ML20147C178
| ML20147C178 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Millstone  |
| Issue date: | 01/27/1997 |
| From: | Thompson H NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Kenyon B NORTHEAST UTILITIES SERVICE CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9702050390 | |
| Download: ML20147C178 (3) | |
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UNITED STATES l
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 30006 4 001
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January 27, 1997 Mr. Bruce D. Kenyon President and Chief Executive Officer
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Northeast Utilities Service Company i
P. O. Box 128 Waterford, CT 06385
Dear Mr. Kenyon:
1 On January 14, 15, and 17, 1997, NRC senior managers met to evaluate the nuclear safety performance of operating reactors, fuel facilities, and other materials licensees. The NRC conducts this meeting semiannually to determine if the safety performance of the various licensees exhibits sufficient weaknesses to warrant increased NRC attention.
In addition, at this meeting, l
senior managers identify specific plants that. have demonstrated a high level of safety performance that deserves formal recognition. At the January 1997 meeting, the Millstone Nuclear Power Station was discussed.
The Millstone Nuclear Power Station remains a Category 3 facility.
Facilities in this category are having or have had significant weaknesses that warrant maintaining the plant in a shutdown condition until the licensee can demonstrate to the NRC that adequate programs have both been established and implemented to ensure substantial improvement. Commission approval is i
required for restart of a plant in a Category 3 status. A summary of NRC discussions related to the Millstone facilities follows:
Millstone Nuclear Power Station was designated a Category 3 facility in June 1996. The significance and number of issues identified at Millstone contributed to the issuance of two orders to the licensee. On August 14, 1996, the NRC issued a confirmatory order directing the licensee to contract with a third party to implement an ICAVP to verify the adequacy of its effort to establish adequate design bases and design controls. The ICAVP is intended to provide additional assurance, before unit restart, that the licensee has identified and corrected existing problems in design and configuration control processes. On October 24, 1996, the NRC issued an order directing that, before the restart of any Millstone unit, the licensee develop and submit to the NRC a comprehensive plan for reviewing and dispositioning safety issues raised by its employees and ensuring that employees who raise safety concerns can do so without fear of retaliation. The order also directs the licensee to retain an independent third party to oversee implementation of its comprehensive plan.
In summary, longstanding Millstone performance concerns remain to be resolved. These concerns have resulted in numerous apparent violations of NRC requirements which were discussed at a public pre-decisional enforcement conference held at the Millstone site on December 5, 1996.
As a result of NRC concerns regarding the overall effectiveness of licensee management to resolve performance issues, the staff will apply
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the guidelines of NRC inspection Manual Chapter 0350, " Staff Guidelines j/O 9702050390 970127 PDR ADOCK 05000245 P
e Mr. Bruce D. Kenyon 2
for Restart Approval," to the activities to support restart of Millstone Units 1, 2, and 3.
Therefore, the NRC plans to continue to closely monitor the programs and performance at the Millstone Station to assure development and implementation of effective corrective action programs.
s An NRC Commission Meeting, open to the public, has been scheduled to be held in the Commissioners' Conference Room in Rockville, Maryland on January 29, 1997, at 10:00 a.m., to review the results of the latest meeting of NRC senior managers. Mr. William D. Travers, Director of the NRC's Special Projects Office, has discussed the bases for our conclusions with regard to the Millstone Station with members of your staff.
1 If you have any questions regarding this matter, do not hesitate to call me.
Sincerely, Original signed by:
Hugh L. Thompson, Jr.
Acting Executive Director for Operations Docket Nos.: 50-245 50-336 50-423 cc: See next page DISTRIBUTION: See attached page DOCUMENT NAME: MILLS 197.LTR To receive a copy of Mment. indicate in the box: "C*A ppy without attafracni/encionure *E" = Cop) with una hnwnt eaklo=me "N" = No it)
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for letter to Mr. B. D. Kenyon (MILLSTONE 1, 2, and 3)
Central Files Public Document Room EDO R.F., 0-17 G21 PIPB R.F., 0-12 E4 SECY, 0-16 GIS OPA, 0-2 G5 OCA, 0-17 F2 ELJordan, 0-17 G21 VMcCree, 0-17 G21 JLieberman, 0-7 H5 DLMorrison, T-10 F12 DFRoss, T-4 D18 i
BWSheron, 0-12 G18 RPZimmerman, 0-12 G18 FPGillespie, 0-12 G18 j
RWBorchardt, 0-12 E4 i
MRJohnson, 0-12 E4 PICastleman, 0-12 E4 PFMcKee, 0-14 C7 JWAndersen, 0-14 C7 GSVissing, 0-14 C7 VLRooney, 0-14 C7 F
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