ML20205T571

Forwards Insp Rept 50-461/99-03 on 990208-0318.Eight Violations Occurred & Being Treated as non-cited Violations Consistent with App C of Enforcement Policy

ML20205T571
Person / Time
Site:	Clinton
Issue date:	04/21/1999
From:	Dapas M NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:	Mcelwain J ILLINOIS POWER CO.
Shared Package
ML20205T575	List: IR 05000461/1999003 ML20205T571
References
50-461-99-03, 50-461-99-3, NUDOCS 9904270293
Download: ML20205T571 (5)

See also: IR 05000461/1999003

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April 21, 1999

Mr. John P. McElwain

Chief Nuclear Officer

Clinton Power Station

Illinois Power Company

Mail Code V-275

P. O. Box 678

Clinton,IL 61727

SUBJECT: INSPECTION REPORT 50-461/99003(DRS)

Dear Mr. McElwain:

On March 18,1999, the NRC completed a Safety System Engineering inspection at your Clinton

Power Station. The focus of the inspection was to assess the engineering organization's

effectiveness and readiness for restart through an in-depth review of calculations, analyses, and

other engineering documents and products used to support system performance during normal

and accident conditions. In particular, a number of restart items documented in the NRC Manual

Chapter 0350, " Staff Guidelines for Restart Approval," Case-Specific Checklist were reviewed.

These items included circuit breaker failures, degraded voltage and electrical distribution

concerns, calculation and setpoint program deficiencies, fire protection issues, and the ability of

safety-related equipment to perform its intended safety functions. The enclosed report presents

the results of that inspection.

The team assessed your corrective actions to address significant concems with electrical

breaker maintenance and operations at Clinton Power Station (CPS), including the specific

actions identified in Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL) Rill-97-009 issued on August 6,1997

following the failure of two safety-related Westinghouse,4160-volt, DHP-type breakers to trip on

demand. The CAL included actions committed to by lilinois Power to identify the failure

mechanism of the breakers, take effective corrective action to prevent recurrence, and establish

a basis for reasonable assurance that all safety-related breakers will function when called upon.

Your identification of high friction forces in the main and arcing contacts of the breakers due to a l

lack of lubrication, and your subsequent corrective actions which included breaker preventive l

maintenance activities or replacement of suspect breakers, indicated that the engineering staff

was capable of thoroughly and comprehensively addressing significant plant hardware

deficiencies. In addition, we observed a high level of management involvement resulting in

significant improvement in your maintenance and testing of circuit breakers. Specifically, your  !

staff exhibited good knowledge of breaker design, maintenance, and testing requirements;

demonstrated improved work practices during breaker maintenance activities; and exhibited

good teamwork and adherence to procedure requirements. The team concluded that your

planned and completed corrective actions establish a basis for reasonable assurance that all

safety-related breakers will function when called upon.

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9904270293 990421

PDR ADOCK 05000461

G PDR

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J. McElwain -2-

The team determined that with regard to the resolution of significant plant hardware deficiencies

such as those associated with the plar.t's response to degraded grid voltage conditions, the

performance of engineering personnel in determining root causes and implementing corrective

action was good in addition, your recognition that future offsite power degraded voltage

conditions could result in less than the required voltage being available to the 4160-volt

safety-related buses led to your identification and implementation of corrective actions to revise

undervoltage setpoints and implement modifications, such as the installation of load tap

changing transformers. This demonstrated that the CPS engineering staff was capable of

identifying and resolving complex engineering issues.

With regard to setpoint and calculation control deficiencies, the team identified significant

improvements in the processes which control setpoints and calculations, in addition, based on a

limited review of recently completed calculations, the team concluded that these procecs

improvements were being effectively implemented. Similarly, concems identified in the fire

protection program were also being effectively addressed.

To evaluate the ability of safety-related equipment to perform its intended safety function, the

team reviewed various assessments, such as the System Design and Functional Validation

project, and completed a design review of the reactor core isolation cooling system. The team

concluded that your staff had established reasonable assurance that safety-related structures,

systems, and components would perform their intended safety functions as described in the

design and licensing basis.

Based on a review of your efforts to address the Case-Specific Checklist restart items briefly

discussed above, the NRC concluded that corrective actions for items related to circuit breakers,

calculations, fire protection, and the ability of safety-related equipment to perform its intended

safety functions, were satisfactory for closure. Case-Specific Checklist item IV.4 regarding

degraded voltage will remain open pending an NRC review of the post-modification testing to

. address degraded grid voltage issues. Case-Specific Checklist item VI.3 regarding the setpoint

control program will remain open pending NRC review of a safety-related setpoint operability

determination.

Despite the successes in the identification and irnplementation of corrective actions to address

significant hardware and programmatic issues, the team identified a number of examples where

engineering personnel failed to ensure that problems were adequately resolved through the

implementation of effective corrective actions. For example, the team identified that corrective  :

actions to address potential interlock testing problems lacked an appropriate depth of review.  !

The team also identified cases in which prescribed corrective actions were not completed as I

required. The NRC concluded that continued management attention in this area is warranted.

While short-term corrective actions are near completion, long-term system, component, and

programmatic improvements will require continued effort and vigilance by CPS management

and staff. The NRC will continue to closely monitor CPS performance to ensure that your

corrective actions continue to be effective.

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J. McElwain -3-

Based on the results of this inspection, the NRC has determined that eight violations of NRC

requirements occurred. These violations are being treated as Non-Cited Violations (NCVs),

consistent with Appendix C of the Enforcement Policy. These NCVs are described in the

subject inspection report. If you contest the violation or severity level of these NCVs, you should

provide a response within 30 days of the date of this inspection report, with the basis for your

denial, to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington DC

20555-0001, with a copy to the Regional Administrator, Region Ill, and the Director, Office of

Enforcement, United States Nudear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

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

enclosure, and your response, if you choose to provide one, will be placed in the NRC Public

Document Room.

Sincerely,

Original /s/ Marc Dapas

Marc L. Dapas, Deputy Director

Division of Reactor Projects

Docket No. 50-461

License No. NPF-62

Enclosure: Inspection Report 50-461/99003(DRS) I

cc w/ encl: G. Hunger, Station Manager

R. Phares, Manager, Nuclear Safety q

and Performance improvement

{

J. Sipek, Director - Licensing j

M. Aguilar, Assistant Attorney General

G. Stramback, Regulatory Licensing

Services Project Manager

General Electric Company

Chairman, DeWitt County Board

State Liaison Officer

Chairman, Illinois Commerce Commission

DOCUMENT NAME: G:DRS\CLl99003.WPD

• See previous concurrences

v. ca. . em w iiii. a.e,n. undic.i. in te bor c . cm -iw n *n,inu ,co. r . cm m .n.*none.nem,. v . No copy

OFFICE * Rill lC *Rlli lN * Rill lN * Rill lN Rill 4 -

NAME Duncan:sd Gardner Kozak Grobe Depas @

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DATE 4/16/99 4/20/99 4/20/99 4/20/99 41::V/99

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

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J. McElwain -3-

Based on the results of this inspection, the NRC has determined that eight violations of NRC

requirements occurred. These violations are being treated as Non-Cited Violations (NCVs),

consistent with Appendix C of the Enforcement Policy. These NCVs are described in the

subject inspection report. If you contest the violation or severity level of these NCVs, you should

provide a response within 30 days of the date of this inspection report, with the basis for your

denial, to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington DC

20555-0001, with a copy to the Regional Administrator, Region Ill, and the Director, Office of

Enforcement, United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

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

enclosure, and your response will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR).

Sincerely,

I

i

Marc L. Dapas, Deputy Director

Division of Reactor Projects

Docket No.: 50-461

License No.: NPF-62

Enclosure: Inspection Report 50-461/99003

cc w/ encl: G. Hunger, Station Manager

R. Phares, Manager, Nuclear Safety

and Performance improvement

J. Sipek, Director - Licensing

M. Aguilar, Assistant Attomey General

G. Stramback, Regulatory Licensing

Services Project Manager

General Electric Company

Chairman, DeWitt County Board

State Liaison Officer

Chairman, Illinois Commerce Commission

DOCUMENT NAME: G:DRS\CLl99003.wpd

To receive e copy of this document. Ind6cate in the 1,Ou' 'C's Copy without ettechment/ enclosure "tr's Copy with attachment / enclosure *N's No copy

OFFICE Rill lb Rlli ld Rill , l /J Rlli yb l t4 Rlli l

NAME Duncan:sd4 Gardner M Kozak -fIL - Grotd-W Dapas

DATE 4/lb/99 4/I'/99 4/10/99 4/Ta/99 4/ /99

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY  !

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J. McElwain 4

Distribution:

RPC (E-Mail)

. Project Mgr., NRR w/enci

J. Caldwell, Rlll w/enci

B. Clayton, Rill w/enci

' SRI Clinton w/enci

DRP w/ encl

DRS w/enci

Rlli PRR w/enct

PUBLIC IE-01 w/enci

Docket File w/enci

GREENS

LEO (E-Mail)

DOCDESK (E-Mail)

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