ML20133H018
| ML20133H018 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Maine Yankee |
| Issue date: | 11/27/1996 |
| From: | Snowe O SENATE |
| To: | Rathbun D NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20133H011 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9701170023 | |
| Download: ML20133H018 (1) | |
Text
1 OLYMPIA J. SNOWE I
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WASHINGTON, DC 20510-1903 November 27, 1996 Mr. Dennis Rathburn Director Office of Congressional Affairs Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20555
Dear Mr. Rathburn:
I am writing on behalf of Mr. Henry Myers of. Peaks Island, Maine.
Mr. Myers forwarded a copy of a letter he sent to Chairwoman Jackson about the circuitry used in'the control room at Maine Yankee nuclear power plant.
He was.specifically concerned about the discovery of a cut wire within'the control room's safety related circuitry.
I have enclosed a copy of Mr. Myer's letter i
to Ms. Jackson for your further information.
Any assistance you can provide in addressing the concerns raised by Mr. Myers in his letter is greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your attention in this matter.
I look forward to hearing from you.
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P.O. Box 88 Peaks Island, ME 04108 September 16, 1996 l
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Hon. Shirley Jackson Chairwoman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 205550-0001
Dear Madame Chairwoman:
I am writing with respect to the bel ~ated discovery of a cut wire in safety-related circuitry located in the Maine Yankee control room area.
Thi s matter raises serious doubt as to whether Maine Yankee acec rd maintenance and testing procecures have been conducted it, The facts that the wire was cut with applicable NRC regulations.
that the activity involving the cutting of the wire by mistake, was not properly documented, and that the error was not discov-ered for a period of years suggest that other safety related errors have been committed and remain undetected.
I request that the Commission, in its consideration of the findings of the NRC Independent Safety Assessment Team at Maine Yankee, ask NRC staff, unless they have already done so, to address the following questions:
What specific actions led to discovery of the cut cable in 1.circuitry located in the environs of the Maine Yankee control room?
What NRC regulations, if any, require that work on safety 2.related circuitry be controlled by procedures requiring, among other things, documentation displaying names of authorizing officials, supervisors, workers and inspectors, and dates on performed, and inspected.
[In which the work was authorized, it appears that Maine Yankee has no records indicating this case, the namas of the persons who authorized. supervised, conducted, or inspected the activity during which the wire was cut.
more-than three years elapsed between cutting of the wire l
over, more and its discovery.]
What Maine Yankee procedures controlled the work involving 3.removing excess wires in the control room environs?
4.
In what manner, if any, was the removal of wire not conducted in accord with procedures intended to control such activities?
5.
Do NRC regulations, explicitly or implicitly, require peri-Do NRC odic testing of the circuitry containing the cut wire?
regulations, explicitly or implicitly, specify a maximum time l
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Hon. Shirley Jackson September 16, 1996 interval between such tests?
If so, what is that time interval?
l 6.
Did Maine Yankee procedures require testing of this control room environs circuitry during the period that the wire was cut?
l If so, when was such testing supposed to have been conducted?
l 7.
Were the deficiencies leading to the cut wire and the delay l
in its discovery rooted in inadequate procedures or noncompliance L
with procedures?
l 8.
In view of the deficiencies (rooted in inadequate procedures l
and/or failure to follow procedures) manifest in the cut wire and its belated discovery, what is the basis for concluding that other significant safety-related defects rooted in deficient maintenance practices are absent from Maine Yankee?
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
l Sincerely, l
Henry R. Myers i
cc: Senator Cohen j
Senator Snowe l
Senator Lieberman i
l Senator Biden Congressman Dingell l
Congressman Markey l
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