ML20207G097

Notation Vote Approving with Comments SECY-99-010, Closure of Order Requiring Independent,Third-Party Oversight of NNECO Implementation of Resolution of Millstone Station Employees Safety Concerns

ML20207G097
Person / Time
Site:	Millstone
Issue date:	02/16/1999
From:	Merrifield J NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
To:	Hoyle J NRC OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY (SECY)
Shared Package
ML20207G039	List: ML20207G035 ML20207G045 ML20207G063 ML20207G072 ML20207G091 ML20207G097
References
REF-10CFR9.7 SECY-99-010-C, SECY-99-10-C, NUDOCS 9903110415
Download: ML20207G097 (2)

Text

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4 NOTATION VOTE RESPONSE SHEET TO: John C. Hoyle, Secretary FROM: COMMISSIONER MERRIFIELD

SUBJECT:

SECY-99-010 - CLOSURE OF ORDER REQUIRING INDEPENDENT, THIRD-PARTY OVERSIGHT OF NORTHEAST NUCLEAR ENERGY COMPANY'S IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOLUTION OF THE MILLSTONE STATION EMPLOYEES' SAFETY CONCERNS

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Approved - / Disapproved Abstain Not Participating COMMENTS:

See attached coments.

SIGN p E X 2 99 DATE

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[ Entered on "AS" Yes X No

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CORRESPONDENCE PDR

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.C Commissioner Merrifield's Comments on SECY-99-010 l approve the staff's recommendation to close the Order associated with third-party oversight of NNECO's efforts to improve performance in the Employee Concerns Program (ECP) and Safety

-. Conscious Work Environment (SCWE) at Millstone. My decision is based primarily on the fact  !

that the actions required by the Order have been satisfactorily completed as well as the  !

. objective evidence which supports the staff's assessment that performance in the areas of ECP and SCWE has improved since the restart of Unit 3. My decision is also predicated in part on the licensee's long-term oversight plans that it outlined in its presentation before the Commission on January 19,1999, which include independent, third-party audits of the SCWE and ECP at Millstone. .ln the cover letter to the licensee (Attachment 4 of SECY-99-010), the staff should reconfirm that licensec management intends to perform these audits until the

" fragility" in the various programs that make up the SCWE is remedied.

I agree with the staff's conclusion that given the potential problems that could arise from activities such as the impending reorganization and recent management changes, future NRC inspections or evaluations of the Millstone SCWE are warranted. I strongly believe that the staff must continue to be vigilant in its efforts to monitor the licensee's performance in the areas of ECP and SCWE so that any decline in performance is detected in its early stages.

I request that the staff provide the Commission with its future plans to monitor and assess performance in the areas of ECP and SCWE at Millstone, as well as the third-party audit reports

.as they are made available. I also request that the staff provide the Commission with future ,

NRC inspection results that pertain to the ECP and SCWE at Millstone it is incumbent upon the j staff to promptly inform the Commission if a decline in performance is detected in these areas. 1 ll, l7J'

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s sa nea l / uSo UNITED STATES f" * ,'n NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION l g j. . m SWNGTON. D.C. 205$5-0001 k.....,/  :

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• _ March 9,1999 MEMORANDUM TO: William D. Travers Executive Director for Operations ,/ j

' FROM: Annette Vietti-Cook, Secretary y [ccu

SUBJECT:

STAFF REQUIREMENTS - SECY-99-010 - CLOSURE OF ORDER REQUIRING INDEPENDENT, THIRD-PARTY OVERSIGHT OF NORTHEAST NUCLEAR ENERGY COMPANY'S IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOLUTION OF THE MILLSTONE STATION EMPLOYEES' SAFETY CONCERNS

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The Commission has approved the staff's recommendation to close the Order associated with third-party oversight of Northeast Nuclear Energy Company's efforts to improve performance in the Employee Concems Program (ECP) and Safety Conscious Work Environment (SCWE) at Millstone.

The Commission believes that the staff must continue to be vigilant in its efforts to monitor the licensee's performance in the areas of ECP and SCWE so that any decline in performance is detected in its early stages. As discussed in the February 19,1999 SRM associated with the g Millstone briefing, the staff should provide the Commission with its future plans to monitor and -1 assess performance in the areas of ECP and SCWE at Millstone, including the criteria that will be utilized to determine if increased regulatory actions are warranted. The plan snould provide

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for periodic assessments until ongoing organizational changes, the pending restart of unit 2, and continuing efforts to further improve the ECP/SCWE at Millstone have been successfully completed. The third-party audit reports which the licensee has indicated will be performed, should also be provided to the Commission as they are made available. The staff should provide the Commission with future NRC inspection results that pertain to the ECP and SCWE at Millstone and promptly inform the Commission if a decline in performance is detected in these areas.

(EDO)- (SECY Suspense: 5/28/99) in the cover letter to the licensee (Attachment 4 of SECY-99-010), the staff should reconfirm that

' licensee management intends to perform independent, third party audits of the SCWE and ECP at Millstone until the " fragility". in the various programs that make up the SCWE is remedied.

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cc: Chairman Jackson Commissioner Dieus Commissioner Diaz -

Commissioner McGaffigan Commissioner Merrifield OGC CIO CFO  ;

OCA OlG OPA .-

Office Directors, Regions, ACRS. ACNW, ASLBP (via E-Mail) ,

PDR DCS ,

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