ML20235P401

Responds to Addressing Concerns W/Nrc Response to Recent Events at Plant.Plant Shut Down Due to Problem of Sleeping Operators.Industry Alerted by Incident & Measures to Assure Alertness of Operators Taken

ML20235P401
Person / Time
Site:	Peach Bottom
Issue date:	07/13/1987
From:	Stello V NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Bacas C PENNSYLVANIA, COMMONWEALTH OF
Shared Package
ML20235P406	List: ML20235P401 ML20235P469
References
NUDOCS 8707200475
Download: ML20235P401 (5)

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l 75te11o BBoger l JTaylor WButler jgt 13 937 TRehm RMartin TMurley ED0 3919  ;

WRussell SECY 87-646  !

Mr. Charles Bacas JAllan Docket Nos y j Secretary for Policy and Planning SCollins 50-2]R278; j Commonwealth of Pennsylvania RGallo PDR l

Office of the Governor JLinville LPDR 4 Harrisburg, PA 17101 TJohnson ED0 r/f l SVarga Commonwealth of l

Dear Mr. Bacas:

Pennsylvania This is in response to your letter of June 2,1987, in which you address several concerns with the NRC's response to recent events at the Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Plant. As you are aware, that plant has been shut down by NRC because of the problem of sleeping operators, and because of a history of other occurrences which led NRC to question the management of the facility.

You are correct in stating that the NRC SALP process did not identify the sleeping problem. The SALP, Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performar,ce, j collects and integrates available information on a periodic basis to provide a rationale for allocating NRC resources and to provide meaningful guidance to licensee management to improve performance. The NRC inspection process, which provides input to SALP, involves direct observation of power reactor operating activities and would possibly identify problems such as inattentiveness in the  ;

control room. At Peach Bottom it was not NRC inspectors who observed the sleeping operators. The entry of NRC inspectors on site was apparently being signaled by plant personnel to members of the operating staff. During absences of NRC inspectors, some operators were apparently taking advantage of the situation to sleep.

The breach in operator alertness at Peach Bottom was unquestionably a serious f safety violation and would be so considered at any operating plant. Our  ;

inspectors have always inspected "back shifts" and will continue to do so. -

The industry has also been alerted by the Peach Bottom incident and has taken its own measures to assure the alertness of operators.

Sincerely, uricim icicn u bg y1ct or ;t,qy Victor Stello, JF l Executive Director for Operations See attached for Distribution

• See previous concurrence Chairman's office (Callahan) approved signature by the EDO.

OFC :RI  : P.1 :RI ~: EDO  :  :  :

NAME :Linville* :Allan*  : Russell *  :  :  :

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DATE :6/ /87 :6/ /87 ,

6/25/87 :7/n /87  :  :  :

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Mr. Charles Bacas /

Secretary for Policy and Planning Commonwealth of Pennsylvania /

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Office of the Governor l

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17101 l

Dear Mr. Bacas:

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l This letter is in response to your ing'uiry of June 2,1987 which attributes certain comments to NRC personnel about Peach Bottom problems discussed at the May 6,1987 meeting in Harrisburg./There are several points in your letter which I would like to clarify and/ amplify, and I would like to assure you that the NRC has been in the past and' continues to be concerned about the quality of operations at Peach Bottom.j/After reviewing the issues contained in your letter, my staff believes that the remarks attributed to them in your letter were taken cut of context by/your staff who attended the meeting. I am providing further information to clarify any misinterpretation which may have resulted from the meeting.'

First, it is the inspection process which involves direct observation of power  !

reactor operating activities and would possibly identify problems such as j inattentiveness in the control room, not the SALP process. As an example, j in 1985, an NRC inspector did identify an incident in which a Peach Bottom i operator was inattentive to his duties, and an Enforcement Conference was held I on the matter. This finding and other inspection findings relative to the poor quality of operating activities at Peach Bottom led to poor SALP ratings for Peach Bottom in 1986. In response to NRC concerns, the Peach Bottom Enhancement Program was developed which resulted in the presence of the individuals at the site who did identify the chronic sleeping problems at Peach Bottom and subsequently notified the NRC.

1 In regard to your broader concern, the inspection program has always provided for substantial backshift inspection coverage, although in the past it permitted inspectors to perform these inspections immediately preceeding or following their normal working hours. As a result of the Peach Bottom problems, Region I is now requiring more specifically timed backshift and weekend coverage by our resident inspectors. In addition, at selected plants where we have chosen to review in depth the quality of operations, we are periodically performing team inspections during which we provide 24 hour2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> coverage to monitor operating activities for about a week. As a result of NRC concerns, there wcs such an inspection at Peach Bottom in 1986 after the SALP which recognized the need for additional improvement of operating activities.

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i U t We acknowledge that, due to the necessary routine of' shift operations, nuclear power plant employees may find it difficult to stay awake, however, the NRC does not condone individual performance which compromises,the potential health and safety of the public. This commitment is filustrated by the strong enforcement action that we have taken at Peach Bottom.in the form of the Shutdown Order which sends a serious message to the, industry that inattentive operators cannot and will not be tolerated.- ,/

We trust that this clarification has been respon'sive to your concerns. We \

believe these NRC inspections and enforcement / actions are appropriate to  !

fulfill our responsibility to protect the health and safety of the public. 1 l

,5incerely,

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/

/ Lando W. Zech, Jr.

/ Chairman

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1 DISTRIBUTION {

V. Stello j J. Taylor T. Rehm T. Murley J. Murray W. Russell J. Allan W. Kane S. Collins R. Gallo J. Linville T. Johnson S. Varga B. Boger W. Butler R. Martin EDO 002919 Secy No.87-64E Docket Nos. 50-277/278 Public Document Room -

Local Public Document Room ,

EDO Reading File ~,-

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania f

RI:DRP RI:DRP RI:DRP - RI:DRP RI:DRA RI:RA EDO Linville/rbl Gallo Collins Kane Allan Russell Stello 6/ /87 6/ /87 '6/ /87 6/ /87 6/ /87 6/ /87 6/ /87 i

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EDO PRINCIPAL CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL FROM: DUE: 06/17/87 EDO CONTROL: 002919 DOC DT: 06/02/87 CHARLES BACAS FINAL REPLY:

[ OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR I

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA TO:

CHAIRMAN ZECil l

! FOR SIGNATURE OF: ** PRIORITY ** SECY NO: 87-646 CHAIRMAN DESC:

ROUTING:

CONCERNING PEACH BOTTOM STELLO TAYLOR DATE: 06/08/87 REHM l ASSIGNED TO: RI CONTACT: RUSSELL MURLEY

~ . . _ MURRAY SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS: ,

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-OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET PAPER NUMBER: CRC-87-0646 LOGGING DATE:.Jun. 5 87 ACTION' OFFICE: EDO ALTHOR: C. Bacas AFFILIATION:- COMMONWEALTH OF PA

' LETTER DATE: Jun 2 87 FILE CODE: ID&R-5 Peach Bottcm

SUBJECT:

' NRC's action on the shutdown of the Peach.Botton facility ACTION: Signature of Chairman

' DISTRIBUTION: ' Docket, RF SPECIAL HANDLING: None l

NOTES: I Y

DATE DUE: Jun 8 87 SIGNATURE: . DATE SIGNED:

AFFILIATION:

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