ML20206F214

Documents Completion of NRC Review of Specific Corrective Actions Util Committed to Complete Prior to Restarting Clinton Power Station & Forwards NRC Manual Chapter 0350 Restart Action Plan

ML20206F214
Person / Time
Site:	Clinton
Issue date:	04/27/1999
From:	Dyer J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:	Mcelwain J ILLINOIS POWER CO.
Shared Package
ML20206F217	List: ML20206F214 ML20206F223 ML20206F233 ML20206F236 ML20206F248
References
CAL-RIII-97-09, CAL-RIII-97-9, NUDOCS 9905060045
Download: ML20206F214 (5)

Text

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p uco UNITED STATES s . je NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION lli 5 y 801 WARRENVILLE ROAD USLE. ILUNOIS 60532-4351

\*****le April 27, 1999 Mr. John P. McElwain

. Chief Nuclear Officer Clinton Power Station lilinois Power Company Mail Code V-275 P. O. Box 678 Clinton,IL 61727

SUBJECT:

CLOSURE OF NRC MANUAL CHAPTER 0350 RESTART ACTION PLAN FOR CLINTON POWER STATION

Dear Mr. McElwain:

This letter documents the completion of NRC review of specific corrective actions lilinois Power (IP) committed to complete prior to restarting Clinton Power Station (CPS).

In December 1996, IP decided to maintain CPS in an extended shutdown to address performance issues identified by the NRC during the review of the circumstances associated with the September 5,1996, reactor recirculation pump seal failure. The NRC initially raised concerns with IP senior management's and CPS staff's initial investigation into the root causes of this event which failed to identify significant procedural adherence issues. In March 1997, the NRC Region lli and Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation staffs formed an Oversight Panel for CPS to ensure appropriate focus was provided and resources were allocated with regard to reviewing CPS improvement initiatives. On March 13,1997, the NRC issued a Restart Action Plan for CPS which was developed in accordance with Manual Chapter (MC) 0350, " Staff Guidelines for Restart Approval," and included a list of areas the NRC planned to review to support agency oversight of CPS's restart and IP's performance improvement initiatives. The results of the NRC's review of these areas were documented in a letter that was forwarded to IP on July 15,1997.

f On August 6,1997, the NRC staff issued Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL) 50-461/Rlll-97-009 which was prompted by the July 22,1997, failure of one safety-related and one nonsafety-related Westinghouse 4160 volt,'1200 amp breaker and the August 5,1997, failure of a similar safety-related circuit breaker. The CAL dealt specifically with the issues stemming from the failure of IP to provide reasonable assurance that safety-related circuit breakers would function when called upon. On September 26,1997, the NRC staff issued a Demand-for-information (DFI) to IP regarding the corrective action program at CPS.

- A number of weaknesses in performance were identified during an Integrated Safety I. Assessment (ISA) which was conducted at CPS from August to October 1997. Subsequently, the NRC conducted a Special Evaluation Team (SET) inspection which confirmed the results of

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J. McElwain the ISA. Shortly thereafter, IP decided to extend the plant shutdown to address these performance deficiencies. A performance improvement plan, called the Plan-for-Excellence (PFE), was issued by IP on February 19,1998. The PFE included new commitments that would be completed prior to the restart of CPS. On July 14,1998, based on the results of the ISA and SET, the commitments in the PFE, and other NRC inspection findings, the NRC revised its Restart Action Plan included in the revision was a Case Specific Checklist (CSC) which defined

actions and issues that needed to be considered by the NRC in determining if IP had implemented effective corrective actions such that CPS was ready to restart. The Restart Oversight Panel verified that the issues identified in the LM were subsumed in IP's PFE. The CSC was updated on September 15 and December 2,1998.

The NRC staff has completed the inspection and assessment activities outlined in its MC 0350 Restart Action Plan, and has evaluated the effectiveness of IP's actions to address the issues identified in the CAL pertaining to breaker failures and in the DFl regarding the corrective action program at CPS. Closure of the CAL and DFl are documented in separate letters to you dated this same date. These activities were completed through a number of inspection efforts which included resident inspections, an engineering and technical support team inspection, a safety system engineering inspection, a corrective action team inspection, and a restart readiness team inspection; frequent public meetings between IP and the NRC Restart Oversight Panel; and frequent intemal meetings of the Restart Oversight Panel. The results of these activities are documented in inspection reports, intemal Oversight Panel meeting minutes, and public meeting summaries, all of which have bear

• or will be issued and placed in the NRC Public Document Room. In addition, the Restart Action Plan, which documents the actions initiated by the NRC per the MC 0350 process, is enclosed. Accordingly, the NRC Restart Oversight Panel has reached a consensus that IP's performance improvement initiatives have been sufficiently implemented to support restart of CPS. After consultation with the Executive Director for Operations and the Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, I have determined that there are no further regulatory holds on your restart of Clinton Power Station. Therefore, the MC 0350 Restart Action Plan is closed. While the specific restart issues have been adequately resolved, IP is responsible for ensuring that any other issues which may impact plant restart and safe operation are promptly identified and properly addressed.

Although the Restart Action Plan was closed, the NRC Oversight Panel determined that additumal information was needed to fully address Section C.1.3.J of the Restart Action Plan.

This section refers to further actions that will be taken by you after restart to improve overall performance at CPS. The Oversight Panel noted that your staff has focused on implementing those actions necessary to support safe restart of the plant, and not on the near- and long-term performance improvement initiatives'apecified in the PFE beyond the restart requirements. As a result, due dates for many of these actions have passed and the PFE needs to be updated.

Therefore, the Oversight Panel will remain in place until the NRC has met with IP to discuss the results of our plant restart observations and the revisions to the PFE you plan to implement to sustain performance improvements at CPS. We will schedule this public meeting with you to occur shortly after plant restart. The NRC intends on maintaining enhanced oversight of CPS activities after restart. The Oversight Panel will hold an intemal meeting shortly after the public

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s-J. McElwain meeting described above to develop post-restart inspection plans. An updated inspection schedule will be sent to you thereafter, in accordance with Section 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and its enclosure will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room. '

Sincerely,

/s/ J. E. Dyer James E. Dyer Regional Administrator Docket No. 50-461 License No. NPF-62

Enclosure:

Restart Action Plan cc w/ encl: G. Hunger, Station Manager R. Phares, Manager, Nuclear Safety and Performance improvement J. Sipek, Director- Licensing M. Aguilar, Assistant Attorney General G. Stramback, Regulatory Licensing Services Project Manager General Electric Company Chaimian, DeWitt County Board State Liaison Officer Chairman, Illinois Commerce Commission l

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DOCUMENT NAME: G:\ CLIN \RA0350CL.DRP

• See previous concurrences To receive a ce pr of this document, Indicato in the box: "C" = Copy w/o attach /enci"E" = Copy w/ attach /enci"N" = No copy  !

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NAME Kozak/kjc Depas Dyer fiffL DATE 04/27/99 04/27/99 04/71/9D OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

.e J. McElwain In accordance with Section 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and its enclosure will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.

Sincerely, James E. Dyer Regional Administrator Docket No. 50-461 License No. NPF-62

Enclosure:

Restart Action Plan -

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 I Services Project Manager General Electric Company Chairman, DeWitt County Board State Liaison Officer Chairman, Illinois Commerce Commission Distnbution RPC (E-Mail)

Project Mgr., NRR w/enci J. Caldwell, Rlil w/enci B. Clayton, Rlli w/enct SRI Clinton w/ encl DRP w/enci DRS w/enci Rlli PRR w/enci PUBLIC IE-01 w/enci Docket File w/enci GREENS LEO (E-Mail)

DOCDESK (E-Mail)

-DOCUMENT NAME: G:\ CLIN \RA0350CL.DRP To pocolve a co py of this document, Indicate in the box: "C" = Copy w/o attachAenci"E" = Copy w/sttach/enci"fr = No copy OFFICE Rill:DRP ( Rill:DRP -f Rill: ORA NAME Kozak/kjc 4 Depas////7/ Dyer DATE 04/27/99 04/27/99 04/ /99 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY L-

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J. McElwain -4 Distnbution-RPC (E-Mail)

Project Mgr., NRR w/enci J. Caldwell, Rlli w/encI B. Clayton, Rill w/enci  ;

SRI Clinton w/enci DRP w/enci DRS w/enci Rlli PRR w/enct PUBLIC IE-01 w/enci Docket File w/enci GREENS

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