ML20140H915

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Forwards Press Release 84-83 Re NRC Proposed Fine Against Util for Loading Fuel Bundles & Moving Control Rods in Reactor Core While Sys for Monitoring Startup Inoperable. Three Other Violations Cited
ML20140H915
Person / Time
Site: Susquehanna, 05000000
Issue date: 07/06/1984
From: Kammerer C
NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA)
To: Harrison, Heinz, Markey, Ottinger R, Simpson, Specter, Udall
HOUSE OF REP., HOUSE OF REP., ENERGY & COMMERCE, SENATE
Shared Package
ML20140C961 List: ... further results
References
FOIA-85-478 NUDOCS 8510230203
Download: ML20140H915 (3)
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Text

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. July 6, 1984 4 L i

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f" The Honorable Richard L. Ottinger, Chairman Subcommittee on Energy Conservation and Power Comittee on Energy and Comerce United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 I

Dear Mr. Chairman:

Enclosed for your information is an announcement that the staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Comission has cited the Pennsylvania Power

'l and Light Company for four alleged violations of technical specif t- ,

cations for operating the company's Susquehanna Steam Electric Station.

It is planned July 6, 1984. to mail this information to the news media today, Sincerely, 1 Carlton Kammerer Director Office of Congressional Affairs

Enclosure:

As stated cc: Rep. Carlos Moorhead

-l IDENTICAL LETTER SENT T0:

Sen. Simpson/cc: Sen. Hart Rep. Udall/cc: Rep. Lujan i Rep. Markey/cc: Rep. Marlence Sen. Heinz ,

Sen. Specter l' Rep. Harrison 8510230203 851004 PDR FOIA JAC08S85-478 PDR A i (/

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UNITED STATES

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Office of Public Affairs Washington, D.C. 20555 No. 84-83 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tel. 301/492-7715 (Friday, July 6 1984)

NRC STAFF CITES PP&L FOR ALLEGED VIOLATIONS IN OPERATING SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 & 2; PROPOSES $75,000 FINE The staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Comission (NRC) has cited the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company for four alleged violations of technical specifications for operating the company's Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2, located in Luzerne County, near Berwick, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River. The NRC staff proposes to fine the company $75,000 for one of the alleged violations.

Three of the alleged violations were found by Pennsylvania Power and Light Company and reported to the NRC. The fourth alleged violation was found during an NRC inspection held at Unit 1 between February 21 and 24,1984.

The alleged violation being assessed a fine occurred at Unit 2 between the afternoon of April 10, 1984 and the early morning of April 11. The violation involved the loading of fuel bundles and the movement of control rods in the reactor core while a system for monitoring the start-up of the nuclear chain reaction in the core was inoperable.

The monitoring system, called Source Range Monitors (SRM), records the increase in the number of subatomic particies called neutrons, and it is used to measure power levels in the core. If the rate of power buildup becomes excessive, the system sends a signal to another system which automatically shuts down the reactor by inserting the control rods into the reactor core.

This function of the monitoring system had been bypassed, which is a violation of technical specifications for operating the plant. The reactor could have been shut down manually.

The alleged violations not assessed a fine that occurred at Unit 1 involved:

-- failure to collect samples from a gas monitoring system as required by technical specifications for operation. This occurred between November 3 and 5, 1983, and was reported to the NRC by the company;

-- failure to check to assure that electrical power was available from an alternate source when a circuit breaker to an auxiliary power supply was not working. This occurred on October 19, 1983 and was also reported to the R$C by the company; and l

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No. 84-83 .

-- failure to have an emergency coolant injection system operable when pressure in the reactor vessel was above specified pressure. This alleged violation was found dur'ing the NRC February inspection.

In a letter informing the company of this proposed enforcement action, Dr. Thomas E. Murley, Regional Administrator, NRC Region I, said, "The NRC is concerned that indication existed in the control room to alert operators that

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the SRM was bypassed, yet core alterations commenced based on a conclusion that the SRM was operable. _The plant control room operator knew that the SRM channel in question was in the bypassed position but apparently did not recognize its significance in relation to technical specification requirements. Further, the indication that the SRM was bypassed existed through two shift turnovers before the SRM was declared inoperable, demonstrating lack of adequate attention and response to control room indications by plant operators and supervision." _

In his letter, Murley made reference to a previous NRC fine of PP&L involving similar problems. In April 1983, the company was fined $60,000 when -

plant operators did not respond, for approximately 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />, to alarms indicating that a standby gas treatment system was inoperable.

Murley said, in the current case, that the base civil penalty for a violation such as this involving an inoperable monitoring system is $50,000, but that the base amount was increased by 50%, to $75,000, because of the previous instances of " inadequate attention and response to control room alarms and indications by operators."

"I am concerned about the continuation of these problems at Susquehanna,"

Murley said, "and I will examine closely your response to this enforcement action and your corrective actions."

The company has 30 days to either pay the fine or to request in writing that part or all of it be withdrawn. The company also has 30 days to write to the NRC staff and describe what was done or will be done to assure that these alleged violations do not recur.

The Connonwealth of Pennsylvania has been informed of this proposed enforcement action.

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