ML20203G882

Forwards Insp Rept 70-7002/98-19 on 981209-990108.No Violations Noted.Augmented Insp Team Examined Circumstances Surrounding 981209 Fire,Plant Staff Response to Fire & Root Causes for Fire

ML20203G882
Person / Time
Site:	Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant
Issue date:	02/16/1999
From:	Dyer J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:	Adkins J UNITED STATES ENRICHMENT CORP. (USEC)
Shared Package
ML20203G887	List: ML20203G882 ML20203G904
References
70-7002-98-19, NUDOCS 9902220096
Download: ML20203G882 (3)

Text

,

February 16, 1999 Mr. J. L. Adkins Vice President - Production United States Enrichment Corporation Two Democracy Center 6903 Rockledge Drive Bethesda, MD 20817 ,

SUBJECT:

NRC REGION lli AUGMENTED INSPECTION TEAM REVIEW OF THE DECEMBER 9,1998, FIRE AT THE PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DlFFUSION PLANT (INSPECTION REPORT 070-7002/98019(DNMS))

Dear Mr. Adkins:

The enclosed report refers to a special review by an NRC Augmented Inspection Team (AIT) from December 9,1998, through January 8,1999, relative to the December 9,1998, fire in the Side Purge Cascade. The AIT was composed c,f Messrs. Kenneth O'Brien (Team Leader),

David Hartland, and Courtney Blanchard of this office, and Charles Cox, Rex Wescott, and Albert Wong of the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS). The report also refers to the follow-up activities of your staff and to a discussion of our findings with you and others of your staff at a public meeting on February 5,1999.

The enclosed copy of our AIT report identifies areas examined during the inspection. Within these areas, the inspection consisted of a selective examination of procedures and l representative records, observations, and interviews with personnel.  !

The AIT was formed to assess inforrr ation regarding the December 9,1998, fire involving the Side Purge Cascade. Specifically, the AIT examined the circumstances surrounding the fire, the plant staff's response to the fire, and the root causes for the fire. The AIT determined that the fire's immediate safety consequences were minimal, since your staff promptly responded to l the fire and provided adequate protection to site personnel and the public. However, several problems were identified regarding: 1) the training and immediate actions of some operations staff; 2) pre-fire planning and training provided to firefighting staff; 3) procedures for implementing the Emergency Plan and training provided to some management staff; and 4) the timeliness and completeness of some of the initial compensatory and corrective measures  !

implemented following the fire. The AIT concluded that your initial efforts to determine the root l causes of the event appeared appropriate and included a consideration of corrective measures, l recommended following previous similar events, that may not have been fully implemented.

It is not the responsibility of an AIT to determine compliance with NRC rules and regulations or to recommend enforcement actions. These aspects will be reviewed in a subsequent inspection.

9902220096 990216 PDR ADOCK 07007002 C PM m

J. Adkins i l

Distribution w/ encl:

Chairman Jackson Commissioner Dicus  ;

Commissioner Diaz I Commissioner McGaffigan i Commissioner Merrifield W. Travers, EDO  !

G. Tracy, OEDO l F. Miraglia, DEDR '  !

M. Knapp, DEDE J. Lieberman, OE J. Goldberg, OGC F. Congel, IRO 1 E. Ten Eyck, NMSS R. Pierson, NMSS  ;

P. Ting, NMSS '

W. Troskoski, NMSS Regional Administrators-Regions I, ll and IV J. Caldwell, Rlli C. Pederson, Rlli B. Clayton, Rlli l J. Strasma, Rlli  !

P. Hiland, Rlli Rill:DRP:TSS Rill:PRR R. Bellamy, RI EJM, Ril (e-mail)  !

D. Spitzberg, RIV/WCFO Docket File PUBLIC IE-10 i LEO (e-mail)

DOCDESK (e-mail)

Greens 22001S

4 J. Adkins In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the Commission's regulations, a copy of this letter and the enclosed inspection report will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.

Sincerely, , i

/s/ J.L. Caldwell for James E. Dyer Regional Administrator l Docket No. 070-7002 Certificate No. GDP2

Enclosure:

Inspection Report 070-7002/08019(DNMS) cc w/ encl: J. M. Brown, Portsmouth General Manager )

P. J. Miner, Manager, Portsmouth Regulatory Affairs )

H. Pulley, Paducah General Manager  !

S. A. Toelle, Manager, Nuclear Regulatory  ;

Assurance and Policy, USEC

]

Portsmouth Resident inspector Office j Paducah Resident inspector Office l R. M. DeVault, Regulatory Oversight Manager, DOE E. W. Gillespie, Portsmouth Site Manager, DOE l

DOCUMENT NAME: G:\SEC\POR98019.DNM T e receive a copy of this document. Indicate in the box:"C = Copy without enclosure "E"= Copy with enclosure"N"= No copy OFFICE Rlli l NMSS l Rill l NMSS NAME Blanchard, C. Cox, Charles Hartland, D. Wescott, R. i DATE __

gl i gilg OFFICE NMSS Rill Rill # NMSS NAME Wong. A. O'Brien Hiland, P. #J.h Ting DATE 02/04/99 email 02/10/99 maill 02/I'/99 , 02/04/99 (email)_

, _ .  ;. m 4 _

OFFICE NMSS Ril N 4 ljt NAME Pierson, R. Pededhn, C. Nd.'

DATE 02/04/99 (email) 02/i7/99 Q)/l(a/99 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY l