ML20202A737

Discusses Insp Repts 50-245/97-203,50-336/97-203 & 50-423/97-203 on 970722-1001 & Forwards Notice of Violation. Four Violations & One Apparent Violation of NRC Requirements Were Identified During Insp Period

ML20202A737
Person / Time
Site:	Millstone
Issue date:	11/21/1997
From:	Lanning W NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Carns N NORTHEAST NUCLEAR ENERGY CO.
Shared Package
ML20202A741	List: IR 05000245/1997203 ML20202A737 ML20202A749
References
50-245-97-203, 50-336-97-203, 50-423-97-203, NUDOCS 9712020205
Download: ML20202A737 (5)

See also: IR 05000245/1997203

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November 21, 1997 j

Mr. Neil S. Carns, Senior Vice President

and Chief Executive Officer

Northeast Nuclear Energy Company

P.O. Box 128

Waterford, Connecticut 06385

Dear Mr. Carns:

SUBJECT: NRC COMBINED INSPECTION 50 245/97 203:50 336/97 203;423/97 203

and NOTICE OF VIOLATION

On October 1,1997, the NRC completed an inspection at your Millstone Station, Units 1,2

& 3 reactor facilities. The enclosed report presents the results of that inspection.

The staff observed improved performance in multiple areas during this inspection period.

As outlined in the Executive Summary and the supporting Report Details, the staff noted

good performance in selected areas across all three units, for example: Improvements in

the tagging controls and shift turnovers at Unit 2; the quality of Significant items List

packages and technical specification compliance at Unit 3; and operating experience staff

performance for Unit 1.

However, four violations and one apparent violation of NRC requirements also were

identified during this inspection period. One violation involved the failure to properly ensure

that safety-related work at Unit 1 is correctly coded and reviewed by the Quality Control

(OC) group. The report also describes a Unit 2 violation wherein an operating procedure

f ailed to address thermal binding concerns for the Unit 2 steam admission valves for the

turbine driven auxiliary feedwater pump. Another violation involved shipping activities in

which a package of radioactive material was transported from your f acility to the

Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Station, which, upon receipt, was determined to have

external radiation levels in excess of regulatory limits. Finally, a recurring violation was

identified in the area of radiological worker practices. Four examples of wo kers improperly

entering or exiting the radiologically controlled area at each of the units were identified

during the poi.od September 816,1997. Although corrective actions taken to address .:V }

previously identified violations in this area have generally reduced the rate at which such ' f, ,-

strors are occurring, they have not been fully effective. -

These violations are cited in the enclosed Notice of Violation, and the circumstances g

surrounding the violations are described in detail in the enclosed report. Please note that \ i

you are required to respond to this letter and should follow the instructions specified in the

enclosed Notice when preparing your response. The NRC will use your response,in part,

to de; ermine whether further enforcement action is necessary u ensure compliance with

regulatory requirements.

1. N.NMN05

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Mr. Neil S. Carns 2

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The apparent violation idertified by you at Unit 3 represents a significant safety concem._ [

Licensee Event Report 423/96-029 discusses a condition that alone could have caused the  ;

loss of the emergency cort cooling capabilities of the charging and high head safety  :

injection systems. This apparent violation at Unit 3 is being considered for escalated

enforcement action in accordance with the " General Statement of Policy and Procedure for

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NRC Enforcement Actions" (Enforcement Policy), NUREG 1600. You will be advised by

separate correspondence of the results of our deliberations on this matter. No response

regarding this apparent violation is reouired at this time; however, any corrective actions

deemod appropriate should be instituted in a timely manner Please be advised that the

number and characterization of apparent violations described in the enclosed inspection

report may change as a result of further NRC review.

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The Unit 1 staff's response to a Nuclear Oversight identified issue concerning the

installation of temporary lead shielding in the plant was prompt and comprehensive.  ;

Additional shielding concerns were identified by the line organization, as well as indications - '

of a larger programmatic problem originating from a lack of ownership for the program.

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The health physics department is appropriately assuming ownership of the Unit 1 shielding

control program.

At Unit 2, you have been sur essfulin addressing the longstanding problems associated l

with tagout adequacy as demonstrated by good performance over an extended period, i

Strong celf assessments and corrective actions associated with tagging have been the

driving force behind continued improvements in this area.

On September 24,1997, you reported that the Unit 2 engineered safety feature actuation

system (ESAS) cabinets were inoperable because new power supplies that were installed "

in a 1994 modificttion could have blown the power supply fuses if an ESAS actuation

were to occur, thereby preventing tho actuation of safety equipment. This event is of

particular concern to the NRC and warrants continued licensee management focus. At the

end of the inspectior, period, NRC and licensee evaluations of this concern were ongoing

and will be covered in a future NRC inspection report, i

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Substantial work remains to be done to achieve closure of the Generic Letter (GL) 8910

motor operated valve (MOV) program at Units 2&3. The Units 2&3 GL 8910 program had

recently been significantly revised. MOV design basis reviews, modifications, overhauls,

and additional testing remained to be completed. Appropriate resources were evident in

forming a new MOV organization to support all of the Millstone units and to correct MOV

program deficiencies. You agreed to provide a supplemental response regarding Generic

Letter 95 07 to address pressure locking and thermal binding concerns for certain MOVs at

Unit 2. You also agreed to discuss in this response your corrective actions to the violation

associated with thermal binding that is discussed above. If these commitments are not

correct, please notify this office as soon a practical.

This inspection report discusses a number of issues contained in the Unit 2 Significant

items List (SIL). Although corrective actions were completed satisfactorily for specific

technicalitems (SIL Nos. 22,29, and 35), no SIL items involving the broader

programmatic issues were able to be closed,

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Mr. Neil S. Carns 3

Your progress on providing significant items list (SIL) packages for Unit 3 is proceeding

smoothly and prrigress is being made on SIL issue inspection, as is evidenced in the.

enclosed inspection report. However, there have been some examples of problems with

the comprehensiveness of the completed corrective actions for certain SIL items. Also, as

indicated in the enclosed report, and in the prcvieus inspection report, improvements in

your programmatic ceaMI of several major technical / topical areas (e.g., environmental

qualh'ication, MOVs, electrical separation) have been noted and the SIL items associated

with these issues appear properly directed toward resolution. Ho" ver, in other Sll areas

(corrective action, vendor programs, MEPL), which appear to represent engineering

programs of a more general topical natcre and which are applicrble to all three urits,

prompt and sustained progress toward the disposition of NRC c ,ncerns is less evident.

Given the importance of the relation of SIL item closure to the readiness of Unit 3 for

restart, additional management attention to the resolution of these general topical Sllitems

appears warranted,

in accordance w.<h 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,

mIGINE SKMD Ut J. Ilrr for:

Wayne D. Lanning

Deputy Director

Inspections

Special Projects Office, NRR

Docket Nos. 50-245; 50 336;50 423

Enclosures:

1. Notice of Violation

2. NRC Combined inspection Repnrt 50 245/97 203;50 336/97 203;50-

423/97 203

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Mr. Neil S. Carns 4

CD WLench

M. H. Brothers, Vice President Millstone, Unit 3

J. McElwain, Unit 1 Recovery Officer

M. Bowling, Jr., Unit 2 Recovery Of ficer

D. M. Goebel, Vice President, Nuclear Oversight

D. B. Amerine, Vice President, Nuclear Engineering & Support Overview

P. D. Hinnenkamp, Director, Unit Operations

F. C. Rothen, Vice President, Work Services

J. Stankiewicz, Training Recovery Manager

R. Johannes, Director Nuclear Training

S. Sherman, Audits and Evaluation

L. M. Cuoco, Esquire

J. R. Egan, Esquire

V. Juliano, Waterford Library

J. Buckingham, Department of Public Utility Control

S. B. Comley, We The Peop!e

State of Connecticut SLO Designee

D. Katz, Citizens Awareness Network (CAN)

R. Bassilakis, C AN

J. M. Block, Attorney, CAN

S. P. l uxton, Citizens Regulatory Commission (CRC)

Representative T. Concannon

E. Woollacott. Co Chairman. NEAC

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. Mr. Neil S. L Carns '5  ;

, . Distribution w/ench

- Region I Docket Room (with copy of concurrences)

Nuclear Safety information Center (NSIC) _

PUBLIC --

FILE CENTER, NRR (with Orioinal concurrences)-

NRC Resluent inspector

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OE (2) (EA Packages Only)

H. Miller, RA/W. Axelson, DRA, Rl (ONE COPY)

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B. Jones, PIMB/ DISP

M. Kalamon, SPO, RI-

W. Lanning, Deputy Director of Inspections, SF0, RI

C D. Screnci, PAO

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W. Travers, Director, SPO, NRR

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. Distribution w/end (VIA E MAIL):

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J. Andersen, Pf::, SPO, NRR

M. Callahan, OCA

R. Correia, NRR

W. Dean, OEDO

i_ S. Dembek, PM, SPO, NRR

G. Imbro, Deputy Director of ICAVP Oversight, SPO, NRR

D. Mcdonald, PM, SPO, NRR

P. McKee, Deputy Director of Licensing, SPO, NRR

L. Plisco, Chief, SPO, NRR

S. Reynolds, Chief, ICAVP Oversight Branch

D. Screnci, PAO

Inspection Program Branch (IPAS)

DOCDESK (Inspection Reports Only)

T : C8RANc 4 bN 97- AoS

To receive a copy of this document. Indicate in the box: "Caa Copy without attachment /eni wure "E" = Copy with

attachmenUenc'osure 'N' = No copy

OFFICE S*0/NRR SPO/NRR E

NAME' - LANNINI t- DURR ( d

, DATE. 11g/97 8 11,W/97

0FFICIAL RECORD COPY

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