ML20205T571
| ML20205T571 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Clinton  |
| Issue date: | 04/21/1999 |
| From: | Dapas M NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Mcelwain J ILLINOIS POWER CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20205T575 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-461-99-03, 50-461-99-3, NUDOCS 9904270293 | |
| Download: ML20205T571 (5) | |
See also: IR 05000461/1999003
Text
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April 21, 1999
Mr. John P. McElwain
Chief Nuclear Officer
Clinton Power Station
Illinois Power Company
Mail Code V-275
P. O. Box 678
Clinton,IL 61727
SUBJECT:
INSPECTION REPORT 50-461/99003(DRS)
Dear Mr. McElwain:
On March 18,1999, the NRC completed a Safety System Engineering inspection at your Clinton
Power Station. The focus of the inspection was to assess the engineering organization's
effectiveness and readiness for restart through an in-depth review of calculations, analyses, and
other engineering documents and products used to support system performance during normal
and accident conditions. In particular, a number of restart items documented in the NRC Manual
Chapter 0350, " Staff Guidelines for Restart Approval," Case-Specific Checklist were reviewed.
These items included circuit breaker failures, degraded voltage and electrical distribution
concerns, calculation and setpoint program deficiencies, fire protection issues, and the ability of
safety-related equipment to perform its intended safety functions. The enclosed report presents
the results of that inspection.
The team assessed your corrective actions to address significant concems with electrical
breaker maintenance and operations at Clinton Power Station (CPS), including the specific
actions identified in Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL) Rill-97-009 issued on August 6,1997
following the failure of two safety-related Westinghouse,4160-volt, DHP-type breakers to trip on
demand. The CAL included actions committed to by lilinois Power to identify the failure
mechanism of the breakers, take effective corrective action to prevent recurrence, and establish
a basis for reasonable assurance that all safety-related breakers will function when called upon.
Your identification of high friction forces in the main and arcing contacts of the breakers due to a
lack of lubrication, and your subsequent corrective actions which included breaker preventive
maintenance activities or replacement of suspect breakers, indicated that the engineering staff
was capable of thoroughly and comprehensively addressing significant plant hardware
deficiencies. In addition, we observed a high level of management involvement resulting in
significant improvement in your maintenance and testing of circuit breakers. Specifically, your
staff exhibited good knowledge of breaker design, maintenance, and testing requirements;
demonstrated improved work practices during breaker maintenance activities; and exhibited
good teamwork and adherence to procedure requirements. The team concluded that your
planned and completed corrective actions establish a basis for reasonable assurance that all
safety-related breakers will function when called upon.
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9904270293 990421
ADOCK 05000461
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J. McElwain
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The team determined that with regard to the resolution of significant plant hardware deficiencies
such as those associated with the plar.t's response to degraded grid voltage conditions, the
performance of engineering personnel in determining root causes and implementing corrective
action was good in addition, your recognition that future offsite power degraded voltage
conditions could result in less than the required voltage being available to the 4160-volt
safety-related buses led to your identification and implementation of corrective actions to revise
undervoltage setpoints and implement modifications, such as the installation of load tap
changing transformers. This demonstrated that the CPS engineering staff was capable of
identifying and resolving complex engineering issues.
With regard to setpoint and calculation control deficiencies, the team identified significant
improvements in the processes which control setpoints and calculations, in addition, based on a
limited review of recently completed calculations, the team concluded that these procecs
improvements were being effectively implemented. Similarly, concems identified in the fire
protection program were also being effectively addressed.
To evaluate the ability of safety-related equipment to perform its intended safety function, the
team reviewed various assessments, such as the System Design and Functional Validation
project, and completed a design review of the reactor core isolation cooling system. The team
concluded that your staff had established reasonable assurance that safety-related structures,
systems, and components would perform their intended safety functions as described in the
design and licensing basis.
Based on a review of your efforts to address the Case-Specific Checklist restart items briefly
discussed above, the NRC concluded that corrective actions for items related to circuit breakers,
calculations, fire protection, and the ability of safety-related equipment to perform its intended
safety functions, were satisfactory for closure. Case-Specific Checklist item IV.4 regarding
degraded voltage will remain open pending an NRC review of the post-modification testing to
. address degraded grid voltage issues. Case-Specific Checklist item VI.3 regarding the setpoint
control program will remain open pending NRC review of a safety-related setpoint operability
determination.
Despite the successes in the identification and irnplementation of corrective actions to address
significant hardware and programmatic issues, the team identified a number of examples where
engineering personnel failed to ensure that problems were adequately resolved through the
implementation of effective corrective actions. For example, the team identified that corrective
actions to address potential interlock testing problems lacked an appropriate depth of review.
!
The team also identified cases in which prescribed corrective actions were not completed as
required. The NRC concluded that continued management attention in this area is warranted.
While short-term corrective actions are near completion, long-term system, component, and
programmatic improvements will require continued effort and vigilance by CPS management
and staff. The NRC will continue to closely monitor CPS performance to ensure that your
corrective actions continue to be effective.
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J. McElwain
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Based on the results of this inspection, the NRC has determined that eight violations of NRC
requirements occurred. These violations are being treated as Non-Cited Violations (NCVs),
consistent with Appendix C of the Enforcement Policy. These NCVs are described in the
subject inspection report. If you contest the violation or severity level of these NCVs, you should
provide a response within 30 days of the date of this inspection report, with the basis for your
denial, to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington DC
20555-0001, with a copy to the Regional Administrator, Region Ill, and the Director, Office of
Enforcement, United States Nudear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter, its
enclosure, and your response, if you choose to provide one, will be placed in the NRC Public
Document Room.
Sincerely,
Original /s/ Marc Dapas
Marc L. Dapas, Deputy Director
Division of Reactor Projects
Docket No. 50-461
License No. NPF-62
Enclosure:
Inspection Report 50-461/99003(DRS)
cc w/ encl:
G. Hunger, Station Manager
R. Phares, Manager, Nuclear Safety
q
and Performance improvement
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J. Sipek, Director - Licensing
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M. Aguilar, Assistant Attorney General
G. Stramback, Regulatory Licensing
Services Project Manager
General Electric Company
Chairman, DeWitt County Board
State Liaison Officer
Chairman, Illinois Commerce Commission
DOCUMENT NAME: G:DRS\\CLl99003.WPD
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DATE
4/16/99
4/20/99
4/20/99
4/20/99
41::V/99
OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
,
.
J. McElwain
-3-
Based on the results of this inspection, the NRC has determined that eight violations of NRC
requirements occurred. These violations are being treated as Non-Cited Violations (NCVs),
consistent with Appendix C of the Enforcement Policy. These NCVs are described in the
subject inspection report. If you contest the violation or severity level of these NCVs, you should
provide a response within 30 days of the date of this inspection report, with the basis for your
denial, to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington DC
20555-0001, with a copy to the Regional Administrator, Region Ill, and the Director, Office of
Enforcement, United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter, its
enclosure, and your response will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR).
Sincerely,
i
Marc L. Dapas, Deputy Director
Division of Reactor Projects
Docket No.:
50-461
License No.: NPF-62
Enclosure:
Inspection Report 50-461/99003
cc w/ encl:
G. Hunger, Station Manager
R. Phares, Manager, Nuclear Safety
and Performance improvement
J. Sipek, Director - Licensing
M. Aguilar, Assistant Attomey General
G. Stramback, Regulatory Licensing
Services Project Manager
General Electric Company
Chairman, DeWitt County Board
State Liaison Officer
Chairman, Illinois Commerce Commission
DOCUMENT NAME: G:DRS\\CLl99003.wpd
To receive e copy of this document. Ind6cate in the 1,Ou' 'C's Copy without ettechment/ enclosure "tr's Copy with attachment / enclosure *N's No copy
OFFICE
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DATE
4/lb/99
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4/10/99
4/Ta/99
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OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
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J. McElwain
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Distribution:
RPC (E-Mail)
. Project Mgr., NRR w/enci
J. Caldwell, Rlll w/enci
B. Clayton, Rill w/enci
' SRI Clinton w/enci
DRP w/ encl
DRS w/enci
Rlli PRR w/enct
PUBLIC IE-01 w/enci
Docket File w/enci
GREENS
LEO (E-Mail)
DOCDESK (E-Mail)
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