ML20217F154
| ML20217F154 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Cooper  |
| Issue date: | 10/03/1997 |
| From: | Gwynn T NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | Horn G NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20217F159 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-298-97-12, EA-97-424, NUDOCS 9710070380 | |
| Download: ML20217F154 (6) | |
See also: IR 05000298/1997012
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OCT - 31997
EA 97 424
G. R. Horn, Senior Vice President
of Energy Supply
Nebraska Public Power District
141415th Street
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Columbus, Nebraska 68001
SUBJECT: NRC INSPECTION REPORT 50 298/97 12
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Dear Mr. Horn:
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An NRC inspection was conducted July 8 through September 5,1997, at your Cooper
Nuclear Station reactor facility. The enclosed report presents the scope and results of that
inspection.
Based on the results of this inspection, apparent violations were identified and are being
considered for escalated enforcement action in accordance with the " General Statement of
Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions" (Enforcement Policy), NUREG 1600.
The apparent violations consist of several examples in which your staff f ailed to promptly
recognize, docurnent, or correct conditions adverse to quality. We consider two of these
conditions to be significant. One was your f ailure, until recently, to recognize and correct
instances whereby large volumes of water could cause both standby gas treatment system
trains to potentially be inoperable. The other was the failure to recognize and assess
significant blockage of Residual Heat Removal Heat Exchanger B, which reduced the heat
transfer capability below design. In this instance, important information about the as found
condition was lost when workers proceeded to clean the heat exchanger without collecting /
as found data. Also, station evaluations of the condition considered this blockage to be
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expected and not to be a condition adverse to quality. As a result, by the end of the
inspection, no corrective actions had been formulated or implemented to address the heat
exchanger cleaning and testing programs.
We recognize your efforts to resolve issues in a timely manner. However, your failure to
recognize, document, or correct these fundamental requirements for quality activities is a
concern. For some of these conditions, your staff missed opportunities to recognize and
cor.ect the problem earlier this year. Also, some conditions were not questioned and
resolved because a similar condition had occurred in the past and, therefore, the condition
was considered expected. Lastly, although in several cases you corrected physical plant
problems with a modification or precedure change, you had not addressed the broader '
aspects of weakness in problem resolution.
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A Notice of Violation is not presently being issued for these insp '.!,sn findings. In
addition, please be 3dvised that the number and characterization of 3pparent violations
described in the enclosed inspection report may change as a result of further NRC review.
An open predecisional enforcement conference to discuss these apparent violations has
been scheduled for October 17,1997. The decision to hold a predecisional enforcement
conference does not mean that the NRC has determined that violations 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 a common understanding of the
f acts, root causes, missed opportunities to identify the apparent violation sooner,
corrective actions, significance of the issues, and the need for lasting and effective
corrective action._ in particular, we expect you to address in detail the technical and
problem resolution aspects _of the heat exchanger degradation and the impa::t of water on
standby gas treatment system operability. Also, please include what actions you have
taken to address the ability of site personnel to recognize problems. The technical aspects
of the additional examples of weak problem resolution discussed and referenced in this
report do not need to be discussed in detail, but rather should be discussed in summary
fashion. However, how these additional examples contribute to the issue of problem
resolution should be included in your discussion,
in addition, this is an opportunity for you to point out any errors in our_ inspection report
and for you to provide any Information concerning your perspectives on: (1) the severity
of the violation, (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.-
You will be advised by separate correspondence of the results of our deliberations on this
matter No recponse regarding the apparent violation is required at this time,
in accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter
- and its enclosure wl;i be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR),
Should you have any questions concerning this inspection, we will be pleased to discuss
them with you.
Sincerely,
I
onias
n
irector
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ivision of Reactor Projects
Docket No.: 50 298
License No.: _ DPR-46
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Nebraska Public Power District
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Enclosure:
NRC Inspection Report
50 298/97 12
cc w/ enclosure:
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John R. McPhail, General Counsel
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Nebraska Public Power District
P.O. Box 499
Columbus, Nebraska 68002 0499
P. D. Graham, Vice President of
Nuclear Energy
Nebraska Public Power District
P.O. Box 98
Brownville, Nebraska 68321
8. L. Houston, Nuclear Licensing
and Safety Manager
Nebraska Public Power District
P.O. Box 98
Brownville, Nebraska 68321
Dr. William D. Leech
MidAmerican Energy
907 Walnut Street
P.O. Box 657
Des Moines, Iowa 50303-0057
Mr. Ron Stoddard
Lincoln Electric System
11th and O Streets
Lincoln, Nebraska 68508
Randolph Wood, Director
Nebraska Department of Environmental
Quality
P.O. Box 98922
Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-8922
Chairman
Nemaha County Board of Commissioners
Nemaha County Courthouse
1824 N Street
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Auburn, Nebraska 68305
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Nebraska Public Power District
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Cheryl Rogers, LLRW Program Manager
Environmental Protection Section
Nebraska Department of Health
301 Centennial Mall, South
P.O. Box 95007
Lincoln, Nebraska 68509 5007
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Dr. Mark B. Horton, M.S.P.H.
Director
Nebraska Department of Health
P.O. Box 950070
Lincoln, Nebraska 68509 5007
R. A. Kucera, Department Director
of Intergovernmental Cooperation
Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 176
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102
Kansas Radiation Control Program Director
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OCT
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