ML20199L165

Forwards Safety Insp Rept 50-293/86-06 on 860218-0307 & Notice of Violation.Corrective Action Programs in Place Have Potential for Achieving Necessary Improvements

ML20199L165
Person / Time
Site:	Pilgrim
Issue date:	04/02/1986
From:	Starostecki R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:	Harrington W BOSTON EDISON CO.
Shared Package
ML20199L169	List: IR 05000293/1986006 ML20199L165 ML20199L171
References
NUDOCS 8604100305
Download: ML20199L165 (3)

See also: IR 05000293/1986006

Text

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APR 0 21956

Docket No. 50-293

Boston Edison Company M/C Nuclear

ATTH: Mr. William D. Harrington

Senior Vice President, Nuclear

800 Boylston Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02199

Gentlemen:

Subject: Inspection Report No. 50-293/86-06

During the period from February 18, 1986 to March 7, 1986 eignt memoers of a Region

I team conducted a special safety inspection of operational and other activities

at your facility. The results of this inspection are documented in the enclosed

inspection report. At the conclusion of the inspection, Mr. E. Wenzinger of my

staff summrized the inspection findings for you and other members of your staff.

We identified no items adverse to nuclear safety. However, there was one violation

of NRC requirements as discussed in the enclosed Notice of Violation.

The overall objective of the team inspection was to obtain a more complete under-

standing of the underlying reasons for the poor performance described in the most

recent SALP report and to ascertain whether they could have an adverse impact on

the safety uf plant operations. In addition, the inspection was to assess whether

corrective action programs now in place are properly structured and focused to

achieve the necessary improvements.

In this, as in every inspection conducted by Region I, we assessed whether the

facility is being operated safely. This aspect of the inspection took on special

significance in light of poor SALP results. Durirj the inspection, we found no

evidence that the plant was being operated unsafely. Plant operators were found

to be both knowledgeable and conscious of nuclear safety. Other plant workers and

first line supervisors also had good attitudes towards nuclear safety. Notwith-

standing this conclusion, we believe that substantial improvements are necessary

at your f acility before Region I inspection activities can be reduced. This con-

firms the conclusions reached during the recent 1985 SALP report.

We believe that the corrective action programs you now have in place have the

potential for achieving the necessary improvements. However, there are four prin-

cipal factors that are inhibiting progress in these programs and in identifying

and correcting other weaknesses. These are: (1) incomplete staffing, in particular

operators and key mid-level supervisory personnel, (2) a prevailing view in the

organization that the improvements made to date have corrected the problems,

(3) reluctance, by management, to acknowledge some problems identified by the NRC,

and (4) dependence on third parties to identify problems rather than implementing

an effective program for self-identification of weaknesses. These four factors

must, in our view, be corrected in order to achieve future improvement and the

maximum benefit from your corrective action programs.

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Boston Edison Company M/C Nuclear 2

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We have discussed the problems outlined in this report with you at a meeting on

Narch 25, 1986. We found this meeting useful and believe your planned corrective

actions should help resolve our concerns.

In your response to the attached Notice of Violation, please also respond to the

items ident'ified as licensee commitment items in the attached report.

The responses directed by this letter and the ac' companying Notice 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.

Your cooperation with us is appreciated.

Sincerely,

( .

Drisiaalsigne4 m

Richard Starostecki, Director

Division of Reactor Projects

Enclosures:

1. Appenriix A, Notice of Violation

2. NRC Region I Inspection Report No. 50-293/86-05

cc w/ encl:

L. Oxsen, Vice President, Nuclear Operations

C. J. Mathis, Station Manager

Joanne Shotwell, Assistant Attorney General

Paul Levy, Chairman, Department of Public Utilities

Plymouth Board of Selectmen

Plymouth Civil Defense Director

Senator Edward P. Kirby

Public Document Room (PDR)

local Public Document Room (LPDR)

Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)

NRC Resident Inspector

Commonwealth of Massachusetts (2)

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Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)

Senior Operations Officer (w/o encis) *

T. Murley, RI

R. Starostecki, RI

S. Ebneter, RI ,

T. Martin, RI  :

W. Kane, RI

J. Johnsen, RI l

L. Tripp, RI

H. Kister, RI

J. Strosneicer, RI  !

W. Raymond, SRI, Vermont Yankee

H. Eichenholz, SRI, Yankee

R. Jaccbs, SRI, Susquehanna 1&2 l

J. Wechselberger, RI, Oyster Creek

N. Blumberg, Region I

R. Nimitz, Region I (

G. Meyer, Region I l

P. Leech, LPM, NRR

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