ML20215J142

Order to Show Cause Why Radios or Other Electrical/ Electronic Equipment Used to Provide Background Music in Control Rooms Should Not Be Removed (Ref IE Info Notice 85-053 & Circular 81-02)

ML20215J142
Person / Time
Site:	Monticello, Prairie Island, 05000000
Issue date:	10/20/1986
From:	Taylor J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE)
To:	NORTHERN STATES POWER CO.
Shared Package
ML20215J108	List: ML20215J106 ML20215J142
References
EA-86-164, IEC-81-02, IEC-81-2, IEIN-85-053, IEIN-85-53, NUDOCS 8610240322
Download: ML20215J142 (7)

Text

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of NORTHERN STATES POWER COMPANY ) Docket Nos. 50-282 (Prairie Island Nuclear Generating ) 50-306 Plant, Units 1 & 2) .

NORTHERN STATES POWER COMPANY Docket No. 50-263 (Monticello Nuclear Generating E A 86-164 Plant)

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE I.

The Northern States Power Company (Licensee) is holder of License Nos.

DPR-42 and DPR-60 authorizing the Licensee to operate the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 & 2 and License No. DPR-22 authorizing the Licensee to operate the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant. The Licenses-were issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (N R C or Commission) on i

A pril 15,1974, October 29, 1974 and January 9,1981 respectively.

II.

On February 9,1981, the N R C's Office of Inspection and Enforcement issued IE Circular No. 81-02, " Performance of NR C-Licensed Individuals While On D u ty ," ex pressin g NRC concern with respect to licensee efforts to maintain a professional atmosphere in the control room at operating nuclear facilities. In particular, the N R,C noted that potentially distracting activities 8610240322 861020 PDR ADOCK 05000263 G PDR

in the control room such as playing radios and TV's should be prohibited.

Continuing observation of control room operation by N R C inspectors indicated that, in general, the high, standards of contrcl room professionalism discussed in IE Circular 81-02 was being met at most operating facilities. N evertheless ,

N R C observations at some operating facilities indicated the need for further management attention to one of the areas described in that Circular which included continued usage of radios in the control room. Consequently, IE Information Notice No. 85-53, " Performance of N R C -

Licensed Individuals W hile On D u ty ," was issued by the N R C's Office of Inspection and E nforcement on July 12,1985 to reemphasize the need for licensees to establish and enforce a policy prohibiting distracting activities by control.

room personnel including the usage of radios and T V's.

In response to this Information Notice, the Licensee sent a letter dated August 19, 1985 to E xecutive Director for O perations (ED0) of the NRC noting that, since commencement of operations at the Monticello and Prairie Island facilities, the Licensee had permitted control room operators to have a radio playing background music. The Licensee noted that this practice has been carefully monitored by plant management to assure that the programming and loudness was such that it did not constitute a distraction to the operators . Nonetheless , the Licensee noted that, in response to the July 12, 1985 Information Notice, radios were removed from the control rooms of the Licensee's Monticello and Prairie Island facilities. The Licensee went on to note that this change produced a very negative effect on the morale of operators and noted that a number of operators had ta ken the step of i

correspondin g either with the company or with the NRC to note their dissatisfaction with the N R C's policy in this regard.

In its letter, the L,1censee suggested an alternative , specifically the installation of a tape deck with a library of tapes reviewed and approved by plant management as to content and with the loudness controlled to a nondistracting level.

On September 10, 1985, the EDO responded to the Licensee's August 19, 1985 letter reaffirming the N R C's staff's position that music could potentially have a significant negative effect on the attentiveness of operators and their ability to closely monitor plant statu s. Thus, the Licensee's proposed citernative was rejected. .

As a consequence of the Licensee's direction to remove radios from the control rooms of its Prairie Island and Monticello facilities, there followed meetings between the Licensee's management and the International Brotherhood I

of Electrical Workers, AFL-CIO, Local 160 (Union), whose members included  ;

control room operators at each of the Licensee's nuclear facilities. The Union argued to the Licensee's management that removal of the radios was improper and unjust. On October 8,1985, the matter was reduced to a formal written complaint and thereafter appealed to binding arbitration on November 4,1985.

Following a hearing before a neutral Arbiter selected from a panel submitted by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, Office of Arbitration, the i l

Arbiter sustained the Union's grievance and directed the Licensee to return a  ;

i radio forthwith to the control room of the Monticello facility. The Arbiter's i 1

decision was issued October 1,1986. In response to the Arbiter's decision, the Licensee permitted re-institution of the practice of playing of a radio in the i

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Monticello facility control room and the Arbiter's decision could form the basis for re-instituting this practice in the Prairie Island control rooms as well. No formal advance notification. of this return to past practice was made to either the Regional Administrator of Region III or the EDO.

The N R C continues to be of the view that the playing of radios, tapes, T V 's , or other devices w hich generate. an au dible sound, constitute a potential hazard to safe operation of a nuclear facility . NRC licensed operators in the control rooms at nuclear power plants are responsible for assuring that the facility is operated safely and within the requirements of the facility's license, technical specifications, rules, regulations, and orders of the N R C. To be able to carry out these highly important responsibilities,'

! control room operators must give their full attention to the condition of the plant at all times. O perators must be alert to ensure that the plant is operating safely and must be capable of taking timely action to prevent any progress toward a condition that might be unsafe. All control room business must be con ducted in such a manner that neither licensed control room operator attentiveness nor the professional atmosphere will be compromised.

i The playing of radios, TV's, tapes, etc. in control rooms does not enhance the operators' ability to concentrate upon licensed duties and can potentially have a significant negative effect on the attentiveness of operators and their ability to closely monitor plant status. Consequently, to assure continued protection of the public health, safety, and interest, the N R C staff believes facility operation when audible entertainment devices are in use in the control room is unacceptable.

In light of the above, I question whether operators will be sufficiently attentive to licensed responsibilities if audible entertain ment devices are allowed in the control roon!. Accordingly, I may be unable to conclude there is reasonable assurance that the operators at the Prairie Island facility or the Monticello facility will operate the facilities in accordance with the Commission's requirements if audible entertainment devices are used in the control room.

III.

Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 103,161b. ,161c. , and 161o. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and the Commission's regulations in.

10 C F R Parts 2 and 50, IT IS HEREB Y ORDERED, that the Licensee show cause, as specified in Section IV of this Order, why Licenses Nos. DPR-22, DPR-42, and DPR-60 should not be modified to condition facility operation to prohibit the use of radios, tapes, T V's or other audible entertainment devices in the control rooms of the Prairie Island and Monticello facilities.

IV.

The Licensee may show cause within 25 days of the date of the Order by filing a written answer under oath or affirmation which sets forth the facts of the matter and the law on which the Licensee relies. The Licensee may answer as provided in 10 CFR Section 2.202(d) by consenting to the entry of an order in substantially the form proposed in this Order to Show Cause.

Upon failure of the Licensee to file an answer within the specified time, the

I Director of the Office of Inspection and Enforcement may issue without further notice an order modifying the Licenses as described in Section III.

V.

The Licensee, or other person adversely affected by this Order, may request a hearing within 25 days of the date of this Order. This request shall be su bmitted to the Director, Office of Inspection and E nforcement, U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D. C. 20555. A copy of the request for hearing should also be sent to the Assistant General Counsel for Enforcement, Office of the General Counsel, at the same address. If a person other than the Licensee requests a hearin g , that person shall set' forth with particularly the manner in which the person's interest is adversely affected by this Order. If a hearing is requested by the Licensee or any person who has an interest adversely affected by this Order, the Commission will issue an Order designating the time and place of any such hearing.

If a hearing is held, the issue to be considered at the hearing shall be w hether the Licenses should be modified to prohibit use of audible entertainment devices such as radios, TV's, and tapes in the control rooms of the Prairie Island and Monticello facilities.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

//

httu ampt M. TayloV l

/0 Mce of Inspew/ Director on and Enforcement Datedatgethesda, Maryland thisJo day of October, 1986.

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Northern States Power Company Distribution W. A. Shamla, Plant Manager DCS Licensing Fee Management Branch VStello, ED0 JMTaylor, IE JGKeppler, RIII RStarostecki, IE ABBeach, IE I JLieberman, OGC I JPartlow, IE I Enforcement Coordinators RI, RII, RIII, RIV, RV -

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