ML20134J411

Forwards Insp Repts 50-348/96-09 & 50-364/96-09 on 960901-12 & Nov.Violations Represent Two Separate Events Involving Sys Alignment Errors by non-licensed Operators

ML20134J411
Person / Time
Site:	Farley
Issue date:	11/08/1996
From:	Skinner H NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:	Dennis Morey SOUTHERN NUCLEAR OPERATING CO.
Shared Package
ML20134J413	List: ML20134J411 ML20134J420 ML20134J439
References
EA-96-410, NUDOCS 9611150198
Download: ML20134J411 (5)

See also: IR 05000348/1996009

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November 8, 1996

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EA 96-410 <

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Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.

ATTN: Mr. D. N. Morey i

Vice President l

Farley Project i

P. O. Box 1295 l

Birmingham, AL 35201-1295 i

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SUBJECT: NRC INTEGRATED INSPECTION REPORT 50-348/96-09 AND 50-364/96-09.

AND NOTICE OF VIOLATION

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Dear Mr. Morey:

On October 12, 1996, the NRC completed an inspection at your Farley Nuclear  ;

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Plant (FNP) facility. The enclosed report presents the results of this  :

inspection, 1

During the six-week period covered by this ins)ection period, your conduct of l

activities at FNP was generally characterized )y safety-conscious operations, '

sound engineering and maintenance practices', and careful radiological work l

controls. However, a violation of NRC requirements was identified. We are '

particularly concerned about this violation because it represents two separate

events involving system alignment errors by non-licensed operators. These -

errors resulted in the inoperability of the IB emergency diesel generator, and j

caused two plant transients associated with the Unit 2 letdown system.  ;

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The violation is cited in the enclosed Notice of Violation (Notice), and the l

specific circumstances surrounding it is described in detail in the enclosed .

report. Please note that you are required to respond to this letter and.

should follow the instructions specified in the enclosed Notice when preparing  ;

your response. The NRC will use your response, in part, to determine whether  !

l further enforcement action is necessary to ensure compliance with regulatory 1

requirements. l

In your October 25. 1996 reply to the Notice of Violation ter NRC Inspection

Report numbers 50-348/96-10 and 50-364/96-10, you committed to provide to NRC '

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a supplemental response by December 24. 1996, to address the additional long

term corrective actions regarding the 3rogrammatic as

i discrepancies discussed in Inspection Report numbers gects of and

0-348/96-07 the50

pipe support

i 364/%-07. You are requested to address in the supplemental response the j

additional examples of support discrepancies discussed in Paragraph E1.2 of

the attached inspection report. We are also concerned with the adequacy of

i your structural welding inspection program, specifically the fact that the

number of weld discrepancies identified during recent NRC inspections.

indicates that there may be other similar deficiencies-in your welding

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program.

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9611150198 961508  ! l

PDR ADOCK 05000348 )

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In addition, two apparent violations were identified and are being considered

for escalated enforcement action in accordance with the " General Statement of .

Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions" (Enforcement Policy),  ;

NUREG-1600. These apparent violations'cor.cern: 1) Failure to install Kaowool )

fire barriers as required by your Fire Protection Program, and 2) Programmatic

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breakdown of the Kaowool independent inspection program. Accordingly, no 3

Notice of Violation is presently being issued for these inspection findings.  ;

In addition please be advised that tha rumber and characterization of l

apparent violations described in the enclosed inspection report may change as  !

a result of further NRC review.

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A predecisional enforcement conference to discuss these apparent violations

has been scheduled for November 18, 1996. The decision to hold a

predecisional enforcement conference does not mean that the NRC has determined

that a violation has occurred or that enforcement action will be taken. This

conference is being held to obtain information to enable the NRC to make an

enforcement decision. such as a comman understanding of the facts, root

causes, missed opportunities to identify the apparent violations sooner,

corrective actions, significance of the issues and the need for lasting and

effective corrective action. In addition, this is an opportunity for you to

point out any errors in our inspection report and for you to provide any

information concerning your perspectives on 1) the severity of the violations.

2) the application of the factors that the NRC considers when it determines

the amount of a civil penalty that may be assessed in accordance with Section

VI.B.2 of the Enforcement Policy, and 3) any other application of the Enforce-

ment Policy to this case, including the exercise of discretion in accordance

with Section VII.

You will be advised by separate correspondence of the results of our

deliberations on this matter. No response regarding these apparent violations

is required at this time,

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of

this letter and its enclosure will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.

Sincerely.

(Original signed by Pierce H. Skinner)

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Pierce H. Skinner. Chief

Reactor Projects Branch 2

Division of Reactor Projects

Docket Nos.: 50-348 and 50-364 i

License Nos.: NPF-2 and NPF-8 l

Enclosures: 1. Notice of Violation

! 2. Inspection Report 50-348/96-09

and 50-364/96-09

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cc w/encls: (See page 3) .

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cc w/encls:

M. J. Ajluni

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Licensing Manager  :

Southern Nuclear Operating

Company. Inc.  ;

P. 0. Box 1295 l

.B1rmingham, AL 35201-1295 '

R. D. Hill, Jr.  !

General Manager, Farley Plant  !

Southern Nuclear Operating  !

Company Inc. i

P. O. Box 470  !

Ashford, AL 36312  ;

i G. S. Waymire, Su)ervisor

L Safety- Audit and Engineering Review l

Farley Nuclear Plant

P. O. Box 470 3

Ashford, AL 36312 >

J. D. Woodard '

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Executive Vice President

' Southern Nuclear.0perating  ;

Com)any. Inc. -

l P. O. Box 1295  !

l Birmingham. AL- 35201  !

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1 State Health Officer

Alabama Department of Public Health  !

434 Monroe Street

Montgomery, AL 36130-1701

M. Stanford Blanton

Balch and Bingham Law Firm

P. 0. Box 306 .

1710 Sisth Avenue North

Birmingham AL 35201

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~ Chairman l

l Houston County Commission

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Dbtan AL 302

l Distribution w/encls:

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J. Zimmerman.-NRR l

l P.. Skinner. RII

4 G.A. Hallstrom. RII  :

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R.W. Wright, RII

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PUBLIC

Distribution w/encls cont'd: (See page 4)

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Distribution w/encls: Continued

'NRC Resident. Inspector

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

7388 N. State Highway 95

Columbia..AL 36319

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7388 N. State Highway 95

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