ML20133K454
| ML20133K454 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Cooper |
| Issue date: | 09/30/1996 |
| From: | Callan L NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | Laplant T AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| References | |
| EA-96-277, NUDOCS 9701210230 | |
| Download: ML20133K454 (3) | |
Text
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- %g UNITED STATES 4
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION e
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611 RYAN PLAZA oRivE. SulTE 400 AR LINGToN, T E xAS 76011-8064 September 30, 1996 EA 96-277 Terrance E. LaPlant
[Home address removed from copies pursuant to 10 CFR 2.790]
SUBJECT:
PREDECISIONAL ENFORCEMENT CONFERENCE (NRC INVESTIG ATION 4-96-002)
Dear Mr. LaPlant:
This is in reference to the matters discussed with you at a predecisional enforcement conference conducted on September 5,1996,in Lincoln, Nebraska. As indicated in our letter to you dated August 22,1996, the conference was conducted to discuss the NRC's concern that you may have violated the NRC's rule on deliberate misconduct, which prohibits individuals from intentionally violating required procedures or policies of a licensee. As was discussed in our previous letter, our review of an investigation conducted by the NRC's Office of Investigations (01) involving a control rod mispositioning incident at the Cooper Nuclear Station on January 7,1996, raised this concern.
The concern discussed at the conference involved you and another licensed operator making a decision to continue control rod insertions after recognizing that you had begun on the wrong page of the control rod sequence book. You made this decision without first informing either the control room supervisor or shif t supervisor and without obtaining the concurrence of the shift supervisor and the reactor engineer. CNS procedure 10.13,
" Control Rod Sequence and Movement Control," requires concurrence in a recovery plan for a mispositioned control rod.
At the conference, you acknowledged that you erred in not reporting the mistake earlier.
However, you stated that you and the other licensed operctor were focused on inserting control rods to avoid exceeding plant administrative limits and an automatic plant trip, that your normal position as a control room supervisor was a factor in your actions, that you were not mindful of other procedural requirements at the tirne, and that you did not intentionally violate such requirements. We note that you did inform the reactor engineer of the mistake when he approached the panel.
u The NRC agrees with NPPD's expectation that you should have promptly informed shif t
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supervisory personnel of your mistake and the abnormal conditions that developed. The I
information available to the NRC, however, does not support a conclusion that you intentionally violated any CNS procedural requircments. Although your actions violated CNS procedures and NPPD management expectations, you appear to have been focused on inserting control rods to avoid exceeding plant administrative limits and an automatic plant 210036 9701210230 960930 PDR ADOCK 05000298 G
Mr. Terrance LaPlant trip. And, while you should have been mindful of the procedural requirements, you were not. The facts that you maintained accurate logs and informed the reactor engineer of the mistake when he approached the panel do not suggest a deliberate intent to cover up your mistake or violate procedures. Thus, the NRC plans no further action and considers this j
matter closed.
Although the NRC is not pursuing enforcement action against you, we nonetheless i
consider the procedural violations that occurred to be significant. The NRC is issuing a Notice of Violation to the Nebraska Public Power District, your former employer, as a result of these violatior.s. A cupy is enclosed for your information. We are also providing a ;opy of this !ctter to NPPD.
Should you have any questions about this letter, please contact Gary Sanborn at 1-800-952-9677 or 817-860-8222.
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in accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter, with your home address removed, will be placed in the NRC's Public Document Room.
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Sincerely, 1
)
i L. J. Callan Regional Administrator Docket No. 55-40241 d
License No. SOP-43398-1
Enclosure:
NPPD Notice of Violation (EA 96-202) cc:
Mr. Guy R. Horn, Vice President - Nuclear Nebraska Public Power District 141415th Street Columbus, Nebraska 68601 4
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s Mr. Terrance LaPlant 3-bec:
via e-mail:
hard copies to:
LJCallan (LJC1)
Sanborn/EA File SJCollins (SJC1)
RIV Files RWise (RXW)
OE:EA File WLBrown (WLB)
JLieberman, OE EWilliamson (ELW1)
KBrockman (KEB)
GTracy (GMT)
JDyer (JED2) i l
DChamberlain (DDC)
ECollins (EEC)
TMcKernon (TOM)
OEMAll JLieberman (JXL)
MSatorius (MAS)
JBeall (JEB2)
WBeckner (WDB)
DWigginton (DLW)
DOCUMENT NAME: G:\\EA\\ DRAFT \\EA96277.DFT To receive copy of gocument, indicate in box: "C" = Copy without enclosures "E" = Copy wnh enclosures "N",a Ng[opy' EO (Mrl C:DRP/C/IM/
C:DRS/QB l D:DRS l A/ RC M(47/
GSanborM TMcKernorif '
EC6Trths KBrockman th WLBrow6V/'
I 9f/9/96 9/ 9 /96 9/;M96 9/tJ796 9/ n/96 DRA l tJ R/G_.
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LJChllan 9/1196 V l 9Pfl/96 0FFICIAL RECORD COPY i
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