ML20217E007
| ML20217E007 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Westinghouse |
| Issue date: | 10/03/1997 |
| From: | Ten Eyck E NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Allen J WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY, DIV OF CBS CORP. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20217E010 | List: |
| References | |
| 70-1151-97-205, NUDOCS 9710060250 | |
| Download: ML20217E007 (4) | |
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k UNITED STATES j-
,j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION e
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October 3, 1997 Westinghouse Electric Corporation -
. Commercial Nuclear Fuel Division
. ATTN: Mr. J. Allen, Columbia Plant Manager P.O. Drawer R Columbia, SC 29250
SUBJECT:
NRC INSPECTION REPORT NO. 70-1151/97-205 Dear Mr. Allen; This refers to the criticality safety inspection conducted on August 25 - 29,1997, by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) at the Westinghouse Commercial Nuclear Fuel Division facility in Columbia, South Carolina. The inspection included a review of your root cause analysis and
. implementation of corrective actions following the June 23l 1997, loss of volume control for the Line 1 granulator hopper. The scope of the inspection was subsequently expanded to review your actions concerning the August 25,1997, loss of volume control for the pellet area ventilation system moisture dropout tanks.
At the conclusion of this inspection, the findings were discussed with Mr. J. Bush, Acting Plant Manager, and other members of your staff. During that exit meeting, a conference call was held between Mr. Bush and others of your staff and Messrs. D. Collins of Region ll and
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W. Brach of my staff, concerning the current status of your compliance with facility license conditions pertaining to the criticality safety evaluations for the granulator hopper and moisture dropout tanks. During that conference call, you informed NRC that you were proceeding to shutdown the pelleting lines and identified other actions as described in your letter of
- August 29,-1997.
Based on the results of this inspection, seven apparent violations were identified anc are being considered for escalated enforcement action in accordance with the " General Statement of Policy and Procedures for NRC Enforcement Actions"(Enforcement Policy), NUREG-1600.
Accordingly, no Notice of Violation is presently being issued for these inspection findings. In addition, please be advised that the number and characterization of apparent violations, described in the enclosed inspection report, may change as a result of further NRC review.
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9710060250 971003 PDR ADOCK 07001151 C
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Westinghouse Electric Corporation 2
We are concerned about the apparent violations of NRC requirements because they involved deficiencies with the implementation of the criticality safety requirements in Section 6.0 of your license and also involve the apparent failure to properly report the two events to the NRC Operations Center. Several of the apparent vloiations appear to share underlying root causes that are similar to those identified during the EA 97 244 enforcement conference. We are further concerned about the failure to promptly communicate the occurrence of the second event to the NRC inspectors, who were onsite, prior to the system restart on August 26,1997.
This occurred despite tt.e assurances given during the EA 97-244 enforcement conference that future communications would be improved.
Subsequent to the inspection of August 25,1997, the Chief, Fuel Cycle Operations Branch, and other members of his staff conducted a re-exit via telephone on September 22,1997, with your staff. The purpose of the discussion was to review the seven apparent violations and inform you of the need and process for a predecisional enforcement conference.
You are invited to a predecisional enforcement conference to discuss these apparent violations on October 29,1997, at 1:00 p.m. in the NRC Headquarters Office in Rockville, Maryland. You should also be prepared to discuss the status of your actions to assure that the as-exists geometry and volume criticality safety controls used in the facility match the assurnptions in
'your design documents. The decision to hold a predecisional enforcement conference does not mean that the NRC has determined that a violation has occurred or that enforcement action will be taken. This conference is being held to obtain information to enable the NRC to make an enforcement decision, such as common understanding of the facts, root causes, missed opportunities to identify the apparent violations sooner, corrective actions, significance of the issues and the need for lasting and effective corrective action. In addition, this is an opportunity for you to point out any discrepancies in our inspection report and for you to provide any information concerning your perspective on (1) the violations and their severity, (2) the application of the factors that the NRC considers when it determines the amount of a civil penalty that may be assessed in accordance with Section VI.B.2 of the Enforcement Policy, and (3) any other application of the Enforcement Policy to this case, including the exercise of discretion in accordance with Section Vll. In presenting your corrective action, you should be aware that the promptness and comprehensiveness of your actions will be considered in asses' ag any civil penalty for the apparent violations. Please note Enclosures 2 and 3 for additional enforcement policy and corrective action information.
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- Westinghouse Electric Corporation--
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You will be advised by separate correspondence of the results of our deliberations on this -
matteri No written response regarding the apparent violations being considered for -
enforcement action is required at this time..
. t Should you have any questions concerning this letter, please contact us.-
1 Sincerely;,
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Elizabeth Q: Ten Eyck, Director
/yDivision of Fuel Cycle Safety -
and Safeguards, NMSS 5
Docket Nc. 70-1151 License No. SNM 1107
Enclosures:
.1.
Inspection Report 97-205 0
2.
General Statement of Policy and Procedures for NRC Enforcement Actions (NUREG-1600) 3.
NRC Information Notice 96-28, " Suggested Guidance Relating To Development And implementation of Corrective Action" s
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October 3, 1997 Westinghouse Electric Corporation 3
l You will be advised by separate correspondence of the results of our deliberations on this l
matter. No written response regarding the apparent violations being considered for enforcement action is required at this time.
Should you have any questions concerning this letter, please contact us.
Sincerely, Original signed by E.W. Brach for Liz Ten Eyck Elizabeth Q. Ten EyCK, Director Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, NMSS Docket No. 70-1151 License No. SNM-1107
Enclosures:
1.
Inspection Report 97-205 2.
General Statement of Policy and Procedures for NRC Enforcement Actions (NUREG-1600) 3.
NRC Information Notice 96-28, " Suggested Guidance Relating To Development And Implementation of Corrective Action" DISTRIBUTION w/ Enclosure 1:
NRC File Center NMSS r/f PDR/LPDR FCSS r/f EBrach FCOB r/f MWeber Case File EMcAlpine, Ril Docket File 70-1151 MMessier, T-9E10 (w/o encl)
DAyres, Rll MRodgers, PMDA (w/o encl)
Documents: a:Troskoski:97-205r. wet 0FC FCOB FCOB E
FCOB C
OE FCOB 6" FCW7 NAME PHarict#
WTroskki:th JDaviND NMam PTi[chwink kEyck DATE 9/30/97
//P/97 9L30/97 /[/97 fD*/97 hl/97 C= COPY E = COVER & ENCLOSURE N = NO COPY
/f 0FFICIAL RECORD COPY 9/*/f7 #/
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