ML20247E750
| ML20247E750 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | River Bend  |
| Issue date: | 07/21/1989 |
| From: | Martin R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | Deddens J GULF STATES UTILITIES CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20247E757 | List: |
| References | |
| EA-89-122, NUDOCS 8907260303 | |
| Download: ML20247E750 (4) | |
See also: IR 05000458/1989018
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UNITEo STATES
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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REGloN IV
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611 RYAN PLAZA ORIVE. SU'TE 1000
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ARLINGTON, TEXAS 76011
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JUL 211989
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Docket No. 50-458
License No. NPF-47
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EA 89-122
Gulf States Utilities
ATTN: Mr. James C. Deddens
SeniorVicePresident(RBNG)
Post Office Box 220
St. Francisville, Louisiana 70775
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Gentlemen:
SUBJECT: NOTICE OF VIOLATION (NRC INSPECTION REPORT N0. 50-458/89-18)
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This is in reference to the NRC inspection conducted during the period May 1-5
and May 15-19, 1989, at the River Bend Station (RBS), located in St. Francisville,
and to NRC's~ discussion of the inspection findings with Gulf States
Louisiana,(GSU) officials at an enforcement conference in Arlington, Texas, on
Utilities
June 9, 1989.
As you know, NRC's concerns stenning from this inspection focused on the
failure to establish a test program which would have assured the operability of
the safety-related ventilation systems associated with the fuel building and
the main control room. The results of the inspection were documented in NRC
' Inspection Repcrt No. 89-18, dated June 6,1989.
During the June 9 enforcement conference, two apparent violations resulting
from this inspection were discussed. The violation in the enclosed Notice of
Violation (Notice) involves an apparent failure to assure, through the
establishment of a test program, the operability of two independent fuel
building ventilation subsystems and two subsystems associated with the main
stem in accordance with the requirements of
control room air conditioning sy(T.S.) 3.6.5.6 and 3.7.2.
plant Technical Specifications
As a result of River
Bend Station's self-initiated Safety System Functional Inspection (SSFI) of the
Instrument Air System (IAS) and SSFI followup actions, GSU discovered design
and installation flaws that would have prevented these required subsystems
from performing their intended function under certain conditions.
NRC has concluded that GSU's failure to have developed an adequate test program
resulted in a significant violation of RBS's T.S. in that GSU failed to assure
operability of fuel building ventilation and main control room air conditioning
subsystems. These subsystems are important for ensuring the maintenance of a
negative pressure within the fuel building and limiting any release of radio-
activity within 10 CFR Part 100 limits following a design basis or fuel handling
accident, and ensuring that the control room will remain habitable for operations
personnel during and following all design basis accidents.
8907260303 890721
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ADOCK 05000458
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DOL 211989
Gulf States Utilities
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Had GSU established an adequate testing and surveillance program to evaluate
IAS design and operation, it would have been determined that the subsystem
associated with the fuel building ventilation was inoperable from initial fuel
load in August 1985 and that the subsystem associated with the main control
room air conditioning was inoperable for an indeterminate time.
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Generic Letter 88-14, " Instrument Air Supply System Problems Affecting Safety-
Related Equipment," alerted licensees to potential IAS problems and required a
response verifying that IAS quality, functional characteristics, and design were
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as intended. A response was required by February 8, 1989, or if operations were
affected, the next refueling or scheduled outage in order to avoid adverse
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system interactions. GSU determined through a self-initiated SSFI conducted
during the period November 17 to December 21, 1988, and through SSFI followup
actions that solenoid operated valves, check valves, and accumulator tanks would
not function as designed for the subsystems associated with the main control
room air conditioning and fuel building ventilation systems. These conditions
were corrected promptly upon discovery.
The NRC has classified the violation in the enclosed Notice at Severity Level
III in accordance with Supplement I of the " General Statement of Policy and
Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions," 10 CFR Part 2, Appendix C (Enforcement
Policy), as published in the Federal Register on October 13, 1988. While the
NRC could consider imposing a monetary civil penalty for a Severity Level III
violation, I have determined in this case after consultation with the Director,
Office of Enforcement, and the Deputy Executive Director for Nuclear Materials
Safety, Safeguards and Operations Support, that no penalty will be assessed.
I base this decision on discretionary provisions in Section V.G. of the
Enforcement Policy. The NRC encourages and supports licensee efforts for
self-initiated identification and correction of problems and intends on applying
enforcement discretion in cases such as this one in which the problems were
identified by a GSU self-initiated SSFI and were promptly corrected. However,
the NRC is concerned that upon discovery GSU did not consider the deportability
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of the problems. Prompt evaluation fnr deportability and timely reporting are
significant issues. Had the problems discovered not been of a highly technical
nature, requiring extensive evaluation and review before determining a possible
operability problem existed, your failure to promptly repot c them could have
resulted in additional enforcement action being taken.
You are required to respond to this letter and should follow the instructions
specified in the enclosed Notice when preparing your response.
In your
response, you should document the specific actions taken and any additional
actions you plan to prevent recurrence. After reviewing your response to this
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Notice, including your proposed corrective actions, and the results of future
inspections, the NRC will determine whether further NRC enforcement action is
necessary to ensure compliance with NRC regulatory requirements.
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Gulf States Utilities
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JUL 211989
In accordance with Section 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," Part 2,
Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, a copy of this letter and its enclosure
will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.
The response directed by this letter and the enclosed Hotice are not subject to
the clearance procedures of the Office of Management and Budget as required by
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, Pub. L. No.96-511.
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Sincerel.y,
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Robert D. Martin
Regional Administrator
Enclosure: Notice of Violation
cc:
Louisiana Radiation Control Program Director
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NRC Public Document Room
Local Public Document Room
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JUL 211989 -
Gulf State Utilities
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DISTRIBUTION:
SECY-
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'JMTaylor, DEDR
HThompson, DEDS
TMurley, NRR.
J..Partlow, NRR
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JLieberman, OE
- JGoldberg, 0GC
Enforcement Coordinators
RI, RII, RIII, RIV, RV
F. Ingram, GPA/PA
EJordan, AEOD
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MHalsch, 0lG
BHayes, 01
OE:ES
.0E:EA File
OE:Chron
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RIV DISTRIBUTION:
RMartin
JMontgomery
LJCallan
-JLMilhoan
JPJaudon
.IBarnes
RStewart
LE11ershaw
W. B. Jones, RI, RBS.
JG11111and(1trhd)
CHackney
WBrown
RWise
E0 Files
RIV Files
DRS Division Files
DRP Division Files
RSTS Operator
MIS Coordinator
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RIV
D:0E
DEDS
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JLaphman
RDMJrtin
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HThompson
7/iq/89
7/h/89
7/9()/89
7SO/89
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