ML20203L771
| ML20203L771 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 02/26/1998 |
| From: | Neil Perry NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Langenbach J GENERAL PUBLIC UTILITIES CORP. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20203L774 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-289-97-10, 50-320-97-03, 50-320-97-3, NUDOCS 9803060216 | |
| Download: ML20203L771 (3) | |
See also: IR 05000289/1997010
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February 26,1998
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Mr. James Langenbach
Vice President and Director, TMI
GPU Nuclear Corporation
Three Mile Island Nuclear Station
Post Office Box 480
Middletown, PA 17057-0191
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SUBJECT:
NRC INTEGRATED INSPECTION REPORT NOS. 50-289/97 10,50-320/97-03
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Dear Mr. Langenbach:
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On January 24,1998, the NRC completed an inspection et your Three Mile Island 1 & 2
reactor facility. The enclosed report presents the results of that inspection.
Your staff operated Unit 1 and conducted activities at the site safely over this period. The
operations staff responded wellin identifying a makeup system leak, which led to a unit
shutdown so that repairs could be effected. The operators conducted the shutdown, the
outage activities, and the restart well. We also found your operator requalification program
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strong with good management involvement. Maintenance and surveillance activities were
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conducted well. Initial review showed good implementation of selected portions of the
maintenance rule requirements,in tracking and trendirg of equipment conditions and out of
service times. In reviewing engineering activities we noted significant improvement in the
program for documenting the safety classification of components in your quality
classif'::ation list. We also noted that you took actions to improve the restriction on
makeup system flow and tank level to preclude damage to the pumps from low suction
pressures. However, there were some weaknesses in the calculational methods used and
in the overall documentation of the final validation testing.
During the period we performed our assessment of your corrective action program. Overall
this program improved since the last assessment, but performance has been inconsistent.
Problem identification threshold has been lowered and resolution of day to day issues has
been good. Internal audits of station activities have aise been good. However,in
numerous instances your organization has not taken sopropriate and timely action to
correct known adverse conditions. Engineering work backlog to resolve issues continues
to grow as you have not established an effective corrective action tracking and resource
planning process. Further senior management attention to manage the existing corrective
action backlog and tc address longstanding engineering issues is warranted. We
understand that your organization has taken and is planning additional corrective actions
based on examples of such issues addressed by NRC enforcement in October 1997.
Currently, we are unable to complete a full assessment of the effectiveness of these
actions, but encourage their aggressive completion.
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Mr. James Langenbach
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The security program was inspected during this period. The inspection consisted of
selective reviews of procedures and records, inspector's observations, and interviews with
security personnel. The inspector determined that you are implementing a security
program that protects public health and safety.
Based on the results of this inspection, the NRC has determined that a violation of NRC
requirements has occurred. The violation is cited in the enclosed Notice of Violation
(Notice) and the circumstances surrounding it are described in detail in the subject
inspection report. The violation is of concern because this is a second example where
plant operators used a procedure that did not meet the intent of the activity performed.
Specifically, the inspectors identified a failure of your operations staff to employ a
reviewed and approved procedure to perform a troubleshooting leak check of the reactor
building emergency coolers.
We recognize that the f ailure to follow procedures by the operators during the 1997
refueling outage was one of the violations cited in recent NRC enfercement action, dated
January 27,1997,(EA 97 533NIO O2014.) Further, we note that corrective actions for
that violation would not have been in place at the time of the violation identified in this
report. As such, we request that you combine the responses to the procedure use
violation discussed in the January 27,1997, letter and the violation enclosed with this
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latter. To ensure a complete review and comprehensive corrective actions we will a' low an
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extension for your response to EA 97-533NIO O2014 until the date required for submittal
of the violation enclosed with this letter. The NRC will use your response, in part, to
determine whethar further enforcement action is necessary to ensure compliance with
regulatory 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,
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Neil S. Perry, Acti
Chief
Projects Branch No. 7
Division of Reactor Projects
Docket Nos.: 50-289,50-320
Enclosures:
2. NRC Inspection Report No. 50-289/97-10and 50-320/97-03
3. Handouts from December 22,1997, predecisional enforcement conference
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Mr. James Langenbach
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cc w/ encl:
J. C. Fornicola, Director, Nuclear Safety Review
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M. J. Ross, Director, Operations and Maintenance
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D. Smith, PDMS Manager
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TMI Alert (TMIA)
M. Laggart, Manager, TMl Regulatory Affairs
E. L. Blake, Shaw, Pittman, Potts and Trowbridge (Lagal Counsel for GPUN)
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Distribution w/ encl:
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Region 1 Docket Room (with concurrences)
Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)
PUBLIC
NRC Resident inspector
H. Miller (RA)
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J. Yerokun, DRS
N. Perry, DRP
D. Haverkamp, DRP
A. Linde, DRP
DOCUMENT NAME: G:\\ BRANCH 7\\TMl9710. INS
Ta receive a copy of this document. Indicate in the box: *C" w frey without attachment /enclosurs T = Copy with attachment /enclosuri
- N" = No
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