ML20199J494

Notice of Violation from Insp on 970922-1102.Violation Noted:On 971018,certificatee Returned Autoclave 4 at X-343 Facility to Svc Following High Steam Pressure Safety Actuation

ML20199J494
Person / Time
Site:	Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant
Issue date:	11/24/1997
From:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:
Shared Package
ML20199J483	List: ML20199J478 ML20199J494 ML20199J509
References
70-7002-97-10, NUDOCS 9711280154
Download: ML20199J494 (3)

Text

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<. j NOTICE OF VIOLATION  ;

i United States Enrichment Corporation Docket No. 70 7002 I Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant Certifieste No. GDPs2 -  !

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i Dunng an NRC inspection conducted from September 22 to November 2,1997, five violations of {

NRC requirements were lderdefied, in accordance with the " General Statement of Policy and  !

Procedure for NRC Enforcement Achons," NUREG 1600, the vioistions are listed below:  ;

1. 10 CFR 76.93, " Quality Assurance," requires that the Corporation shall establish,' _

maintain, and execute a quality assurance program satisfying each of the applicable -

requirements of Amerloan Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) NQA 1 1989,  ;

" Quality Assurance Program Requirements for Nuclear Facilities."  !

ASME NQA 1 1989 Basic Requiremord 16 " Corrective Action," states that conditions -1 adverse to quality shall be identitled promptly and corrected as soon as practical. In the case of a nigrWficant condition adverse to quality, the cause of the condition shall be determined and corrective action taken to preclude recurrence.

Contrary to the above, on October 18,1997, the certificates retumed autoclave #4 at the X 343 facility to service following a high steam pressure safety actuation, a significant l condition adverse to quality, without verifying the root cause and taking action to preclude recurrence.  ;

i p This is a Severity t.evel IV Violation (Supplement VI). (VIO 70 7002/97010-01) j

2. Technical Safety Requirement 3.11.2 requires, in part, that all operations involving l uranium enriched to 1.0 weight-percent (wt.%) or higher U-235 and 15 grams (g) or more }

of U 235 shall be performed in accordance with a documented nuclear criticality safety 1 approval (NCSA).

NCSA PLANT 025.A01," General Use of Small Diameter Containers for Storing up to 10% Enriched Material," requires that when F. cans are outside of a nuclear criticality safety (NCS) approved storage area, a minimum spacing of 24 inches edge-to-edge shall be maintained between non-empty cans and all other equipment which hold uranium -  :

bearing material. In addition, the NCSA requires that non-empty cans be capped at all 4 times except when filling, sampling, or emptying containers.

Contrary to the above, on October 16,1997, two non-empty F cans located at the low - .

assay withdrawal station were discovered uncapped and within 24 inches of uranium-  !

bearing material. ,

a This is a Severity Level IV Violation (Supplement VI).- (VIO 70 7002/97010-02)  ;

3. Technical Safety Requirement 2.1.3.4. requires two operable autoclave shell high steam -i pressure shutdown instrument channels when operating in Modes ll, IV, and VI. With one  !

channel inoperable, the Technical Safety Requirement requires that operability be restored prior to initiating a new cylinder heating cycle.

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Notice of Violation 2 Contrary to the above, between March 3, and Septerrber 22,1997, the certificatee initiated new cylinder heating cycles on facility autoclaves with a single operable.

autoclave shell high sieam pressure shutdown ir.strument channel.

This la a Severity Level IV Violation (Supplement VI) (VIO 70 7002/97010-03)

4. Technical Safety Requirement 3.10 requires, in part, that the Plant Operations Review Committee shall review and approve or disapprove all nuclear criticality rafety evaluations and approvals.

Contrary to the above, between March 3 and Septembes 10,1997, tt.e piant staff made changes to nuclear criticality safety evaluations and approvals. using the engineering notice system, which were not reviewed and approved or disapproved by the Plant Operations Review Committee.

This is a Severity LevelIV Violations (Supplement VI). (VIO 70-7002/97010-04)

5. Technical Safety Requirement 3.9.1 requires that written procedures be implemented to 1 cover activit;es described in Safety Analysis Report Section 6.11.4.1, Safety Analyses Report Section 6.11.4.1 states that a procedure is required for any task that implements a commitment described in the Emergency Plan.

The Emergency Plan requires. In part, that the Emergency Plan implementing Procedures will be implemented to ensure that the emergency response equipment and facilities are maintained to enhance emerger,cy preparedness effective response actions taken to mitigate the consequences of an emergency and to protect the health and safety of the pubhc and workers at the plant.

The Emergency Plan implementing Proceduro, XP2 EP-EP5034, Revision 0,

" Maintenance of Emergency Facilities and Equipment," Section 6.1, states, in part, that inaudible terting of the Public Waming System (PWS) will ba conducted at least monthly, and that the audible testinn is conducted semlannually.

Contrary to the above, from March 3 through September 26,1997, the certificatee failed to conduct the semiannual and monthly surveillances of the PWS in accordance with implementing procedure XP2 EP-EP5034,"Maintensnce of Emergency Facilities and Equipment."

This is a Severity LevelIV Violation (supplement VI). (VIO 70-7002197010-65)

Pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR 76.70, United States Enrichment Corporation is hereby required to submit a written statement or explanation to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commis:2 ion ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington, D.C. 20555 with a copy to the Regional Administrator, Region 111, and a copy to the NRC Resident inspector at the Portsmouth Gasoous Diffusion Plant of this Notice, 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

i Notice of Violation 3 achieved, (3) the corrective stops that will be taken to avoid further violations, and (4) the date when full compliance will be achieved. - .  ;

i Your response may reference or include previously docketed correspondence, if the -

correspondence adequately addresses the required response. If an adequate reply is not reca'nad within the time specified in this Notice, an order or a Demand for information may be

- Issued as to why the license 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.

Because your response will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR), to the extent possible, N should not include any personal privacy, proprietary, or safeguards information so that i it can be place 1 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 mgal specifically identify the portions of your response that you seek to have withheld and provide in detail the bases for your claim of withholding (e.g., explain why the disclosure of information will create an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy or provide the ir: formation 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.

Dated at Lisle, Illinois this 24 day of Novernber 1997 +

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