ML20140B224
| ML20140B224 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Calvert Cliffs  |
| Issue date: | 05/29/1997 |
| From: | Hehl C NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Cruse C BALTIMORE GAS & ELECTRIC CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20140B228 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-317-97-02, 50-317-97-2, 50-318-97-02, 50-318-97-2, EA-97-192, NUDOCS 9706060109 | |
| Download: ML20140B224 (4) | |
See also: IR 05000317/1997002
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May 29, 1997
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Mr. Charles H. Cruse
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Vice President - Nuclear Energy
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE)
Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant
1650 Calvert Cliffs Parkway
Lusby, MD 20657 -4702
SUBJECT:
NRC REGION I INTEGRATED INSPECTION REPORT NOS. 50-317/97-02
AND 50-318/97-02 AND NOTICE OF VIOLATION
Dear Mr. Cruse:
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This refers to the inspection conducted at the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant from
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March 2,1997 to April 12,1997 and on April 24,1997. The enclosed report presents the
results of the inspection. At the conclusion of the inspection, these findings were
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discussed with Mr. Katz and others of your staff.
Based on the results of this inspection, the NRC has determined that a violation of NRC
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requirements occurred. This violation is cited in the enclosed Notice of Violation (Notice)
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and the circumstances surrounding the issue are described in detail in Section E1.4 of the
enclosed inspection report. The violation concerns inadequate corrective actions following
identification of degraded conditions for one of the Unit 1 power operated relief valve block
valves.
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You are required to respond to the enclosed Notice and should follow the instructions
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specified in the Notice when preparing your response. in your response, you should
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document the specific actions taken and include any additional actions you plan to prevent
recurrence. Your response may reference or include previous docketed correspondence, if
the correspondence adequately addresses the required response. After reviewing your
response to the Notice, including your proposed corrective actions and the results of future
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inspections, the NRC will determine whether further NRC enforcement action is necessary
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to ensure compliance with NRC regulatory requirements.
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in addition, several apparent violations were identified that are being considered for
escalated enforcement action in accordance with the " General Statement of Policy and
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Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions" (Enforcement Policy), NUREG-1600. As
described below, the apparent violations involve the series of problems identified during
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fuel handling operations, and control of high radiation area access including the failure to
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effectively control diving activities in the Unit 2 spent fuel storage pool.
The fuel handling problems included the poor material condition of the fuel handling
equipment, operation of the refueling equipment contrary to the Technical Specification
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Charles H. Cruse
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requirements, failure to use engineering drawings during troubleshooting, and the failure to
follow fuel handling procedures.
On April 3,1997, your staff failed to effectively control diving activities in the Unit 2 spent
fuel storage pool and as a result, a diver moved from a comprehensively surveyed area at
the south end of the pool to unsurveyed areas at the north end of the pool. The diver
sustained an unplanned exposure. Although no exposure in excess of regulatory limits is
believed to have occurred, we are concerned that sufficient measures were not employed
to provide positive contrnt of this activity which involved very high levels of radiation.
Specifically, due to insufficient controls, including inadequate pre-job planning and
communication, and lack of positive surveillance, the individual inadvertently came in close
proximity to radiation fields in excess of 500 rads per hour.
During the inspection period, we also noted a failure to control access to the Unit 2
containment, a high radiation area, via the emergency airlock, and a failure to properly
document the problem in the corrective action system. Additionally, on May 1,1997, a
worker performed maintenance for over one hour in a locked high radiation area inside the
Unit 2 containment without any dosimetry. Subsequently, on May 4, two workers
inadvertently gained access to a high radiation area during the construction of scaffolding
in the Unit 2 auxilian :uilding. Although the last two problems occurred outside the
inspection period, those issues, in conjunction with the loss of control of the diver, were
considered to reflect an apparent breakdown in the applied radiation protection program,
specifically the control of high radiation area access at Calvert Cliffs.
Accordingly, no Notice of Violation is presently being issued for these inspection findings.
In addition, 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.
A predecisional enforcement conference to discuss these apparent violations has been
scheduled for June 12,1997 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
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 expect you to address the apparent lack of
effective management oversight in both fuel handling and high radiation area access
control, including the May 1 and May 4 high radiation area access problems, as well as the
effectiveness of your corrective action processes in identifying and correcting problems in
these areas, in addition, the conference 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 violations, 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.
You will be advised by separate correspondence of the results of our deliberations on these
matters. No response regarding these apparent violations is required at this time.
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Charles H. Cruse
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In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter,
its en::losures, and your response will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR).
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Sincerely,
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Original Signed by:
Larry Nicholson for
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Charles W. Hehl, Director
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Division of Reactor Projects
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Docket / License Nos:
50-317/DPR-53
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50-318/DPR-69
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Enclosures:
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NRC Region I integrated Inspection Report Nos. 50-317/97-02
and 50-318/97-02
cc w/encls:
T. Pritchett, Director, Nuclear Regulatory Matters (CCNPP)
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R. McLean, Administrator, Nuclear Evaluations
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J. Walter, Engineering Division, Public Service Commission of Maryland
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K. Burger, Esquire, Maryland People's Counsel
R. Ochs, Maryland Safe Energy Coalition
State of Maryland (2)
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Charles H. Cruse
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Distribution w/encis:
W. Axelson, DRA
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D. Screnci, PAO
R. Zimmerman, ADPR, NRR
J. Goldberg, OGC
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J. Lieberman, OE (OEMAIL)
D. Holody, EO, RI
Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)
PUBLIC
NRC Resident inspector
Region i Docket Room (with concurrences)
R. Correia, NRR
F. Talbot, NRR
L. Cunningham, NRR
D. Barss, NRR
L. Doerflein, DRP
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J. White, DRS
T. Moslak, DRP'
R. Junod, DRP
Distribution w/ encl: (VIA E-MAIL)
W. Dean, OEDO (WMD)
S. Stewart - Calvert Cliffs
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S. Bajwa, NRR
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A. Dromerick, NRR
G. Vissing, NRR
M. Campion, RI
Inspection Program Branch, NRR (IPAS)
DOCDESK
DOCUMENT NAME: G:\\ BRANCH 1\\CC9702.lR
To r:ceive a copy of this document, indicate in the box: "C" = Copy without attachment / enclosure
"E" =
Copy with attachment / enclosure
"N" = No copy
OFFICE
Rl/DRP
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Rl/DRP
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Rl/DRP/ h
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NAME
SStewart ,y$ b
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LDoerflein blT4/
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DATE
05/27/97
ll #' 05/
/97
05/21/97
05 0 /97
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OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
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