ML20209G743

Responds to Constituent,Rj Rohland,861025 Ltr Expressing Concerns That NRC Decision to Remove Radio from Facility Has Created Morale Problems.Assuring Proper Control Room Environ Very Important Aspect in Operating Nuclear Plant

ML20209G743
Person / Time
Site:	Monticello
Issue date:	01/14/1987
From:	Stello V NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Boschwitz R SENATE
References
NUDOCS 8702050449
Download: ML20209G743 (3)

Text

. _ = . - _ ..

.M

, seash UNITED STATES 8 o,% NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

$ WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555

\.....,/ JAN 141967 Docket No. 50-263 The Honorable Rudy Boschwitz United States Senator 210 Bremer Building 419 N. Robert Street St. Paul, Minnesota 55101

Dear Senator Boschwitz:

I appreciate your providing us an opportunity to respond to the concerns identified by Mr. Robert J. Rohland in his letter to you of October 25, 1986.

In his letter, Mr. Rohland states an NRC decision to have an AM-FM radio removed from the Monticello control room has created morale problems. Highly motivated, ,

well-trained, and attentive operators are an essential ingredient for ensuring safe operation of nuclear power plants and the NRC has gone to great lengths to establish the highest standards in'these areas. Assuring the proper control room environment is a very important aspect in operating a nuclear plant.

For the past several years, especially since the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island Unit 2, the NRC has established various policies and requirements aimed at diminishing potential distractions to control room operators and thereby enhance operator readiness to respond to unexpected events. These policies and requirements have included measures to limit unnecessary personnel in the control room, reduce the administrative workload of control room operators, ensure that operators are not subjected to excessive overtime work, and keep inappropriate reading material out of the control room. It is in this historical context that the NRC has determined that permitting the use of AM-FM radios in the control rooms of nuclear power plants would be inconsistent with the goal to enhance operator attentiveness to plant conditions. The NRC's position that the use of radios in control rooms must be prohibited was first formally transmitted to affected utilities on February 9, 1981 (IE Circular No. 81-02)

' and later reinforced by followup correspondence on July 12,1985 (IE Information Notice No. 85-53).

To further support our efforts to enhance operator attentiveness, the staff is considering recommending to the Commission that we proceed with a formal rulemaking that would encompass the broader subject of control room decorum, within which the use of radios would be a significant part. As part of this rulemaking process, interested parties would have an opportunity to formally respond to all proposals. In addition, the Commission is currently considering a request by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (l.ocal 160) that an adjudicatory hearing be held on the October 20, 1986 Order to Show Cause issued to Northern States Power Company for the purpose of prohibiting use of radios and other audible entertainment devices in the control rooms at the Prairie Island and Monticello facilities.

8702050449 DR 870134  :

ADOCK 05000263 l PDR '

l

The Honorable Rudy Boschwitz The NRC recognizes the good operating performance at Monticello, and it is unfortunate that Mr. Rohland believes that the NRC decision to restrict the use of radios in the control room could impact morale. However, we consider that the decision not to allow radios in the control room at all nuclear facilities is in the best interest of safe plant operation. Once again, we welcome your interest in this matter. Should you have any further questions, please contact me.

Sincerely.

Oricinal cigned by Victor Ste110, -

Victor Stello, Jr.

Executive Director for Operations

Enclosure:

Incoming Letter dtd. 12/1/86 with Enclosure i

l I

I i

l l

rm The Honorable'Rudy Boschwitz DISTRIBUTION:

DCS NRC PDR Local PDR DI Reading ORPB Reading VStello HRDenton JGKeppler, Region III JPMurray, 0GC JMTaylor RStarostecki JGPartlow RLSpessard PFMcKee JCallan ELJordan BKGrirnes JAxelrad DLynch JZwolinski RBernero DMorris (ED0-002416)

SECY(861333)

OCA (3)

MReardon CDeLiso (DITS86-688)

GJohnson 0GC p\Y l

1 /

• I . / D OFC :IELORPB

IE: B :IE:DD V :IE:DIR/DIU :IE:D/DIR :I

______:.. _ . ( _ _ _ _ : . . _ _ _ _ _ _ d _ : _ ______:__

{ Pf :EDO i

_y______:-__ _____.

NAME :JCallan: esp :P te :RLSp sard :JGPartlow :RS stecki:J apidr :VS e lo

. ______:- __________: ,s.. ________:____________:. _________:...... ____

_____:...[/87 DATE :1/ f

1/ >/87 :1/7/87 _____:..[

v

1/ /87

1/ /87 :1/$/87 :1/II'/87 Phone. W Aq OFC :0CA :UtiG  :  :  :  :  :

NAME - GJ h son  :  :

. _ _ _ _ _ . . : _ _ _o_ _n_ _ _ _ _ _ _ : _ _ _:.___________:

DATE :1/ 87  : 1/'7 /87  :  :  :  :  :

T