ML20207T538
| ML20207T538 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Oconee  |
| Issue date: | 03/12/1987 |
| From: | Grace J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II) |
| To: | Tucker H DUKE POWER CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20207T539 | List: |
| References | |
| EA-87-014, EA-87-14, IEB-80-04, IEB-80-4, NUDOCS 8703240111 | |
| Download: ML20207T538 (3) | |
See also: IR 05000269/1986016
Text
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MAR 121987
Docket Nos. 50-269, 50-270, and 50-287
License Nos. DPR-38, DPR-47, and DPR-55
EA 87-14
Dyke Power Company
DATTN: Mr. H. R. Tucker, Vice President
Nuclear Production Department
422 South Church Street
Charlotte, NC 28242
Gentlemen:
SUBJECT: NOTICE OF VIOLATION AND PROPOSED IMPOSITION OF CIVIL PENALTY
(INSPECTION REPORT NOS. 50-269/86-16, 50-270/86-16, AND 50-287/86-16)
This refers to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Safety System Functional
Inspection conducted at the Oconee facility on May 5 - June 11, 1986. The report
documenting this inspection was sent to you with a letter dated August 1, 1986.
'As a result.of this inspection, significant failures to comply with NRC regula-
tory requirements were identified, and accordingly, NRC concerns relative to the
inspection findings were discussed by Dr. J. N. Grace, Regional Administrator,
NRC, Region II, with you and members of your staff in an Enforcement Conference
held on December 22, 1986.
Violation I described in the enclosed Notice of Violation and Proposed Imposition
of Civil Penalty involved a failure to provide adequate design control and as a
result, the motor driven emergency feedwater (EFW) pumps were susceptible to
runout and inadequate net positive suction head when the pumps were operated in
anticipated design conditions. The events that resulted in the pump runout
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problem were initially identified when Duke Power Company advised the NRC in a
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May 7, 1980, response to IE Bulletin 80-04, that emergency feedwater runout was
not explicitly addressed by their analysis and that the level control system
would be used to mitigate the transient. Duke Power Company training personnel
had also noted that the Oconee simulator was modeling undesirably high emergency
feedwater flow rates, and calculations concerning emergency feedwater flow
capacity were initiated in January 1986. The NRC is concerned that an adequate
design analysis for pump runout had not been previously performed and that
emergency feedwater pump runout could occur during normal emergency feedwater
actuation if the flow control valves stayed fully open. Under certain design
basis transients, the runout condition would require immediate operator action
to preclude damage to the pumps and the potential loss of EFW function.
To emphasize the need to assure that equipment is installed to fulfill the
regulatory requirements, I have been authorized, after consultation with the
Director, Office of Inspection and Enforcement, to issue the enclosed Notice
of Violation and Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalty in the amount of
Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) for the violation described in the
enclosed Notice.
In accordance with the " General Statement of Policy and
Procedure for NRC Enforcement Action," 10 CFR Part 2, Appendix C (1986)
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LDuke Power Company-
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MAR .1 21987 .
(knforcementPolicy),ViolationIdescribedintheenclosedNoticehas'been
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_ categorized as a Severity Level III. violation. The base value of a civil
_ penalty for a Severity Level III violation is $50,000. The NRC Enforcement
Policy allows for reduction of a civil penalty under'certain circumstances.
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In this case, the base civil penalty amount has been reduced by 50 percent
because of your unusually prompt and extensive corrective actions to prevent
recurrence..
Your unusually prompt and extensive corrective actions to preclude recurrence
of'the design control deficiencies is acknowledged. Also, your short term
corrective actions for the specific problem concerning EFW pump runout and
-loss of net positive suction head is considered adequate taking_into account
your other systems which could be utilized and your extensive operator training.
However, we have concerns about the schedule for your long term corrective
actions. Therefore, your response to the violation should include an enhanced
schedule for your long term corrective actions for hardware changes which
would eliminate the need for immediate operator actions to preclude damage to
the EFW pumps during certain design basis transients.
The violations in Section II in the enclosed Notice involved a failure to provide
adequate procedures which resulted in inadequate control of motor-operated valve
torque switch and limit switch settings and a failure to provide control over
implementation of design changes for the Keowee station battery racks. Because
these violations involve issues of lesser safety significance, they have been
categorized as Severity Level IV violations.
In addition to the need for corrective action regarding the specific matters
identified in the enclosed Notice, we are concerned about the implementation of
your management control system that permitted this situation to develop.
Consequently, your response should describe those particular actions taken or
planned to improve the effectiveness of your program. The violation for inade-
quate designs and implementation of design also caused the design bases of the
equipment not to be translated into adequate operational procedures. Therefore,
please address what additional measures your staff has identified to improve your
management system which controls and encourages communications between the site
and design engineering.
You are required to respond to this letter and should follow the instructions
specified in the enclosed Notice when preparing your response.
In your response,
you should document the specific actions taken and any additional actions you
plan to prevent recurrence. After reviewing your response to this Notice,
including your proposed corrective actions and the results of future inspections,
the NRC will detennine whether further NRC enforcement action is necessary to
ensure compliance with NRC regulatory requirements.
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 enclosure
will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.
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Duke' Power Company
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MAR 121987
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The responses directed by this letter and its enclosure are not subject to the
clearance procedures of the Office of Management and Budget as required by the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, PL 96-511.
Sincerely.
Original signed by A. Gibson
J. Nelson Grace
Regional Administrator
Enclosure:
Notice of Violation and Proposed
Imposition of Civil Penalty
cc w/ enc 1:
LM, S. Tuckman, Station Manager
g.-J. Callan,SectionChief,IE
cle 0. Martin, Reactor Inspector, IE
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