ML20140B779
| 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: |
| 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
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EA 97-200
- Mr.' K. Graesser
Site Vice President
Byron Station
Commonwealth Edison Company
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- 4450 N. German Church Road
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Byron, IL 61010
SUBJECT:
NRC INSPECTION REPORT 50-454/97005(DRP); 50-455/97005(DRP) AND
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.
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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
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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
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identified and are being considered for escalated enforcement action in accordance with
the " General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions"
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(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
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the reactor containment fan coolers (RCFCs). The RCFCs cause a characteristic recorder
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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
containment sump pump run times. The failure to identify this condition was identified as
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. an apparent violation. Additionally, the original design of floor drain grates was identified
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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
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10 CFR 50.59. Further, one of the apparent' violations ~ involves the reporting of inaccurate
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information in the LER that reported the inoperable floor drain system. The details
pertaining to each apparent violation are described in the enclosed report.
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0G0027
9706060321 970528
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ADOCK 05000454
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K. Graesser
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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
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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.
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An additional finding resulted in a violation regarding the failure to mark and protect
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safeguards information and is cited in the enclosed NOV. The circumstances surrounding
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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,
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
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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
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without a detailed review does not maintain adequate design control. This issue was
considered an unresolved item pending further NRC review of the technical adequacy of
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the temporary alteration program.
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K. Graesser
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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,
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/s/ R. N. Gardner for
Geoffrey E. Grant, Director,
Division of Reactor Projects
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Docket Nos. 50-454; 50-455
Enclosures:
2. Inspection Report 50-454/455/97005(DRP)
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cc w/ encl:
T. J. Maiman, Senior Vice President
Nuclear Operations Division
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D. A. Sager, Vice President,
Generation Support
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H. W. Keiser, Chief Nuclear
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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
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NAME
Tongue:co
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Clayton
Lanksbury
Grant
Sec. S8.1
Sec. 02.2 &
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DATE
05/ /97
05/ /97
05/ /97
05/27/97
05/25/97
OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
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- K. Graesser
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In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter
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. and its enclosure (s) will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR).
Sincerely,
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Geoffrey E. Grant, Director, .
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Division of Reactor Projects
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Docket Nos. 50-454; 50-455
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Enclosures:
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2. Inspection Report 50-454/455/97005(DRP)
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cc w/ encl:
T. J. Maiman, Senior Vice President
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Nuclear Operations Division
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D. A. Sager, Vice President,
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Generation Support
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H. W. Keiser, Chief Nuclear -
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Operating Officer
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K. Kofron, Station Manager
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D. Brindle, Regulatory Assurance
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Supervisor
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1. Johnson, Acting Nuclear
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Regulatory Services Manager
Richard Hubbard
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Nathan Schloss, Economist
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Office of the Attorney General
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State Liaison Officer, Wisconsin
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State Liaison Officer
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Chairman, Illinois Commerce Commission
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Document Control Desk-Licensing
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DOCUMENT NAME: R:\\lNSPRPTS\\ POWERS \\BYRO\\BYR97005.DRP
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' To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box "C" = Copy without
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- attachment / enclosure "E" = Copy with attachment / enclosure "N" = No copy
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OFFICE
Rlli
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Rlli
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Rlli
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NAME
Tongpp:co
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Clayton (k
Lanksbury
Grant
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Sec.S8.h
Sec 02.2 &
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DATE
05/23/97
0540/97
05/13/97
05/6/97
05/ /97
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OFFICIAL. RECORD COPY
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K. Graesser
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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
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TSS w/enci
J. Lieberman, OE w/enci
,
J. Goldberg, OGC w/enci
R. Zimmerman, NRR w/enci
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