ML20138J386

Discusses Insp Repts 50-424/97-01 & 50-425/97-02 on 970210-0307 & Forwards Notice of Violation

ML20138J386
Person / Time
Site:	Vogtle
Issue date:	04/25/1997
From:	Jaudon J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
To:	Mccoy C SOUTHERN NUCLEAR OPERATING CO.
Shared Package
ML20138J391	List: ML20138J386 ML20138J416
References
50-424-97-02, 50-424-97-2, 50-425-97-02, 50-425-97-2, EA-97-129, NUDOCS 9705080190
Download: ML20138J386 (5)

See also: IR 05000424/1997001

Text

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April 25,1997

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EA 97-129

Southern Nuclear Operating Company. Inc.

ATTN: Mr. C. K. McCoy

Vice President

Vogtle Electric Generating Plant

P. O. Box 1295

Birmingham, AL 35201

SUBJECT: NOTICE OF VIOLATION

(NRC INSPECTION REPORT NOS. 50 424/97-02 and 50-425/97 02)

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Dear Mr. McCoy: ~

This refers to an inspection conducted on February 10-14. and March 3 7, 1997,

at the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant. The subject inspection included a

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review of the circumstances associated with a radioactive material package

prepared for shipment at your site, and when surveyed subsequent to its

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arrival at a vendor facility, had external surface radiation levels exceeding

10 millisieverts aer hour (mSv/hr), i.e., 1000 millirem per hour (mrem /hr)  ;

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contrary to 49 CF1 173.475. The package was part of aa October 23, 1996 -

exclusive-use, closed transport vehicle shipment which was received at a

vendor facility on October 25, 1996. On October 29, 1996, the vendor

identified that the package dose rate measurements exceeded regulatory limits.

The subject inspection report which identified this transportation issue as an

apparent violation, was transmitted to you by letter dated March 27, 1997. An

open, predecisional enforcement conference was conducted in the Region II

office on April 18, 1997, to discuss the apparent violation, the root causes, .

. and your corrective actions to preclude recurrence. A list of conference

attendees, and all presentation material used during the conference are

enclosed.

Based on the information developed during the inspection and the information

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you and your staff provided during the conference, the NRC has determined that

a violation of NRC requirements occurred. The violation is cited in the

enclosed Notice of Violation (Notice) and the circumstances surrounding it are

described in detail in the subject inspection report. Based on the details

associated with the event, we consider the actual and potential safety

consequences of the violation to be minimal. Only one package within the

exclusive use shipment exceeded the surface dose rate limits when surveyed at

the vendor facility. When originally shipped, the subject package wa:;

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positioned such that other packages provided shielding. Further, all

transport vehicle dose rates were within regulatory limits when dispatched

j from your facility and upon its arrival at the vendor facility. We are

concerned that the violation resulted from the failure to properly clean and

decontaminate items being processed for shipment and conduct adequate

radiological surveys of equipment removed from the s)ent fuel pool. Your

initial and proposed corrective actions including enlanced training, upgrades

to cleanliness procedures and evaluation of additional shielding for materials

removed from the spent fuel pool and prepared for shipment are considered

appropriate. (

9705080190 970425

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SNC, Inc. 2 ,

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You are required to respond to this letter and should follow the instructions ;

specified in the enclosed Notice when preparing you response. In your

response you should document the specific actions taken and any additional

actions you plan to prevent recurrence. After reviewing your response to this

Notice, including your proposed corrective actions and the results of future

inspections, the NRC will determine whether further NRC enforcement action is

necessary to ensure compliance with NRC regulatory requirements.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of

this letter, its enclotures, and your response will be placed in the NRC

Public Document Room (PDR). To the extent possible, your response should not

include any aersonal privacy, or proarietary, or safeguards information so

that it can 3e placed in the PDR wit 1out redactions

Sincerely,  !

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(Original signed by J. P. Jaudon)

Johns P. Jaudon. Director i

Division of Reactor Safety

Docket Nos. 50 424, 50 425

License Nos. NPF 68. NPF 81

Enclosures: 1. Notice of Violation

2. List of Conference Attendees

3. NRC Slides j

4. Licensee Slides  ;

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cc w/ encl

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J. D. Woodard i

Senior Vice President

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Southern Nuclear Operating Co., Inc.

P. O. Box 1295

Birmingham, AL 35201

J. B. Beasley

General Manager, Plant Vogtle

Southern Nuclear Operating Co. , Inc.

P. O. Box 1600

Waynesboro, GA 30830

J. A. Bailey

Manager Licensing

Southern Nuclear Operating Co., Inc.

P. 0. Box 1295

Birmingham AL 35201

cc w/encls cont'd: See page 2

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SNC, Inc. 3

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, cc w/encls cont'd:

Jim Hurt, Director '

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Consumers' Utility Counsel Division

! Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs

? 2 M. L. King, Jr. Drive

s Plaza Level - East: Suite 356 1

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Atlanta, GA 30334 4600 l

Office of Planning and Budget

Room 6158

270 Washington Street, SW l

I Atlanta, GA 30334

Office of the County Commissioner

Burke County Commission

Waynesboro, GA 30830 j

Harold Reheis Directcr

Department of Natural Resources l

205 Butler Street, SE, Suite 1252

Atlanta, GA 30334

Thomas Hill, Manager

Radioactive Materials Program

Department of Natural Resources

4244 International Parkway

Suite 114

Atlanta, GA 30354

Attorney General

Law Department

132 Judicial Building

Atlanta, GA 30334

Thomas P. Mozingo

Manager of Nuclear Operations

Oglethorx Power Corporation

2100 E. Exchange Place

Tucker, GA 30085-1349

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Charles A. Patrizia. Esq.

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker

10th Floor

1299 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington, D. C. 20004-9500  !

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Steven M. Jackson l

Senior Engineer - Power Supply

Municipal Electric Authority  !

of GeorSia

1470 Riveredge Parkway NW

Atlanta, CA 30328 4684

Distribution w/encls: See page 4

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l SNC, Inc. 4

l Distribution w/encls:

J. Lieberman, OE

B. Summers. OE:EA' file (2 LTRHD)

N. Hamish, OE

E. Easton, NMSS

i G. Cook, NMSS

i L. Wheeler, NRR

P. Skinner, RII

. A. Boland, RII

! R. Carrion, RII

i W. P. Kleinsorge, RII

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PUBLIC

NRC Senior Resident Inspector

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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

8805 River Road

Waynesboro, GA 30830

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• FOR PREVIOUS CONCURRENCE SEE ATTACHED PAGE

OFFICE Rff:DR$* Pff DRS* P11:DRP* Rff ffCS* Rit:ffCS* Rff:M A*

l SIGNATURE

NAME GKulo KBarr PSkinner ABoland Buryc CEvans

MTE 04 / / 97 N/ / 97 04 / / 97 04 / / 97 04 / / 97 04 / / 97

COPY 1 YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES N0

4 0FFICIAL RECORD COPY 000UMENT NAME G:\RPI5\970iNOV.VEG

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SNC, Inc. 4

$4MMcCS -

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Di ribution w/encls:

Lieberman, OE

J.(&==, OE:EA file (2 LTRHD)

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B.

N. Hamish, OE

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E. Easton, NMSS

G. Cook, NHSS

L. Wheeler, NRF,

P. Skinner, RII

A. Boland, RII

R. Carrion, RII ,

W. P. Kleinsorge, RII  :

PUBLIC

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NRC Senior Resident Inspector

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

8805 River Road

Waynesboro, GA 30830

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ortfCE Rif:0RS Rff:0Rs / Rif:0RP Ril:ETCS . Rff:ffCS PIf ORA

SICAATURE [ h

NAME o KBakr) .

PSkinner A8olag BL CEvans

DATE 04 /$1 / 97 04 / 97 04 / 7 k / _97 / / 97 4 /h / 97 04,lf / 97

COPY? h NO [YES/ NO YES (ho) / YES N0 fEh NO

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[fES) NO

UttlCIAL RECORD COPY DOCUMENT NAMi G:\RPI5\970lNOV.VEG

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