ML20196C227

Forwards Safety Assessment Team Insp Rept 50-271/88-05 on 880404-08.Weaknessess Noted.Plant Safely Operated,Well Maintained & Adequately Staffed.Strengths & Weaknesses Listed

ML20196C227
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee
Issue date:	06/21/1988
From:	Johnston W NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:	Murphy W VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER CORP.
Shared Package
ML20196C232	List: IR 05000271/1988005 ML20196C227
References
NUDOCS 8807010037
Download: ML20196C227 (3)

See also: IR 05000271/1988005

Text

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JUN 21 1988

Occket No. 50-271 License No. DPR-28

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation

ATTN: Mr. Warren P. Murphy

Vice President and Manager

of Operations

RD 5, Box 169

Ferry Road ,

Brattleboro, Vermont 05301

Gentlemen:

Subject: NRC Region I Inspection Report No. 50-271/88-05

This refers to the Safety Assessment Team inspection conducted by

Mr. C. Anderson of this office on April 4-8, 1988 at Vermont _ Yankee Nuclear

Power Station, Vernon, Vermont, and Yankee Atomic Electric Company, Framingham,

Massachusetts, of activities authorized by NRC License No. OPR-28 and to the

discussions of our findings held by Mr. C. Anderson with Mr. J. Pelletier and

other members of your staff at the conclusion of the inspection.

Areas examined during this inspection are described in the NRC Region I

Inspection Report which is enclosed with this letter. Within these areas, the

inspection consisted of selective examinations of procedures and representative

records, interviews with personnel, and observations by the inspectors.

The purpose of this inspection was to evaluate overall strengths and weaknesses

in your plant operations. These are detailed in the enclosed inspection report;

however, certain key strengths and weakness are summarized below. In general,

the inspection team found the plant to ba safely operated, well maintained, and

adequately staffed. The following strengths are noted-(others are identified

in the report):

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Control room operations are excellent.

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The addition of a senior staff ALARA engineer and use of dedicated

ALARA coordinators for Maintenance and I&C Departments during

outages provides ef fective intra-department communication.

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Strong efforts to minimize number and total area of plant

contamination.

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Stable and experienced staff in the areas of radiological effluents

program, maintenance and engineering.

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0FFICIAL RECORD COPY IR VY 88-05 - 0001.0.0

8807010037 880621 06/16/88 8 i

PDR ADOCK 05000271

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Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power

Corporation 2

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The use of two responsible engineers for plant modifications

provides breadth of talent in systems and home office engineering

and encourages cooperation between plant and YNSD engineering.

The following weaknesses are also noted:

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The respirator program does not require penetration testing.of

respirator filter cartridges prior to reuse.

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There is a lack of aggressiveness to address deficiencies in proce-

dures in the Radiation Protection area.

-

There is a plant staff over-reliance on surveillance procedures to

satisfy Technical Specification requirements without recognizing

their responsibility to identify and correct procedural

inconsistencies.

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Inadequate supporting bases for 10 CFR 50.59 reviews.

A response to the above weaknesses is requested. It is requested that you

review each and provide a description of proposed corrective actions as

appropriate.

The responses directed by this letter are not subject to the clearance

procedures of the Office of Management and Budget as required by the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1980, PL 96-511.

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

this letter and the enclosures will be placed in the NRC Fublic Document Room.

Your cooperation with us in this matter is appreciated.

Sincerely,

Or.isinal signed 3y g

William V. Johnston

Acting Director

Division of Reactor Safety

Enclosure: NRC Region I Inspection Report No. 50-271/88-05

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Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power

Corporation 3

cc w/ enc 1:

J. Weigand, President and Chief Executive Officer

J. Pelletier, Plant Manager

J. DeVincentis, Vice President, Yankee Atomic Electric Company

R. Capstick, Licensing Engineer, Yankee Atomic Electric Company

C. Richardson, Vermont Public Interest Research Group, Inc.

G. Tarrant, Commissioner, Vermont Department of Public Service

P. Agnes, Assistant Secretary of Public Safety, Commonwealth of

Massachusetts

Public Document Room (PDR)

Local Public Document Room (LPDR)

Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)

NRC Resident Inspector

State of New Hampshire

State of Vermont

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

bec w/ enc 1:

Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)

M. Perkins, Management Assistant, DRMA (w/o enc 1)

D. Haverkamp, Section Chief, DRP

J. Kaucher, Project Engineer, DRP

G. Grant, SRI - Vermont Yankee (w/ concurrences)

H. Eichenholz, SRI - Yankee

C. Warren, SRI - Pilgrim

V. Rooney, PM, NRR

R. Bores, Technical Assistant, DRSS

K. Abraham, PA0 (12) (SALP Reports Only)

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