ML20138K162
| ML20138K162 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Clinton  |
| Issue date: | 05/05/1997 |
| From: | Caldwell J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Connell W ILLINOIS POWER CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20138K166 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-461-97-03, 50-461-97-3, EA-97-132, NUDOCS 9705120200 | |
| Download: ML20138K162 (5) | |
See also: IR 05000461/1997003
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! i May 5, 1997 EA 97132 ' 1 l i Mr. W. Connell -{ Vice President Clinton Power. Station. i lilinois Power Company i Mail Code V-275 i P.O. Box 670 Clintnn, IL 61727l . . SUBJECT: .NRC ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT (E&TS) AND STARTUP 1 READINESS INSPECTION REPORT 50 461/97003(DRS) AND NOTICE OF VIOLATION ) Dear Mr. Connoll: On March 7,199'7, the NRC cornpleted an inspection at your Clinton reactor facility. The I enclosed report presents the results of that inspection. ,,
The areas examined during the inspection are identified in the report. Within these areas, I the inspection consisted of a selective examination of design documents, ~ procedures and i representative records, interviews'with personnel, observations of actividas in progress and review of Clinton Startup Readiness Action Flan irnplementation. The purpose of the inspection was to determine whether activities authorired by your license were conducted i safely and in accordance inith NRC requirements. ' The team determined that significant problems existed in several engineering and maintenance related technical areas and practices. Examples included: inadequate engineering and maintenance practices in maintaining 480V,4.16kV and 6.9kV electrical breakers in good operating'conditian; failure to follow procedures and a 10 CFR 50.59 ' safety evaluation process that veas not, in all cases, effective iri emuring proper safety , ' evaluations were performed. Additionally, we found weaknesses in your modification and + design control process, post modification and surveillance testing program, trending of equipment' and system pellermance, tracking of industry informaticn, engineering prioritization of work and work control, self-assessments, engineering related audits and operability evaluations. Oversight of the above engineering activities was considered weak. Because of these problems, we are concemed with both the short and long term operability of the breakers discussed above. The team was particularly concerned that ! 480V,4.16kV and 6.9kV braakers were neither adequately maintained nor were breaker related problems always documented on condition reports, trended, and evaluated by f 120032 NN@I[Ej!E \\ " 9705120200 970505 . PDR ADOCK 0500S461 G F11R L __
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, W. Connell 2 tiay 5,1997 engineuring for potentia: common mode failures such as the hardened grease found in various breakers. These problems represent significant deficiencies in the execution of some engineering and maintenance activities. Your close and immediate attention to these problerns is warranted. Based on the resuhs of this inspection, four violations of NRC requirements wero identified. These violations are cited in the enclosed Notice of Violation (Notice) and the circumstances surrounding them am described in detailin the subject inspection report. , 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 enforcon.ent action is necessary to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. In addition, two apparent violations were identified and are being considered for escalated ' enforcement action in accordance with the " General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions" (Enforcement Policy), NUREG-1600. One apparent violation involved failure to take prompt and appropriate corrective action to address recurring examples of hard/ hardening grease in 480V,4.16kV and 6.9kV electrical breakers. This resulted in the binding of various breaker components and the failures of safety-related and ' critical non-safety-related breakers to operate during testing and on demand. The second apparent violation involved failure to establish adequate measures to ensure that only approved and authorized lubricants and cleaning compounds were used to clean and lubricate electrical breaker components. Consequently, unapproved and non-standard lubricants and cleaning compounds were used on the breakers which may have contributed to hardened grease in the breaker components. Accordingly, no Notice of Violation is presently being issued for the inspection findings in the two apparent violations being considered for escalated enforcement action. In addition, please be advised that the number and characterization of the apparent violations described in the enclosed inspection report may change as a result of NRC review. An open pre-decisional enforcement conference to discuss these apparent violations has been scheduled for Thursday, May 15,1997, at 1:00 p.m. The decision to hold a pre- f decisional 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 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 violations sooner, corrective actions, significance of the issues, and the need for lasting and effectivo corrective actions. In particular, we expect you to address any extenuating circumstances that led to the breaker and lubrication problems depicted in the apparent violations noted above and your short and long term corrective actions planned and accomplished to address these concerns. i b , . , . . . .
q l N a y - ,, -v- h W. Connell 3 flay 5,1997 a j in addition, this is an opportunity for you to coint out eny errors in our inspection report r,nd for you to provide any information concerning your perspectives on: (1) the severity M the violations; (2) the application of the factors that the NRC nonsiders when it doterrnines the amount of the civi, penalty that may be assessed in accordance with pl Section VI.E.2 of the Enforcement Policy; and (3) any cther application of the Enforcement / Pdicy to this caso, including exercise of dincretion in accordance with Section Vll. t q. Foiiowin0 the ccnference, you wi!! be advised in separate correspondence of the results of our deliberations on the apparent violations. Therefnre, no response regarding these apparant viohtior';S is required at this time, in accordance with 10 CIR 2.790 of the Commission's regulations, a copy of this letter, its enclosures, and your response tc this letter will be placed in the NRC Fublic Document Room, s We wJi gladly discuss any questions you ha.e concerning this inspection. Sincere!y, ,- /s/ Cynthia 0. Pederson (for) Jenas L. Celdwell, Director Dwicion of Reactor Projects Docket No. 50 461 Ucanso No. NPF-62 iinc!osures: 1 Nctice of Viciation 2. Inspection Report 50-401/97003(DRS) See Attached Di4Rjhujien . SEE ATTACHED CONCURREftCEjl , , DOCUMENT NAME G:\\DRS\\CLl27003.DRD , To etedve a copy of this domment, Indicate in We box: "C" = Copy w/o httachru t/nnelosuyo *E" 4 Cogwith attachment /enciev.] *N" No copy OFFICE Rill:DRS [6- Rill:DRS l RIP:'>n8/ j Rlll:EIC8 ig fjll:3RP l4 Falevits/kjQ7 Ring /Gardner JGyitt7k,,'i/ NAME l ~ ~ Clayton 4 (Aaldwell U ,?AI5 AI _bb, 97 f 97 ~~ g o_ /l l97 ~ _ }}f9 ,_ O - _ TFFI?!IALNLORD COPY _ , , _ _ + + c . . .-
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1 l. Following the conference, you will be advised in separate correspondence of the results of i our deliberations on the apparent violations. Therefore, no response regarding these l apparent violations is required at this time: In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the Commission's regulations, a copy of this letter, its enclosures, and your response to this letter will be placed in the NRC Public Document j Room. l We will gladly discuss any questions you have concerning this inspection. ! I Sincerely, i ' i James L. Caldwell, Director i Division of Reactor Projects Docket No. 50-461 ' License No. NPF-62 1 i
Enclosures: 1. Notice of Violation ! 2. Inspection Report 50-461/97003(DRS) ! cc w/encis: W. D. Romberg, Assistant Vice President ' P. Yocum, Plant Manager, Clinton Power Station a R. Phares, Manager, Nuclear Assessment j P. J. Telthorst, Director - Licensing ' Nathen Schloss, Economist, Office of the Attorney General , K. K. Berry, Licensing Services Manager i } General Electric Company i Chairman, DeWitt County Board State Lia: son Officer j , , Chairman, Illinois Comrnerce Commission ^ a l Qjsgjibyling.: Dncket File.,wlenci SRis, Clinton, Rill Enf. Coordinator w/enci ' 70sbc'te4?41/enci cresden, LaSalie, TSS w/enci '
~' OC/LFDCB w/ encl Cuad Cities w/ encl CAA1 w/ encl DRP w/enct LPM, NRR w/enet J. Lieberman, OE w/enci j DRS w/ encl A. B. Beach, Rill w/encI J. Goldberg, OGC w/enci Rill PRR w/enci C. D. Pederson, Rlli w/enci R. Zimmerman, NRR w/ encl j i ! DOCUMENT NAME: G:\\DRS\\CU97003.DRS lyle a copg thle document ingtgtgbox: "c" = Copy w/o attachment / enclosure "E" = Copy with attachment / enclosure *N" = No cg T OFFICE Rlli:DRS l E Rill:DRS lG Bill:DRP ~ l l Rlli:EICS Rlli:DRP W/}/IE Felevits/kje y Ring /GardEer9Fi Wright Clayton Caldwell ~ , , DATE 04/24/97 04/3dG7 04/ /97 04/ /97 04/ /97 l 8FiCIAL REMRD COPY ! ' < . -
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, T ) i . cc w/encis: - W. D. Romberg, Assistant Vice President j n '
P. Yocum, Plant Man'.1ger, Clinton Power Station ' ' - R. Phares, Manager, Nuclear Assessment
P. J. Telthorst, Director Licensing
1 Nathan Schloss, Economist, s l Office of the Attoinoy General K. K. Berry, Licensing Services Manager - l . General Electric Company . l. Chairman, DeWitt County Board ll State Liaison Officer ! Chairrnari, Illinois Commerce Commission QilttibM1[QQ: ! Docket File w/ encl SRis, Clinton, Rill Enf. Coordinator w/onci PUBLIC IE-01 w/enci Dresden, LaSalle, TSS w/enci L. 'OC/LFDCB w/onci Guad Cities w/enct CAA1 w/enct L H.- DRP w/enci LPM, NRR w/enci J. Lloberman, OE w/enci DRS w/ encl A. B. Beach, Rlil w/enci J. Goldberg, OGC w/enci l > Rill PRR w/enci C D. Pederson, R!li w/enci R. Zimmstman, NRR w/onci <, , >
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