procedures in not conducting a review of the work being performed in a
highly contaminated area to assure that radiation exposures were maintained as low as is
reasonably achievable; failure to perform air sampling required to properly select respiratory
protection equipment, resulting in improper selection of equipment; and, failure to conduct
appropriate breathing zone air sampling during work activities.
Of concern to the NRC is the apparent programmatic breakdown in your radiation safety
program and the potential for overexposure of a radiation worker to airborne radioactive
materials in excess of the limits set forth in Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part
20.103. Of additional concern to the NRC is the similarity of root causes for several of
these
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apparent violations to the root causes identified following a 1991 incident involving entry by
two licensed operators into the Reactor Water Clean-Up Sludge Tank Room. The 1991
incident was discussed with you and members of your staff in an enforcement
conference on May 17, 1991. Specifically in the 1991 event, communications problems
among workers and Radiological Controls personnel, and the issuance of monitoring devices .
to only one member of a group, when the group was not performing the same tasks at the
same time, were identi6ed. In these latest incidences, similar problems involving
communications between workers and members of the Radiological Controls section, together
with the issuance of a safety monitoring device (in this case a breathing zone air sampler) to
only one of two workers who entered a highly contaminated airborne contamination area,
when the workers were entering the area separately, have been identified. We are concerned
that corrective actions for the 1991 event did not prevent some of the problems that occurred
on May 7 and 11,1993.
Based on the results of this inspection and the discussion between you and Mr. J. Joyner of
this office on May 28,1993, we have scheduled an Enforcement Conference in the Nuclear
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Regulatory Commission Region 1 Office to discuss this matter with you. The conference has
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been scheduled for June 16,1993 at 10:00 a.m. This enforcement conference will be open
to public observation in accordance with the Commission's trial program as discussed in the
enclosed Federal Register Notice (Enclosure 2). The conference will provide both of us the
opportunity to achieve a common understanding of the facts associated with the incident, and
provide you the opportunity to discuss any mitigating circumstances for the incident and your
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plans for short-term and long-term corrective actions. In particular, please be prepared to
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discuss the NRC concerns noted above.
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In addition, the conference is an opportunity for you to provide any information concerning
your perspective on 1) the severity level of the issues, 2) factors that NRC considers when it
determines the amount of a civil penalty that may be assessed in accordance with Section
VI.B.2 of the Enforcement Policy, and 3) the possible basis for exercising discretion in
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accordance with Section VII of the Enforcement Policy. Please note that the decision to hold
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an enforcement conference does not mean that the NRC has determina! that a violation nas
occurred or that enforcement action will be taken.
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In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and
its enclosure will be placed in the .NRC Public Document Room. The need for and the
nature of appropriate enforcement actions for the apparent violations will be the subject of
separate correspondence at a later date. No response regarding the apparent violations is
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required at this time.
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Your cooperation with us in this matter is appreciated.
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Sincerely,
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Original Signed By:
Richard W. Cooper
Richard W. Cooper, II, Director -
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Division of Radiation Safety
and Safeguards
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Enclosures:
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1.
NRC Region I Inspection Report No. 50-219/93-07
2.
Federal Register Notice
cc w/encls:
M. Laggart, Manager, Corporate Licensing
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P. Czaya, Acting Licensing Manager, Oyster Creek
Public Document Room (PDR)
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Local Public Document Room (LPDR)
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Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)
K. Abraham, PAO (2)
NRC Resident Inspector
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State of New Jersey
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Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)
D. Holody, EO
K. Smith, RC
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J. Goldberg, OGC
J. Lieberman, OE
bec w/ encl 1 (VIA E-MAIL):
V. McCree, OEDO
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J. Stolz, NRP 'PD l-4
A. Dromerica, N~RR/PD l-4
L. J. Cunningham, NRR
J. Wiggington, NRR
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