ML20140H646

Forwards Press Release 85-80 Re NRC Proposed Civil Penalty in Amount of $500,000 Aginst Util for Alleged Matl False Statements Made to NRC Concerning Operator Qualifications & Training

ML20140H646
Person / Time
Site:	Grand Gulf, 05000000
Issue date:	06/04/1985
From:	Kammerer C NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA)
To:	Cochran, Dowdy, Markey E, Simpson, Stennis, Udall HOUSE OF REP., HOUSE OF REP., ENERGY & COMMERCE, SENATE
Shared Package
ML20140C961	List: IA-84-478, Forwards Press Release 84-69 Re NRC Reduction of Fine for 1983 Violation.Pressure Sensing Device Capped.Fine Reduced Due to Short Duration of Violation,Small Size of Reactor & Comparable Enforcement Actions IA-85-478, Forwards Press Release 85-3 Re NRC Ad Hoc Advisory Committee for Review of Enforcement Policy Request for Public Comments on Enforcement Policy IR 05000366/1983023 IR 05000409/2005031 ML20140C954 ML20140C962 ML20140H544 ML20140H550 ML20140H555 ML20140H562 ML20140H574 ML20140H591 ML20140H596 ML20140H616 ML20140H623 ML20140H639 ML20140H646 ML20140H658 ML20140H670 ML20140H705 ML20140H721 ML20140H745 ML20140H751 ML20140H763 ML20140H779 ML20140H784 ML20140H789 ML20140H812 ML20140H816 ML20140H822 ML20140H834 ML20140H839 ML20140H843 ML20140H855 ML20140H860 ML20140H867 ML20140H873 ML20140H880 ML20140H886 ML20140H890 ML20140H894 ML20140H900 ML20140H915 ML20140H919 ML20140H926 ML20140H931 ML20140H940 ML20140H945 ML20140H956 ML20140H962 ... further results
References
FOIA-85-478 NUDOCS 8510230060
Download: ML20140H646 (3)

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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 3 l W ASHINGTON. D. C. 20555 1,, - ,/ ',

June 4, 1985 *t g, p pp.

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The Honorable Edward J. Markey, Chairman Subcomittee on Energy Conservation and Power Comittee _on Energy and Comerce United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. Chaiman:

Enclosed for your infomation is an announcement that the Nuclear _

Regulatory Comission staff has proposed to fine Mississippi Power and Light Company $500,000 for alleged material false statements .

made to the NRC in regard to operator qualifications and training at the Grand Gulf nuclear power plant, located near Port Gibson, Mississippi.

This announcement will be mailed to the news media today.

Sincerely, ,p 4 i ma g ton Kamerer, virector Office of Congressional Affairs

Enclosure:

IDENTICAL LETTER SENT T0:

As stated Rep. Udall/cc: Rep. Lujan Sen. Simpson/cc: Sen. Hart cc: Rep. Carlos Moorhead Sen. Cochran Sen. Stennis Rep. Dowdy

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8510230060 851004 PDR FOIA JACOBS85-478 PDR

f"'% UNITED STATES f ; w i,j , NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 1.D'f#i Offica of Public Affairs Washington, D.C. 20555 No. 85-80 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tel. 301/492-7715 (Monday, June 3, 1985)

NRC STAFF PROPOSES 5500,000 CIVIL PENALTY AGAINST MISSISSIPPI POWER & LIGHT FOR ALLEGED NONCOMPLIANCE WITH NRC REQUIREMENTS AT GRAND GULF NUCLEAR PLANT The Nuclear Regulatory Comission staff has proposed to fine Mississippi Power and Light Company $500,000 for alleged material false statements made to the NRC in regard to operator qualifications and training at the Grand Gulf _

nuclear power plant, located near Port Gibson, Mississippi.

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NRC officials said the action follows identification by the NRC of discrepancies in documentation of operator training during a special training assessment conducted by the NRC in February of 1983 and a special safety inspection conducted by the agency's Atlanta Regional Office during August and September of 1983.

In a letter to the company, James M. Taylor, Director of the NRC's Office of Inscection and Enforcement, said that inspection and investigation findings by the NRC " demonstrate that the program for training reactor operators and senior reactor operators ... had not been established in accordance with comitments made in the Final Safety Analysis Report" for the plant "and as required by NRC regulations." He said the NRC determined that 46 applications for reactor cperator and senior reactor operator licenses contaired incorrect MP&L certification that each individual applicant had completed required training or courses of instruction.

Taylor said the information was false in that the amount of training actually completed was less than that described in the operator license applications. He added that this information was " material" because, "had the corrplete and accurate information been known to the NRC, the applicants would not have been permitted to participate in the NRC licensing examination and, consequently, would not have received licenses." In addition, he said, a separate material false statement was made by omission when, even after MP&L officials became aware in 1982 that false information had been submitted, they failed to notify the NRC or to correct the submittals.

As a result, the NRC official said, a review was conducted of previous training of all licensed operators and certain operators were removed from licensed duties ~until they could be retrained and retested.

NO. 85-80 The NRC's Atlanta Regional Office conducted licensed operator recertification and walk-through examinations in February of 1984. Each licensed operator tested had urdergone an individual examination-by the company prior to the NRC test on each of 68 systems listed on the Grand Gulf licensed operator qualific'ation card.

NRC examiners determined that 23 of 26 operators were able to pass the test. Three who failed were removed from licensed duties.

. "These actions," Taylor said, " provide reasonable assurance that i operators presently at the controls of the facility have met NRC requirements for training." But he said the NRC will continue to closely monitor MP&L's corrective actions and that failure to carry them out "may lead to further enforcement action."

The company has 30 days in which to either pay the civil penalty or to protest its imposition, in whole or in part. -

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