ML20134B573

Notice of Violation from Insp on 961209-12.Violation Noted: Licensee Measured Excess Reactivity After Installing New Core as 0.73% to 0.78% & Failed to Properly Adjust Reactivity Prior to Continuing Operations

ML20134B573
Person / Time
Site:	05000199
Issue date:	01/23/1997
From:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:
Shared Package
ML20134B567	List: IR 05000199/1996001 ML20134B564 ML20134B573
References
50-199-96-01, 50-199-96-1, NUDOCS 9701300208
Download: ML20134B573 (2)

Text

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i NOTICE OF VIOLATIONS i

! Manhattan Colleae CorooratiQD Docket No.(s) 50-199 l

! Zero Power Reactor License No.(s) R-94 )

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During an NRC inspection conducted.on December 9-12,1996 violations of NRC

requirements were identified. In accordance with the " General Statement of Policy and

! Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions," NUREG-1600, the violations are listed below:

l 1. Technical Specification 3.1.3(A) states, in part, the total core excess j reactivity...shall not exceed 0.44% Ak/k (0.596) at any condition of the reactor.

t j Contrary to the above, the licensee measured the excess reactivity after installing a new core as 0.73% to 0.78% Ak/k and failed to properly adjust the reactivity prior j to continuing operations. (See section O2.1B of attached report.) i

. This is a Severity Level IV violation (Supplement 1). f

2. License No. R-04 issued on March 26,1985, Section 2.C(1), Maximum Power Level, states "The licensee may operate the reactor not in excess of 0.1 watt 4

(thermal)".

I i Contrary to the above, the reactor was operated on several occasions with a new i low enriched uranium core during the period April 1995 to November 1996 without

! determining the power level. (See section O2.1B of attached report.)

i This is a Severity Level IV violation (Supplement 1). .

e 3. Technical Specification 4.2.3 (B.) states, in part, measurement of rod drop times

! shall be made once semi-annually. ,

Contrary to the above, rod drop times were not measured during the latter half of j calendar year 1995, nor in 1996. (See section O2.1B of attached report.)

i l This is a Severity Level IV violation (Supplement 1).

! i i Pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR 2.201, Manhattan College Corporation is hereby  ;

j required to submit a written statement or explanation to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

. Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington, D.C. 20555 with a copy to the ,

! Regional Administrator, Region I, within 30 days of the date of the letter transmitting this l Notice of Violation (Notice). This reply should be clearly marked as a " Reply to a Notice of ,

j Violation" and should include for each violation: (1) the reason for the violation, or, if ,

i contested, the basis for disputing the violation, (2) the corrective steps that have been ,

taken and the results achieved, (3) the corrective steps that will be taken to avoid further ,

i violations, and (4) the date when full compliance will be achieved. Your response may l

reference or include previous docketed correspondence, if the correspondence adequately  ;

4 addresses the required response if an adequate reply is not received within the time  ;

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1 9701300208 970123  !

4 PDR ADOCK 05000199 O PDR l- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _. _ _ _i

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2 specified in this Notice, an order or a Demand for information may be issued as to why the <

license should not be modified, suspended, or revoked, or why such other action as may i he proper should not be taken. Where good cause is shown, consideration will be given to  ;

extending the response time. "

Because your response will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR), to the extent possible, it should not include any personal privacy, proprietary, or safeguards information so that it can be placed in the PDR without redaction. If personal privacy or proprietary information is necessary to provide an acceptable response, then please provide ,

a bracketed copy of your response that identifies the information that should be protected i and a redacted copy of your response that deletes such information. If you request l withholding of such material, you muit specifically identify the portions of your response that you seok to have withheld and provide in detail the bases for your claim of withhold-ing (e.g., explain why the disclosure of information will create an unwarranted invasion of .

personal privacy or provide the information required by 10 CFR 2.790(b) to support a i request for withholding confidential commercial or financial information). If safeguards {

information is necessary to provide an acceptable response, please provide the level of ]

plotection described in 10 CFR 73.21. )

i Dated at King of Prussia, Pennsylvania this d day of January,1997 i

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