Text

Forwards Insp Rept 50-271/97-80 on 970728-0822.No Violations Noted But Exercise of Discretion Will Be Issued to Ack Effort to Identify & Correct Violations
	ML20211Q803
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png
Issue date:	10/16/1997
From:	Miller H; NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:	Reid D; VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER CORP.
Shared Package
ML20211Q809	List: IR 05000271/1997080; ML20211Q803;
References
	50-271-97-80, NUDOCS 9710230008
	Download: ML20211Q803 (4)
	v • d • e

_ _ - - _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ - - - .

..

y

4

0CTOBER 16,1997

EA 97-453

Mr. Donald A. Reid

Senior Vice President, Operations

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation

RD 5, Box 169

Ferry Road

Brattleboro, Vermont 05301

SUBJECT:

NRC INSPECTION REPORT 50-271/97 80 AND EXERCISE OF DISCRETION

Dear Mr. Reid:

This letter refers to the engineering inspection conducted from July 28,1997, to

August 22,1997, at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station. The purpose of the

inspection was to determine whether activities authorized by the license were condacted

safely, and in accordance with NRC requirements. At the August 22,1997, exit meeting,

,

the findings were discussed with Mr. Greg Maret and other members of your staff.

The inspection was directed toward areas important to public health and safety. The areas

!

examined during this inspection included: 1) your corrective actions in response to the

identification of Appendix R program issues; 2) your corrective actions regarding fire barrier

penetration seals; and 3) your evaluations of four previously identified NRC inspection

items.

We re.<iewed the circumstances surrounding your identification and corrective actions

regarding Appendix R issues bund in 1995 and 1996. Issues were identified by your staff

during a comprehensive Appendix R program review, started upon your discovery of similar

'

-

probierrs in 1995.

The probiams were violations of NRC requirements of 10 CFR Part 50.48, Appendix R,

Section Ill.G, which would normally be considered for escalated enforcement and subject

to a civil penalty. However, after consultation with the Director, Office of Enforcement,1

- have been authorized to not issue a Notice of Violation and not propose a civil penalty in

this case in accordance with the provisions of Section Vll.B.4 of the NRC's Enforcement

Policy. This decision was made after consideration that: (1) the violations were identified

by your staff as part of the corrective action for the previous Appendix R related issues

-with the RCIC, ADS and EDG systems; (2) they had the same root cause as the previous

issue; (3) they did not substantially change the safety significance or the character of the

regulatoy concern arising out of that finding; and (4) corrective actions, both taken and

planned, were comprehensive and reasonable. The exercise of discretion acknowledges

your effort to identify and correct subtle violations, that would not be readily identified by

routine efforts, before the degraded safety systems are called upon,

h

hlllllllllll N

kk

9710230008 971016

PDR

ADOCK 0500027*

- '>*

-

G

PDR

\\

.

-

.

..

. . .

-

.

. .

. - -

.-

. _ _ __ j

-

.

..

.

..

.

-c

>-

.

Mr. Dona d Reid

2

Based on the results of this inspection, your corrective actions for four violations regarding

Appendix R program and fire barrier penetration seals were appropriately resolved and

-these items are closed. Your response to three related unresolved items were found

~

satisfactorily resolved and these items were closed, in addition, three unresolved items

associated with the electrical systems were found adequately resolved, and these items

-.were also closed.

No reply to this report is necessary and your cooperation with us is appreciated.

.

l-

Sincerely,

Hubert J. Milier

Regional Administrator

Enclosure: - NRC Inspection Report 50 271/97-80

- Docket No. 50-271

,

1

s

- _ _ _

.

.. ..

.

Mr. Donald Reid

3

cc w/ encl:-

R. McCullough, Operating Experience Coordinator - Vermont Yankee

R. Wanczyk, Director, Safety and Regulatory Afftirs

G. Maret, Plant Manager

J. Duffy, Licensing Engineer, Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation

J. Gilroy, Director, Vermont Public Interest Research Group, Inc.

D. Tefft, Administrator, Bureau of Radiological Health, State of New Hampshire

Chief, Safety Unit, Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

D. Lewis, Esquire

G. Bisbee, Esquire

J. Block, Esquire

'

T. Rapone, Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety

State of New Hampshire, SLO Designee

State of Vermont, SLO Designee

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, SLO Designee

D. Katz, Citizens Awareness Network (CAN)

i

!

_

M

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

c:

=

. Mr. Donald Reid

4

-

' Distribution w/ encl:

Region i Docket Room (with concurrences)

PUBLIC

Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)

NRC Resident inspector .

H. Miller, RA

W. Axelson, DRA

G. Morris, DRS -

C. Cowgill, DRP

l_

D. Bearde, DRP.

R. Bhatia, DRS

S. West, NRR/DSSA/SPLB

J. Lieberman, OE (EA No. 97 453, Section F8.4 and 8.5)

B. Summers, OE (EA No.97-453, Section F8.4 and 8.5)

D. Holody, ORA (EA No.97-453, Section F8.4 and 8.5)

D. Vito, ORA (Section E8.2 anc' 4)

'

C. Miskey,- DRS

J. Wiggins, DRS & L. Nicholson, DRS

Distribution w/enci (VIA E-MAIL):

R. Zimmerman, ADPR, NRR

F. Davis, OGC

A. Nicosia, OGC

J. Lieberman (OEMAIL)

D. Holody, OE

W. Dean, OEDO

K. Jabbour, NRR

S. Bajwa, NRR

R. Correia, NRR

F. Talbot, NRR -

Inspection Program Branch,'NRR (IPAS)

-

DOCDESK

-

q1

ff

NP*

/

b

W

O

yd N

6VAp\\

[ DOCUMENT NAME: A:WY9780. INS

T3 receive a ecq.y of this document. Indieses in the boa: 'C' = Copy without attach,nent/ enclosure

'E' = C

th attac

rpenclosure

N* = No copy

OFFICE -

Rl/DRS '

]

Rl/DRS / h JId;; Rl/DRP [f4-l

Rl/DRS/ 'f6 l

Rl/R$@ :l

'

-

NAME-

RBhatia : %

WRuland9 %

CCowgill'

JWiggfrfs

HMill40 y

DATE

10/14/97--

10/W/97

10/t F/97

10/fe/97

10//f/97 '

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

hhhl

u

ML20211Q803

Text

Navigation menu

Search