ML20138M187

EN-97-006:on 970123,notice of Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalty in Amount of $50,000 Issued to Licensee.Action Based on Severity Level III Violation Involving Unreviewed Safety Question (USQ)

ML20138M187
Person / Time
Site:	Prairie Island
Issue date:	01/17/1997
From:	Beach B, Beverly Clayton NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:
References
EA-96-402, EN-97-006, EN-97-6, NUDOCS 9702250291
Download: ML20138M187 (1)

Text

• January 17. 1997 EN 97-006 OFFICE OF ENFORCEMENT

, NOTIFICATION OF SIGNIFICANT ENFORCEMENT ACTION Licensee: Northern States Power Company EA 96-402 Prairie Island Docket Nos. 50-282. 50-306 Sub.iect: PROPOSED IMPOSITION OF CIVIL PENALTY - $50,000 This is to inform the Commission that a Notice of Violation and Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalty in the amount of $50,000 will be issued on or about January 23. 1997, to Northern States Power Company. This action is based on a Severity Level III violation involving an unreviewed safety question (USQL The US0 was created by the licensee when they took credit for the use of a non-seismic intake canal and manual operator action in an evaluation performed to address the failure of the emergency intake line to meet the FSAR design basis requirement. The use of operator action to meet the requirements of the FSAR created a US0 because it introduced the potential for creating an accident or malfunction of a type different than evaluated previously in the FSAR. The use of the non-seismic intake canal introduced the potential for increasing the probability of the consequences of the accident. Because this was the first escalated enforcement action within the last 2 years, the staff considered whether credit was warranted for corrective action. The staff concluded that credit was not warranted for corrective action because the licensee's immediate corrective actions were not timely and NRC intervention was required to cause the licensee to perform the necessary operability determination. Consideration of these factors resulted in the civil penalty being assessed at $50,000. '

It should be noted that the licensee has not been specifically informed of the enforcement action. The schedule of issuance and notification is:

Mailing of Notice January 23, 1997 Telephone Notification of Licensee January 23, 1997 The State of Minnesota will be notified.

The licensee has thirty days from the date of the Notice in which to respond.

Following NRC evaluation of the response, the civil penalty may be remitted, mitigated, or imposed by Order.

Contacts: BClayton. EICS-RIII. 603-829-9666: BBeach. RA-RIII. 603-829-9657 Distribution OWFN OWFN TWFN Regional Offices Chairman Jackson EDO OC RI RIV Comm. Rogers DEDR AEOD RII WCF0 Comm. Dicus DEDO OP CTR RIII Comm. Diaz OE NMSS Comm. McGaffigan OGC IRM MAIL OCA NRR OIG NUDOCS GPA 01 RES PDR SECY SP ACRS IP PRELIMINARY INFORMATION - NOT FOR PUBLIC DISCLOSURE UNTIL VERIFICATION THAT LICENSEE HAS RECEIVED ACTION O

9702250291 970117 PDR I&E \ \\

O\

EN-97-OO6 PDR