ML20196K098

Forwards Insp Rept 70-7001/99-07 on 990413-0528 & Nov. Violations Re Failure to Fully Evaluate Situation in Which Safety Sys Relied Upon to Mitigate Consequences of Accident Was Inappropriately Returned to Svc

ML20196K098
Person / Time
Site:	07007001
Issue date:	07/01/1999
From:	Hiland P NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:	Adkins J UNITED STATES ENRICHMENT CORP. (USEC)
Shared Package
ML20196K103	List: ML20196K098 ML20196K105 ML20196K585
References
70-7001-99-07, 70-7001-99-7, NUDOCS 9907080144
Download: ML20196K098 (3)

Text

l July 1.,1999 i

Mr. J. N. Adkins .

Vice President- Production

' United States Enrichment Corporation Two Democracy Center 6903 Rockledge Drive Bethesda, MD 20817

SUBJECT:

NRC INSPECTION REPORT 70-7001/99007(DNMS)

Dear Mr. Adkins:

' On May 28,1999, the NRC completed a routine resident inspection at your Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The enclosed report presents the results of the inspection. During the period j covered by the inspection report, the conduct of safety-related activities at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant was generally adequate.

Based on the information developed during the inspection, the NRC identified two cited violations. The violation concoming reportability is of concern because it involved the plant staff's failure to fully evaluate a situation in which a safety system relied upon to mitigate the consequences of an accident was inappropriately retumed to service. The violation conceming untimely entry into Limiting Condition for Operation Action Statements is of concem because it

' indicates a lack of knowledge on the part of some operations staff as to the process gas leak detection system design and plant protocol for performing surveillances and reporting results.

In additior:, the initial corrective actions did not appear to be comprehensive in that additional inadequate operator responses to process gas leak detection system failures occurred during the inspection period. ,

i The NRC's Division of Facilities and Security completed a review of our pri/.ous inspection i activities regarding your November 1998 report of a security infraction wNch occurred in l

-August 1998r Our initial review and conclusions were documented in Inspection Report 70-7001/98018(DNMS), dated January 28,1997. As discussed with Mr. Larry Jackson, Paducah Nuclear Regulatory Affairs Manager, the NRC's review of our earlier evaluation has determined that information developed in August 1998 was and should remain classified as I

~ CONFIDENTIAL-National Security Information. The details of our revision to the earlier inspection activities are included in the enclosed report.

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 I determine whether further enforcement action is necessary to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. 1 l

l 9907090144 990701 PDR ADOCK 07007001 C. PDR -

ur 1 .

J. Adkins In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and its enclosure will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room. To the extent possible, your response should not include any personal privacy, proprietary, or safeguards information so I that it can be placed in the PDR without redaction.

We will gladly discuss any questions you have concerning these observations.

Sincerely,

/s/ P.L. Hiland Patrick L. Hiland, Chief Fuel Cycle Branch Docket No. 70-7001 Certificate No. GDP-1

Enclosure:

Inspection Report 70-7001/99007(DNMS) cc w/ encl: H. Pulley, Paducah General Manager L. L. Jackson, Paducah Regulatory Affairs Manager J. M. Brown, Portsmouth General Manager S. A. Toelle, Manager, Nuclear Regulate:y Assurance and Policy, USEC Paducah Resident inspector Office Portsmouth Resident inspector Office R. M. DeVault, Regulatory Oversight Manager, DOE J. C. Hodges, Paducah Site Manager, DOE DOCUMENT NAME: G:\SEC\ PAD 99007.DNM To receive a copy of this document, Indicate in the box:"C" = Copy without enclosure 'E*= Copy with enclosure *N"= No copy DFFICE Rlll ]V l l NAME Hiland:ib P,lM DATE 07/ //99 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

n-i J. Adkins Distribution:

Docket File w/enct PUBLIC IE-07 w/enci R. Pierson, NMSS w/enct P. Ting, NMSS w/enci

~ W. Schwink, NMSS w/ encl P. Harich, NMSS w/enci '

M. L. Horn, NMSS w/enci J. L. Caldwell, Rlll w/enci

'C. D. Pederson, Rill w/enct Rlli Enf. Coordinator w/enct R. Bellamy, RI w/enci EJM, Ril (e-mail)

D. B. Spitzberg, RIV w/enci I LEO (e-mail)

DOCDESK (e-mail) '

Greens w/o enci f

i ,

i r

080015