ML20147J160

Discusses Insp Rept 50-458/87-28 on 871101-21 & Forwards Notice of Violation.Civil Penalty Not Proposed Because of Prompt Identification & Reporting of Violation & Prompt & Extensive Corrective Actions

ML20147J160
Person / Time
Site:	River Bend
Issue date:	03/04/1988
From:	Martin R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
To:	Deddens J GULF STATES UTILITIES CO.
Shared Package
ML20147J163	List: ML20147J160 ML20147J182
References
EA-87-229, NUDOCS 8803090194
Download: ML20147J160 (2)

See also: IR 05000458/1987028

Text

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We UNITED STATES 'f

p~ /, NUCLEAR RE2ULATORY COMMISSION

$- .f REGION IV

611 RYAN PLAZA DRIVE. SUITE 1000

ARLINGTON, TEXAS 70011

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Docket No. 50-458

License No. NPF-47

EA 87-229

Gulf States Utilities

ATTN: Mr. James C. Deddens

SeniorVicePresident,(RBNG)

Nuclear Licensing

Post Office Box 220

St. Francisville, LA 70775

Gentlemen:

SUBJECT: NOTICE OF VIOLATION (NRC INSPECTION REPORT NO. 50-458/87-28)

This refers to the inspection conducted during the period November 1-21, 1987,

of activities at the River Ben 6 Station by personnel of the NRC Region IV

office. During this inspection, NRC personnel reviewed the circumstances

associated with a violation of NRC requirements involving a misaligned instrument

root valve which was identified by the licensee. This violation was discussed

in detail at an enforcement conference December 14, 1987, at the NRC Region IV

office in Arlington, Texas in which you and your staff provided further details

regarding the systems and components 3ffected by the misaligned instrument root

valve, the sequence of events leading up to your identification of the problem,

analysis of the safety significance, and corrective actions you have implemented

or plan to implement.

Violation A in the enclosed Notice of Violation (Notice) involves the failure

to maintain the minimum number of channels operable as required by Technical

Specifications for reactor trip system initiation, high pressure core spray (HPCS)

system initiation, and various system isolation initiation. This was caused when

personnel failed to open an instrument root valve for a drywell pressure sensing

line which served three pressure transmitters. This valve remained closed from

August 1985 to November 17, 1987. With this valve closed, various automatic

safety functions initiated by a high drywell pressure signal (i.e., reactt,r 3

scram, HPCS initiative, and system isolation) were unavailable for short periods

of time while required periodic testing was performed and at other times channel

redundancy was lost for these various safety functions. The NRC recognizes that

other system initiation signals were unaffected and that alarms and indications

existed in the control room which could have alerted personnel to a high drywell

pressure condition. We also note that this violation and Violation B of the

enclosed Notice, while separated by a period of two years, both involved the

failure of operations management to ensure that procedures were followed in the

performance of valve lineups.

In accordance with the "General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC

Enforcement Actions," 10 CFR Part 2, Appendix C (1987), Violation A described

l in the enclosed Notice has 5een classified at a Severity Level III. A civil

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penalty is considered for a Severity Level 111 violation. However, after

CERTIFIED MAIL 8803090194 0003M

RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED PDR ADOCK050%D

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Gulf States Utilities -2-

consultation with the Director, Office of Enforcement, and the Deputy Executive

Director for Regional Operations, I have decided that a civil penalty will not

be proposed in this case because of your prompt identification and reporting

of the violation and the unusually prompt and extensive corrective actions,

including a detailed evaluation. However, further similar incidents may result

in civil penalty action.

While we view this Severity Level III violation as a serious problem requiring

strong management action, we also recognize that this problem was identified

because of your self-initiated action to verify safety-related valve lineups

during this refueling outage. Without this self-initiated action, this problem

may have gone undetected for another refueling cycle or longer. Also, we note

that this problem was identified by plant personnel and immediately brought to

management and NRC attention and you have encouraged this climate by formally

comending the operators who discovered the problem, a practice which the NRC

encourages from all licensees.

Two violations (B and C) are also described in the enclosed Notice and have

been categorized as Severity Level IV violations. These violations involved

the failure to follow procedures while doing an inservice reactor pressure

vessel leakage test and for processing an extension for a modification request.

You are required to respond to this letter and should follow the instructions

specified in the enclosed Notice when preparing your response. In your

response, you should document the specific actions taken and any additional

actions you plan to prevent recurrence. After reviewing your response to this

Notice, including your proposed corrective actions and the results of future

inspections, the NRC will determine whether further NRC enforcement action is

necessary to ensure compliance with NRC regulatory requirements.

In accordance with Section 2.790 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," Part 2,

Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, a copy of this letter and its enclosure

will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.

The responses directed by this letter and the enclosed Notice are not subject

to the clearance procedures of the Office of Management and Budget as required

by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, Pub. L. No.96-511.

Sincer y,

} AN

obert D. Martin

Regional Administrator

Enclosure:

Notice of Violation

cc:

Louisiana Radiation Control Program Director

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