ML20207F552
| ML20207F552 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Peach Bottom, 05560784  |
| Issue date: | 08/09/1988 |
| From: | Taylor J NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Swayne G PECO ENERGY CO., (FORMERLY PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20207F554 | List: |
| References | |
| EA-88-024, EA-88-24, NUDOCS 8808230019 | |
| Download: ML20207F552 (3) | |
Text
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Docket No. 55-60784 09 AUG 1988 License No. OP-10493 EA 88-24 Mr. George L. Swayne LF3Ic nTED ORIG GAL HOME ADDRESS DELETED Certified sy_ b g UNDER 10 CFR 2.790 Dear '~
SUBJECT:
NOTICE OF ?IOLATION In March 1987, the NRC received information 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 information during the initial phase of an investigation af 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 aird 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 he'd computer games or video games on one of the computer display l
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 18, 1988 for the purpose 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 fr. described in the enclosed Notice and is classified at Severity Level III in accordance with the "General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions,"
10 CFR 2, Appendix C (Enforcement Policy) (1988).
The NRC recognizes that you have participated in a comprehensive rehabilitation prcgram within PEco for the surpose of better understanding your individual responsibilities under your iRC license and to assure such conduct does not recur. Nonetheless, the activities described in the Notice were engaged in by you shortly after receiving your NRC license and are indicative of a complacent l
and unprofessional attitude by you toward the privileges and responsibilities of your license, contrary to safety, and constituted serious dereliction of duties in carrying out those responsibilities. You are remin6;d that you hold a license from the United States government which confers upon you the special I
trust and confidence of the American people in the safe operation of nuclear qy 8808230019 880809
/N POR ADOCK 05000277 G
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G. L. Swayne facilities and places you in a positicn where your performance is expected to be above reproach.
Consequently, I have determined that additional action should be taken to emphasize your indi ' dual accountability to NRC as a iicense holder, and your responsibili to remain alert and attentive at all time to ensure protection of public health and safety.
During the 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, Suspend or Revoke your license.
In light of your completior. of the rehabilita-tion progran 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 Comission 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 i me ad in your case since you had only been licensed for a short period of time :<
to the shutdown.
You should be sware that any recurrence of this behavior coulo 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, sM. Taylor,}DeputyExecutive! Director n=:e for Regional Operations
Enclosure:
Notice of Violation cc w/ encl:
Corbin McNeill, Executive Vice President, Nuclear PublicDocumentRoom(PDR)
Lc.al Public Document Room (LPDR)
NRC Resident Inspector Cocanonwealth of Pennsylvania Killian & Gephart ATTN: Jane Penny Malatesta, Esq.
218 Pine Street Post Office Box 886 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17108
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DISTRIBUTION:
bec w/ encl:
Region I Docket Room (w/ concurrences)
SECY
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Congressional Affairs J. Taylor,' DEDO W. Russell, RI D. Holody, RI
- J. Lieberman, OE Enforcement Directors, RII-RIII Enforcement Officers, RIV-V F. Ingram, PA E. Jordan, AE0D B. Hayes, 01 S. Connelly, OIA F. Miraglia, NRR D. Nussbaumer, OGPA OE/ES File OE/EA File EDO Rdg File DCS
- l. Chandler, OGC T
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