ML20217E073

Discusses Insp Rept 50-482/97-13 on 970624-27,investigation Rept 4-96-065 Completed on 980206 & Forwards NOV Re Failure to Adhere to Specific & Proper Work Practices

ML20217E073
Person / Time
Site:	Wolf Creek
Issue date:	04/23/1998
From:	Howell A NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
To:	Maynard O WOLF CREEK NUCLEAR OPERATING CORP.
Shared Package
ML20217E077	List: ML20217E073 ML20217E085
References
50-482-97-13, EA-98-099, EA-98-99, NUDOCS 9804270176
Download: ML20217E073 (4)

See also: IR 05000482/1997013

Text

s

,

t UNITED STATES

[p P MGug%

.

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

REGION IV

% # 611 RYAN PLAZA DRIVE, SUITE 400

1. '5 AR LINGTON. T E XAS 76011 8064

9*****+0 April 23,1998

EA 98-099

Otto L. Maynard, President and

Chief Executive Officer

Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation

P.O. Box 411

Burlington, Kansas 66839

SUBJECT: NRC INSPECTION REPORT 50-482/97-13 AND NOTICE OF VIOLATION

(NRC INVESTIGATION REPORT 4-96-065)

Dear Mr. Maynard:

Three unresolved items related to your safety-related welding program were identified during a

prior inspection at your Wolf Creek Generating Station reactor facility. The results of that

inspection and the unresolved items were documented in NRC Inspection Report 50-482/97-13,

which was issued on August 17,1997. In addition, the Region IV Office of Investigations

conducted an investigation into related issues. The investigation, documented in Office of

Investigations Report 4-96-065 completed on February 6,1998, concluded that a former welder

deliberately falsified a signature on a field welding material requisition form.

As a result of our review of the information pertaining to these issues, the three unresolved items

have been resolved. The results of this review were provided to Mr. Clay Warren and members

of your staff in a telephonic exit conducted on April 2,1998. We have determined that three

violations occurred.

Two technical specification violations of your work control procedures for welding activities are

cited in the enclosed Notice of Violation (Notice). The unresolved item (50-482/9713-02)

regarding two examples of unauthorized and undocumented welding-related activities is cited as

Violation A (50-482/9713-05) in the attached Notice, and is of concern because it involves two

instances in which workers failed to adhere to specified and proper work practices. The

unresolved item (50-482/9713-03) dealing with inadequate control over welding material is cited

as Violation B (50482/9713-06) in the attached Notice, and is of concem because it indicates a

lack of discipline by weldhig personnel and a lack of oversite by welding supervision. Although

these violations were identified by your staff, we are citing them because they indicate a need

for both improved craft adherence to procedures and stronger supervisory control of work

activities.

The inspection report also identified an unresolved item (50-482/9713-01) dealing with a

potential falsification of a field welding material requisition form, which the NRC has concluded is

a violation. The regulation violated was 10 CFR 50.9, which requires that information required

by license conditions be complete and accurate in all material respects. Contrary to this

requirement, the subject welder falsified the welding engineer's signature on a weld filler material

requisition form on December 11,1996. Although this violation was willful, it was promptly

9804270176 900423

PDR ADOCK 05000482

G PDR

__ _

'

.

. 1

,.

,

)

!

Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation -2-

i

!

brought to the NRC's attention by the licensee, even though it was not required to be reported, it  !

l

involved an isolated act of a low-level individual, and it was addressed by significant l

remedial action. Therefore, this nonrepetitive, licensee-identified and corrected violation  !

(50-482/9713-04) is being treated as a noncited violation, consistent with Section Vll.B.1 of

the NRC Enforcement Policy.

Please note that you are requirad to respond to this letter and should follow the instructions

L specified in the enclosed Notice when preparing your response. The NRC will use the

response, in part, to determine whether further enforcement action is necessary to ensure  !

l

! compliance with regulatory requirements.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and its 4

I enclosure will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR). l

!

Should you have any questions conceming this inspection, we will be pleased to discuss them j

with you. ,

l

Sincerely,

rthur T. H eli 111, Direct

Division of R or Safety

l Docket No.: 50-482 j

License No.: NPF-42

i

l

Enclosures:

l 1. Notice of Violation

2. SupplementalInformation

ccw/ enclosures:  ;

'

Chief Operating Officer

Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corp.

l P.O. Box 411

i

Burlington, Kansas 66839  ;

Jay Silberg, Esq.

Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge  ;

2300 N Street, NW i

7

Washington, D.C. 20037

.

'

'

-

1

Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation -3-

L

l Supervisor Licensing

'

Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corp.

P.O. Box 411

l- Burlington, Kansas 66839

Chief Engineer

Utilities Division

l Kansas Corporation Commission

l 1500 SW Arrowhead Rd.

l Topeka, Kansas 66604-4027

Office of the Govemor  !

! ' State of Kansas

l Topeka, Kansas 66612

I

Attorney General

l Judicial Center

301 S.W.10th

2nd Floor

l Topeka, Kansas 66612-1597

County Clerk

Coffey County Courthouse

Burlington, Kansas 66839-1798

Vick L. Cooper, Chief

Radiation Control Program

l- Kansas Department of Health

and Environment

Bureau of Air and Radiation

l Forbes Field Building 283

Topeka, Kansas 66620

!

Mr. Frank Moussa

Division of Emergency Preparedness

2800 SW Topeka Blvd

Topeka, Kansas 66611-1287

l

{

o

W ,. .

i

-,

Wolf Creek Nuclear Opercting Corporation -4-

f

I

! E-Mail report to T. Frye (TJF) i

E-mail report to D. Lange (DJL) l

E-Mail report to NRR Event Tracking System (IPAS)

l E-Mail report to Document Control Desk (DOCDESK)

l E-Mail report to Richard Correia (RPC)

'

E-Mail report to Frank Talbot (FXT)

l bec to DCD (IE01)

bec distrib. by RIV:

1

Regional Administrator Resident inspector

DRP Director SRI (Callaway, RIV)

! Branch Chief (DRP/B) DRS-PSB

Project Engineer (DRP/B) MIS System

Branch Chief (DRP/TSS) RIV File

R. Wise (

,

G. Sanborn >

l J. Lieberman, OE

OE:EA File

.

1

i

l

l

\

DOCUMENT AME: R:\ WC\WC713RP. LEE Y /

To receive copy ocument. Indicate in box: "C" = Copy without epr.losures "E" = Copy wl[ enclosures "N" = No copy

RIV;RI:MBM'N C:MB E C:DRP/B [E RIV:EO j)fW ,E D:DRS l

LEEllershaWmT. DAPowers Odf WDJohnhn GFSantErnML ATHowell

'

04/898 04/6/98 04/6/98 04$98 04$98

'

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

.!70019

l

l