ML20209G292
| ML20209G292 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Millstone  |
| Issue date: | 07/09/1999 |
| From: | Linville J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Necci R NORTHEAST NUCLEAR ENERGY CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20209G296 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-336-99-06, 50-336-99-6, 50-423-99-06, 50-423-99-6, NUDOCS 9907190117 | |
| Download: ML20209G292 (4) | |
See also: IR 05000336/1999006
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July 9, 1999
Mr. R. P. Necci, Vice President
Nuclear Oversight and Regulatory Affairs
C/o Mr. D. A. Smith, Manager - Regulatory Affairs
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Northeast Nuclear Energy Company
P.O. Box 128
Waterford, Connecticut 06385
SUBJECT:
NRC COMBINED INSPECTION 50-336/99-06 and 50-423/99-06
Dear Mr. Necci:
On June 14,1999, the NRC completed an inspection at Millstone Units 2 & 3 reactor facilities.
The enclosed report presents the results of that inspection.
During the eight-week period covered by this inspection period, your conduct of activities at the
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Millstone facilities was generally characterized by safety-conscious operations, sound
engineering and maintenance practices, and careful radiological work controls.
As documented in the enclosed report, we focused our attention to Unit 2 operations throughout
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the inspection period. Specifically, we conducted sustained inspections of control room
activities from reactor criticality through the power ascension to stable operation at full power.
You performed the Unit 2 startup and power ascension in a controlled and conservative manner
following a shutdown which lasted in excess of three years. Operators performed evolutions
slowly r nd deliberately and executed the power ascension without any significant events.
Although communication between operators was a strength, one area that warrants further
attention involves examples of poor communication between operators and other work groups
that led to plant configuration changes without operator knowledge. in addition, during a pre-
job brief an operator identified an inadequate surveillance for the atmospheric dump valves
which if performed as written could have resulted in a reactor trip. Although it is good that
operators are properly addressing these procedural issues as they arise, reliance on individuals
performing the procedures to identify procedural deficiencies presents an unnecessary
challenge to plant personnel. Line management and nuclear oversight maintained a strong
presence in the control room and provided a positive influence on the conduct of operations, in
addition to the initial startup, we also observed good operator performance following the May 25,
1999, manual reactor trip and subsequent restart. We will continue to assess your at-power
. performance with a focus on safety and conservative decision making.
Refueling outage activities were in progress at Unit 3 during most of this inspection period. We
observed that the challenges that were encountered during RFO6 were methodically evaluated
and appropriately dispositioned by your staff using a team approach. This is generally reflected
in the conclusions documented in the enclosed inspection report and in the fact that no new
inspection items have been opened. However, we also noted that a number of problems in
configuration and work control were either self-identified or self-revealed during this period.
Your increased management focus on such concems addressed the need for more rigorous
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9907190117 990709
ADOCK 05000336
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Mr. R. P. Necci
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process controls on certain tagging and system restoration activities. We understand that your
staff is developing longer-term corrective actions to reinforce station management's
configuration control expectations and ensure that such events are not repetitive and do not
result in more severe consequences.
Based on the results of this inspection, the NRC has determined that 10 Severity Level IV
violations of NRC requirements occurred. These violations are being treated as Non-Cited
Violations (NCVs), consistent with Appendix C of the Enforcement Policy. These NCVs are
described in the subject inspection report. While most of the NCVs involve historical issues, two
items are more recent and thus represent more current performance issues. A Unit 2, NRC-
identified violation involved the failure to perform design reviews of temporary modifications that
were installed through plant procedures. The Unit 3 item, while identified by licensee staff with
evidence of effective short term corrective action, involved two separate incidents of a violation
of high radiation area requirements. If you contest the violation or severity level of these NCVs ,
you should provide a response within 30 days of the date of this inspection report, with the basis
for your denial, to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk,
Washington DC 20555-0001; with a copies to the Regional Administrator, Region 1; the Director,
Office of Enforcement, United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001; and the NRC Resident inspector at the Millstone facility.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and its
enclosures will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR).
Sincerely,
Original Signed By:
James C. Linville, Acting Director
Millstone Inspection Staff
Office of the Regional Administrator
Docket Nos. 50-336 and 50-423
Enclosure:
NRC Combined Inspection Report 50-336/99-06 and 50-423/99-06
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Mr. R. P. Necci
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cc w/ encl:
B. D. Kenyon, Presiderd - Generation Group
L. J. Olivier, Senior Vice President & Chief Nuclear Officer
M. H. Brothers, Vice President - Operations
F. C. Rothen, Vice President - Nuclear Work Services
D. Amerine, Vice President - Engineering Services
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J. T. Carlin, Vice President - Human Services
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G. D. Hicks, Director - Nuclear Training Services (CT)
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C. J. Schwarz, Director - Unit 3 Operations
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J. A. Price, Director - Unit 2 Operations
E. J. Harkness, Director - Unit 1 Operations
L. M. Cuoco, Senior Nuclear Counsel
J. R. Egan, Esquire
N. Burton, Esquire
V. Juliano, Waterford Library
J. Buckingham, Department of Public Utility Controi
S. B. Comley, We The People
State of Connecticut SLO Designee
First Selectmen, Town of Waterford
D. Katz, Citizens Awareness Network (CAN)
T. Concar:non, Co-Chair, NEAC
R. Bassilakis, CAN
- J. M.- Block, Attorney, CAN
G. Winslow, Citizens Regulatory Commission (CRC)
E. Woollacott, Co-Chair, NEAC
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Mr. R. P. Necci
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Distribution w/ence .
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Region i Docket Room (with. copy of concurrences)
Nuclear Safety information Center (NSIC).
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PUBLIC
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FILE CENTER, NRR (with Oriainai concurrences)
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Millstone inspection Directorate Secretarial File, Region l
NP.C Resident inspector
H. Miller, RA/J. Wiggins, DRA
B. Davis, PIMB/ DISP
J. Linville, Millstone inspection Staff
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D. Screnci, PAO
. Distribution w/enci(VIA E-MAIL):
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T. Madden, OCA
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R. Correia, NRR -
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. M. Tschiltz, OEDO
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W. Dean, Chief, inspection Programs Branch, NRR
E. Imbro, Chief, Mechanical & Civil Engineering Branch, NRR
P. Koltay, Chief, ICAVP Oversight, SPO, NRR
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Inspection Program Branch <lPAS>
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DOCUMENT NAME: G:\\ BRANCH 6\\ir99-06.wpd
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OFFICIAL RECORD COPY