ML20245G240

Forwards SALP Rept 50-346/89-01 for Jan 1988 - Feb 1989. Radiological Controls Decreased from Category 1 to Category 2 Due to Weaknesses as Exemplified by Failure to Fully Implement post-accident Sampling Sys

ML20245G240
Person / Time
Site:	Davis Besse
Issue date:	04/25/1989
From:	Davis A NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:	Shelton D TOLEDO EDISON CO.
Shared Package
ML20245G242	List: IR 05000346/1989001 ML20245G240
References
NUDOCS 8905030100
Download: ML20245G240 (3)

See also: IR 05000346/1989001

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42 8tthf UNITED STATES '

1 [! \% NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMIS$lON

REGIONlil

l In :f 799 ROOSEVELT ROAD

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CLEN ELLYN. BLLINOIS 60137

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APR 2 51999

Docket No. 50-346

Toledo Edison Company

ATTN: Mr. Donald Shelton

Vice President

Nuclear

Edison Plaza

300 Madison Avenue

Toledo, OH 43652

Gentlemen:

Enclosed for your review, prior to our scheduled meeting of May 30. 1989, is-

the SALP 7 Board Report for the Davis-Besse Nuclear Plant,. covering the_ period

January 1,1988, through February 28, 1989.

In accordance with NRC policy, I have reviewed the SALP Board Assessment and

concur with its ratings. Your overall performance remained essentially the

same this period as in the previous period although there were two changes,

Radiological Controls decreased from a Category 1- to a Category 2. This decline

was due to several weaknesses as exemplified by failure to fully implement-a

post-accident sampling system, higher than' normal yearly doses, and frequent

inoperability of effluent monitors. On the other hand, Emergency Preparedness

improved from a Category 2 to'a Category 1 because of sustained management-

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support for staffing and training of the emergency organization, good management

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attention to offsite emergency preparedness issues such as those raised by the

Governor's Citizen's Advisory Council, and implementation of an offsite nuclear

data link to state officials. Security remained a Category I and all other

areas were rated Category 2.

Plant operations remained a Category 2; however, the rating was a close call

between Category 2 and Category 3. There was concern with the performance

of the operations staff late in the assessment period which led to several.

potential condition adverse to quality (PCAQ) reports, a management corrective

i action report (MCAR), two inadequate responses to the MCAR, and the rod pull

l event of December 18, 1988, in which there was a significant breakdown in the

control of licensed activities in the control room. This latter incident was -

of special concern because it resulted in an uncontrolled addition of reactivity,-

a subject which had been highlighted by INPO in-a letter to you in July 1988'.

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There also appears to be at times inadequate communications between and within

I ' departments.. A specific example was the rejection by the Quality Assurance

i Department of the second response by the Operations Department to the MCAR.

With proper communications the two groups would have resolved their differences

after the first response was rejected. Another example is the' result of your

" professionalism" audit conducted by personnel from the Perry Nuclear Plant.

One of the weaknesses' identified was that most Davis-Besse personnel believe

that improvements are needed in such areas as team work, coordination,

communications, and feedback. Still another example was the lack of

communications in the control room which led to the rod pull event. N#

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Toledo Edison Company 2 APR 2 51989

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Another concern of the NRC is the apparent slowness of management to intervene )

and to resolve internal disputes and problems in a timely manner and before

they adversely affect personnel and performance. Several examples of this i

! are: the premature transfer of responsibility for protective relays from i

l corporate Control Systems to the site; interdivisional communications

problems; quality control personnel morale problems; procedure issues; and the

inadequate response by the Operations Department to the MCAR. The quality j

control and procedures issues are especially significant because there was  !

ample evidence for some period of time that these were problems but little

effort was made to resolve them until Region III became involved.

On the other hand, you are to be commonded for the excellent manner in which

you made the 186 modifications during the extended outage. This was a major

undertaking which resulted in many significant plant improvements. Of special

note was the modification to the integrated control system which was tested

successfully on March 10, 1989, by tripping one of the main feedwater pumps.

With all of those changes, and those scheduled for the next refueling outage,

the Davis-Besse plant will have come a long way toward correcting the problems

which existed in June 1985. Your staff is also to be commended; the

" professionalism" audit concluded that all personnel at Davis-Besse recognize

and support management's strong commitment to safety and compliance.

While you will have sufficient opportunity to present your comments at the

meeting on May 30, 1989, we also solicit written comments within 30 days

after the meeting. Your comments, a summary of our meeting, and my disposition

of your comments will be issued as an appendix to the enclosed SALP Board Report.

In accordance with Soction 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice", Part 2,

Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, a copy of this letter and the SALP

Board Report will be placed in the NRC's Public Document Room.

Should you have any questions concerning the SALP Report, we would be pleased

to discuss them with you.

Sincerely,

p 7]&.O a

A. Bert Davis

Regional Administrator -

Enclosure: SALP 7 Board Report

No. 50-346/89001

See Atta:hed Distribution

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. Toledo Edison Company 3 APR 2 51999

Distribution

cc w/ enclosure:

L.. Storz, Plant Manager

easDCD/DCBa(RIDS)c.

Licensing fee Management Branch

Resident Inspector, RIII

Harold W. Kohn, Ohio EPA '

James W. Harris, State of Ohio

Roger Suppes, Ohio

Department of Health

State of Ohio, Public

Utilities Commission

J. M. Taylor, DEDR

T. E. Murley, Director, NRR

Regional Administrators

RI, RII, RIV, RV

L. W. Zech, Chairman

T. M. Roberts, Commissioner

K. M. Carr, Commissioner

K. C. Rogers, Commissioner

J. R, Curtiss, Commissioner

T. V. Wambach , NRR Project Manager

J. N. Hannon, NRR Director, Project Directorate III-3

J. Lieberman, Director, Office of i

Enforcement

{

R. Nease, SALP Coordinator, NRR

J. F. Wechselberger, NRR,

RIII PRR

RIII SGA

State Liaison Officer, State

of Ohio 3

INPD

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DRP, DRS and DRSS Branch Chiefs

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and Section Chiefs

L. A. Reyes, RII )

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