ML22102A327

EA-21-170 Hold Letter-Columbia Letter

ML22102A327
Person / Time
Site:	Columbia
Issue date:	04/14/2022
From:	Mary Muessle NRC/RGN-IV/DRSS/DIOR
To:	David Brown Energy Northwest
Warnick G
References
EA-21-170, IR 2021090
Download: ML22102A327 (3)

Text

April 14, 2022

EA-21-170

Mr. Dave Brown, Site Vice President Energy Northwest MD 1023 P.O. Box 968 Richland, WA 99352

SUBJECT:

STATUS UPDATE - COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION, NRC INSPECTION REPORT 05000397/2021090

Dear Mr. Brown:

On January 13, 2022, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Inspection Report 05000397/2021090 documenting our review of the details of the May 28, 2021, airborne radioactivity event that resulted in multiple confirmed uptakes of radioactive materials to workers, Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML21347A988. The inspection report documented a preliminary White finding and three associated apparent violations involving your staffs failure to: (1) use, to the extent practicable, process or other engineering controls to control the concentration of radioactive material in air; (2) control, by means of a Radiation Work Permit, the activities in a high radiation area with dose rates greater than 1.0 rem/hour at 30 centimeters from the radiation source; and (3) make surveys of areas that were reasonable under the circumstances to evaluate the magnitude and extent of radiation levels and concentrations or quantities of residual radioactivity.

In our January 13, 2022, letter we provided you the opportunity to provide your perspectives on our preliminary conclusions documented in the inspection report by either (1) attending a regulatory conference or (2) submitting your position in writing. At your request, a regulatory conference was held on March 1, 2022, at the NRCs Region IV office in Arlington, Texas. A summary of that meeting is available at ADAMS Accession No. ML22067A183.

At the regulatory conference, we committed to providing a final decision on the apparent violations within 45 days; however, we have received new information that requires additional review. A complete understanding of this new information is necessary to support the NRCs decision-making on the underlying significance of the apparent violations and our regulatory actions. Accordingly, the NRCs final decision of enforcement action EA-21-170 is on hold, pending review of this new information. The final resolution of this matter will be conveyed in separate correspondence but be advised that the number and characterization of the apparent violations may change as a result of further NRC review.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRCs Agency Rules of Practice and Procedure, a copy of this letter will be made available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public D. Brown 2 Document Room and from ADAMS, accessible from the NRC website at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.

If you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact Mr. Greg Warnick of my staff at 817-200-1249.

Sincerely, Mary C. Muessle, Director Division of Radiological Safety and Security Docket No. 05000397 License No. NPF-21 Signed by Muessle, Mary on 04/14/22

ML22102A327 SUNSI Review ADAMS: Sensitive Non-Publicly Available Keyword By: JRG Yes No Non-Sensitive Publicly Available NRC-002 OFFICE ORA/ACES ORA/RC DRSS/DIORB DRSS NAME JGroom DCylkowski GWarnick MMuessle SIGNATURE /RA/ /RA/ /RA/ /RA/

DATE 4/12/22 04/13/22 04/13/22 04/14/22