ML20216E789
| ML20216E789 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Hope Creek  |
| Issue date: | 09/04/1997 |
| From: | Miller H NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Eliason L Public Service Enterprise Group |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20216E792 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-354-97-06, 50-354-97-6, EA-97-368, NUDOCS 9709110070 | |
| Download: ML20216E789 (4) | |
See also: IR 05000354/1997006
Text
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Septernber 4,1997
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EA No. 97 368
Mr. Leon R. Eliason
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Chief Nuclear Officer and President
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Nuclear Business Unit
Public Service Electric and Gas Company
Post Office Box 236
Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038
SUBJECT:
HOPE CREEK SERVICE WATER SELF ASSESSMENT OVERSIGHT EXERCISE
OF DISCRETION (NRC INSPECTION REPORT 97 06)
Dear Mr. Eliason:
This letter refers to the inspection conducted by Mr. D. Moy of this office regarding NRC
oversight of the Service Water System Operational Performanci inspection (SWSOPI) at
Hope Creek Nuclear Station, between November 12,1996 and April 4,1997. NRC's
oversight included observation of the self assessment process, discussions with team
members, attendance at team briefings, and review of the final PSE&G SWSOPl report.
The NRC's monitoring effort was observed by the New Jersey State Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP). Our conclusions were discussed with members of your
staff at an NRC exit meeting on August 5,1997.
We found that the SWSOPl team members maintained an objective and independent
approach to the assessment process. Management support for the self assessment was
evident. The team evaluated the design basis functional requirements of the service water
and safety auxiliaries cooling systems in depth, and verified that the systems were
operated, maintained, and tested in accordance with site procedures and accurately
reflected design basis requirements.
Based upon our oversight of your self assessment, observation of the team's exit on
May 29, and review of the final SWSOPl report issued on July 18,1997, we have
concluded that the self assessment met the objectives of NRC Temporary instruction (TI)
25.
18, " Service Water System Operational Peric,rmance Inspection." We intend to
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follester on several of the principal findings of your SWSOPlin future NRC inspections.
During the inspection, one violation of NRC requirements was identified. The violation
concerned the failure to identify that a modification to the safety auxiliary cooling system
(SACS) constituted an unreviewed safety question that required NRC's review and
approval prior to implementation. The violation is of concern, in that, as a result of the
modification, under certain equipment configurations, a SACS pump could be subject to a
runout condition and trip due to pump protective features. The issue is of further concern
because the NRC is dependent upon licensee's correctly assessing proposed modifications
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to ensure unreviewed safety questions do not exist.
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9709110070 970904
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Mr. Leon R. Eliason
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in accordance with the NRC's " General Statement of Policy and Procedures for NRC
Enforcement Actions," (Enforcement Policy), NUREG 1600 a failure to meet the
requirements of 10 CFR 50.59 that involves an unreviewed safety question would be
classified as a Severity Level lll violation and would be considered for escalated
enforcement. A base civil penalty in the amount of $55,000 is considered for a Severity
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Level 111 violation. However, after consultation with the Director, Office of Enforcement,
the NRC has decided not to issue a Notice of Violation or propose a civil penalty for this
case, which is consistent with Section Vll.B.3 of the Enforcement Policy.
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This decision was made after consideration that (1) the violation was identified by your
staff's good questioning attitudes during the performance of a voluntary initiative; (2)
corrective actions, both taken and planned, were comprehensive and timely; (3) the
conditions were subtle in nature and not likely to have been disclosed through routine
surveillance or quality assurance activities; and (4) the violation was not reasonably linked
to current performance,
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No reply to this letter is required, and your cooperation with us was appreciated,
in accordance with 10 CFR2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter will
be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.
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Sincerely,
ORIGINAL SIGNED BY
W. AXELSON FOR:
Hubert J. Miller
Regional Administrator
Docket No: 50 354
Enclosures:
NRC Inspection Report No. 50 354/97 06
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Mr. Leon R. Eliason
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cc w/ encl:
L. Storr, Senior Vice President Nuclear Operations
E. Simpson, Senior Vice President Nuclear Engineering
E. Salowitz, Director Nuclear Business Support
A. F. Kirby, lil, External Operations Nuclear, Delmarva Power & Light Co.
J. A. Isabella, Manager, Joint Generation
Atlantic Electric
M. Berilla, General Manager Hope Creek Operations
J. McMahon, Director - Quality Assurance & Nuclear Safety Review
D. Powell, Manager Licensing and Regulation
R. Kankus, Joint owner Affairs
A. C. Tapert, Program Administrator
Jeffrey J.~ Keenan, Esquire
Consumer Advocate, Office of Consumer Advocate
William Conklin, Public Safety Consultant, Lower Alloways Creek Township
State of New Jersey
State of Delaware
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Mr. Leon R. Eliason
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Distribution w/ encl:
Region i Docket Room (with concurrences)
J. Wiggins, DRS
E. Kelly, DRS
D. Moy, DRS
C. O'Daniell, DRP
W. Axelson, DRA
J. Linville, DRP
S. Barber, DRP
L. Harrison, DRP
Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)
NRC Resident inspector
PUBLIC
DRS File
Distribution w/ encl: (Vla E Mail)
W. Dean, OEDO
R. Zimmerman, ADPR, NRR
F. Davis, OGC
Nicosia, OGC
J. Lieberman OE (OEMAIL)
D. Holody, EO, RI
D. Jaffe, Project Manager, NRR
inspection Program Branch, NRR (IPAS)
R. Correia, NRR
F. Talbot, NRR
DOCDESK
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DOCUMENT NAME: A: HC9708 lNS
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To receive a copy of this docunient, in4este la the teos:d)C'{= Cop without attachnwnt' enclosure
'l? = Cy with attachnwnt/ enclosure
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OFFICE
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DATE
08/21/97
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OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
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'See Previous Concurrence Page
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