ML20236J459

Order Modifying License to Prohibit Any Member of Operating Shift B Involved in 870911 Incident from Performing Licensed Duties & Directing Licensee to Provide Region I W/ Investigation Rept

ML20236J459
Person / Time
Site:	Oyster Creek
Issue date:	11/05/1987
From:	Taylor J NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	GENERAL PUBLIC UTILITIES CORP.
Shared Package
ML20236J462	List: ML20236J459
References
EA-87-185, NUDOCS 8711060125
Download: ML20236J459 (6)

Text

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4 UNITED STATES 4

NUCLEAR REGULATORY, COMMISSION

.In the Matter of

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Docket No.

50-219

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License No. OPR-16 GPU NUCLEAR CORPORATION

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EA 87-185

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(Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station)

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CONFIRMATORY ORDER (EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY) l I

GPU Nuclear Corporation, Parsippany, New Jersey 07054 (the "licentee") is the holder of License No. DPR-16 (the " license") issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC/Comission) which authorizes the licensee to operate the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in Ocean County, New Jersey, in accordance with conditions specified therein.

The license was issued on August 1, 1969.

II On September 11, 1987, at approximately 2:15 a.m., while the reactor was in cold shutdown and Operating Shift B was on duty in the control room, a viola-tion of the license technical specifications occurred at Oyster Creek involving the failure to maintain the facility in accordance with Safety Limit 2.1.E.

This Safety Limit requires at least two of five recirculation pump suction and discharge valves be in the full open position, unless the reactor vessel head 8711060125 n71105 PDR ADOCK 05000219 PDR

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Lis! removed 'and'the reactor.'is' flooded to a level above; the' main steam nozzle'.

s gVf 1 y ;9 Thef violation occurred when the reactor operator at the. controls placed the

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control switch 'for the B'. Recirculation Lcop discharge valve in the closed'

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position,:-in. preparation for. shutting"down the' B pucp as a. result of the~ need to isolate the Reactor Building Closed' Cooling Water (RBCCW)^ System due to a-RBCCW leak. At the time, the discharge valves for!the A, D, and-E recircula-j y,

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p tion loops were closed, Land closure of the'B loop discharge valve resulted in/

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the violation of the Safety t.imit.

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The operator was immediately alerted that the safety limit had been violated-when he received an alarmiin the control room.

In' response to. that alarm, the

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--operator apparently immediately opened the discharge valves for the A and 0 recirculation. loop's so as to. return the plant to a condition within the bounds of the Safety Limit.

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Subsequently, during the morning of September 11, 1987, licensee management j

2 concluded that a paper tape record for the Sequence of Alarms Recorder had I

been removed, and there might have been an attempt, by a member or members of the Shift in the control room (Operating Shift B), to conceal or destroy the record. The record provided evidence of a safety limit violation.

The licensee immediately initiated, on Septerrber 11, 1987, an internal investiga-tion and relieved the "B" shift crew of licensed duties, pending the results i

of an internal investigation which is being conducted by a consultant.

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In letters from the. President of GPU NuclearL Corporation to the NRC,- dated.

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-September 22,l1987,'and October 26, 1987, respectively,.the. licensee indicated

-t.that the NRC would be. notified, and NRC approval obtained, beforeiany members of the' "B" shift crew were returned to licensed. duties. ' Further, the.0ctober 26

letter ~ indicated that a copy of the' licensee's. investigation report would be

.provided to the NRC'upon its; completion.. The NRC' investigation of this' matter is_ continuing independent of the above. mentioned licensee actions and activities.

IV 1

In ' view of the importance of a thorough investigation of these events to identify the circumstances associated with the Safety Limit violation and sub-4 sequent destruction of the Sequence of Alarns record,.I have determined that the commitments made in the September-22 and 'ctober 26, 1987 letters are j

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required in the interest cf public; health and safety, and therefore, should-l be cunfirmed by an immediately effective Order.

VI 1

In view of the foregoing, pursuant to Sections 103, 161(1), 161(o) and 182 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, acd the Commission's regulations in

'10 CFR 2.204 and 10 CFR Part 50, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, THAT THE LICENSE IS MODIFIE'D AS FOLLOWS:

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The licensee shall prohibit any member of the operating Shift B.who was son duty on September 'll, 1987 from performing licensed duties unless'the j-.

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~ licensee notifies. and obtains the approval of the NRC Regional Administrator, Region I, prior to returning such a' person to-licensed duties; an'd B.

The.licersee shall provide the NRC Regiona1' Administrator, Region I,'a O

copy of the Investigation Report prepared by or on behalf of the licensee concerning this event'upon completion of its investigation.

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'The~ Regional Administrator, Region I may r61ax or terminate any of the above conditions for good cduse shown. -

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The licensee,:or any person who is adversely affected by this Order, may j

request a hearing within 30 days of the date of this Order. A request.for hearing should be clearly marked as a " Request for Hearing" and shall be.

submitted to' the Director, Office of Enforcement,' U.S. Nuclear Regulatory -

Commission, ATTNi Docket Control Desk, Washington, D.C.

20555 with copies to the Assistant General Counsel for Enforcement, the Regional Administrator, j

Region I, 631 Park Avenue, King of Prussia, PA 19406 and the NRC Resident Inspector, Dyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station.

A REQUEST FOR HEARING I

SHALL NOT STAY THE Il11EDIATE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS ORDER.

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h If a hearing is' requested, the Consnission will issue an Order designating the-time and place.of the hearing.

If a hearing is held, the issue to be considered f

,at such heo*ing shall.be whether this Order shall be sustained.

If a person

'other than the licensee requests 6 hearing, that. person shal1~ set forth with particularity l.the manner in which the petitioner's' interest is ' adversely affected by this Order and should address'the criteria set'forth in 10 CFR L 714(d). Upon failure of the licensee-and any other person adversely affected-

-i by thisL0rder to answer a request for a hearing within the specified time, the j

. Order shall be final.without further proceedings. AN' ANSWER TO THIS ORDER OR N

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'A. REQUEST FOR HEARING SHAl.L NOT STAY'TliE.IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVENESS OF FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ~

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s'N. Taylor, eputy Executive n:

M irector for Regional Operations Dated at Bethesda, Haryland L this 5th day' of November 1987 i

GPU Nuclear Corporation j

bec w/ encl:

Public Document Room (PDR) local Public-Document Room (LPDR)

Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)

NRC Resident Inspector Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)

Management Assistant, DRMA (w/o encl)

Section Chief, DRP P.obert J. Bores, DRSS

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Region I SLO SECY J. Taylor, DEDO J. Liebcrman, OE W. Russell, RI T. Murley, NRR F. Miraglia, NRR D. Holody, RI L. Chandler OGC T. Martin, DEDRO Enforcement Directors, RII-RIII Enforcement Officcrs, RIV-RV J. Luehman, OE F. Ingram, PA J. Bradburne, CA E. Jordan, AEOD B. Hayes, OI S. Connelly, OIA D. Nussbaumer, SLITP OE Files (3 copies = ltr hd)

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