ML20213D073

Forwards Input to NRC Senior Mgt Meeting Per 870505 Request. Plant Maint Problems Identified in Late 1970 Resolved by Brunswick Improvement Program Instituted in 1982

ML20213D073
Person / Time
Site:	Brunswick
Issue date:	05/12/1987
From:	Lainas G Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 8705140191
Download: ML20213D073 (4)

Text

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May 12, 1987 DISTRIBUTION:

MEMORANDUM FOR: Steven A. Varga, Director 4@h!!?41 Division of Reactor Projects I/II NRC & Local PDR

- .PD21.r/f THRU: Gus C. Lainas, Assistant Director Glainas Region II Reactors EAdensam Division of Reactor Projects I/II ESylvester PAnderson

SUBJECT:

INPUT TO SENIOR MANAGEMENT MEETING -

BRUNSWICK STEAM ELECTRIC PLANT Per your request of May 5,1987, a sumary report has been prepared for discussion at the NRC Senior Management Meeting. The enclosed report

, sumarizes the performance of the Carolina Power & Light Company relative to the operation of the Brunswick facility.

Enclosure:

As stated

/S/

I Elinor G. Adensam, Director Project Directorate I1-1 Division of Reactor Projects - I/II T

LJllt .DRPR PM:PD21:DRPR D:PD21:DRPR PAN son ESylvester/vag M EAdensam 05/i2./87 05/(%/87 05//d/87 0705140191 870512 PDR ADOCK 0D000324 P PDR

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INPUT TO NRC SENIOR MANAGEMENT MEETING i i

PLANT: BRUNSWICK STEAM ELECTRIC PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 l REGION II Prepared by: Ernest Sylvester, Project Manager Project Directorate 11-1 Division of Reactor Projects I/II j

I.

SUMMARY

OVERVIEW t  !

2 Problem areas in NRR activities with Carolina Power & Light Company (CP&L) relative to regulation of the Brunswick facility cannot be characterized as "significant." In the area of licensing, CP&L has received a Category 2 rating in the last two SALP reports. For the current SALP period, November 1, 1985 to June 30, 1987, licensing perfomance has been at a Category 2 level.

Although problems have been experienced that preclude a higher rating, these problems have not been of great significance and the licensee is generally

cooperative in taking steps to eliminate licensing problems.

l Other functional areas were also rated at a Category 2 level in the last SALP report with one Category 1 (Security). Again, problems have been experienced with operation, maintenance and design of the Brunswick facility, but in recent years, these problems have not been severe or indicative of deep-seated ,

deficiencies in the CP&L management and staff. More significant problems were I encountered in the late 1970's, but these problems have generally been resolved by the Brunswick Improvement Program instituted in 1982.

II. CURRENT LICENSING EXPERIENCE There are no licensing problems that currently require NRC management attention.

III. OVERVIEW / LICENSING HISTORY Because of various plant maintenance problems identified by the licensee in the late 1970's, the ability of CP&L to manage nuclear plants was questioned by the NRC. This culminated in the imposition of a $600,000 fine for numerous Technical Specification violations involving unfulfilled surveillance requirements. In 1982, CP&L was requested to institute an improvement  !

program to upgrade the management and operation of their plants. Consequently,

CP&L hired a contractor to evaluate the Brunswick, Robinson and Harris facilities.  ;

The contractor recommended several areas of improvement, and CP&L comitted to adopt most of these recomendations. A confimatory order was issued in

! December 1982, confirming the CP&L consnitment to the improvement program.

The program included a reorganization of the CP&L management, the installation l

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of a vice-president and a licensing representative at the Brunswick site, and an upgrade of the Technical Specifications. The last of the improvement program action items was closed out in 1986.

While considerable improvement has been achieved since 1982, the current performance of the licensee can be characterized as average for the industry.

CP&L performance, at this time, in the areas of management and maintenance, the two areas of concern in 1982, is discussed below.

Management Strengths

• Commitments are generally implemented on time. When a delay in implementation is unavoidable, the NRC is notified and justification is provided. An excellent computerized scheduling system is used to track licensing actions.

The licensee makes a strong effort to comply with NRC requirements in a timely manner. Adequate technical justification is generally provided to justify alternative methods of compliance.

An Outage Management Group was established in late 1983. Considerable ,

- improvement has been achieved in reducing the duration of scheduled outages.

Weaknesses

• Conservative scheduling methods sometimes result in delays in reaching i full compliance with NRC requirements.

Management does not aggressively push to improve performance in licensing matters. A defensive posture is evident in some areas; excuses are substituted for a cooperative attitude. While not of major significance, this attitude sometimes results in slowing the resolution j of licensing actions. l l

Maintenance Strengths An NRC site survey of Brunswick maintenance programs and practices was conducted in January 1986. No significant problems were identified.

• Problems noted in LERs are generally resolved promptly.

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• Because of historically high occupational doses, CP&L established a dose reduction goal of 30% for 1986. A 32% reduction was achieved.

l Weaknesses 1

• LERs show a continuing trend of events caused by maintenance procedural and personnel errors.

IV. EFFECTIVENESS OF NRC AND LICENSEE ACTIVITIES l

1. Current The significant problems of the late 1970's have been dealt with as described in Section III. Since that era, no special sanctions have been found necessary. Currently, the NRR Project Manager uses bi-monthly meetings with the CP&L licensing staff to review and discuss the status and schedule of licensing actions. Priorities are set at these meetings. The licensee had applied for a license amendment to incorporate the use of a long-range plan and an integrated schedule, but 4

this application was recently withdrawn. The licensee has decided to use the integrated schedule in a less formal manner for scheduling plant modifi-j cations and for coordinating these dates with the NRC.

2. Proposed No increased NRC surveillance is warranted by the licensee's current level of performance.

V. ADEQUACY OF REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS The licensee has taken a leadership role in the owner's groups involved in the Technical Specification (TS) Improvement Program. Brunswick TS will be modified as necessary to comply with the goals of that program.

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