ML20199D304

Forwards Insp Rept 50-354/97-07 on 971004 & Notice of Violation.No Response Required.Review Will Be Completed Following Completion of Facility Root Cause Evaluation

ML20199D304
Person / Time
Site:	Hope Creek
Issue date:	11/13/1997
From:	Linville J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:	Eliason L Public Service Enterprise Group
Shared Package
ML20199D308	List: IR 05000354/1997007 ML20199D304 ML20199D317 ML20199D343
References
50-354-97-07, 50-354-97-7, NUDOCS 9711200306
Download: ML20199D304 (4)

See also: IR 05000354/1997007

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November 13,1997

Mr. Leon R. Eliason

Chief Nuclear Officer and President

Nuclear Business Unit

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- Public Service Electric and Gas Company

Post Office Box 236

Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038

SUBJECT:

NRC INTEGRATED INSPECTION REPORT 50 354/97-07

NOTICE OF VIOLATION

Dear Mr. Eliason:

On October 4,1997, the NRC completed is inspection at your Hope Creek reactor facility.

The enclosed report presents the results of that inspection, which included focused

reviews by three regionalinspectors evaluating refuel outage radiation protection controls,

engineering suppert, and the inservice inspection program.

During the six week period covered by this inspection period, your conduct of activities at

the ' lope Creek facility was generally cha:scterized by safety-conscious operations, and

appropriate engineering and maintenance practices. Frequent quality assurance department

oversight in the control room throughout the period was effective. With respect to

refueling outage radiation protection controls, we noted improved performance since our

RFO6 assessment. Nonetheless, we observed weaknesses in some areas including

integration of planned outage work with ALARA requirements, and contamination control

and air sampling. A previously-identified radioactive waste transportation violation

involving a failure to include required information on shipping documents (described in NRC

Inspection Report 50 354/97 04)is attached to tHs report. No response is required since

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associated corrective actions were completed and verified during this assessment period.

The technical specification required inservice inspection program and srubber surveillance

program were being implemented well. Your follow up to the discovery of the through-wall

crack in the core spray reactor pressure vessel nozzle appeared to be thorough. We will

complete our rev;aw of this issue following completion of your root cause evaluation,

We identified two procedure compliance violations during maintenance work this report

per:od, in spite of your corrective actions following previously cited similar issues. We

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observed that you have also identified several similar events. Many of these errors were

attributed to contract maintenance workers, which indicated ineffective supervisory

oversight of their activities. Further, a self-identified issue involving several missed

opportunities by operators and fire protection personnel to identify an inoperable fire

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suppression system pump promptly led to a cited violation. While we are aware of your

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efforts to improve human performance at the station, collectively these recent examples

highlighted continued weaknesses in this area, particularly with respect to the maintenance

department perform,arce.

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9711200306 971113

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Mr. Leon R. Eliason

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Additionally, we identified three violations of regulatory requirements during the conduct of

a routine engineering inspection. These included a failure to perform a written safety

evaluation for a reactor core isolation cooling system modification and inadequate

assessments of service life and qualificatica requirements for normally-energized control

relays located in both harsh and mild environments. These violations indicated

weaknesses in your engineering peer review process and, in the case of the relays, less

than acceptable judgement in component design requirements,

in accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter

and its enclosures will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR).

Sincerely,

Oiiginal Signed By:

James C. Linville, Chief

Projects Branch 3

Division of Reactor Projects

L'ocket No.: 50-354

License No: NPF-57

Enclosures:

1)

Notice of Violation

2)

Inspection Report 50-354/97-07

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Mr. Leon R. Eliason ~

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cc w/ encl: -

L. Storr, Senior Vice President - Nuclear Operations:

- E. Simpson, Senior Vice President - Nuclear Engineering

E. Salowitz, Director - Nuclear Business Support .

A. F. Kirby, Ill,, External Operations - Nuclear, Delmarva Power & Light Co.

J. A' Isabella, Manager, Joint Generation

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Atlantic Electric

M. Bezilla, General Manager - Hope Creek Operations

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' J. McMahon, Director - Quality Assurance / Nuclear Training / Emergency Preparedness

D. Powell, Director - Licensing / Regulation & Fuel *'

R. Kankus, Joint Owner Affairs

A. C. Tapert, Program Administrator

Jeffrey J. Keenan, Esquire

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Consumer Advocate, Office of Consumar Advocate

' William Conklin, Public Safety Consultant, Lower Alloways Creek Township

State of New Jersey

State of Delaware

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Mr.' Leon R. Eliason

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Distribution w/ encl:

Region j Docket Room (with concurrences)

Nuclear Safety Inforrnation Center (NSIC)

NRC Resident inspector -

PUBLIC

H. Miller, RA/W. Axelson, DRA

J. Linville, DRP

S. Barber, DRP

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L. Harrison, DRP

C. O'Daniell, DRP

Distribution w/enet:(Via E-Mail)

K. Kennedy, OEDO

D. Jaffe, Project Manager, NRR

J. Stolz, PDl 2, NRR

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inspection Program Branch, NRR (IPAS)

R. Correia, NRR

F. Talbot, NRR

DOCDESK

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DOCUMENT NAME:- G:\\ branch 3\\HC9707 ins

T3 receive a copy of this document. lodicato in the box: "C" = Copy withot;t attachrynt/ enclosure

• E" = Copy with attachment / enclosure

"N" = No -

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