ML20211H997

Forwards Insp Rept 50-423/99-07 on 990614-0715.Violations of NRC Requirements Occurred Re Adequacy of C/As for Organizational Changes & Being Treated as NCVs

ML20211H997
Person / Time
Site:	Millstone
Issue date:	08/27/1999
From:	Linville J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:	Necci R NORTHEAST NUCLEAR ENERGY CO.
Shared Package
ML20211J002	List: IR 05000423/1999007 ML20211H997
References
50-423-99-07, NUDOCS 9909030011
Download: ML20211H997 (4)

See also: IR 05000423/1999007

Text

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August 27,1999

Mr. R. P. Necci, Vice President

Nuclear Oversight and Regulatory Affairs

c/o Mr. D. A. Smith, Manager- Regulatory Affairs

Northeast Nuclear Energy Company l

PO Box 128 I

Waterford, CT 06385

SUBJECT: NRC 40001 AND 40500 TEAM INSPECTION 50-423/99-07

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Dear Mr. Necci: l

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This letter transmits the results of the NRC team inspection at the Northeast Utilities (NU)

Millstone site involving the review of corrective action programs at Unit 3 and the resolution of

employee concems site-wide. This team inspection was performed onsite from June 14-18 and

June 28-July 2,1999.using NRC Inspection Procedure 40500, " Effectiveness of Licensee

Controls in identifying, Resolving, and Preventing Problems," and NRC Inspection Procedure )

40001," Resolution of Employee Concems." The results were communicated to you a'nd your

staff at public meetings conducted on July 15,1999, at the Millstone Nuclear Power Station i

Training Center, and before the Connecticut Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee in Waterford,

Connecticut.

The team observed a generally healthy safety conscious work environment at Millstone.

Employee surveys, licensee assessments and team interviews indicated that the employees j

were willing to raise safety concems. The Employee Concerns Program, Employee Concerns

Oversight Panel, and Safety Conscious Work Environment organizations were effective in

performing their respective roles. The team noted some deficiencies, but concluded that they

did not detract from the overall effectiveness of the programs. However, significant challenges

to a healthy safety conscious work environment existed as a result of the ongoing reduction in

the number of supervisors (supervisor cascade), the recent contracting of Entergy to manage

the decommissioning of Unit 1, planned reductions in contractor and licensee positions, and kj'

consideration of a revised pay structure. The Human Services organization, in coordination with i

other organizations, recognized these challenges and initiated actions to mitigate the potential

impact on the safety conscious work environment. The team noted the need to remain diligent

in monitoring and maintaining the safety conscious work environment during these

organizational changes.

Overall, the Unit 3 staff was effective in identifying, resolving, and preventing equipment

problems and personnel performance issues. The problem identification threshold was low, with

a high volume of issues being documented and processed daily. However, failures to document i

problems, identified by the Nuclear Oversight organization at Unit 3 and the NRC during NRC

inspection 50-336/99-08 at Unit 2, reflected the need for continued attention. While root cause

evaluations for significant problems were generally acceptable, some evaluations did not identify

contributing causes. Corrective action assignments and prioritization were proper and well

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tracked. ' Departmental self-assessments were generally self-critical and effective. The Nuclear

Oversight organization, as well as the independent oversight and safety committees, were

effective in monitoring outage activities. Although backlog management was good and progress

had been made in addressing recovery items, continued attention is necessary to assure the  ;

i timely completion of the current, large backlog of corrective actions.

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L While the corrective action program was generally effective in resolving problems, some l

corrective actions were neither timely nor effective, in particular, the corrective actions to

!

address design and performance issues for the recirculation spray system air-driven sump

pumps were not adequate. Corrective actions, including design changes to the system, were 3

not timely and effective, and contribt.ted to the inability of these pumps to perform as designed. 1

The NRC has determined that two violations of NRC requirements occurred related to design I

control and corrective actions. These two violations are being treated as Non-Cited Violations

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(NCVs), consistent with Appendix C of the Enforcement Policy.

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In addition to the NCVs noted above, the NRC has determined that a third violation of NRC l

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requirements occurred related to the adequacy of corrective actions for organizational changes. l

This violation is being treated as Non-Cited Violation (NCV), consistent with Appendix C of the

Enforcement Policy. All three NCVs are described in the subject inspection report. If you

! contest the violations or severity level of the NCVs, you should provide a response within

l 30 days of the date of this inspection report, with the basis for your denial, to the Nuclear

i. Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington DC 20555-0001, with

i copies to the Regional Administrator, Region 1, and the Director, Office of Enforcement, United

! States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and the

y enclosures will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR).

Sincerely,

Original Signed By:

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James C. Linville, Director

Millstone Inspection Directorate

Docket No. 50-423

License No. NPR-4g

! Enclosures: Inspection Report No. 50-423/99-07

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Mr. R. P. Necci 3

cc w/ encl:

B. D. Kenyon, President - 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

J. T. Carlin, Vice President - Human Services

G. D. Hicks, Director - Nuclear Training Services (CT)

C. J. Schwarz, Director - Unit 3 Operations

J. A. Price, Director - Unit 2 Operations

D. Landeche, 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 Control

S. B. Comley, We The People

State of Connecticut SLO Designee

First Selectmen, Town of Waterford

D. Katz, Citizens Awareness Network (CAN)

T. Concannon, 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 4

Distribution w/ encl:

Region i Docket Room (with_qqpy of concurrences)

Nuclear Safety information Center (NSIC)

PUBLIC

FILE CENTER, NRR (with Oriainal concurrences)

Millstone inspection Directorate Secretarial File, Region I

NRC Resident inspector

H. Miller, Regional Administrator, RI

J. Wiggins, Deputy Regional Administrator, RI

B. Davis, PIMB/ DISP

J. Linville, Millstone Inspection Directorate, RI

M. Oprendek, DRP

D. Screnci, PAO

Distribution w/enci <VIA E-MAIL >:

R. Eaton, PM, NRR

T. Madden, OCA

R. Correia, NRR

M. Tschiltz, OEDO

J. Nakoski, PM, NRR

W. Dean, Chief, inspection Programs Branch, NRR

Inspection Program Branch <lPnS>

DOCDESK

DOCUMENT NAME:G:\ BRANCH 6\M39907R2.wpd

Ta receive a copy of this document, Indicate in the box: "C" = Copy without attachment / enclosure "E" = Copy with attachment / enclosure "N" = No copy

OFFICE - Rl/DRS '

Rl/DRP _.,p %QRS/ l l

NAME- WRaymond WLinville(/' WLa)(ing

DATE 08/27/99 08/)//99 ' 0(V/99% 08/ /99 08/ /99

OFFICIAL l'(ECORD COPY

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