PNO-I-91-018, on 910225,requalification Exam Administered During Wk of 910225 Indicated That Requalification Program at Facility Unsatisfactory

PNO-I-91-018:on 910225,requalification Exam Administered During Wk of 910225 Indicated That Requalification Program at Facility Unsatisfactory

ML20217B891
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee
Issue date:	03/06/1991
From:	Conte R, Walker T NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:
References
PNO-I-91-018, PNO-I-91-18, NUDOCS 9103120265
Download: ML20217B891 (2)

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, , m* DCS No: 50271030491 Date: March 6, 1991 l s PRNLIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-I-91-18 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance. The information is as initially received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by the Region I staff on this date.

Facility: Licensee Emergency Classification:

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. Notification of Unusual Event Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station Alert Brattleboro, Vermont 05301 Site Area Emergency DN 50-271 General Emergency X Not Applicable

Subject:

VERMONT YANKEE UNSATISFACTORY REQUALIFICATION PROGRAM Results of the NRC administered requalification examination administered during the week of February 25 - March 1, 1991, indicated that the requalification program at Vermont Yankee is unsatisfactory based on unsatisfactory crew performance. Twelve licensed operators (8 on-shift and 4 staff) in three crews of four persons were examined. NRC results indicated that 2 of the 3 crews (1 shift crew and 1 staff crew) were unsatisfactory in communications and crew interactions. There were also two individual SRO failures. Facility results were in agreement with NRC staff results except for the staff crew performance which was evaluated by the facility as satisfactory.

A major NRC staff finding was that the defined roles and responsibilities of the individual crew members do not provide independent evaluation of plant operations to assist and advise shift supervision during abnormal or emergency events to correct conditions that may compromise the safety of operations.

The licensee's immediate corrective actions included: (1) The Shift Engineer will be relieved of communication duties and will perform the independent advisory function; (2) An additional person was assigned to each shift to function as a communicator; (3) The licensee removed from licensed duties those individuals who failed; and, (4) The crews that were determined to be unsatisfactory will not return to shift as substantially the same crew until further evaluations arm performed by NRC staff.

An exit meeting was held in the Region I office on March 4, 1991, with licensee management and the Deputy Regional Administrator in which the licensee described their requalification examination results, corrective actions taken and planned, and their Basis for Continued Operation (BCO).

The licensee plans to submit a BCO in writing within the next week.  :

Following submittal of the BCO, the Region plans to issue a Confirmatory Action Letter confirming the licensee's corrective actions.

Vermont Yankee is currently operating at full power. This information is current as of 8:00 a.m. March 6, 1991. l Region I plans to conduct operational evaluations of additional operators during the week of March 18, 1991 in response to these results. f b

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9103120265 910306 PDR ILE PNO-1-91-18 PDR f0 /([ - hl i

PNO ,1 41-18 2 Th6(State of Vermont has been informed. The PN is issued for information only. There heu been local media interest in the examination results.

CONTACT: Tracy Walker Richard Conte FTS-346-5381 FTS-346-5210 .,

DISTRIBUTION:

OWFN Mn'BB L-St. NL Mail: ADM:DMB Chairman Carr A60D RES DOT:Trans only ,

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Comm. Remick CA EDO Phillips INPO---- ,

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GPA NRR PA OE Regional Offices SP RI Resident Office EWW ASLAP Licensee:

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Region I Form 83 (Rev. April 1988) k l

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