ML20196K585

Notice of Violation from Insp on 990413-0528.Violation Noted:Corporation Did Not Report to NRC Operations Ctr, within 24 Hours After Discovery of Event in Which Process Gas Leak Detection Sys Failed to Function as Designed

ML20196K585
Person / Time
Site:	07007001
Issue date:	05/10/1999
From:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:
Shared Package
ML20196K103	List: ML20196K098 ML20196K105 ML20196K585
References
70-7001-99-07, 70-7001-99-7, NUDOCS 9907090085
Download: ML20196K585 (3)

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e NOTICE O'F VIOLATION United States Enrichment Corporation Docket No. 70-7001 Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant Certificate No. GDP-1 During an NRC inspection conducted from April 13 through May 28,1999, two violations of NRC requirements were identified. In accordance with the " General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actiors," NUREG-1600, Revision 1, the violations are listed below:.

1. Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 76.120(c)(2) requires, in part, that the Corporation shall notify _the NRC Operations Center within 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> after the discovery of an event in which equipment is disabled or fails to function as designed when the equipment is required by a Technical Safety Requirement: 1) to mitigate the consequences of an accident; 2_) to be available and operable and should have operated on demand; and 3) no redundant equipment is available and operable to perform the required safety function.

Technical Safety Requirement 2.4.4.1, " Process Gas Leak Detection," requires, in part, that the process gas leak detection system for a cell shall be operable whenever the cell is operated at greater than atmospheric pressure.

Contrary to the above, the Corporation did not report to the NRC Operations Center, within 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> after discovery, an event in which the process gas leak detection system for Building C-333, Unit 5, Cell 4 failed to function as designed and was required by Technical Safety Requirement 2.4.4.1 to mitigate the consequences of an accident; was required to be available and operable; and for which no redundant eoulpment was available and operable to perform the required safety function. Specifically, the Corporation did not report for approximately 40 hours4.62963e-4 days <br />0.0111 hours <br />6.613757e-5 weeks <br />1.522e-5 months <br />, a failure on April 11,1999, at 9:45 p.m., of the process gas leak detection system for Building C-333, Unit 5, Cell 4.

At the time of the failure, the process gas leak detection system was required to be J operable, in that, the associated cell was operating at greater than atmospheric l

_ pressure. 1 This is a Severity Level IV violation (Supplement VI). Violation (VIO 70-7001/99007 01)

2. ' Technical Safety Requirement 2.4.4.1 requires, in part, that within one hour after the  !

l discovery of a process gas leak detection system inoperability, a continuous smoke watch shall be implemented for the cell or cells affected by the process gas leak j detectiori system inoperability or the cells shall be placed in a Mode for which the l Limiting Condition for Operation does not apply.

Contrary to the above, on April 11 and April 27,1999, the plant staff did not '

implement a continuous smoke watch for areas surrounding Building C-333 Unit 5, Cell 4,' and Unit 5, Cell 1, respectively, or place the cells in a Mode for which Technical ,

Safety Requirement 2.4.4.1, Limiting Condition for Operation did not apply within one hour after the associated process gas leak detection system heads were determined to be inoperable.' Specifically, the plant staff did not implement a 9907090085 990701 PDR ADOCK 07007001 1 C PDR {_

Notice of Vioistion continuous smoke watch for or place the cells in a Mode for which the Limiting Condition for Operation did not apply until greater than 4 hours4.62963e-5 days <br />0.00111 hours <br />6.613757e-6 weeks <br />1.522e-6 months <br /> for Building C-333 Unit 5, Cell 4 and greater than one and a half hours for Unit 5, Cell 1, respectively.

This is a Severity Level IV violation (Supplement VI). (VIO 70-7001/99007 02)

Pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR 76.70, United States Enrichment Corporation is hereby required to submit a written statement or explanation for Violation 70-7001/99007-02 to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington, D.C.

20555, with a copy to the Regional Administrator, Region Ill, and a copy to the NRC Resident inspector at Paducah, within 30 days of the date of the letter transmitting this Notice of Violation (Notice). This reply should be clearly marked as a " Reply to a Notice of Violation" and should include for each violation: (1) the reason for the violation, or, if contested, the basis for disputing the violation, (2) the corrective steps that have been taken and the results achieved, (3) the corrective steps that will be taken to avoid further violations, and (4) the date when full compliance will be achieved. Your response may reference or include previously docketed correspondence,if the correspondence adequately addresses the required response. If an adequate reply is not received within the time specified in this Notice, an order or a Demand for Information may be issued as to why the Certificate should not be modified, suspended, or revoked, or why such other action as may be proper should not be taken. Where good cause is shown, consideration will be given to extending the response time.

The NRC has concluded that information regarding the reasons for Violation 70-7001/99007-01, the corrective actions taken and planned to correct the violation and prevent recurrence, and the date when full compliance will be achieved is already adequately addressed in this inspection Report. Therefore, a soecific response to Violation 70-7001/99007-01 is not required. However, you are required to submit a written statement or explanation, pursuant to 10 CFR 76.70, if the description therein does not accurately reflect your corrective actions or your position, in that case, or if you choose to respond, clearly mark your response as a _" Reply to a Notice of Violation," and send it to the address identified above within 30 days of the date of this letter transmitting this Notice.

- if you contest this enforcement action, you should also provide a copy of your response to the Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C.

20555-0001.

Because your response will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR), to the extent possible, it should not include any personal privacy, proprietary, or safeguards information so that it can be placed in the PDR without redaction. If personal privacy or proprietary information is necessary to provide an acceptable response, then please provide a bracketed copy of your response that identifies the information that should be protected and a redacted copy of your response that deletes such information. If you request withholding of such material, you must J

Notice of Violation specifically identify the portions of your response that you seek to have withheld and provide in detail the bases for your claim of withholding (for example, explain why the disclosure of information will create an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy or provide the information required by 10 CFR 2.790(b) to support a request for withholding confidential commercial or financial information). If safeguards information is necessary to provide an acceptable response, please provide the level of protection described in 10 CFR 73.21.

In accordance with 10 CFR 19.11, you may be required to post this Notice within two working days.

Dated this ist day of July 1999 l

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