ML20199C539
| ML20199C539 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | River Bend  |
| Issue date: | 11/17/1997 |
| From: | Gwynn T NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | Mcgaha J ENTERGY OPERATIONS, INC. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20199C544 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-458-97-15, EA-97-497, FACA, NUDOCS 9711200050 | |
| Download: ML20199C539 (6) | |
See also: IR 05000458/1997015
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NOV I T 997
EA 97-497
John R. McGaha, Vice President - Operations
River Bend Station
Entergy Operations, Inc.
P.O. Box 220
St. Francisville, Louisiana 70775
SUBJECT: NRC INSPECTION REPORT 50-458/97-015
Dear Mr. McGaha:
An NRC specialinspection was conducted September 22 through October 17,1997, at
your River Bend Station reactor f acility. The enclosed report presents the scope and results
of that inspection.
The purpose of this inspection was to review the circumstances surrounding two incidents
involving losses of shutdov>n cooling. On September 13,1997, during testing of the
alternate decay heat removal subsystem, an inadvertent loss of shutdown cooling caused
reactor coolant temperature to increase to greater that 200*F. As a result, the plant
transitioned from Operational Mode 4 to Operational Mode 3. On October 4,1997, a
second instance of shutdown cooling loss occurred with reactor coolant system
temperature increasing from 97'F to 100'F.
The inspection reviewed the procedures, training, and human performance issues
associated with these events. Specifically, it focused on those conditions and behaviors
which led to the f ailure to adequately monitor and maintain control of reactor plant
parameters, especially the meintenance of reactor decay heat removal capabilities. The
NRC considers the inadvertent mode change on September 13 to be particularly significant
in that boiling occurred within the rector vessel while the primary coolant system, drywell,
and containment boundaries were not intact.
Based on the results of this inspection, two apparent violations of NRC regagemants were
identified. They are being considered for escalated enforcement action in accordance with
the " General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions"
(Enforcement Policy), NUREG-1600. Accordingly, no relevant Notice of Violation is
included as part of these inspection findings. You should also be advised that the number
and characterization of thece apparent violations could change as a result of further NRC
review.
A predecisional enforcement conference to discuss these apparent violations has been
scheduled for December 2,1997. The decision to hold this conference does not mean that
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Entergy Operations, Inc.
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the NRC has determined that a violation has occurred or that enforcement action should be
taken. Instead, the conference is being held to obtain the information necessary for the
NRC to make an appropriate enforcement decision. The needed information includes such
things as a definitive description of the facts related to the events, the results of any root
cause analyses, opportunities to identify the apparent violations sooner, and the safety
significance and consequence of the events.
The NRC is also concerned with how your staff: (1) f ailed to effectively integrate
shutdown risk and actual plant conditions (e.g., actual equipment configurations and
planned evolutions); and (2) counted on operator actions to restore decay heat removal for
both events and, for the first event, to reestablish containment boundaries. Therefore,
during the predecisional enforcement conference, we request that you address your
shutdown risk processes and the adequacy of your planned and implemented contingency
actions. Further, we request that you also address the adequacy of temperature indication
available to the operators, the technical adequacy of the reactor vessel level system lineup
during shutdown, and the actions you have taken or plan to take to improve the
effectiveness in implementing the shutdown protection plan.
The predecisional enforcement conference is an opportunity for you to point out any errors
in our inspection report and for you to provide any information concerning your
perspectives on: (1) the severity of the violations, (2) the application of the factors that
the NRC considers when it determines the amount of a civil penalty that may be assessed
in accordance with Section VI.B.2 of the Enforcement Policy, and (3) any other application
of the Enforcement Po' icy to this case, including the exercise of discretion in accordance
wid Section Vll. Thi conference will be open to public observation.
You will be advised by separate correspondence of the results of our deliberations on this
matter. No response regarding these apparent violations is required at this time,
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 (PDR).
Should you have any questions concerning this inspection, we will be pleased to discuss
them with you.
Sincerely,
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Thbmas P. Gwynn, Director
Division Uf Reactor Projects
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Docket No.: 50-458
License No. NPF-47
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- Entergy Oparations, Inc.
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' Enclosura:
' NRC Inspection Report--
50 458/97-015-
cc w/ enclosure:
Executive Vice President and
. Chief Operating Officer _-
Entergy Operations, Inc.
~ P.0, Box 31995
Jackson,'_ Mississippi 39286-1995-
' Vice President
Operations Support
Entergy Operations, Inc.
P.O. Box 31995
Jackson, Mississippi 39286 1995
- General Manager
Plant Operations
River Bend Station
Entergy Operations, Inc.
P.O. Box 220
St. Francisville, Louisiana 70775
Director - Nuclear Safety .
River Bend Station
Entergy Operations, Inc.
P.O. Box 220
St.' Francisville, Louisiana 70775
Wise, Carter, Child & Caraway
' P.O. Box 651
Jackson, Mississippi 39205
^ Mark J. Wetterhahn, Esq.
Winston & Strawn
1401 L Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005 3502
Manager - Licensing
River Bend Station
- Entergy Operations, Inc.
P.O. Box 220
St. Francisville, Louisiana 70775
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Tho' Honorable _ Richard P. leyoub:
Attorney General-
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P.O. Gox 94095
Baton Rouge, Louisiana . 70804 9095
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H. Anne .Plettinger-.
3456 Villa Rose Drive--
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Baton Rouge,' Louisiana 70806
' President of West Feliciana --
Police Jury-
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' P.O. Box 1921.
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St. Francisville, Louisiana 70775
- Joint Ownership Manager
Cajun Electric Power Coop. Inc.
P.O.- Box 15540 -
Baton _ Rouge, Louisiana- 70895 -
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William H. Spell,' Administrator
Louisiana Radiation Protection Division
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P.O. Box 82135
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70884 2135
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NOV l 71997
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E-Mail report to T. Frye (TJF)
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E Mail report to T. Hiltz (TGH)
E-Mail report to NRR Event Tracking System (IPAS)
E-Mail report to Document Control Desk (DOCDESK)
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Regional Administrator
Senior Resident inspector (Grand Gulf)
DRP Director
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RIV File
Branch Chief (DRP/TSS)
Resident inspector
G. F. Sanborn, EO
W. L. Brown, RC
J. Lieberman, OE, MS:7 H5
OE:EA File, MS:7 H5
DOCUMENT NAME: R:\\_RB\\RB715RP.WFS
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- Copy with enclosures "N" = No copy
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NOV I 71997
E-Mail report to T. Frye (TJF)
E Mail report to T. Hiltz (TGH)
E Mail report to NRR Event Tracking System (IPAS)
E-Mcil report to Document Control Desk (DOCDESK)
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bec to DCD (IE01)
bec distrib. by RIV:
Regional Administrator
Senior Resident inspector (Grand Gulf)
DRP Director
DRS-PSB
Branch Chief (DRP/G)
MIS System
Project Engineer (DRP/G)
RIV File
Branch Chief (DRP/TSS)
Resident inspector
G. F. Sanborn, EO
W. L. Brown, RC
J. Lieberman, OE, MS:7-HS
OE:EA File, MS:7-H5
DOCUMENT NAME: R:\\_RB\\RB715RP.WFS
To receive copy of document, indicate in box: "C" = Copy without enclosures
"E"
=
Copy with enclosures "N" = No copy
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