ML20207F538

Forwards Notice of Violation Re Operator Sleeping While on Duty in Control Room,Reading Matls Not Directly Job Related & Being Inattentive to Obligations of Licenses

ML20207F538
Person / Time
Site:	Peach Bottom, 05560880
Issue date:	08/09/1988
From:	Taylor J NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Kirkhoff R PECO ENERGY CO., (FORMERLY PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC
Shared Package
ML20207F542	List: ML20207F538 ML20207F546
References
EA-88-017, EA-88-17, NUDOCS 8808230014
Download: ML20207F538 (3)

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UNITED STATES

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• o NUCLE AR HEGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 y

%*..../ l Docket No. 55-6088 License No. OP-10494 09 m W88 EA 88-17 Mr. Russell W. Kirkhoff HOME ADDRESS DELETED UNDER 10 CFR 2.790

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Dear Str:

artified By &p

SUBJECT:

NOTICE OF VIOLATION l In March 1987, the NRC received inforzation that control room operators at Philadelphia Electric Company's Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station had been observed sleeping while on duty in the control room, reading materials not directly job related, and being otherwise inattentive to the obligations of their licenses. The NRC promptly confirmed this infomation during the initial phase of an investigation of this matter. As a result, the NRC no longer had reasonable assurance that the facility would be operated in a manner to assure that the health and safety of the public would be protected, and therefore issued an Order to Philadelphia Electric Company (PEco) on March 31, 1987 suspending operations of the Peach Bottom reactors, effective imediately.

Subsequently the NRC found that the inattentiveness described in the Order had occurred over an extended period of time and was pervasive. Other examples of inattentive behavior not known at the time of the Order were also identified such as control room personnel being routinely reclined in a resting position with their heads back and eyes closed for indeteminate periods of time; playing either hand held computer gaines or video games on one of the computer display screens in'the control room, and engaging in horseplay. Operators were aware of these conditions and failed to take actions to correct them. As a result of these findings, the NRC conducted an enforcement conference with you on February 10, 1988 for the pt.rpose of discussing your understanding of (1) these inattentiveness issues, (2) their safety significance, (3) their causes, and (4) corrective actions taken by both you and the utility to preclude recurrence.

During that conference, you specifically admitted to your personal involvement in at least some of this behavior. Your actions constituted a violation of your individual reactor operator license. The violation is described in the enclosed Notice and is classified at Severity Level III in accordance with f the "General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions,"

l 10 CFR 2, Appendix C (Enforcement Policy) (1988).

The NRC recognizes that you have participated in a comprehensive rehabilitation program within PEco for the )urpose of better understanding your individual I

responsibilities under your 1RC license and to assure such conduct does not recur. Nonetheless, the activities described in the Notice were engaged in oy you shortly after receiving your NRC license and are indicative of a complaw.c and unprofessional attitude by you toward the privileges and responsibilities of your license, contrary to safety, and constituted serious dereliction of l

duties in carrying out these responsibilities. You are reminded that you hold a license from the United States government which confers upon you the special trust and confidence of the American people in the safe operation of nuclear s

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. W. R. Kirkhoff facilities and places you in a position where your performance is expected to be above reproach. Consequently, I have determine <d = hat additional action should be taken to emphasize your individual accountabi.ity to NRC as a license holder, and your responsibility to remain alert and attentive at all time to ensure protection of public health and safety.

During t1e NRC deliberations concerning appropriate enforcement action, the NRC considered the entire spectrum of possible enforcement actions, including a Letter of Reprimand, Notice of Violation, Civil Penalty, and Orders to Modify, Suspena or Revoke your license. In light of your completion of the rehabilita-tion program and the fact that pervasive and extended management failures contributed significantly to the unacceptable conditions at Peach Bottom, we have determined that an Order against your license is inappropriate. However, after consultation with the Connission to emphasize that you, as a license holder are individually accountable to the NRC, I have decided to issue to you the enclosed Notice of Violation. Although a civil penalty is considered for a Severity Level III violation, a civil penalty is not being proposed in your case since you had only been licensed for a short period of time prior to the shutdown.

You should be aware that any recurrence of this behavior could result in revocation of your license.

You are required to respond to the enclosed Notice and Order and should follow the instruction specified therein when preparing your response.

In accordance with Section 2.790 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," Part 2, Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, a copy of this letter and its enclosures will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.

The responses directed by this letter and the enclosed Notice are not subject to the clearance procedures of the Office of Management and Budget as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, Pub. L. No.96-511.

Sincerely, a

s M. Taylor Deputy Executive Director for Regional Operations

Enclosure:

Notice of Violation cc w/ encl:

Corbin McNeill, Executive Vice President, Nuclear PublicDocumentRoom(PDR)

LocalPublicDocumentRoom(LPDR)

NRC Resident Inspector i Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Killian & Ge) hart ATTN: Smith 3. Gephart, Esq 218 Pine Street i Post Office Box 886 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17108

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DISTRIBUTION:

bec w/ encl:

Region I Docket Room (w/ concurrences) l SECY Congressional Affairs J. Taylor, DEDO W. Russell, RI D. Holody, RI J. Lieberwan, OE Enforcement Directors, RII-RIII Enforcement Officers, RIV-Y F. Ingram, PA E. Jordan, AE0D-B. Hayes, 01 S. Connelly, OIA F. Miraglia, NRR D. Nussbaumer, 0GPA OE/ES File OE/EA File EDO Rdg File DCS L. Chandler, OGC l

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