ML20217P722
| ML20217P722 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Peach Bottom  |
| Issue date: | 05/01/1998 |
| From: | Anderson C NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Smith E PECO ENERGY CO., (FORMERLY PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20217P725 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-277-98-01, 50-277-98-1, 50-278-98-01, 50-278-98-1, NUDOCS 9805070039 | |
| Download: ML20217P722 (4) | |
See also: IR 05000277/1998001
Text
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4.
May 1,1998
Mr. D.'M. Smith, President
PECO Nuclear
Nuclear Group Headquarters
Correspondence Control Desk
P. O. Box 195
. Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087-0195
' SUBJECT: ROUTINE INTEGRATED INSPECTION 50-277/98-01 AND 50-278/98-01
Dear Mr. Smith:
This refers to the inspection conducted from January 18 through March 14,1998, at the
Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Delta, Pennsylvania. At.the conclusion of the
inspection, the inspectors discussed the findings with Mr. T. Mitchell, Mr. J. Doering and
others of your staff. The inspectors based these findings on independent observation of
activities, interviews, and document reviews.
During the eight-week period covered by this inspection, we noted that the plant
experience assessment group routinely presented industry events that occurred at other
nuclear power plants at the daily morning management meeting. Senior plant management
reviewed and discussed these events to obtain insights into potential problems that the
Peach Bottom station could encounter. These tsviews were proactive and provided
information that allowed the station to continue to improve performance.
We deterrnined that the replacement of the original source range monitor (SRM) and
intermediate range monitor (IRM) with a digital wide range neutron monitoring system
(WRNMS) was implemented appropriately with very good engineering support.
Within the area of plant support, we found that your staff continued to implement effective
environmental monitoring and meteorological monitoring progsams and that the
performance in these areas was very good. Your quality assurance personnel also
demonstrated good performance regarding the quality assurance audits of the REMP and
f
MMP.
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'We' identified five violations of NRC requirements during this inspection. The first violation
!
- involved the failure of a control room supervisor to verify that a Unit 3 expected alarm was
acknowledged due to the fact that he was outside of his main control room work station
without temporary relief.
The next two violations were the result of operations personnel failing to perform technical
specification surveillance requirements for the verification of proper recirculation loop flow
during Unit 2 start-up on January 2,1998.
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D. M. Smith
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The fourth violation contained several examples of inadequate procedures and control room
operators failing to implement operations procedures which resulted in the unexpected trip
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of the Unit 2 main turbine on January 1,1998. The procedures were inadequate since they
failed to restore the Electro-Hydraulic Control system to the slignment required for reactor
start-up. Also, operations personnel failed to adequataly implement procedures when they
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did not recognize the abnormal main turbine status, position of the turbine control valves,
or the selection of the speed set for the EHC system for several shifts prior to the main
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We were concerned with the violations described above, especially the Unit 2 main turbine
trip, because they all showed weak oversight of the control room activities. We previously
documented in Inspection Report 50-277(278)/97-07where inadequate oversight of
operator activities contributed to a scram of the Unit 2 reactor during swapping of a station
battery charger.
j
The last violation resulted from Unit 3 exceeding the licensed power level up to 0.6%
between October 22,,1995 and January 21,1997. PECO Energy Company operated the
reactor at a steady state power level up to 100.6% of rated power. We were concerned
that your staff failed to recognize errors in the calibration of feedwater temperature
instruments even after deficiencies were identified with the equipment used to calibrate
these instruments. The inaccurate feedwater temperature instruments resulted in power
levels above the licensed limit for over 15 months.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter
and its enclosures will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.
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We appreciate your cooperation.
'
- Sincerely,
Original Signed By:
Clifford J. Anderson, Chief
Projects Branch 4
Division of Reactor Projects
Docket / License No. 50-277/DPR-44
50-278/DPR-56
Enclosures:
2. NRC Inspection Report 50-277/98-01 and 50-278/98-01
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D. M. Smith
3
cc w/ encl:
G. Edwards, Chairman, Nuclear Review Board and Director, Licensing
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J. Doering, Vice President, Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station
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G. Rainey, Senior Vice President, Nuclear Operations
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J. B. Cotton, Vice President, Nuclear Station Support
T.'Niessen, Director, Nuclear Quality Assurance
A. F. Kirby, Ill, External Operations - Delmarva Power & Light Co.
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M. Warner, Plant Manager, Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station
G. J. Lengyel, Manager, Experience Assessment
J. W. Durham, Sr., Senior Vice President and General Counsel
T. M. Messick, Manager, Joint Generation, Atlantic Electric
W. T. Henrick, Manager, External Affairs, Public Service Electric & Gas
. R. McLear , Powcr Plant Siting, Nuclear Evaluations
,
. J. Vannoy, Acting Secretary of Harford County Council
R. Ochs, Maryland Safe Energy Coalition
J. H. Walter, Chief Engineer, Public Service Commission of Maryland
- Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Hiebert, Peach Bottom Alliance
Mr. & Mrs. Kip Adams
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
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State of Maryland
TMl- Alert (TMIA)
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.
.
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D. M. Smith -
4
Distribution w/encis:
Region 1 Docket Room (with concurrences)
H. Miller, RA/W. Axelson, DRA
C. Anderson, DRP
D. Florek, DRP
R.Junod,DRP
Nuclear Safety information Center (NSIC)
NRC Resident inspector
PUBLIC -
Distribution w/encis: (Via E-Mail)
B. McCabe, OEDO
R. Capra, PDl-2, NRR
Inspection Program Branch, NRR (IPAS)
M. Thadani, NRR
B. Buckley, NRR
R. Correia, NRR
F. Talbot, NRR
.DOCDESK
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DOCUMENT NAME: G:\\ BRANCH 4\\PB9801. INS
To recolve a copy of this document, indicate in the box: "C" = Copy without
attachment / enclosure
"E" = Copy with attachment / enclosure
"N" = No copy
OFFICE
Rl/DRP
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Rl/DRP
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NAME
AMcMurtray ((" /, / CAnderson cjo
DATE
04/3c/98
Q41.JHr
OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
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