ML20129F729
| ML20129F729 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vogtle  |
| Issue date: | 11/05/1993 |
| From: | Hood D NRC |
| To: | Donna Berean, Hoefling R, Pederson R NRC |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20129F106 | List:
|
| References | |
| FOIA-94-208 NUDOCS 9610070026 | |
| Download: ML20129F729 (3) | |
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, Next (Read); 2 Lelete; 3 Save; 4 Info; 5 Prrevious; 6 Forwards 7 Reply Donna Berean, RII:RPE Renee M. Pedersen, OE Larry Robinson, RII:01/F0 Pierce H. Skinner, RII:RPB
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E 9610070026 960827 PDR FOIA COLAPIN94-208 PDR i
UNITED STATES
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NUCLEAR REGUt (TORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION 11 101 Marietta St., Suite 2900, Atlanta, GA 30323
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Tel. 404-331-5503 No.11-94-44 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Ken Clark (Tuesday, May 10,1994)
Tc'ephone: 404-331 4503 NRC STAFF PROPOSES $200,000 FINE AGAINST GEORGIA POWER COMPANY The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing to fine Georgia Power Company $200,000 for supplying inaccurate End incomplete information related to the reliability of diesel generators at the company's Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia.
In addition to the proposed fine, the NRC is issuing demands for information to Georgia Power, regarding individual performance failures of six officials, to enable the NRC to determine whether additional enforcement actions are nec:ssary.
Th2 proposed fine fo"ows an investigation conducted by the NRC's Office of irrvestigations (01) as a result of allegations received in June 1990 that false statements were made to the NRC by senior management of Georgia Power regarding the rability of diesel generators at Vogtle. In March of 1990, the company declared a Site Area Cmergency during a refueling outage at Vogtie I when offsite power was lost concurrent with the failure of the only diesel generator that was then cvailable.
Georg'a Power agreed not to return Vcgtle 1 to power until the NRC's Region 11 Administrator in Atlanta, Georgia, was satisfied the plant could do so safely. In support of a request to retum the unit to operation, the company madt, an oral presentation in Region 11 offices in April 1990 and specifically addressed diesel generator reliability at the request of the NRC. The agency granted permission for the unit to retum to operation shonly afterward.
When tilegations were received in June 1990, a special team inspection by the NRC examined the technical and safety signific;nce of the allegations. Based on evidence from the special team inspection, information gathered in the 01 inv:stigation. letter submittals from Georgia Power on the diesel generators, and discovery responses in a Vogtle j
operating license amendment proceeding, the NRC has concluded that five violations occurred. The proposed civil penalty cites repeated failures of company management to provide complete and accurate information related to succ;ssful starts, failures or problems occurring with the diesel generators.
These clieged violations have been categorized as a Severity Level ll problem on a scale of I to V, with Level i j
representing a problem or violation of very significant regulatory concem. As the NRC stated in the letter transmitting the Notice of Violation to the licensee, *,.. these violations are of regulatory significance, not because of the affect that the inaccuracies had on the safety of plant operation, but because the circumstances surrounding the communications with the NRC demonstrate an inadequate regard individually by a number of senior licensee officials, and collectively by the licensee's management, for complete and accurate communications with the NRC.*
The base civil penalty for Severity Level 11 is $80,000. The civil penalty was increased 50 percent for NRC identification End 130 percent for prior opportunity to identify and correct the proL,em, escalating the proposed fir.3 to $200,000.
Georgia Power has 30 days to submit a written statement to the NRC admitting or denying the vk.eations, explaining the reasons for them if admitted, stating the corrective actions that have or will be taken and the date when full compliancel will be achieved, j
The company also has 30 days to pay the proposed fine or to protest it, in whole or in part. If the fine is orotested and later imposed. Georgia Power may request a public hearing.
Gotlia Power also has 30 days to submit its written response to the demands for information. By separate swi grider.ce, company indMduals who are subjects of demand for information are being given an opportunity to submit separate responses.
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I Georgia Power Company Response to NRC action l
May 10,1994 I
he Nuclear Regulatory Commission has informed the
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Company of a proposed $200,000 fine for providing i1 j'
inaccurate and incomplete information to the agency j
4j; related to a M. arch 1990 incident at Plant Vogtie.
j The company has acknowledged that information initially provided to the NRC was inaccurate. The inaccuracies were f
discovered by the Company and reported to the NRC.
i "Unfortunately, we made some mistakes in collecting and reporting information when this event occurred four years ago,"
l said Allen Franklin, president and CEO of Georgia Power.
l "Those mistakes were honest and unintentional. When we l
discovered them, we reported it ourselves to the NRC. We've always had a policy of providing complete, accurate and clear information to the NRC."
Franklin said that safety has always been a top priority and l
that "the people of Plant Vogtie have already achieved much success in operating the plant safely."
"We're confident that our employees approached this matter
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honestly and in good faith," he added.
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Franklin said that the Company is looking forward to pro-f viding more information to the NRC. "We know this additional
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Information will be considered by the Commission."
l Franklin also said that, in any event, if a civil penalty is finally ordered, it will not be paid for by Georgia Power customers.
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