ML20134M507
| ML20134M507 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | LaSalle  |
| Issue date: | 02/13/1997 |
| From: | Leach M NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Subalusky W COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20134M510 | List: |
| References | |
| EA-97-021, EA-97-21, NUDOCS 9702200273 | |
| Download: ML20134M507 (3) | |
See also: IR 05000373/1996018
Text
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February 13, 1997
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EA 97-021
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Mr. W. T. Subalusky, Jr.
Site Vice President
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LaSalle County Station
Commonwealth Edison Company
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2601 North 21st Road
Marseilles, IL 61341
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SUBJECT:
NRC INSPECTION REPORT NOS. 50-373/96018 & 50-374/96018 AND
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Dear Mr. Subalusky-
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On December 13,1996, the NRC completed an inspection at your LaSalle facility. The
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enclosed report presents the results of that inspection.
During this inspection period, four apparent violations of NRC requirements were identifie1
which are being considered for escalated enforcement action in accordance with the
" General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions" (Enforcement
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Policy), NUREG-1600. Three of the apparent violations pertain to the failure to ensure
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through appropriate testing that the control room and auxiliary electric equipment room
ventilation systems could perform their design function during accident conditions. We are
particularly concerned with the lack of understanding of the plant's design and licensing .
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basis reflected in these apparent violations.
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The fourth apparent violation involves the failure to identify and/or correct significant
conditions adverse to quality. Specifically, your staff did not appropriately address
degradation of safety-related electrical control switches due to hydrocarbon exposure and
excessive age; did not identify the presence of foreign materialin the Unit 2 suppression
pool, which could have caused a common-mode failure of the emergency core cooling
system, during an inspection of the pool in March 1996; and failed to implement timely
corrective actions for an inoperable breaker event in April 1995, resulting in a similar event
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in October 1996 with two safety-related motor control center supply breakers. These
three examples are of particular concern because they represent potential common-mode
failures which could have simultaneously affected multiple safety systems. A fourth
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example of the failure to implement appropriate corrective action, which involved a reactor
core isolation cooling system rupture disk event, was discussed in NRC Inspection Report
No. 50-373/96013; 50-374/96013 transmitted to you by letter dated January 29,1997.
A Notice of Violation is presently not being issued for these inspection findings. However,
we request that you respond within 30 days of the date of this letter to the apparent
violations discussed in the enclosed inspection Report and to the apparent violation
9702200273 970213
ADOCK 05000373
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W. T. Subalusky
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discussed in Inspection Report No. 50-373/96013;50-374/96013. Your response should
be clearly marked as a " Response to Apparent Violations in inspection Report Nos. 50-
373/96013; 50-374/96013 and 50-373/96018; 50-373/96018" and should include for
each apparent violation: (1) the reason for the apparent violation, or, if contested, the
basis for disputing the apparent violation, (2) the corrective steps that have been taken and
the results achieved, (3) the corrective steps that will be taken to avoid further violations,
and (4) the date when full compliance will be achieved. Your response should be
submitted under oath or affirmation and may reference or include previous docketed
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correspondence, if the correspondence adequately addresses the required response.
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We intend to review your response to the apparent violations described in the enclosed
inspection report in conjunction with: (1) your response dated January 10,1997, to our
letter dated November 15,1996, which discussed the four apparent violations identified
during our Service Water System Operational Performance Inspection, (2) your response to
our letter dated January 24,1997, regarding the proposed imposition of a $650,000 civil
penalty, and (3) your response to our letter dated January 27,1997, requesting
information pursuant to 10 CFR 50.54(f). Based on the results of this review, we will
contact you to discuss whether a pre-decisional enforcement conference is necessary to
enable the NRC to make an enforcement decision. You will also be given the opportunity
to request an enforcement conference at that time. 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. You will be advised by separate correspondence
of the results of our deliberations on this matter,
in addition to the apparent violations referenced above, certain other activities appeared to
be in violation of NRC requirements, as specified in the enclosed Notice of Violation
(Notico). The violation is of concern because it involves an operator's failure to comply
with procedure usage requirements while testing safety-related equipment.
You are required to respond to this letter and should follow the instructions specified in the
enclosed Notice when preparing your response. The NRC will use your response, in part,
to determine whether further enforcement action is necessary to ensure compliance with
regulatory requirements.
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W. T. Subalusky
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In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practices," a copy of this letter,
its enclosure, and your responses will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR).
Sincerely,
/s/ M. N. Leach
Melvyn N. Leach, Acting Deputy Director
Division of Reactor Safety
Docket Nos. 50-373; 50-374
Enclosures:
2. Inspection Report 50-373/96018; 50-374/96018
cc w/ encl:
T. J. Maiman, Senior Vice President
Nuclear Operations Division
D. A. Sager, Vice President,
Generation Support
H. W. Keiser, Chief Nuclear
Operating Officer
D. J. Ray, Station Manager
J. Burns, Regulatory Assurance
Supervisor
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l. Johnson, Acting Nuclear
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Regulatory Services Manager
Richard Hubbard
Nathan Schloss, Economist
Office of the Attorney General
State Liaison Officer
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Chairman, Illinois Commerce
Commission
Document Control Desk-Licensing
Distribution:
Docket File w/enci
DRP w/enct
PUBLIC IE-01 w/enct
Rlli PRR w/ encl
OC/LFDCB w/enci
SRI LaSalle, Dresden,
CAA1 w/enci (E- mail)
Quad Cities w/ encl
Project Manager, NRR w/ encl
A. B. Beach, w/enci
RAC1 (E- Mail)
W. L. Axelson, w/enci
,
Rlli Enf. Coordinator, w/ encl
DRS (3) w/enct
TSS w/enci
J. Lieberman, OE w/encI
J. Goldberg, OGC w/enci
R. Zimmerman, NRR w/enci
DOCtMENT NAME: R : \\ I NSPRPTS \\ POWERS \\LASA\\LA596018.DRP
To receive a copy of this document. Indicate in the box "C* = Copy without attach /enci *E" - Copy with attach /enci
"N" =
No copy
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OFFICIAL RECORD COPY