ML20207G062

Forwards Insp Rept 50-346/98-21 on 980901-1201 & 990425-0513.Violations Identified & Licensee Being Provided Opportunity to Either Respond to Violations within 30 Days or Inform NRC That LER Rept Already Contain Info Requested

ML20207G062
Person / Time
Site:	Davis Besse
Issue date:	06/04/1999
From:	Grant G NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:	Campbell G CENTERIOR ENERGY
Shared Package
ML20207G066	List: ML20207G062 ML20207G069
References
50-346-98-21, EA-99-138, NUDOCS 9906110009
Download: ML20207G062 (3)

See also: IR 05000346/1998021

Text

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UNITED STATES

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• June 4, 1999

EA 99-138

Mr. Guy G. Campbell

Vice President - Nuclear, Davis-Besse

FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company

Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station

5501 North State Route 2

Oak Harbor, OH 43449-9760

SUBJECT: DAVIS-BESSE SPECIAL INSPECTION REPORT 50-346/98021(DRP)

Dear Mr. Campbell:

On May 13,1999, the NRC completed an inspection at your Davis-Besse site. The purpose of

' the inspection was to review the circumstances surrounding the discovery of two missing

body-to-bonnet nuts on pressurizer spray valve RC-2. The enclosed report presents the results

of that inspection.

Based on the results of this inspection, two apparent violations were identified and are being

considered for escalated enforcement action in accordance with the General Statement of

Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions"(Enforcement Policy), NUREG-1600. The

first apparent violation concems the failure to ensure adequate material separation was

maintained during RC-2 maintenance activities which resulted in the installation of three carbon

steel body-to-bonnet nuts on the valve. Two of these nuts completely corroded away and the

third had partially corroded away from the effects of boric acid contained in an RC-2 packing

leak. The second apparent violation concerns the failure to take prompt, effective corrective

actions to identify and correct this condition after the discovery of one missing body-to-bonnet

nut. The degraded condition of RC-2 with one partially corroded nut and two missing nuts

required a detailed evaluation to determine if it would have functioned under all design loads.

Although your staff initially determined that the valve would not have functioned under extreme

design conditions, the results of a more detailed calculation indicated that it would have

functioned under all design loads. Once it was identified that boric acid corrosion was the

cause of the missing nuts, a comprehensive review of the condition occurred and thorough,

effective corrective actions were taken.

The circumstances surrounding these apparent violations, the significance of the issues, and

the need for lasting and effective corrective action were discussed with you at the exit meeting

on May 13,1999. As a result, it may not be necessary to conduct a predecisional enforcement

conference in order to enable the NRC to make an enforcement decision. In addition., since

your facility has not been the subject of escalated enforcement actions within the last 2 years,

and based on our understanding of your corrective actions, a civil penalty may not be warranted

in accordance with Section VI.B.2 of the Enforcement Policy.

Before the NRC makes its enforcement decision, we are providing you an opportunity to either

(1) respond to the apparent violation addressed in this inspection report within 30 days of the

date of this letter, (2) request a predecisional enforcement conference, or (3) inform the NRC i

that the subject inspection report and Licensee Event Report (LER) 50-346/98-009 already

contain the information requested in the next paragraph and that you will not provide a

9906110009 990604 * l

gDR ADOCK 05000346

PDR 1

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G. Campbell -2-

response. If a conference is held, it will be open for public observation. The NRC will also

issue a press release to announce the conference. Please contact Tom Kozak at

630/829-9866 within 7 days of the date of this letter to notify the NRC of your intended

response.

Your response, if you elect to provide one, should be clearly marked as a " Response to

Apparent Violations in inspection Report 50-346/98021(DRP)," and should include the following

information for each apparent violation: (1) the reason for the apparent violation, or, if

contested, the basis for disputing the apparent violation, (2) the corrective steps that have been

taken and the results achieved, (3) the corrective steps that will be taken to avoid further

violations, and (4) the date when full compliance wi!! be achieved. Your response should be

submitted under oath or affirmation and may reference or include previous docketed l

correspondence, if the correspondence adequately addresses the required response. If an j

adequate response is not received within the time specified or an extension of time has not

been granted by the NRC, the NRC will proceed with its enforcement decision or schedule a

predecisional enforcement conference.

In addition, please be advised that the number and characterization of apparent violations

described in the enclosed inspection report may change as a result of further NRC review. You

will be advised by separate correspondence of the results of our deliberations on this matter.

(

\

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 (PDR). To the extent possible, your response should not include any personal

privacy, proprietary, or safeguards information so that it can be placed in the PDR without

redaction.

Sincerely,

/s/ G. E. Grant

Geoffrey E. Grant, Director

Division of Reactor Projects i

'

Docket No. 50-346

License No. NPF-3

Enclosure: Inspection Report 50-346/98021(DRP)  !

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cc w/enet: J. Stetz, Senior Vice President - Nuclear

J. Lash, Plant Manager

J. Freels, Manager Regulatory Affairs i

'

M. O'Reilly, FirstEnergy

State Liaison Officer, State of Ohio

R. Owen, Ohio Department of Health

C. Glazer, Chairman, Ohio Public

Utilities Commission

DOCUMENT NAME: G:\DAVI\DAV98021.DRP

To receive a copy of this document Indicate in the box: "C" = Copy w/o attach / encl *E" = Copy w/ attach / encl *N" = No copy

OFFICE Rlll:DRP 6 Rill:EICS ,l Rlll:DRP _ l l

NAME Kozak/kjc/mi #lb Clayton cM Grant (M

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DATE 06/ 2./99 06/h /999 06/ W/M ()

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY"

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G. Campbell -3-

Distribution:

RPC (E-Mail)

' OE:EA File

J. Lieberman, OE w/enci

D. Dambly. OGC w/enci

- B. Boger, NRR w/enci .

M. Banerjee, NRR w/enct

Project Mgr., NRR w/enci

J. Caldwell, Rlli w/enci

B. Clayton, Rlli w/ encl

SRI Davis-Besse w/enci

DRP w/ enc!

DRS w/ encl

Rlli PRR w/enct

PUBLIC IE-01 w/enct l

Docket File w/enci

GREENS

LEO (E-Mail)

DOCDESK (E-Mail)

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