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Forwards Special Insp Rept 50-333/97-03 on 970304-13 Re Inadvertent CR Withdrawal Event Resulting from Human Error at Plant Npp.Apparent Violation Identified & Being Considered for Escalated EA
	ML20137W732
Person / Time
Site:	FitzPatrick
Issue date:	04/14/1997
From:	Hehl C; NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:	Michael Colomb; POWER AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK (NEW YORK
Shared Package
ML20137W736	List: ML20137W732; ML20137W745;
References
	EA-97-118, NUDOCS 9704180201
	Download: ML20137W732 (6)
	v • d • e

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April 14, 1997
EA No. 97-118
Michael J. Colomb
Site Executive Officer
New York Power Authority
James A. FitzPatrick Power Plant
Post Office Box 41
Lycoming, NY 13093
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SUBJECT: NRC SPECIAL INSPECTION 50-333/97-03
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Dear Mr. Colomb-
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On March 14,1989 the NRC completed a special inspection of an inadvertent control rod
withdrawal event which was the result of human error at your FitzPatrick Power Plant.
The enclosed report presents the results of that inspection.
In this event, a licensed reactor operator withdrew a control rod without following
established station procedures. Additionally, the control room supervisor, a licensed senior
reactor operator, granted permission for this activity while procedures require the shift
manager to grant permission for this evolution. The cause of this event was inattention to
detail and failing to control the activity per established station procedures. This event is
similar to several past events in that personnel involved failed to consider the
consequences of their actions prior to conducting an evolution. These types of errors
indicate an operating environment where a questioning attitude is not consistently a part of
station practices. It also reflects an informality in the conduct of control room activities.
The NRC is concerned about the continued significant personnel errors and the significance
of these errors which have occurred at your plant. For example, three incorrect control
rod drives were removed during the last refueling outage. In September 1996, an
automatic reactor scram was initiated during improper relay calibration. Operator errors
and performance weaknesses were evident during this event as reflected in operators
transferring the Reactor Protection System (RPS) buses to alternate power supplies that
were de-energized, in spite of clear indication that the buses were energized and the
alternate power supply was not powered. In each of these events, personnel failed to

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       exercise sound decision making and a questioning attitude.
       Based on the results of this inspection, an apparent violation was identified and is being
       considered for escalated enforcement action in accordance with the " General Statement of
       Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions" (Enforcement Policy), NUREG-1600.
                                                                                                     ;j
       Accordingly, no Notice of Violation is presently being issued for these inspection findings.     }
       In addition, please be advised that the number and characterization of the apparent
       violation described in the enclosed inspection report may change as a result of further NRC
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       review.
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             1S0020                         0FFICIAL RECORD COPY

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        Michael J. Colomb                                   2
        A predecisional enforcement conference to discuss this apparent violation has been
        scheduled for May 6,1997 at 10:00 a.m. The decision to hold a predecisional
        enforcement conference does not mean that the NRC has determined that a violation has
        occurred or that enforcement action will be taken. This conference is being held to obtain

4 information to enable the NRC to make an enforcement decision, such as a common

        understanding of the facts, root causes, missed opportunities to identify the apparent

violation sooner, corrective actions, significance of the issues and the need for lasting and

        effective corrective action, in particular, we request that you also discuss your evaluation
        of other similar events to the March 3rd issue, most particularly the human performance

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        issues noted during the September 16,1996, reactor scram, and your plans for preventing
        such events in the future. We understand that you recently completed a human
        performance review and are in the process of implementing corrective actions for identified
        problems. The purpose of the conference, in part, will be to understand the results of your
        review and corrective actions to address this problem. in addition, this is an opportunity
        for you to point out any errors in our inspection report and for you to provide any
        information concerning your perspectives on 1) the severity of the violation (s), 2) the
        application of the factors that the NRC considers when it determines the amount of a civil
        penalty that may be assessed in accordance with Section VI.B.2 of the Enforcement Policy,

. and 3) any other application of the Enforcement Policy to this case, including the exercise

        of discretion in accordance with Section Vll.

! This conference will be open to public observation. You will be advised by separate

        correspondence of the results of our deliberations on this matter. No response regarding
        the apparent violation is required at this time.

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         In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter
         and its enclosures will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.
                                                     Sir.cerely,
                                                     Original Signed by:
                                                     Charles W. Hehl, Director
                                                     Division of Reactor Projects
         Docket No.: 50-333
         License No.: DPR-59
         Enclosure:      Inspection Report 50-333/97-03
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   Michael J. Colomb                                  3

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cc w/ encl:
C. D. Rappleyea, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer i
R. Schoenberger, President and Chief Operating Officer i
J. Knubel, Chief Nuclear Officer I
H. P. Salmon, Jr., Vice President of Nuclear Operations
W. Josiger, Vice President - Engineering and Project Management
J. Kelly, Vice President - Regulatory Affairs and Special Projects
T. Dougherty, Vice President - Nuclear Engineering
R. Deasy, Vice President - Appraisal and Compliance Services
R. Patch, Director - Quality Assurance
G. C. Goldstein, Assistant General Counsel
C. D. Faison, Director, Nuclear Licensing
K. Peters, Licensing Manager
T. Morra, Executive Chair, Four County Nuclear Safety Committee
Supervisor, Town of Scriba
C. Donaldson, Esquire, Assistant Attorney General, New York Department of Law l
P. Eddy, Director, Electric Division, Department of Public Service, State of
New York
C. Jackson, Manager, Nuclear Licensing & Safety, Consolidated Edison ;
G. T. Goering, Consultant, New York Power Authority
'
J. E. Gagliardo, Consultant, New York Power Authority
E. S. Beckjord, Consultant, New York Power Authority
F. William Valentino, President, New York State Energy Research
ai.d Development Authority
J. Spath, Program Director, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

                                 -- .              -       .      _ - - - -          . -           - -.       ,    --            --            .-           .  - . . .
   .

4 4 J

                     Michael J. Colomb                                                         4                                                                       ,

, Distribution w/ encl:

                     W. Axelson, DRA
                     R. Zimmerman, ADPR, NRR

I

                     J. Goldberg, OGC
                     J. Lieberman, OE                                                                                                                                  ,

D. Holody, EO

, D. Screnci, PAO

                     Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)

i PUBLIC I NRC Resident inspector

Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)

I '

                     R. Correia, NRR
                     D. R. Taylor, NRR

L. Cunningham, NRR

1

                     D. Barss, NRR

, C. Cowgill, DRP

                     R. Barkley, DRP

3

                     R. Junod, DRP

i

Distribution w/ encl: NIA E-MAILJ

l W. Dean, OEDO (WMD)

                     S. Bajwa, NRR
                     K. Cotton, NRR

D. Hood, NRR

! M. Campion, RI '

                     R. Correia, NRR (RPC)

i R. Frahm, Jr., NRR (RKF) , Inspection Program Branch, NRR (IPAS) i

i i

i

i DOCUMENT NAME: G:\ BRANCH 2\lR97-03.ENF q Ts receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box: "C" = Copy without attachment / enclosure "E" = Copy with ettschment/ enclosure 'N" = No copy ] OFFICE Rl/DRP y//]/ Rl/ ORA g Rl/DRP ///L- l Rl/DRP ./ i NAME, GHunegs (/ffy DHolodyC CCowgill' CFj$k)N d DATijV(jf 04////97 ' 04/g /97 04/;/97f 04//pl97

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      New York Power Authority                     4
      Distribution w/enet:
      D. Screnci, PAO
      Nuclear Safety information Center (NSIC)
      PUBLIC
      NRC Resident inspector
      Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)                     '
      R. Barkley, DRP
      R. Junod, DRP
      W. Axelson, DRA
      Distribution w/ encl: (VIA E-MAIL)
      W. Dean, OEDO (WMD)
      K. Cotton, NRR
      M. Campion, RI
      R. Correia, NRR (RPC)
      R. Frahm, Jr., NRR (RKF)                                     )
      Inspection Program Branch, NRR (IPAS)
                                                              .
                                                                .
                                                                   l
      G:\ BRANCH 2\lR97-03.FRI
        OFFICE         Rl/DRP             Rl/DRP         Rl/DRP
        NAME           GHuhgp/gSB for     CCowgill   .
                                                       , WHehl
        DATE             [hjf, 3[2-4f// [[I 3jhIk7
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                         Michael J. Colomb                                                           4

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                         Distribution w/encisj,                                                                                                                                                a
                         W. Axelson, DRA                                                                                                                                                       >

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                         R. Zimmerman, ADPR, NRR

.i J. Goldberg, OGC j' J. Lieberman, OE

                         D. Holody, EO

4 D. Screnci, PAO i Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC) -

1 PUBLIC '

                         NRC Resident inspector
                         Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)

l R. Barkley, DRP J

R. Junod, DRP l

                         W. Axelson, DRA

'

. D. Holody, EO .

                         R. Correia, NRR                                                                                                                                                          i

'-

                         D. R. Taylor, NRR

L. Cunningham, NRR

'

                         D. Barss, NRR

i } Distribution w/encis: (VIA E-MAIL) I

j W. Dean, OEDO (WMD)

'

                         S. Bajwa, NRR

3

                         K. Cotton, NRR

j D. Hood, NRR i M. Campion, RI l R. Correia, NRR (RPC) i R. Frahm, Jr., NRR (RKF) ! Inspection Program Branch, NRR (IPAS)

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         DOCUMENT NAME: G:\ BRANCH 2\lR97-03.FRI                                                                                                                                                  ,
          ' Son previous concurrences
         to rec.ive a copy of this document, Indipate in the boa: 'C" = Copy without attachment / enclosure            "E" = Copy with attachment / enclosure             'N' = No copy
            OFFICE         *Rl/DRP // /g                      * Rl/DRP/g,                 Rl/DRP                                                                                               j
            NAME           GHunegs //'~                       CCowgill i                  CHehl
            DATE           03/A, /97                          03p f/97                    03/ /97
                                                                              OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
                                                                                                                                                                                                   l
                                                                                                       - _                 -               _             __ _             ._. ___ _. __. ._.

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ML20137W732

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