ML20154C697
| ML20154C697 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Wolf Creek  |
| Issue date: | 09/29/1998 |
| From: | Stetka T NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | Maynard O WOLF CREEK NUCLEAR OPERATING CORP. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20154C700 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-482-98-12, EA-98-274, NUDOCS 9810070003 | |
| Download: ML20154C697 (5) | |
See also: IR 05000482/1998012
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UNITED STATES
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REGION IV
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September 29,~ 1998
EA 98-274
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' Otto L Maynard, President and
' Chief Executive Officer
Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation
P.O. Box 411
Burlington, Kansas. 66839-
SUBJECT:
NRC INSPECTION REPORT 50-482/98-12 AND NOTICE OF VIOLATION
Dear'Mr. Maynard:
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From March 23 through June 26,1998, an engineering and technical support inspection and an
engineering open item inspection were conducted at your Wolf Creek Generating Station
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reactor facility. The enclosed report presents the scope and results of those inspections. The
results of those inspections were discussed with Messers. R. Holloway, B. Smith, T. Harris, and
R. Muench of your staff on September 29,1998.
The engineering and technical support inspection performed an assessment of the high head
injection system, control room ventilation, and the Class 1 E dc distribution system. The open
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. items inspection was performed to review open items from other engineering inspection efforts.
On the basis of the results of our review, your engineering program was adequate to support
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._ safe operation of the plant, and most of your engineering processes are functioning well.
. However, some findings revealed weaknesses in your program. The most significant finding
concerned a failure to adequately evaluate the timing of emergency actions associated with
recovery from.a loss-of coolant accident prior to the switchover of suction from the refueling -
water storage tank to the containment recirculation sumps. The inspection revealed that the
'timeline presented in the Updated Safety Analysis Report was not consistent with that actually
achievable in the plant. We were satisfied that contingencies in design and operation would
have prevented a serious safety p oblem. However, in review of the regulatory implications, a
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violation of 10 CFR 50.59 was identified for making changes to the facility, which involved an
unreviewed safety question without prior Commission approval and without performing safety
evaluations.
There were examples of a failure to follow procedures and a failure to have adequate
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> procedures.'. The first example involved a failure to follow design change procedures by not
incorporating design changes for the station batteries into the applicable calculation. The
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second example involved the failure to have adequate acceptance criteria in surveillance
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procedures'used to test the station batteries. The first item was of concern in that engineers
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failed to follow the procedure for design control packages. This failure appeared to be the
result of the use of engineering judgement in lieu of formal analysis. The second item was of
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concern because.the inadequate acceptance criteria could have resulted in station batteries
' that were unable to cope with design accident events.
9810070003'980929
ADOCK 05000482
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Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation
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There were five examples of a failure to adequately implement your design change program.
These examples involved failures to assure that design calculations were revised when
applicable design changes were made, that design calculation results were consistent with.the
Updated Safety Analysis Report, that all variables were addressed in the instrument uncertainty
calculations, and the use of incorrect parameters in the design basis calculations.
These violations are cited in the enclosed Notice of Violation (Notice) and the circumstances
surrounding the violations are described in detail in the enclosed report. Please note that you
are required to respond to this letter and should follow the 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
requirements. As documented in the Notice of Violation, the NRC has concluded that your
responses to violation Examples B.2 and C.1 through C.5 were complete and that no further
response is required.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's ' Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter, its
enclosure, and your response will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR).
Should you have any questions concerning this inspection, we will be pleased to discuss them
with you.
Sincerely,
_
M'
/
Thomas F. Stetka, Acting Chief
Engineering Branch
Division of Reactor Safety
Docket No.:
50-482
License No.: APF-42
Enclosures:
1.
2.
NRC Inspection Report
50-482/98-12
cc w/ enclosures:
Chief Operating Officer
Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corp.
P.O. Box 411
Burlington, Kansas 66839
Jay Silberg, Esq.
Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge
2300 N Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20037
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' Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation
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Supervisor Licensing
' Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corp.
P.O. Box 411 '
Burlington, Kansas 66839
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Chief Engineer
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Utilities Division
' Kansas Corporation Commission
1500 SW Arrowhead Rd.
Topeka, Kansas 66604-4027
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Office of the Governor
State of Kansas
Topeka, Kansas 66612
' Attorney General
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Judicial Center
301 S.W.10th
2nd Floor -
Topeka, Kansas' 66612-1597
County Clerk
'Coffey County Courthouse
,
Burlington, Kansas 66839 ,1798
Vick L. Cooper, Chief
Radiation Control Program
Kansas Department of Health
and Environment
Bureau of Air and Radiation
Forbes Field Building 283
Topeka, Kansas 66620
Mr. Frank Moussa .
Division of Emergency Preparedness
2800 SW Topeka Blvd
Topeka, Kansas 66611-1287
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Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation
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E-Mail report to T. Frye (TJF)
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E-Mail report to D. Lange (DJL)
E-Mail report to NRR Event Tracking System (IPAS)
E-Mail report to Document Control Desk (DOCDESK)
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bec to DCD (IE01)
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bec distrib. by RIV:
Regional Admlnistrator
DRS Director
DRS Deputy Director
Resident inspector
DRP Director
SRI (Callaway, RIV)
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Branch Chief (DRP/B)
DRS-PSB
Project Engineer (DRP/B)
MIS System
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Branch Chief (DRP/TSS)
RIV File
G.F. Sanborn, EO
J. Lieberman, OE, MS:7-HS
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OE:EA File, MS:7-H5
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' DOCUMENT NAME: R:\\._WC\\WC812rp.wpd
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To receive copy of document, Indicate in box: "C" = Copy without enclosures 'E" = Copy with enclosures "N" = No copy
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RIV:RI:EB
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09/25/98
09/25/98
09/25/98
09/25/98 09/25/98
09/25/98
09/25/98
09/28/98
09/g98
- Previously concurred
OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
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Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation
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E-Mail report to T. Frye (TJF)
E Mail report to D. Lange (DJL)
E-Mail report to NRR Event Tracking System (IPAS)
E-Mail report to Document Control Desk (DOCDESK)
bec to DCD (IE01)
bec distrib. by RIV:
Regional Administrator
DRS Director
i
DRS Deputy Director
Resident inspector
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DRP Director
SRI (Callaway, RIV)
Branch Chief (DRP/B)
DRS-PSB
Project Engineer (DRP/B)
MIS System
Branch Chief (DRP/TSS)
RIV File
G.F. Sanborn, EO
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J. Lieberman, OE, MS.7-H5
OE:EA File, MS:7-H5
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DOCUMENT NAME: R:\\_WC\\WC812rp.wpd
To receive copy of document, Indicate in box: "C" = Copy without enclosures "E" = Copy with enclosures "N* = No copy
RIV:RI:EB
RI:EB
RI:EB
RI
Rl:EB
Rl:EB l
C:DRP
AC:EBM1
RNease*
MRunyan*
PGoldberg* JHanna* RBywater* DPereire* WJohnson*
MVasquez* TFStetkT
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09/25/98
09/25/98
09/25/98
09/25/98 09/25/98
09/25/98
09/25/98
09/28/98
09/r/98
)
- Previously concurred
OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
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