ML20199F255

Informs That at Jan Smm,Clinton Power Station Was Placed on NRC Watch List as Category 2 Plant.Ack Recent Agreement Reached W/Peco Energy Co to Provide Mgt Svcs for Clinton. Informs of Public Meeting on 980121 to Discuss SMM Results

ML20199F255
Person / Time
Site:	Clinton
Issue date:	01/15/1998
From:	Callan L NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:	Haab L ILLINOIS POWER CO.
References
NUDOCS 9802030111
Download: ML20199F255 (5)

Text

- . _ - - _- --. - - -._-- - . - _- -_ - .-. ,

. c rso

a ** /

g

m%t UNITED STATEf1

\

, g.

j t

NUCLEAR REGULATonY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 3066H001 l

• • • • • January 15, 1998 4

Mr. Larry D. HaJo

, Chief Executive Officer Illinois Power Company 500 South 27th Street Decatur, IL 62525

Dear Mr. Haab:

On January 6 and 7,1998, the NRC senior managers met to evaluate nuclear safety performance of operating reactors, fuel facilities, and o'her materials licensees. This meeting is conducted samlannually to determine if the safety performance of various licensees exhibits sufficient weaknesses to warrant increased NRC attention or if it is trending adversely and requires steps be taken to communicate concerns to the utility's president or board of directors.

At the January 1998 Senior Management Meeting (SMM), the Clinton Power Stction was discussed, in his letter of January 27,1997, Mr. Hugh L Thompson, Acting Executive Director for Operations, advised you that at the January 14,15, and 17,1997 SMM, the NRC senior managers concluded that trends in performanca at Clinton Power Station raised sufficient concems that we believed it would be appropnate to meet with you to discuss these concems.

At the June 1997 SMM, the NRC senior managers determined that Illinois Power did not have a full understanding of the depth and scope of the performance issues at Clinton and, until that occurred, it would be difficult to consider the performance decline arrested. Therefore, the NRC senior managers determined that a diagnostic evaluation of Clinton Power Station was necessary to identify the. scope of problems at Clinton in response, Illinois Power performed an independent Integrated Safety Assessment (ISA) of Clinton's performance. The ISA was reviewed by an NRC Special Evaluation Team (SET), and the resultant report was forwarded to /.

you by letter dated January 2,1998, d At the January 1998 SMM, Clinton Power Station was placed on the NRC Watch List as a Category 2 plant. Plants in this category have been identified as having weaknesses that warrant increased NRC attention until the licensee demonstrates a period of improved ,d/

performance. A summary of the NRC senior managers' discussions related to Clinton follows:

The ISA identified weaknesses in operations, engineering, maintenance, and plant support. Examples of these weaknesses were evident in the management and supervision of plant operations, the performance of system engineers, the control and understanding of the plant's design bases, maintenance work scheduling and work processes, and radiation protection activities. The SET confirmed that the findings of the ISA accurately characterized the station's performance deficiencies and their causes. Although the SET concluded that degradation to plant equipment was limited because of the robust nature of Clinton's design, its relative!y young age, and the limited 0 1

)) [ hhh h

l. lll II. llll ll ll m ma . . .

v.

L.Haab 2-period over which performance declined, the insights provided by the ISA and SET require well focused and timely attention.

In addition to the findings of the ISA, the weaknesses manifested by the recirculation pump seal failure continued throughout this period. These weaknesses were demonstrated by the inability to bound and prioritize the issues that were required to be addressed prior to plant restar1 and by the inability to adequately respond to and resolve two significant circuit breaker failures. Extensive NRC involvement was needed prior to Clinton's recognition of the significance of the circuit breaker issue and of others that impacted safety related equipment.

The NRC senior managers acknowledge the recent agreement reached with PECO Energy Company to provide management services for the Clinton Power Station. It is our understanding that this new management team will consist of 6 to 8 people in key positions, including chief nuclear officer and plant manager, and was put in place, in part, to address the leadership problems identified by the ISA and SET, We are also aware that your Plan For Excellence (PFE) is in its final stages of development and that through the PFE you intend to address the deficiencies identified by the ISA and SET. Success in resolving Clinton's performance concerns will require a strong management commitment to the PFE and continued improvement in the corrective action program.

Mr A. Bill Beach, the NRC Region til Administrator, has discussed the bases for our conclusions with regard to the Clinton Power Station with members of your staff.

An NRC Commission meeting, open to the public, is scheduled to be held in the Commissioners' Conference Room in Rockville, Maryland, on January 21,1998, at 10:00 a.m.

to review the resulte of the latest meetir5 of the NRC senior managers. If you have any questions regarding this matter, do nc. ..asitate to call me at (301) 415-1700, Sincere L. Jo/seph Callan

$l/

Executive Director for Operations Docket No. 50-461 cc: See next page DISTRIBUTION: See attached page DOCUMENT NAME: a:\CLI

• See previous concurrence

" Concurred via telecon OFFICE - RA: Rill DD.NRR l D.NRR EDO l NAME ABBeach" FJMiraglia

• SJCollins

• LJCallan DATE 01/14 /98 01/15/98 01/15/98 01/ /98 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

u .g 9 L Haab 2

/

[

in addition to the findings of the ISA, the weaknesses manifested by tim roolroulatidn pump seal failure coMinued throughout this period. '.tz:Tst's ineffectiveness was demonstrated by their inabil6ty to bound and prioritime the issues raised which were required to be addressed prior to plant restart. ManagemeM's ineffectiveness was also demonstrated during this period by their inability to adequately respond to and resolve two significant circuit breaker failurse. Extensive NRC involvemeM was needed prior to Clinton's recogrWtion of the angnificance of this issue and of others tfet impacted safety related equipmeM. Also in this penod, a Demand For information concoming CliMon's corrective action program was issued for which a response is foquired prior to restert.

/

The NRC senior managers & cut f-;+ the recent agreemem retched with PECO Energy Company to provide management services for the Clinton Poquir Station, it is our understanding that this new ry ~ gement team will consist of 6 to 8 peoplejn key positions, including chief nuclear offloor k.d plant rranager, and was put in place, it)$ art, to address the leadership woblems identified by the ISA and SET. We are also aw6te that your Plan For Excellence (PFE) s in its final stages of developmeM and that through the PFE you intend to address the deficiencies identified by the ISA and SET. Success will require a strong management commitment to he)in PFE and resolving continued Clinton's improvement in the performance concoms corrective action program.

Mr A. Bill Beach, the NRC Region Ill Admini retor, has discussed the bases for our conclusions with regard to the Clinton Power Station members of your staff.

An NRC Commission meeting, open to public, is scheduled to be held in the Commissioners' Conference Room in Rockville, Marylard, on January 21,1998, at 10 00 a.m. to review the results of the latest meeting of the N)tc senior managers, if you have any questions regarding this matter, do not hesitate to call e at (301) 4151700.

Sincerely, L. Joseph Callan Executive Director for Operations

' Docket No. 50-461 cc: See next DISTRIBUTIO See attached page '

- DOCUMENT NAME: .\clintitr.198

^

• • Concurred via t

- To receive a cow this document. Indicate in the box: *C' = Cony without enclosures "E* = Cow with onciosures *N' = No copy OFFICE - RAnill I DD: NRM I Dilf8F l EDO l l NAME AB8each" F#srW/ A SIJ65lEl s LJCallen DATE 01/14/98 01/ M /9b T 01/ f a /98 01/ /98 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

.t' e

Clinton Power Station, Unit i lilinois Power Company cc:

i John G. Cook lilinois Department of Nuclear Safety Senior Vice Prosident Office of Nuclear Facility Safety Clinton Power station 1035 Outer Park Drive P.O. Box 678 Springfield,IL 62704 Clinton,IL 61727 Joseph V. Sipok Larry Wigley Director Licensing Manager Nuclear Station Clinton Power Station Engineering Department P.O. Box 678 4

Clinton Power Station Mail Code Vg20 P.O. Box 678 Clinton,IL 61727 Clinton,IL 61727 Resident inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission RR#3, Box 22g A Clinton,IL 61727 R. T. Hill Licensing Services Manager General Electric Company 175 Curtner Avenue, M/C 481 San Jose, CA g5125 Regional Administrator, Region lil U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 801 Warrenville Road Lisle, IL 605324 351 .

Chairman of DeWitt County clo County Clerk's Office DeWitt County Courthouse Clinton,IL 61727 J. W. Blattner Project Manager

! Sargent & Lundy Engineers 55 East Monroe Street l Chicago,IL 60603 l

l

7

.! , e i e*  ;

DISTRIBUTION: for letter to L Haab (Clinton)

Central Files PUBLIC i EDO R.F.,017-G-21 PIPB R.F.,012 E-4 SECY,016 G 15

. OPA,0 2 G 5 OCA,017 F 2 HLThompson,016 E 15 ACThadani,0-16 E 15 >

WMDean,0-16 E 15 GTracy,016-E 15 -

JLlobennan,0 7-H 5 MRKnapp, T 10 F 12 TTMariin, T 4 D 18 BWSheron,0-12-G 18 i RPZimmerman,0-12 G 18 FPGillespie,0-12-G 18

- RWBorchardt,012 E 4 MRJohnson,0-12 E 4 DRTaylor,012 E-4 JGrant, Rlli EGAdsnsam,013 E-4 RPSavio,013-E 21

JBHopkins,0-13 E 21 1

-e, e -

,,n.., c, , .,r--m,. vr--, . -

e,r---.n -- ,, --- -

r