ML20052A186
| ML20052A186 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Hatch  |
| Issue date: | 03/29/1982 |
| From: | Deyoung R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE) |
| To: | John Miller GEORGIA POWER CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20052A187 | List: |
| References | |
| EA-82-018, EA-82-18, NUDOCS 8204270551 | |
| Download: ML20052A186 (4) | |
Text
$M MRR 29 m.,
IIB 4FI2300FE lJ.$IL t POR fDR e
o, Docket No. 50-321 e
License No. DPR-57 C
EA 82-18 RECEWED 4
APR 8 1982.
~
Georgia Power Company g.
s amm enm,% u12 j ATTN: Mr. J. H. Miller, Jr., President maam meemn u P. O. Box 4545 mc Atlanta, GA 30302 4
/
f Gentlemen:
A special inspection was conducted by NRC Region II from September 29 to October 2,1981 at the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant to evaluate the regulatory significance of circumstances surrounding successive ruptures of valve diaphragms in the high pressure coolant injection (HPCI) system of Unit 1.
The inspection findings indicate that there were several violations associated with this event.
NRC concerns relating to the violations were discussed between Georgia Power Company representatives and NRC Region II staff members at an Enforcement Conference held at Region II in Atlanta on October 29, 1981.
Between July 21 and September 14, 1981, Hatch plant personnel replaced four ruptured diaphragms using two different diaphragm types.
Both of the dia-phragm types were known not to meet design specifications and no safety eval-uation was performed.
Between August 7 and 18, 1981 plant personnel knew the integrity of the HPCI system depended on a substandard component, but they did not declare the system to be inoperable and take compensatory action to ensure safe plant operation, even after such action was recommended to the Plant Review Board (PRB) by the Quality Assurance (QA) Site Supervisor.
Further, in two instances the licensee did not implement plant procedures which required describing the diaphragm failures in plant deviation reports nor did it report this problem to the NRC as required.
Nuclear power plant licensees are expected to execute measures for prompt recog-nition and evaluation of deviations, unusual occurrences, and changes that may involve unreviewed safety questions, and correct or prevent unsafe conditions disclosed by these measures.
The Hatch plant established such measures, but plant personnel failed to implement them.
This failure resulted in noncom-pliance with established procedures for formal escalated evaluation of the safety significance of failures and replacement of diaphragms in the HPCI turbine pump overspeed complex. Moreover, had Hatch personnel rigorously followed (1) their procedures for executing a deviation report, (2) their Technical Specification requiring review of proposed changes to systems or equipment affecting nuclear safety, and (3) their procedure to evaluate the CERTIFIED MAIL RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED 82042W M
.,c.,..
Georgia Power Company QA Site Supervisor's proposal that the HPCI system be declared inoperable, the event might have received a comprehensive and objective safety evaluation by higher management.
With regard to the QA Site Supervisor's discussion with the PRB, relative to operability of the HPCI system, we are concerned that the meeting minutes did not mention that discussion.
The NRC expects safety-related matters discussed in such meetings to be documented in the minutes with sufficient information included to identify both the issues involved and the PRB's positions regarding those issues.
The PRB is not relieved of this responsibility simply because it concluded that the matter was not significant.
In order to emphasize the importance NRC places on prompt identification, evaluation, reporting, and documentation of safety-related changes to facility systems or equipment, we propose to impose civil penalties in the cumulative amount of Fifty Thousand Dollars for the items identified in the enclosed Appendix, " Notice of Violation and Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalties,"
which have been categorized at the Severity Levels described in accordance with the Interim Enforcement Policy published in the Federal Register, 45 FR 66754 (October 7, 1980).
The base penalty of Forty Thousand Dollars was increased by twenty-five percent because you could reasonably have been expected to have taken effective preventive measures.
You are required to respond to the Appendix and in preparing your response you should follow the instructions specified in the Appendix.
Your reply to this letter and Appendix will be the basis for determining whether additional enforcement actions are warranted.
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 enclosure will be placed in the NRC's Public Document Room.
The responses directed by this letter and the accompanying Notice 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,
- 0 rib DDI Si#
i E. C DeYoung Richard C. DeYoung, Director Office of Inspection and Enforcement
Enclosure:
Appendix - Notice of Violation and Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalties WPU:JD ES:IE ELD ES:IE DD:IE D:IE 3/16/82 GBarber JMurray JLieberman JHSniezek RCDeYoung 5520 3/ /82 3/ /82' 3/ /82 3/ /82 3/ /82 ve
4 4
Georgia Power Company QA site Supervisor's proposal that the HPCI system be declared inoperable, the event might have received a comprehensive and objective safety evaluation by higher management.
With regard to the 0A Site Supervisor's discussion with the PRB, relative to operability of the HPCI system, we are concerned that the meeting minutes were void of any mention of that discussion.
The NRC expects safety-related matters discussed in such meetings to be documented in the minutes with sufficient infor-mation included to identify the issues involved and the PRB's positions regarding those issues. The PRB is not relieved of this responsibility simply because it concluded that the matter was not significant.
In order to emphasize the importance NRC places on prompt identification, evaluation, reporting, and documentation of safety-related changes to facility systems or equipment, we propose to impose civil penalties in the cumulative amount of Fifty Thousand Dollars for the items identified in the enclosed Notice of Violation and Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalties which have been categor-ized at the Severity Levels described in accordance with the Interim Enforcement Policy published in the Federal Register, 45 FR 66754 (October 7,1980). The base penalty of Forty Thousand Dollars was increased by twenty-five percent because you could reasonably have been expected to have taken effective preventive measures.
You are required to respond to the Appendix and in preparing your response you should follow the instructions specified in the Appendix.
Your reply to this letter and Appendix will be the basis for determining whether additional enforcement actions are warranted.
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 enclosure will be placed in the NRC's Public Document Room.
The responses directed by this letter and the accompanying Notice 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, 30riginM signed B7 R. C. DcYoung*
Richard C. DeYoung, Director Office of Inspection and Enforcement
Enclosure:
Appendix - Notice of Violation and Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalties qu s
E h
D:I WPU:JD ldh [I 3/9/82 GBarber JMurray o
erman JEniezek RCD oung 5520 3//0/82 3/so/82 3) 82 3)JJ/82 3/pf82 NThk
Georgia Power Company Distribution:
.CA VStello, DED/R0GR RCDeYoung, IE JHSniezek, IE JLieberman, IE FIngram, PA JMurray, ELD Directors, EI Staff RI, RII, RIII, RIV, RV JCummings, 01A IE Files Central Files CP Book APuglise, CON L-316 ES Reading File EDO Reading File TBrockett, IE DVerrelli, NRR RReid,-NRR Department of Human Resources ATTN:
Charles F. Tedferd, Chief Radiological Health Unit 1
State Office Building 47 Trinity Avenue Atlanta, GA 30334 Office of the Attorney General ATTN: Hon. Arthur K. Bolton Attorney General 132 State Judicial Building Atlanta, GA 30334
-Public Service Commission ATTN:
Tabert C. Pafford chairman 244 Washington, St. SW Atlanta, GA 30334
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