ML20140B779

Forwards Insp Repts 50-454/97-05 & 50-455/97-05 on 970314- 0501 & Notice of Violation.Predecisional Enforcement Conference Scheduled for 970620 to Discuss Violations

ML20140B779
Person / Time
Site:	Byron
Issue date:	05/28/1997
From:	Grant G NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:	Graesser K COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO.
Shared Package
ML20140B786	List: ML20140B779 ML20140B798 ML20140B803
References
50-454-97-05, 50-454-97-5, 50-455-97-05, 50-455-97-5, EA-97-200, NUDOCS 9706060321
Download: ML20140B779 (5)

See also: IR 05000454/1997005

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May 28, 1997 J

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EA 97-200 I

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- Mr.' K. Graesser

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Site Vice President

Byron Station  !

Commonwealth Edison Company j

- 4450 N. German Church Road i

Byron, IL 61010

SUBJECT: NRC INSPECTION REPORT 50-454/97005(DRP); 50-455/97005(DRP) AND  :

NOTICE OF VIOLATION l

Dear Mr. Graesser:

. On May 1,1997, the NRC completed an inspection at your Byron 1 & 2 reactor facilities.

LThe enclosed report presents the inspection results.

1 On March 15,1997, after a Unit 2 shutdown, you identified that the containment floor

drains were plugged. 'On March 17,1997, the blockage in the flow control box was .

cleared and the floor drain system declared operable after an operability assessment was

performed to evaluate the missing or modified drain grates. This operability assessment

allowed Unit 2 to start-up with a known deficiency. We reviewed the actions of your ,

staff, including engineering, operations, and maintenance. We also reviewed the licensee  !

event report (LER) you submitted documenting the event.

Based on the results of this inspection, four apparent violations of NRC requirements were .

identified and are being considered for escalated enforcement action in accordance with l

the " General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions" I

(Enforcement Policy), NUREG-1600.

The floor drain system was apparently inoperable for greater thaa 5 months, a significant

deviation from technical specification requirements and an apparent v',olation. Operators

- had an opportunity to identify the inoperable floor drain system during periodic shifts of i

the reactor containment fan coolers (RCFCs). The RCFCs cause a characteristic recorder j

trace due to condensation drainage, the absence of which could have been identified  :

during periodic surveillances of the recorder trace and through inconsistencies in the l

containment sump pump run times. The failure to identify this condition was identified as [ ]

. an apparent violation. Additionally, the original design of floor drain grates was identified i

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as not being capable of being installed due to an apparent error in pouring the concrete

during original construction. No safety evaluation was performed to document the

acceptability of using a different design grate or no grate at all, an apparent violation of ,

10 CFR 50.59. Further, one of the apparent' violations ~ involves the reporting of inaccurate j

information in the LER that reported the inoperable floor drain system. The details  !

pertaining to each apparent violation are described in the enclosed report. I

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0G0027 l

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9706060321 970528

ADOCK 05000454

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PDR

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PDR

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K. Graesser -2-

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l No Notice of Violation (NOV) is presently being issued for these inspection findings. In

addition, 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 the apparent violations has been

scheduled for June 20,1997, at 10:00 a.m. in the Region ill office in Lisle, Illinois. This

meeting will be open to the public. The decision to hold a pre-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, including a common understanding of

the facts and circumstances surrounding the violations, their root causes, your

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opportunities to identify the apparent violations sooner, your corrective actions, and the

significance of the issues.

In addition, this is an opportunity for you to point out any errors in our inspection report

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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 this

matter. No response regarding these apparent violations is required at this time.

l An additional finding resulted in a violation regarding the failure to mark and protect

i safeguards information and is cited in the enclosed NOV. The circumstances surrounding -

the violation are described in detailin the enclosed report. Please note that you are

required to respond to this violation and should follow the instructions specified in the

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Gnclosed Notice when preparing your response. The NRC will use your response,in part, l

to determine whether further enforcement action is necessary to ensure compliance with

regulatory requirements.

. We are also reviewing your temporary alteration program to determine the appropriateness

of excluding strip chart recorders from the program. We are concerned that connecting ,

strip chart recorders electrically to operable equipment for extended periods of time  ;

without a detailed review does not maintain adequate design control. This issue was

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considered an unresolved item pending further NRC review of the technical adequacy of j

the temporary alteration program.

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K. Graesser -3-

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

its enclosure (s), and your response to the Notice will be placed in the NRC Public

Document Room (PDR).

Sincerely,

,

/s/ R. N. Gardner for

Geoffrey E. Grant, Director,

Division of Reactor Projects

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Docket Nos. 50-454; 50-455  !

License Nos. NPF-37; NPF-66

Enclosures: 1. Notice of Violation

2. Inspection Report 50-454/455/97005(DRP)

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cc w/ encl: T. J. Maiman, Senior Vice President

Nuclear Operations Division 1

D. A. Sager, Vice President, i

Generation Support .j

H. W. Keiser, Chief Nuclear i

Operating Officer

K. Kofron, Station Manager

D. Brindle, Regulatory Assurance

Supervisor

1. Johnson, Acting Nuclear

Regulatory Services Manager

Richard Hubbard

Nathan Schloss, Economist

Office of the Attorney General

State Liaison Officer, Wisconsin

State Liaison Officer

Chairman, Illinois Commerce Commission

Document Control Desk-Licensing

PLEASE SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCES

DOCUMENT NAME: R:\lN S PR PTS \PO W E R S\BY R O\BY R 97005. D R P

To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box "C" = Copy without

attachment / enclosure "E" = Copy with attachment / enclosure "N" = No copy

OFFICE Rill Rlli Rill l Rill l$ Rlli g

NAME Tongue:co Creed Clayton Lanksbury Grant

Sec. S8.1 Sec. 02.2 & g g

DATE 05/ /97 05/ /97 05/ /97 05/27/97 05/25/97

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

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j. - K. Graesser -3-

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

j . and its enclosure (s) will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR).

Sincerely, l

,

f ,

i Geoffrey E. Grant, Director, .

Division of Reactor Projects  :

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Docket Nos. 50-454; 50-455

j License Nos. NPF-37; NPF-66'

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Enclosures

1. Notice of Violation i

2. Inspection Report 50-454/455/97005(DRP)

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i cc w/ encl: T. J. Maiman, Senior Vice President

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l Nuclear Operations Division

!- D. A. Sager, Vice President,

2 Generation Support l

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a H. W. Keiser, Chief Nuclear - '

i Operating Officer 2

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K. Kofron, Station Manager (

. D. Brindle, Regulatory Assurance  !

! Supervisor '

i 1. Johnson, Acting Nuclear

!. Regulatory Services Manager  ;

'

Richard Hubbard j

Nathan Schloss, Economist

l Office of the Attorney General i

State Liaison Officer, Wisconsin

l

j State Liaison Officer

j Chairman, Illinois Commerce Commission

l Document Control Desk-Licensing

1

DOCUMENT NAME: R:\lNSPRPTS\ POWERS \BYRO\BYR97005.DRP

J ' To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box "C" = Copy without -

! - attachment / enclosure "E" = Copy with attachment / enclosure "N" = No copy

j OFFICE Rlli o Rlli d Rlli 6 Rlll g. Alli l

NAME Tongpp:co Creed 3 g Clayton (k Lanksbury Grant

Go{'L Sec.S8.h Sec

08.1

02.2 & qQ

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i, DATE

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05/23/97 0540/97 05/13/97 05/6/97 05/ /97

i OFFICIAL. RECORD COPY 1

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K. Graesser -4

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Distnbution:

Docket File w/ encl

OC/LFDCB w/ encl DRP w/enci  :

SRI Byron, Braidwood, Zion w/ encl PUBLIC IE-01 w/ encl

Project Manager, NRR w/enci CAA1 w/enci(E-mail)

A. B. Beach, w/enct RAC1 (E-Mail) w/enci  ;

Rlli Enf. Coordinator, w/ encl Deputy RA, w/enci ,

Rlli PRR w/ encl DRS (2) w/ encl i

TSS w/enci J. Lieberman, OE w/enci ,

J. Goldberg, OGC w/enci R. Zimmerman, NRR w/enci  !

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