ML20249B026
| ML20249B026 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Millstone  |
| Issue date: | 06/16/1998 |
| From: | Callan L NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Kenyon B NORTHEAST NUCLEAR ENERGY CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9806190297 | |
| Download: ML20249B026 (6) | |
Text
Qt
- L, b
t UNITED STATES s-j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION j
2 WASHINGTON, D.C. 2066& 4001
- +
June 16, 1998 Mr. Bruce Kenyon President and Chief Executive Officer Northeast Nuclear Energy Company P.O. Box 128 Waterford, CT 06385
Dear Mr. Kenyon:
The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the Commission has provided its restart authorization for Millstone Unit 3 and to describe the ramifications of this decision. As you know, Millstone Nuclear Power Station was designated as a Category 3 facility following the June 1996 Senior Management Meeting (SMM). Plants in this category are having or have had significant weaknesses that warrant maintaining the plant in a shutdown condition until the licensee can demonstrate to the NRC that adequate programs have been established and implemented to ensure substantialimprovement. Commission approvalis required for restart of a plant in a Category 3 status.
The staff provided the Commission with its assessment of issues related to the NRC's Restart Assessment Plan for Millstone Unit 3 in SECY 98-090, " Selected issues Related to Recovery of Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit 3," dated April 24,1998, and in SECY 98-119,
" Remaining Issues Related to Recovery of Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit 3," dated May 28,1998. In SECY 98-119, the staff concluded that Northeast Nuclear Energy Company (NNECO) had taken appropriate corrective actions to support restart of Millstone Unit 3. On May 1 and June 2,1998, the NRC Commissioners conducted public meetings on the status of j
the recovery of Millstone Unit 3 and its restart readiness.
j
)
A summary of the NRC's assessment and recommendations from the aforementioned SECY papers and Commission meetings follows:
NNECO completed the recovery of Unit 3, which entailed efforts to reestablish its licensing and design bases and implement effective programs to maintain the licensing and design bases. The recently completed operational safety team inspection indicates that the licensee has demonstrated its readiness to conduct power operations. The licensee has established an effective employee concerns program and a. safety conscious work environment. Quality assurance and oversight have been substantially improved to the point that they are adequate to support restart of Unit 3. An adequate corrective action program has been established, characterized by a low threshold for identification of issues, effective root cause analyses, and effective implementation of corrective actions. However, in light of the licensee's historical problems in maintaining an effective corrective action program and the need to judge the effectiveness of such a program by evaluating long-term performance after the plant has been in a more normal mode of operation, the staff will assess the effectiveness of the correc%ve action 1
3 program in approximately 12 months. In addition, the NRC staff will conduct a g'
Y
,..s
=
E N
P PDR
c.
~
1 2
l comprehensive assessment of the restart and power ascension process, including hold points at which it will assess the licensee's current performance and its readiness to increase power to the next plateau.-
Following the June 2,1998, Commission meeting, the Commission provided its restart j
authorization for Millstone Unit 3 in its staff requirements memorandum (SRM) of June 15, 1998. This decision resulted in changing the watch list status of Unit 3 from Category 3 to Category 2. Plants in this category have or have had weaknesses that warrant increased NRC attention from both headquarters and the associated regional office. Millstone Unit 3 will remain in this category until Unit 3 demonstrates a period of improved performance. The June 15 SRM also designated the NRC's Executive Director for Operations (EDO) as the senior manager responsible for (1) verifying that the appropriate aspects of NRC Inspection Manual Chapter -
0350 (MC 0350), " Staff Guidelines for Restart Authorization," are completed and (2) approving commencement of actions to restart Unit 3.
The NRC Special Projects Office (SPO) will continue to apply MC 0350 to assure all restart related activities are completed. Once those activities have been completed, SPO will provide me with its recommendation and the appropriate information to support a restart decision. I will notify you in writing when I have reached my conclusion regarding commencement of restart activities at Unit 3.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, do not hesitate to call me.
Sincere,
ph Callan
' e Director Exe
/
for Operations cc: See next page Docket No. 50-423
~
.n--
. Millstone Nuclear Power Station Unit 3
- CC:
Lillian M. Cuoco, Esquire Joseph R. Egan, Esquire Sinior Nuclear Counsel Egan & Associates, P.C.
Nrrtheast Utilities Service Company -
2300 N Street, NW
- P. O. Box 270 Washington, DC 20037 H:rtford, CT 06141-0270 Mr. F. C. Rothen Cr. Kevin T. A. McCarthy, Director Vice President -Work Services Monitoring and Radiatio'n Division Northeast Utilities Service Company Department of Environmental Protection P. O. Box 128 79 Elm Street Waterford, CT 06385 H rtford, CT 06106-5127 Ernest C. Hadley, Esquire Regional Administrator, Region i 1040 B Main Street U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 549 475 Allendale Road West Wareham, MA 02576 King of Prussia, PA 19406 Mr. John Buckingham First Selectmen Department of Public Utility Control Town of Waterford Electric Unit H ll of Records 10 Liberty Square 200 Boston Post Road New Britain, CT 06051 Waterford, CT 06385 Mr. James S. Robinson, Manager Mr. Wayne D. Lanning Nuclearinvestments and Administration Deputy Director of Inspections New England Power Company Special Projects Office 25 Research Drive 475 Allendale Road Westborough, MA 01582 King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415 Mr. John Streeter Mr. M. H. Brothers Recovery Officer - Nuclear Oversight Vice President - Millstone Unit 3 Northeast Utilities Service Company Ncrtheast Nuclear Energy Company P. O. Box 128 P.O. Box 128 Waterford, CT 06385 Waterford, CT 06385 Deborah Katz, President Mr. M. R. Scully, Executive Director Citizens Awareness Network Connecticut Municipal Electric P.O. Box 83 Energy Cooperative Shelburne Falls, MA 03170 30 Stott Avenue N:rwich, CT 06360 Mr. Allan Johanson, Assistant Director Office of Policy and Management Cr. David Amerine Policy Development and Planning
_.Vice President - Human Services Division N:rtheast Utilities Service Company 450 Capitol Avenue - MS# 52ERN P. O. Box 128 P. O, Box 341441 Waterford, CT 06385 Hartford, CT 06134-1441 le 1
Millstone Nuclear Power Station Unit 3 cc:
The Honorable Terry Concannon Mr. William D. Meinert Nuclear Energy Advisory Council Nuclear Engineer Room 4035 Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Legislative Office Building Electric Company C:pitol Avenue P.O. Box 426 Hartford, CT 06106 Ludlow, MA 01056 Mr. Evan W. Woollacott Attorney Nicholas J. Scobbo, Jr.
l Cs-Chair Ferriter, Scobbo, Caruso, Rodophele, PC Nuclear Energy Advisory Council 1 Beacon Street,11th Floor 128 Terry's Plain Road Boston, MA 02108 Simsbury, CT 06070 Citizens Regulatory Commission Mr. John W. Beck, President ATTN: Ms. Susan Perry Luxton Little Harbor Consultants, Inc.
180 Great Neck Road Millstone -ITPOP Project Office Waterford, CT 06385 P.O. Box 0630 '
Niantic, CT 06357-0630 Mr. B. D. Kenyon (Acting)
Chief Nuclear Officer - Millstone Ncrtheast Nuclear Energy Company P.O. Box 128 Waterford, CT 06385 Mr. Daniel L. Curry Project Director Ptrsons Power Group Inc.
2675 Morgantown Road R:ading, PA 19607 Mr. Don Schopfer Verification Team Manager S:rgent & Lundy 55 E. Monroe Street
. Chicago,IL 60603 Mr. G. D. Hicks Director - Unit 3 N:rtheast Nuclear Energy Company P.O. Box 128 W;terford, CT. 06385
' Senior Resident inspector Millstone Nuclear Power Station c/3 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.' O. Box 513 Niantic, CT 06357 '
compr;hensiva essessm:nt of the restrrt end pow;r tscension piucess, including hold points at which it will assess the licensee's current performance and its readiness to increase power to the next plateau.
Following the June 2,1998, Commission meeting, the Commission provided its restart authorization for Millstone Unit 3 in its staff requirements memorandum (SRM) of June 15, 1998. This decision resulted in changing the watch list status of Unit 3 from Category 3 to Category 2. Plants in this category have or have had weaknesses that warrant increased NRC attention from both headqua-ters and the associated regional office. Millstone Unit 3 will remain in this category until Unit 3 demonstrates a period of improved performance. The June 15 SRM also designated the NRC's Executive Director for Operations (EDO) as the senior manager responsible for (1) verifying that the appropriate aspects of NRC Inspection Manual Chapter 0350 (MC 0350), " Staff Guidelines for Restart Authorization," are completed and (2) approving commencement of actions to restart Unit 3.
The NRC Special Projects Office (SPO) will continue to apply MC 0350 to assure all restart related activities are completed. Once those activities have been completed, SPO will provide me with its recommendation and the appropriate information to support a restart decision. I will notify you in writing when I have reached my conclusion regarding commencement of restart activities at Unit 3.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, do not hesitate to call me.
Sirjrgely,151gDeu U W W'
,1 Lj.l%%n L. Joseph Callan Executive Director for Operations cc: See next page Docket No. 50-423 Distribution:
Docket File PUBLIC EDO R/F SPO R/F WTravers WDean SCollins LCallan DOCUMENT NAME: G: dean \\ cat 3to2.ltr *See previous concurrences l
To receive a copf of this document, Indicate in the box "C" copy w/o attach /enci"E" copy w/ attach /enci"N" no copy l
OFFICE SPO/TA*
D:SPO*
D:NRR*
ED9f NAME WDean WTravers SCollins LJ 6/h8 DATE 6/16/98 6/16198 6/16198 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY l
l
compr hensiva ess:ssm:nt of the r:st:rt cnd pow:r tscension process, including hold points at which it will assess the licen'.,ee's current performance and its readi ss to increase power to the next plateau.
1 1
Following the June 2,1998, Commission meeting, the Commission provided it estart authorization for Millstone Unit 3 in its staff requirements memorandum (SR of June 15, 1998. This decision resulted in changing the watch list status of Unit 3 fro Category 3 to Category 2. Plants in this category have or have had weaknesses that trant increased NRC attention from both headquarters and the associated regional office.
stone Unit 3 will remain in this category until Unit 3 demonstrates a period of improved perfor ance, or if there is deterioration of performance, the plant will again be placed in wate ist Category 3. The June 15 SRM also designated the NRC's Executive Director for O rations (EDO) as the senior manager responsible for (1) verifying that the appropriate aspec of NRC Inspection Manual Chapter 0350 (MC 0350), " Staff Guidelines for Restart Authori tion," are complete and (2) approving commencement of actions to restart Unit 3.
i l
l The NRC Special Projects Office (SPO) will continue to a ly MC 0350 to assure all restart related activities are completed. Once those activities ve been completed, SPO will provide me with its recommendation and the appropriate infor ation to support a restart decision. I will notify you in writing when I have reached my conclu n regarding commencement of restart activities at Unit 3.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, o not hesitate to call me.
Sincerely, L. Joseph Callan Executive Director for Operations cc: See next page Docket No. 50-423 Distribution:
Docket File PUBLIC EDO R/F SPO R/F WTravers WDean SCollins LCallan DOCUMENT NAME: G: dean \\catato2.ltr Ta receive a cop'r of this document, Indicate in the box "C" copf wlo ttach/enci"E" copy wlattach/ encl"N" no copy h:NN OFFICE SPOITA D:SPO EDO NAME WDeabD W Tra M /
Ssiins tJCaiian DATE 616/98 6///198 h98 61 198 OFFICIAL RGCORD COPY
m
]
/
UNITED STATES o
-[ ~ ' '
NUCLE AR REGULATORY COMMISSION j
c.
E-WASHINGTON, DA 20555-0001 x%,f)
WN l 51998 SECMETARY MEMORANDUM TO:
L. Joseph Callan E cutive Director for Operations
/>
FROM:
SUBJECT:
STAFF REQUIREMENTS - SECY 98-119 - REMAINING ISSUES RELATED TO RECOVERY OF MILLSTONE NUCLEAR POWER STATION, UNIT 3, AND BRIEFING ON REMAINING ISSUES RELATED TO PROPOSED RESTART OF MILLSTONE UNIT 3, 8:30 A.M. AND 1:00 P.M., FRIDAY, JUNE 2,1998, COMMISSIONERS' CONFERENCE ROOM, ONE WHITE FLINT NORTH, ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND - (OPEN TO PUBLIC ATTENDANCE)
The Commission, after considering the coruments provided by representatives of Northeast Nuclear Energy Company, Sargent and Lundy, members of the public, and the NRC staff during their presentations at the June 2 Commission briefing, and the stars assessment of the licensee'_s readiness for restart contained in SECY 98-119, concurs in the NRC stafs conclusion that the licensee has taken appropriate corrective actions to support the restart of Millstone Unit 3. The Commission therefore approves the stafs proposal to change the watch list status of Millstone Unit 3 from a Category 3 to a Category 2 plant; authorizes the restart of Unit 3, subject to satisfactory completion of all remaining issues requiring NRC verification; and designates the Executive Director for Operations as the senior manager responsible for verifying that the appropriate aspects of Inspection Manual Chapter 0350 are completed and for approving commencement of actions to restart Unit 3.
(EDO)
(SECY Suspense:
As appropriate) in taking this action, it is the Commission's intention that Millstone Unit 3 should operate in accordance with its license and the staff should conduct appropriate inspections for a category 2 plant. The Independent Corrective Action Verification Program can be terminated for Unit 3 and the third party oversight provided by Little Harbor Consultants should be eliminati d as soon as feasible in accordance with the Commission's Staff Requirements Memorandum of May 19, 1998. The Commission recognizes that although the licensee's corrective action program is
' adequate to support the restart of Unit 3, the lasting effectiveness of the corrective action program can best be assessed by evaluating long-term performance. Therefore, the Commission supports the stars plans to perform another team inspection in this area within a year of the actual restart date for Unit 3, and to ' monitor carefully Unit 3 inspection findings as well as related Unit 1 and Unit 2 inspection findings that reflect on Millstone site-wide processes
.SECY NOTE:
This SRM and the Commission Voting Record on SECY 98-119 will be made publicly available when the SRM is issued. SECY 98-119 was provided to participants in the June 2 Commission briefing on Saturday,
- May 29,1998, and was made available to the general public at the June 2 Commission meeting.
y k w hA MCM2PP'
)
2 in order to identify any ad.<erse trends that might develop. The staff is directed to submit a plan for Special Project Office demobilization to the Commission. Additionally, the staff should evaluate lessons learned from the Unit 3 ICAVP effort and apply them to the Unit 2 process.
(EDO)
(SECY Suspense - not later than 9/01/98) cc:
Chairman Jackson Commissioner Dieus Commissioner Diaz Commissioner McGaffigan OGC CFO CIO
-OCA OlG Office Directors, Regions, ACRS, ACNW, ASLBP (by E-Mail)
PDR-DCS l
l Y.
-