ML20059F667

Forwards Insp Rept 50-298/93-28 on 931108-1230.Apparent Violations Noted & Are Being Considered for Escalated Enforcement Action

ML20059F667
Person / Time
Site:	Cooper
Issue date:	01/06/1994
From:	Beach A NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
To:	Horn G NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT
Shared Package
ML20059F670	List: ML20059F667 ML20059F694
References
NUDOCS 9401140115
Download: ML20059F667 (5)

See also: IR 05000298/1993028

Text

- - -. - ,

+

.

3 ps nicg UNIT E D ST AT ES

1. % NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

611 R Y AN P AZ R E SUITE 400

gf AR LING T ON. T E X AS 76011-8064

....+

i

JAtt 6 1994

i

Docket: 50-298  ;

License: DPR-46

EA 94-005 ,

,

Nebraska Public Power District

ATTN: Guy R. Horn, Vice President - Nuclear

P.O. Box 98

Brownville, Nebraska 68321 ,

,

SUBJECT: NRC INSPECTION REPORT 50-298/93-28  !

This refers to the special inspection conducted by R. A. Kopriva and R. P.  !

Mullikin of this office on November 8 through December 30, 1993. The

inspection included a review of activities authorized for your Cooper Nuclear  ;

Station facility. After the initial exit meeting on December 3, 1993, the NRC +

extended the inspection to include a review of emergency diesel generator

design which was completed on December 30, 1993. At the conclusion of the r

inspection, the findings were discussed with you and those members of your ,

staff identified in the enclosed report.

Areas examined during the inspection are identified in the report. Within -

these areas, the inspection consisted of selective examinations of procedures ,

and representative records, interviews with personnel, and observation of I

activities in progress. The purpose of the inspection was to determine

whether activities authorized by the license were conducted safely and in

accordance with NRC requirements.

]

Based on the results of this inspection, five apparent violations were .

identified and are being considered for escalated enforcement action in

accordance with the " General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC

Enforcement Actions" (Enforcement Policy), 10 CFR Part 2, Appendix C. I

Accordingly, no Notice of Violation is presently being issued.for these

inspection findings. In addition, please be advised that the number and

characterization of apparent violations described in the enclosed inspection  !

report may change as a result of further NRC review. .

The first apparent violation is of concern because the emergency diesel j

generators were potentially inoperable for an extended period of time. The  !

deficiencies that were identified on November 8, 1993, potentially would have

prevented the emergency diesel generators from being operable when. -i

automatically starting on a loss of coolant signal while offsite power was

available. 1

'

i

The second, third, and fourth apparent violations are of concern because

inadequate maintenance procedures and the failure to follow maintenance

4

9401140115 940106 l' -i

PDR ADOCK-05000298 1

G PDR

-

.. . - . . - ..

.

!

L

'

Nebraska Public Power District -2-

procedures were contributors to causing the emergency diesel generators to be

potentially inoperable. In addition, corrective actions to similar

deficiencies which were identified in March and April 1993 were not effective. .

'

An enforcement conference to discuss these apparent violations has been

scheduled for January 24, 1994. The purposes of this conference are to

discuss the apparent violations, their causes and safety significance; to

provide an opportunity for you to point out any errors in our inspection

report; and to provide an opportunity for you to present your proposed

corrective actions. In addition, this is an opportunity for you to provide

any information concerning your perspectives on: (1) the severity of the  ;

issues; (2) the factors that the 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 accordance with Section VII of the enforcement policy. You will be advised

by separate correspondence of the results of our deliberations on this matter.

No response regarding these apparent violations is required at this time.

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.

Sincerely, '

W f

4L

1. A. Bill Beach, Director

!

Division of Reactor Projects l

Enclosure:

Appendix - NRC Inspection Report

50-298/93-28

cc w/ enclosures:  !

Nebraska Public Power District '

ATTN: G. D. Watson, General Counsel

P.O. Box 499 '

i

Columbus, Nebraska 68602-0499

Nebraska Public Power District

ATTN: Mr. David A. Whitman

P.O. Box 499

Columbus Nebraska 68602-0499

Nebraska Department of Environmental ,

Control

ATTN: Randolph Wood, Director

P.O. Box 98922

!

__ ,

. . .. .- . . . - - - .- . - . . . - - .-. _

. . .

.

.

i

Nebraska Public Power District -3-

i

!

l

Nemaha County Board of Commissioners

ATTN: Larry Bohlken, Chairman

Nemaha County Courthouse

1824 N Street  ;

Auburn, Nebraska 68305 l

Nebraska Department of Health  ;

ATTN: Harold Borchert, Director

!

'

Division of Radiological Heai h t

301 Centennial Mall, South  ;

i

P.O. Box 95007  !

-

Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-5007

'

Department of Natural Resources

ATTN: Ronald A. Kucera, Department Director

of Intergovernmental Cooperation i

I

P.O. Box 176

Jefferson City, Missouri 65102 (

Kansas Radiation Control Program Director

1

9

9

f

T

i

., , . , . - - . ,

. ., _. _ . , - -. _.

.

'

. lAN 6 icoM

Nebraska Public Power District -5-

bec to D. Sullivan (DJS) by E-Mail

bcc to DMB (IE01)

l

bec distrib. by RIV:

J. L. Milhoan Resident Inspector ,

Section Chief (DRP/C) Lisa Shea, RM/ALF, MS: MNBB 4503 l

MIS System DRSS-FIPS j

Section Chief (DRP/TSS) Project Engineer (DRP/C) l

RIV File Senior Resident Inspector - River Bend

Senior Resident Inspector - Fort Calhoun

A. B. Beach, D/DRP

l

l

,

t

RIV: SRI DRP/D DRP/C* C:DRP/C* Dd/RP

RAKopriva RPMullikin EECollins JEGagliardo AMach ,

1/4/94 1/4/94 1/4/94 1/4/94 1/f/94

• previously concurred

. . - . -

.

JAN 6 1004

Nebraska Public Power District -5-

bec to D. Sullivan (DJS) by E-Mail

bec to DMB-(IE01)

bcc distrib. by RIV:

J. L. Milhoan Resident Inspector

Section Chief (DRP/C) Lisa Shea, RM/ALF, MS: MN3B 4503

MIS System DRSS-FIPS

Section Chief (DRP/TSS) Project Engineer (DRP/C)

RIV file Senior Resident inspector - River Bend

Senior Resident Inspector - Fort Calhoun

A. B. Beach, D/DRP

!

1

!

l

'

,

RIV: SRI DRP/D DRP/C* C:DRP/C* Dh1P

RAKopriva RPMullikin EECollins JEGagliardo ASach

1/4/94 1/4/94 1/4/94 1/4/94 1/y/94

• previously concurred

130038