ML20147A953

Forwards Insp Repts 50-454/96-09 & 50-455/96-09 on 960927-1217 & NOV

ML20147A953
Person / Time
Site:	Byron
Issue date:	01/10/1997
From:	Caldwell J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:	Graesser K COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO.
Shared Package
ML20147A958	List: ML20147A953 ML20147A959 ML20147A965
References
EA-96-508, NUDOCS 9701280374
Download: ML20147A953 (3)

See also: IR 05000454/1996009

Text

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January 10, 1997

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EA 96-508

Mr. K. Graesser

Site Vice President

Byron Station

Commonwealth Edison Company

4450 N. German Church Road

Byron. IL 61010

SUBJECT: NRC INSPECTION REPORT 50-454/96009: 50-455/96009

NOTICE OF VIOLATION

Dear Mr. Graesser:

On December 17, 1996, the NRC completed an inspettion at your Byron 1 & 2

reactor fac Pities. The enclosed report presents the inspection results.

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During the inspection period, the inspectors observed a carefully planned and

. professionally executed Unit 2 station auxiliary transformer outage. Your

inspection and maintenance performed on the transformer was comprehensive.

On October 15, 1996, after evaluation of routine surveillance test results,

you identified that excessive silt levels in the essential service water (SX)

cooling towers rendered the SX system inoperable for past occurrences when the

plant relied on the deep well pumps for makeup capability. Your initial

engineering performance in the investigation, analysis., and cause

determination related to the SX cooling towers silting issue was slow and l

narrowly focused. Subsequent to NRC involvement, your analysis and corrective

actions to remove the silt have been thorough and comprehensive.

Based on the results of this inspection, six apparent violations of NRC ]

reguirements were identified and are being considered for escalated i

en.orcement action in accordance with the " General Statement of Policy and

Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions" (Enforcement Policy). NUREG-1600. ,

Collectively. the six' apparent violatio... demonstrate that system engineering

failed to understand the SX system design as described in the Updated Final

Safety Analysis Report. Two of the apparent violations, involving failure to

take prompt and a)propriate corrective actions to identified deficiencies.,

were significant ]ecause previous surveillances documented silt accumulations

outside acceptance criteria and degraded trash racks since 1993. Inadequate

corrective actions for these surveillance items demonstrated a willingness to

operate the SX system in a degraded condition. The details pertaining to each

apparent violation are described in the enclosed report.

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9701280374 970110

PDR ADOCK 05000454 i \

G PDR

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K. Graesser -2-

No Notice of Violation 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 pre-decisional enforcement conference to discuss these ap)arent violations

has been scheduled for January 24, 1997, at 10:00 a.m. in t1e Region III

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

a

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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 opportunities to identify the ap)arent violations sooner,

your corrective actions, and the significance of t1e issues.

In addition, this is an opportunity for you to point out any errors in our

inspection report 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 De 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

j Section VII.

You will be advised by separate correspondence of the results of our

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deliberations on this matter. No response regarding these apparent violations

is required at this time.

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A violation regarding failure to follow procedures for impairing a fire door

is cited in the enclosed Notice of Violation. The circumstances surrounding

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the violation are described in detail in the enclosed re) ort. Please note

that you are required to respond to this violation and slould follow the

j instructions specified in the enclosed 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

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requirements.

J

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K. Graesser -3-

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In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of

this letter and its enclosure (s) will be placed in the NRC Public Document

Room (PDR).

Sincerely,

/s/ J. A. Grobe for

James L. Caldwell, Director

Division of Reactor Projects

Enclosures:

1. Notice of Violation i

2. Inspection Report 50-454/455-96009(DRP) i

Docket Nos. 50-454: 50-455

License Nos. NPF-37: NPF-66

cc w/ encl: T. J. Maiman, Senior Vice President l

Nuclear Operations Division

D. A. Sager, Vice President,

Generation Su) port

H. W. Keiser, Clief Nuclear

Operating Officer

'

K. Kofron, Station Manager

D. Brindle, Regulatory Assurance

Supervisor

I. Johnson, Acting Nuclear

. Regulatory Services Manager

Richard Hubbard

Nathan Schloss, Economist

Office of the Attorney General

State Liaison Officer, Wisconsin

State Liaison,0fficer i

Chairman, Illinois Commerce Commission

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Document Control Desk-Licensing

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Distribution: l

Docket File w/ encl

OC/LFDCB w/ encl DRP w/ encl

SRI Byron, Braidwood, Zion w/ encl PUBLIC IE-01 w/ encl

Project Manager, NRR w/ encl CAA1 w/ encl (E-mail) l

A. B. Beach, w/ encl RAC1 (E-Mail) w/ encl l

B. L. Burgess, w/ enc 1 W. L. Axelson, w/ encl '

Office of Enforcement w/ encl J. Goldberg, OGC w/ encl

DOCUMENT NAME: R:\INSPRPTS\ POWERS \BYRO\BYR96009.DRP l

T r ive a copy of this document. indicate in the box "C" = Copy without attach /enci "E" = Copy with attach / encl "N" =

OFFICE RIII M RIII E RIII E RIII ,M 6

NAME Tongue /coPEb B. C1ayton 0 Lanksbury M - Caldw h

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DATE 1/P /97 i/ B /97 1/ 7/9?'~ 1/)t /97

7FFICIALRECORDCOPY