ML20150D839

Responds to to CC Kammerer Forwarding J Flaxman Ltr Re Concerns About Util Operations.Util Has Major Initiatives in Place,Including Performance Enhancement Program to Enhance Overall Safe Operation of Plant

ML20150D839
Person / Time
Site:	Turkey Point
Issue date:	03/18/1988
From:	Stello V NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Graham B SENATE
Shared Package
ML20150D842	List: ML20150D839 ML20150D867
References
NUDOCS 8803250168
Download: ML20150D839 (6)

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,,[ to, UNITED STATES 'O y j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

;y W ASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 k...../ MAR 181938 The Honorable Bob Graham United States Senater Post Office Box 30r0 Tallahassee, Florida 32315

Dear Senator Graham:

I am pleased to respond to your February 1?,1088 letter to Mr. Carlton C. Kammerer of our Office of Governmental and Public Affairs, forwarding a letter you received from a constituent, Mr. Jeffrey Flaxman. Mr. Flaxman has expressed concerns regarding operations at the Turkey: Point 3 Nuclear Power Plant. You requested that we review Mr. Flaxman's concerns and provide our coments to you.

Mr. Flaxman references a recent Miami Herald article that mentiered that the Florida Power and Licht Company TTPF- the licensee) had once again been fined for negligence at the plant. Mr. Flaxman notes that despite extensive fines since 1983, problems apparently continue at the plant and that he is concerned about a potential accident in south Florida. He asks that you help ensure FPL's compliance with "the NRC 14 page order reauiring changes in management and supervision and training at the plant." Mr. Flaxman did not provide specific references or dates of the newspaper article or the NPC 14-page order.

Although I do not have the specific newspaper article to which Mr. Flaxman refers, I believe it references the NRC's Order and Notice of Violation and Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalty (EA 87-85) dated October 19, 1987. I have enclosed a copy of this Order, which gives considerable detail on the background and nature of the problems (Enclosure O.

I assure you that the Commission shares Mr. Flaxman's concern about the contin-uing problems at the Turkey Point plant, es expressed in the subfect Order.

I would like to emphasize that although the events leading to these cited violations, as well as several previous ones, are significant, none of them resulted in a situation which jeopardized public health and safety. The Comission's principal concern is the fact that these types of events have happened too often, indicating a need for substantial improvement in operations.

The Order takes cognizance of the licensee's corrective actions and initiatives i relating to management, supervision, and training that are under way. As noted )

therein, we believe that if vigorously pursued, they should result in significant improvements in the performance of the Turkey Point plant and site personnel.

I also have enclosed three letters from FPL dated October 7 and 19 and i November 18, 1987 (Enclosures 2, 3 and 4, respectively). These letters provide l 880325016e 800318 PDR ADOCK 05000250 F PDR

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The Ponorable Bob Grahan -?-

l details of both the short- and long-term corrective measures under way and completed, the Management-On-Shift Program, and FPL's response to the October 19, 1987 Order and Notice of Violation (EA 87-P5).

Both our headauarters and regional staffs have bec, carefully monitoring FPL's corrective programs, including the Independent Management Appraisal Program specified in the Order. In addition to our onsite presence and frequent progress reports, we meet at least monthly with FPL's top management personnel at the Turkey Point site te review the status of the corrective action programs as well as current operational experience. We are satisfied that FPL is being responsive to our concerns, and that its efforts are showino signif-icant progress and should result in the desired high level of plant and personnel performance. We are continuing our close monitoring of the licensee.

For your further infomation, I will briefly describe the actions the Comission takes to meet its statutory responsibilities of ensuring that all operating facilities, including the Turkey Point plant, achieve and maintain adequate levels of protection of the health and safety of the public. The NRC has an extensive inspection and enforcement program to ensure that construction, operation and safety standards are met at all nuclear power plant sites. In the past year, about 8 person-years of inspection effort were expended at Turkey Point, about two times the effort at a typical site. The Turkey Point plant has three full-time resident inspectors on site. In addition, frequmt announced and unannounced inspections are performed by specialists from NP.C headouarters and the region to augment the resident inspection activities.

Forty such inspections were conducted at Turkey Point during the past year, in sumary, FPL has several major initiatives in place, including its Perfom-ante Enhancement Program, Ouality Improvement Program, Management-On-Shift Program, and Independent Management Appraisal Program. It has been and is continuing to devote considerable site and corporate resources to these and other programs and physical plant improvements for enhancing overall safe operation of the Turkey Point plant, and the NRC is closely monitoring this effort. Clearly, the NRC is vitally interested in the perfomance at Turkey Point and, if further deterioration is noted, strona consideration will be givsn to suspending operations. However, we do not believe that point has been reached at the present time.

I hope that the information I have provided is responsive both to Mr. Flaxnan's and your concerns and provides confidence that the NDC is taking prompt and vigorous action to ensure that FPL achieves the necessary attention to detail, is complying with the Order, and will meet the high standards set by the Commission for continued operation.

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The Honorable Bob Graham If we can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

- Original signed by yictor Stollo y Victor Stello, Jr.

Fxecutive Director for Operations

Enclosures:

1. NRC Order dated 10/19/87

2. FPL Letter dated 10/7/87

3. FPL Letter dated 10/19/87

4. FPL Letter dated 11/18/87 DISTRIBUTION Docket File (50-250/251) OGC-WF NRC PDR w/ incoming SECY (#88-0152) local PDR w/ incoming VStello ED0 #003532 DFossburg (ED0 4003532)

EDO Reading w/cy of incoming TFurley/JSniezek Beverly Clayton FMiraglia GEdison w/ incoming PD22 (w/cy of incoming) FGillespie SVarga RMartin Glainas JGrace, RII CA

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The Honorable Bob Graham I hope that the information I have provided is responsive bo to Mr. Flaxman's and your concerns and provides confidence that the NRC is t irg prompt and vigorous action to ensure that FPL achieves the necessary tention to detail, is complying wit the Order, and will meet the high stand rds set by the Comission for co inued operation.

If we can be of furt er assistance, please do not hes tate to contact us.

Sincerely, Victor St 10, Jr. ,

Executiv Director I for erations )

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Enclosures:

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1. NRC Order dated 10/19/87

2. FPL Letter dated 10/7/87

3. FPL Letter dated 10/19/87

4. FPL Letter dated 11/18/87 DISTRIBUTION Docket Fise (50-250/251) GC-WF NRC PDR w/ incoming SECY (#88- 152)  ;

Local PDR w/ incoming VStello i EDO #003532 DMossburg (E O #003532)

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EDO PRINCIPAL CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL FRON: DUE: 03/14/88 EDO CONTROL: 003532 SEN. 80B GRAHAM tiOC DT 02/12/88 FINAL REPLY:

TO:

OCA FOR S10 NATURE OF: um OREEN mm SECY NO: 88-152 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

.DESC ROUTING:

ENCLOSES LETTER FROM JEFF FLAXMAN CONCERNING GRACE TURKEY POINT -

DATEt 02/29/88 i ASSIONED TO: NRR CONTACT: MURLEY 1

I CPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS: '

REPLY TO TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 0FFICE.

MARK ENVELOPE ATTN: BECKY LINER. l I

NRR RECEIVED: FEBRUARY 29, 1988 ACTION: DRPR:VARGA' }

NRR ROUTING: MURLEY/SNIEZEK MIRAGLIA MARTIN GILLESPIE '

MOSSBURG 9

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET PAPER NUMBER: -CRC-88-0152 LOGGING DATE: Feb 24 88 ACTION OFFICE: EDO AUTHOR: B. Graham--Const Ref AFFILIATION: U.S. SENATE LETTER DATE: Feb 12 88 FILE CODE: ID&R-5 Turkey Point

SUBJECT:

Concerned about the operation of the Turkey Point nuc power plant ACTION: Direct Reply DISTRIBUTION: OCA to Ack, Docket SPECIAL HANDLING: None NOTES: Jeffrey Flaxman DATE DUE: Mar 9 88 SIGNATURE: . DATE SIGNED:

AFFILIATION:

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