ML20140J267

Forwards Press Release 85-28 Re NRC Proposed Civil Penalty in Amount of $50,000 Against Util for Alleged Noncompliance W/Requirements Concerning Upper Head Injection Accumulator Sys

ML20140J267
Person / Time
Site:	Mcguire, McGuire, 05000000
Issue date:	02/21/1985
From:	Kammerer C NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA)
To:	East, Helms, Mcmillan, Ottinger R, Simpson, Udall HOUSE OF REP., HOUSE OF REP., ENERGY & COMMERCE, SENATE
Shared Package
ML20140C961	List: IA-84-478, Forwards Press Release 84-69 Re NRC Reduction of Fine for 1983 Violation.Pressure Sensing Device Capped.Fine Reduced Due to Short Duration of Violation,Small Size of Reactor & Comparable Enforcement Actions IA-85-478, Forwards Press Release 85-3 Re NRC Ad Hoc Advisory Committee for Review of Enforcement Policy Request for Public Comments on Enforcement Policy IR 05000366/1983023 IR 05000409/2005031 ML20140C954 ML20140C962 ML20140H544 ML20140H550 ML20140H555 ML20140H562 ML20140H574 ML20140H591 ML20140H596 ML20140H616 ML20140H623 ML20140H639 ML20140H646 ML20140H658 ML20140H670 ML20140H705 ML20140H721 ML20140H745 ML20140H751 ML20140H763 ML20140H779 ML20140H784 ML20140H789 ML20140H812 ML20140H816 ML20140H822 ML20140H834 ML20140H839 ML20140H843 ML20140H855 ML20140H860 ML20140H867 ML20140H873 ML20140H880 ML20140H886 ML20140H890 ML20140H894 ML20140H900 ML20140H915 ML20140H919 ML20140H926 ML20140H931 ML20140H940 ML20140H945 ML20140H956 ML20140H962 ... further results
References
FOIA-85-478 850221, NUDOCS 8510230323
Download: ML20140J267 (2)

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b. !a p.- L i Chairman Subcommittee on Energy Conservation and Power Committee on Energy and Comerce United States House of Repr u ntatives Washington,.DC 20515

Dear Mr. Chairman:

Enclosed for your information is an announcement that the Nuclear Regulatory Comission staff has proposed a $50,000 civil penalty against Duke Power Company for alleged noncompliance with NRC _

requirements at the McGuire nuclear power plant.

It is planned to mail this information to the news media today, February 21, 1985.

Sincerely, Carlton Kamerer, Director Office of Congressional Affairs

Enclosure:

As stated cc: Rep. Carlos Moorhead IDENTICAL LETTEK SENT TO:

Sen. Simpson/cc: Sen. Hart Rep. Udall/cc: Rep. Lujan Sen. East Sen. Helms Rep. McMillan 8510230323 851004 PDR FOIA PDR JACOBS85-478

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s No. 85-28 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tel. 301/492-7715 (Thursday, February 21,1985)

NRC STAFF PROPOSES $50,000 CIVIL PENALTY AGAINST DUKE POWER The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed a $50,000 civil penalty cgainst Duke Power Company for alleged noncompliance with NRC requirements at the McGuire nuclear power plant near Charlotte, North Carolir,a.

In a letter to the company, J. Nelson Grace, Administrator of the NRC's -

Region II office in Atlanta, said the civil penalty was being proposed because of noncompliance associated with operation of the upper head injection (UHI) .

accumulator system at McGuire Units 1 and 2. The UHI system is part of the emergency core cooling system (ECCS).

In April of 1984, the utility modified the Unit 1 accumulator system to replace four level transmitters. They were installed incorrectly and, upon UHI initiation, the isolation valves would not have closed as designed when water ran low in the accumulator tanks. This could result in the injection of nitrogen gas, used to drive the water from the accu...ulatar tanks, into the core. Such an event could potentially preclude the ECCS from fulfilling its intended function of limiting fuel cladding temperature 60 within specified limits. The NRC said the licensee's test program failed to assure that the UHI accumulator system was tested in a manner that would confirm that the system would perform satisfactorily in service.

In a separate event, the company earlier reported to the NRC that an engineering error resulted in setpoints for closure of UHI accumulator tank isolation valves being set so that they would close too soon. The NRC said this would have resulted in reduced water injection into the reactor vessel had the system been called upon. This condition existed from March of 1983 at Unit 1 and April of 1983 at Unit 2 until November 1, 1984.

The company has 30 days in which to either pay the civil penalty or to protest its imposition, in whole or in part.