ML20148Q438
| ML20148Q438 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Maine Yankee |
| Issue date: | 06/23/1997 |
| From: | Callan L NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Flanagan D Maine Yankee |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9707070092 | |
| Download: ML20148Q438 (4) | |
Text
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'6 e nogk UNITED STATES g"
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,j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
'2 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20066 0001
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June 23, 1997 Mr. David Flanagan gg Chairman of the Board Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company 329 Bath Road Brunswick, ME 04011
Dear Mr. Flanagan:
On June 10 and 11, 1997, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) senior managers met to evaluate the nuclear safety performance of operating reactor, fuel facilities, and other materials licensees. The NRC conducts this meeting semiannually to determine if the safety performance of various licensees exhibits sufficient weaknesses to warrant increased NRC attention or if it is trending adversely and requires steps be taken to communicate concerns to the utility's president or board of directors. At the June 1997 Senior Management Meeting (SMM), the Maine Yankee facility was discussed.
The Maine Yankee plant remains on the NRC Watch List as a Category 2 plant.
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Plants in this category have been identified as having weaknesses that warrant increased NRC attention until the licensee demonstrates a period of improved performance. A summary of NRC discussions related to Maine Yankee follows:
Since the last SMM, Maine Yankee remained shutdown to address numerous plant equipment and human performance problems. Under a management services agreement with Entergy Nuclear Incorporated, a new management team was formed at the site. Comprehensive assessments were undertaken to determine the full extent and root causes of problems that may exist.
This included follow up on issues previously identified by an NRC integrated safety assessment team inspection conducted in the latter part of 1996.
Performance improvement plans were expanded considerably by the new management team. These plans identified both near term actions to be completed before plant restart and needed long term improvements. New corrective action and self-assessment processes were instituted. While a significant lowering of the problem reporting threshold was observed, implementation has been somewhat inconsistent in the startup phase of these programs. Management has established higher performance standards and has taken a more conservative approach to analysis of problems and decision making. A decision was made to enter the planned 1997 refueling outage about nine months early to expedite the equipment problem discovery process. Some progress was made in repairing degraded plant equipment.
Plans for plant modifications necessary to address a number of design issues were in various stages of development when a decision was made by the Board of Directors to reduce outage activities.
The Board took this action in concert with a decision to reexamine the plant's future.
9707070092 970623 PDR ADOCK 05000309
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l David Flanagan
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l l-Personnel performance is:still inconsistent as' evidenced by errors made during recent defueling operations.
Continued management attention is needed to reinforce new performance standards.
Significant additional work 'must be completed before plant restart. The l
senior managers determined continued increased agency attention is J
l needed to monitor improvement efforts. As a consequence, Maine Yankee continues to be designated a Category 2 facility.
l Mr. Hubert Miller, the Region I Regional Administrator, has discussed the bases for our conclusions with regard to Maine Yankee with members of your staff.
j l
An NRC Commission Meeting, open to the public, is scheduled to be held in the Commissioners' Canference Room in Rockville, Maryland, on June 25, 1997 at i
10:00 a.m., to review the results of the latest meeting of NRC Senior l
Managers.
If you have any questions, regarding this matter, do not hesitate to call me at (301) 415-1700.
l Sincerely, 1
l-Odginalspedby LgCIdlan L.
Joseph Callan l
Executive Director for Operations Docket No.:
50-309 cc:
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a Mr. David Flanagan Maine Yankee Atomic Power Station Maine Yankee Atemic Power Company cc w/ encl:
Mr. Charles B. Brinkman Mr. Robert W. Blackmore
' Manager - Washington Nuclear Plant Manager Operations Maine Yankee. Atomic Power Station ABB Combustion Engineering P.O. Box 408 4
12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Suite 330 Wiscasset, ME 04578 Rockville, MD 20852 Mr. Michael J. Meisner Thomas G. Dignan, Jr., Esquire Vice-President Ropes & Gray Licensing and Regulatory Compliance One International Place Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company Boston, MA 02110-2624 329 Bath Road Brunswick, ME 04011 Mr. Uldis Vanags State Nuclear Safety Advisor Mr. Bruce E. Hinklef, Acting State Planning Office Vice-President, Engineering State House Station #38 Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company Augusta, ME 04333 329 Bath Road Brunswick, ME 04011 Mr. P. L. Anderson, Project Manager Yankee Atomic Electric Company Mr. Patrick J. Dostie 580 Main Street State of Maine Nuclear Safety Bolton, MA 01740-1398 Inspector Maine Yankee Atomic Power Station Regional Administrator, Region I P.O. Box 408 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Wiscasset, ME 04578 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 Mr. Graham M. Leitch Vice President, Cperations First Selectman of Wiscasset Maine Yankee Atomic Power Station Municipal Building P.O. Box 408 U.S. Route 1 Wiscasset, ME 04578 Wiscasset, ME 04578 Mary Ann Lynch, Esquire Mr. J. T. Yerokun Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company Senior Resident Inspector 329 Bath Road i
Maine Yankee Atomic Power Station Brunswick, ME 04578 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box E Mr. Jonathan M. Block Wiscasset, ME 04578 Attorney at Law P.O. Box 566 Mr. James R. Hebert, Manager Putney, VT 05346-0566 Nuclear Engineering and Licensing Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company Mr. Michael B. Sellman, President 329 Bath Road Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company Brunswick, ME 04011 329 Bath Road Brunswick, ME 04011 Friends of the Coast P.O. Box 98 Edgecomb, ME 04556
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