ML20141E039

Responds to 970313 & 14 Ltrs,Addressed to President Clinton Re Operational Performance Problems at Plant.Plant Remains Shutdown Following 970221 Event & Addl Actions Have Been Taken to Ensure That Licensee Adequately Addresses Problems

ML20141E039
Person / Time
Site:	Zion  File:ZionSolutions icon.png
Issue date:	05/09/1997
From:	Beach A NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:	Sandberg E AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
References
NUDOCS 9705200288
Download: ML20141E039 (3)

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s May 9, 1997 1

1 Mr. Edward Sandberg 7802-18th Avenue Kenosha, Wisconsin 53143

Dear Mr. Sandberg:

I am responding to your letters dated March 13 and March 14,1997, addressed to President William Clinton, regarding operational performance problems at the Zion Nuclear Station.

4 Performance of the Zion Station has been a concern to the NRC for some time and is curreely receiving significant NRC oversight. More recently, the NRC categorized Zion Station as a plant that warrants increased NRC attention from both our headquarters and regional offices. The increased attention consists of additional inspections, increased monitoring of licensee performance, meetings between licensee and NRC management, and more frequent site visits by senior NRC management. Zion Station will remain in that category until it has demonstrated consistent improved performance.

Zion Station remains shut down following an event on February 21,1997, which involved inappropriate operator actions during shutdown of the facility. The NRC sent an Augmented Inspection Team (AIT) to evaluate the event and the team's written report was I. issued on April 29,1997. The NRC staff is currently evaluating the AIT findings for i possible escalated enforcement action. The NRC issued a Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL) and Supplement to the CAL on February 25 and April 14,1997, respectively. This CAL describes commitments to the NRC that must be completed prior to restart of the station. Zion Station staff, or the licensee, must develop a recovery plan to address corrective actions for the various performance deficiencies, meet with the NRC on a periodic basis to discuss the recovery plan implementation and corrective action effectiveness, and meet with the NRC to discuss the basis for it's conclusion that Zion Station is ready for restart. These meetings are open to public observation.

The NRC has taken additional actions to ensure that the licensee adequately addresses Ild <

performance problems at its Zion Station. These actions include assigning additional inspection resources to Zion Station to augment the resident inspector staff which already includes three full-time onsite inspectors, and establishing a joint regional and headquarters Plant Performance Review Panel which conducts periodic public meetings with the licensee to discuss the status of performance improvement initiatives. The panel ensures continued NRC focus on Zion Station performance issues and appropriate assignment of NRC inspection resources. In addition, as a result of continuing inconsistent performance of the six Commonwealth Edison nuclear plants, the NRC issued a letter on January 27,1997, requesting Commonwealth Edison to provide information regarding its ability to safely i

operate its six nuclear stations while sustaining performance improvement at each site. A public meeting between Commonwealth Edison and the Commission to discuss Commonwealth Edison's response to this letter was held on April 25,1997.

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o E. Sandberg As I have discussed, the NRC is taking significant actions to ensure that performance i problems at Zion Station are appropriately addressed. I appreciate your interest in this ,

matter and trust this response addresses your concerns. ,

Sincerely,

/s/ A. Bill Beach A. Bill Beach Regional Administrator cc: EDO 970287

• EDO Reading File  !

Public (IE-01)

SECY CRC 97-0357 Docket Nos. 50-295; 50-304 L. J. Callan, EDO H. L. Thompson, DEDR E. R. Jordan, DEDO  :

P. G. Norry, DEDM S. J. Collins, NRR C. Pederson, Rlli J. Caldwell, Rlli SRI, Byron, Braidwood, Zion A:\G970287 PLEASE SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCES DOCUMENT NAME: A:\G970287 To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box "C" = Copy without attach /enci "E" = Copy with attach /enci "N" = No copy OFFICE Rlli Rill NRR Ry)

NAME DAPAS GRANT CAPRA hhCH DATE 5/ /97 5/ /97 5/ /97 5/1/97 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

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E. Sandberg '

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! As I have discussed, the NRC is taking significant actions to ensure that performance l problem.s at Zion Station are appropriately addressed by Comed. I appreciate your interest in this matter and trust this response addresses your concerns.

Sincerely, l

A. Bill Beach Regional Administrator cc: EDO 970287 EDO Reading File Public (IE-01)

SECY CRC-97-0357 l Dockot Nos. 50-295; 50-304 L. J. Callan, EDO H. L. Thompson, DEDR E. R. Jordan, DEDO P. G. Norry, DEDM S. J. Collins, NRR C. Pederson, Rlli  :

J. Caldwell, Rlli i SRI, Byron, Braidwood, Zion A:\G970287 DOCUMENT NAME: A:\G970287 To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box "C" = Copy without attach / encl "E" = Copy with attach /enci "N" = No copy l OFFICE Rill h Rlli C NRR 6 Rill d l NAME DAPAS $ b GRAN k CAPRA #* BEACH DATE 5/7/97 5d/9d() 5/7/97 5/ /97 l OFFICIAL RECORD COPY l

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