IR 05000354/2003006

IR 05000354-03-006, NRC Ltr Dated 04/20/2004, Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Station - Preliminary White Finding

ML041120166
Person / Time
Site:	Hope Creek
Issue date:	04/20/2004
From:	Blough A Division of Reactor Safety I
To:	Richard Anderson Public Service Enterprise Group
References
EA-04-086 IR-03-006
Download: ML041120166 (11)

Text

ril 20, 2004

SUBJECT:

HOPE CREEK NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION - PRELIMINARY WHITE FINDING (NRC Inspection Report 05000354/2003006)

Dear Mr. Anderson:

On February 11, 2004, the NRC issued Inspection Report 50-354/2003-006. This report documented a finding identified during an inspection completed on December 31, 2003. The finding, which was discussed at an exit meeting on January 21, 2004, involved service water traveling screen maintenance problems for which the safety significance had yet to be determined.

We have completed our evaluation of this finding using the At-Power Reactor Safety Significance Determination Process (SDP) as a potentially safety significant finding and have preliminarily determined it to be White, i.e., a finding with some increased importance to safety, which may require additional NRC inspection. The finding has low to moderate safety significance because the unavailability of the traveling screen due to inadequate maintenance increased the likelihood of the loss of service water initiating event and affected the ability of a service water pump train to mitigate the effects of initiating events. A copy of our risk significance determination is enclosed.

This preliminary White finding also appears to be an apparent violation of NRC requirements set forth in 10 CFR 50 Appendix B, Criterion V, Instructions, Procedures, and Drawings, because during maintenance performed in June 2003 a traveling screen part was modified without instruction or procedure guidance and the traveling screen chains were not tensioned using applicable procedure guidance. Therefore, the violation is being considered for escalated enforcement action in accordance with the General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions (Enforcement Policy), NUREG-1600. The current Enforcement Policy is included on the NRCs Website at http://www.nrc.gov/what-we-do/regulatory/enforcement.html.

We believe that we have sufficient information to make a final risk determination for the performance issue for this preliminary White finding. However, before the NRC makes a final decision on this matter, we are providing you an opportunity to either submit a written response or to request a Regulatory Conference. If you choose to request a Regulatory Conference, we encourage you to submit your evaluation and any differences with the NRC evaluation at least one week prior to the conference in an effort to make the conference more efficient and effective. At the Regulatory Conference or in your written response, your discussion of differences with the NRC risk evaluation should address all areas of uncertainty within the evaluation, including increases and reductions of the risk significance in both the internal and

Mr. Roy the external portions of the evaluation. If a Regulatory Conference is held, it will be open for public observation. The NRC will also issue a press release to announce the Regulatory Conference. If you choose a written response, such a submittal should be sent to the NRC within 30 days of the date of this letter.

Please contact Mr. Glenn Meyer at (610) 337-5211 as soon as you have decided and within a maximum of 10 business days of the date of this letter to notify the NRC of your intentions. If we have not heard from you within this time, we will issue our final significance determination and enforcement decision. You will be advised by separate correspondence of the results of our deliberations on this matter.

Since the NRC has not made a final determination in this matter, no Notice of Violation is being issued for this inspection finding at this time. In addition, please be advised that the characterization of the apparent violation may change as a result of further NRC review.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRCs "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter, its enclosure, and your response (if you choose to provide one) will be made available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the NRCs document system (ADAMS), accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To the extent possible, your response should not include any personal privacy, proprietary, or safeguards information so that it can be made available to the Public without redaction.

Sincerely,

/RA/

A. Randolph Blough, Director Division of Reactor Projects Docket No. 50-354 License No. NPF-57 Enclosure: Risk Significance Determination

Mr. Roy