ML20140H867

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Forwards Press Release 84-58 Re NRC Proposed Fine Against Util for Alleged Violation of NRC Requirements During Preoperational Testing
ML20140H867
Person / Time
Site: Diablo Canyon, 05000000
Issue date: 05/17/1984
From: Kammerer C
NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA)
To: Cranston, Lagomarsino, Markey, Ottinger R, Panetta, Simpson, Thomas, Udall, Wilson
HOUSE OF REP., HOUSE OF REP., ENERGY & COMMERCE, SENATE
Shared Package
ML20140C961 List: ... further results
References
FOIA-85-478 NUDOCS 8510230173
Download: ML20140H867 (3)
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May 17, 1984 I

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The Honorable Richard L. Ottinger, Chaiman Subcomittee on Energy Conservation and Power Comittee on Energy and Comerce United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear *ir. Chaiman:

Enclosed for your infomation is an announcement that the Nuclear -

Regulatory Comission staff today infomed the Pacific Gas & ~

Electric Company of a proposed $50,000 fine against the company for an alleged violation of NRC requirements that occurred during preoperation11 testing at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant.

It is planned to nail this infomation to the news nedia today, May 17, 1984.

Sincerely, Carlton Kammerer, Director Office of Congressional Aftairs

Enclosure:

As stated cc: Rep. Carlos Moorhead IDENTICAL LETTER SENT T0:

Sen. Simpson/cc: Sen. Hart Rep. Udall/cc: Rep. Lujan Rep. Markey/cc: Rep. Marlenee Sen. Wilson Sen. Cranston Rep. Lagomarsino Rep. Thomas Rep. Panetta 8510230173 851004 PDR FOIA j (((,I JACOBS85-478 PDR

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"%* ** * " ' s a c u 2* OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

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D UNITED STATES f7r< i NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

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No. 84-58 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tel. 301/492-7715 (Thursday,May 17,1984)

NRC STAFF PROPOSES $50,000 FINE AGAINST PACIFIC GAS

& ELECTRIC CO. FOR Alt.EGED VIOLATION AT DIABLO CAhf0N The Nuclear Regulatory Comission staff today informed the Pacific Gas & Electric Company of a proposed $50,000 fine against the company for an alleged violation of NRC requirements that occurred on April 6, 1984, during preoperational testing at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant.

The alleged violation cited by the NRC staff occurred when plant operators disabled two redundant subsystems in the plant's emergency -

ore cooling system for a period of about 15 hours1.736111e-4 days <br />0.00417 hours <br />2.480159e-5 weeks <br />5.7075e-6 months <br /> on April 6. Although the reactor had not yet begun operating at the time, it remained in a

  • ot standby condition during the 15-hour period. Under the conditions
' the Diablo Canyon operating license, the plant must be brought to a
  • iot shutdown- condition within 13 hours1.50463e-4 days <br />0.00361 hours <br />2.149471e-5 weeks <br />4.9465e-6 months <br /> when both of the ECCS subsystems are inoperable (Hot standby is when the reactor coolant system temperature is above 350 degrees F but the reactor is not operating; hot shutdown is when the reactor cdolant system temperature is between 200 and 350 degrees F.).
  • In a May 17 letter to PG&E, NRC Regional Administrator John B.

Martin said that the incident occurred because plant operating personnel

" failed in this instance to exhibit an acceptable degree cf awareness of your facility's technical specification recuirements." Martin said that the purpose of the fine is to emphasize to the company the need for adequate precedures and to assure that operators are fully aware of regulatory requirements.

The NRC staff briefed the Commissioners on the details of the alleged violation prior to the Commission vote on April 13 to authorize low power testing at the plant. "NRC Region V is fully committed to l assuring the safe operation of the Diablo Canyon facility " Martin said.

"We will not tolerate poor performance in the operation of the plant and fully intend to take prompt and aggressive enforcement action whenever license conditions are not met. We believe that all license conditions must be fully complied with, regardless of whether the plant is actually operating at the time or not."

C/R Distribution: Chm, Cmrs, PE, GC, CA, ACRS, Historian, SECY, Records.

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On April 6, during operatiens to increase the bcron concentration in the baron injection tank, plant personnel isolated the inlet and outlet valves to the tank, according to an approved proce.'ure, to prevent an accidental draining of the tank. However, the NRC inspection found that the company failed to fully evaluate the potential consequences of the new procedure, particularly that isolation of the boron injection tank while the plant was in he.t standby would constitute a violation of the plant's license conditions.

In the plant's emergency core cooling system, two charging pumps are designed to deliver highly borated water into the reactor coolant system to assure safe shutdown and cooldown of the reactor in the event of a small leak in the reactor coolant system. The pumps take water from a large storage tank and deliver it through the boron injection tank to the reactor coolant system. When the inlet and outlet valves to the BIT tank were closed, the flow path for both subsystems was effectively -

blocked.

Under NRC's enforcement policy, when the NRC staff proposes a civil penalty, the licensee is given 30 days to either pay the fine or submit a formal protest. If the utility denies the alleged violation .the NRC staff will consider that response before deciding whether to impose, mitigate or withdraw the proposed civil penalty.

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