ML20214Q052

Responds to & 861017 Inquiry Re Constituent Lm Brown Concerns About History of Problems at Plant. Factors Inhibiting Improved Performance & NRC Assessment of Plant Employee Training Discussed.W/O June 1986 Insp Rept

ML20214Q052
Person / Time
Site:	Peach Bottom
Issue date:	11/24/1986
From:	Stello V NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Walker R HOUSE OF REP.
Shared Package
ML20214Q054	List: ML20214Q052 ML20214Q081 ML20214Q087
References
NUDOCS 8612040489
Download: ML20214Q052 (6)

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g unirso states NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION h'N7 1 L j WASHINGTON, D. C. 20566

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..... NOV 2 41988 The Honorable Robert S. Walker United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman Walker:

I am pleased'to respond to your October 29, 1986 letter to PPC Chaiman .

Lando Zech and your October 17, 1986 inquiry addressed to the NRC Office of l Congressional Affairs regarding a letter from one of your constituents, Mr. Lester M. Brown. These letters expressed your concern and the concerns of your constituent about the history of problems that have been identified at the ewacn u: :t = Atomic Power sta<:iod including the issues contained in an

October 12, I M _ancaster Sunday News article. ,

I want to assure you that the NRC shares your con ~cerns and those of your constituent regarding the problems that have been identified at Peach Bottom and that we are detemined to see that these problems are resolved. NRC identification and assessment of the issues at Peach Bottom have resulted in our assigning high inspection and oversight priority to the plant. Most

recently, the NRC has established a third resident inspector position at Peach Bottom to provide for increased direct inspection and observation of plant i . performance and operations. We are currently in the process of filling that position. Additionally, Peach Bottom will continue to receive high inspection priority including the assignment of site reviews by region-based specialist inspectors. Senior NPC management has and will continue to be involved with monitoring Peach Bottom performance through periodic. meetings with Philadelphia ,

Electric Company management.

i As the Lancaster Sunday News article indicates, Peach Bottom has been receiving '

special attention from the NRC. As an example of our attention, a special NPC team inspection was conducted in June 1986. The team inspection concluded that the Peach Bottom plants were being operated safely and that the programs at Peach Bottom are fundamentally sound and basically acceptable. However, the inspection team identified certain underlying factors that tend to inhibit improved overall performance at Peach Bottom. These factors include a depend-ence on third parties to identify problems rather than self identification and a failure to implement aggressive followup and oversight by management of corrective action programs. A copy of the inspection report is included for your information. The Peach Bottom licensee, Philadelphia Electric Company, has responded positively to our inspection findings and is currently engaged in a comprehensive program to improve Peach Bottom performance. This program has been formally presented to the NRC and we will closely monitor the licensee's performance improvement program status and results.

8612040489 861124 PDR ADOCK 05000177 P PDR

In your October 29, 1986 letter you also asked for our assessment of employee training at Peach Bottom. Our current overall assessment is that training is satisfactory. The licensed _ operator training and requalification training programs are functioning well as evidenced by NRC exam perfomance. Improve-ments have been noted in nonlicensed operator, chemistry technician and maintenance related training. There are, however, areas for improvement in training as evidenced by licensee personnel errors. A copy of the riost recent NRC Systematic Assessment Licensee Performance Report at Peach Pottom which addresses licensee performance in training and other discipline / functional areas, is included for your information.

In conclusion, I believe that our efforts to date have resulted in the early identification of current problems at Peach Rottom. The NRC staff has been aggressive in its inspection and enforcement at Peach Bottom and in providing effective analyses of licensee performance through 'special team inspections and the Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance. As indicated above, NRC will continue to closely monitor the licensee's operations and performance through additional resident inspectors located at the Peach Bottom site, through increased region-based specialist inspections, and through continuing manage-ment level reviews of status and progress of Peach Bottom's improvement programs.

I assure you that the NRC will continue to fulfill its responsibilities con-cerning the Peach Bottom plants and will not hesitate to take those actions

. required to ensure the public health and safety.

Sincerely, 7

Victor Stello, Jr, Executive Director for Operations

Enclosures:

As stated l

i e-DISTRIBUTION w/o attachment J. Roe T. Rehm J. Sniezek G. Cunningham J. Taylor C. Kammerer H. Denton T. Murley W. Kane S. Collins R. Gallo P. Eselgroth T. Johnson P. Lohaus D. Muller R. Bernero W. Kerr ED0 002247 ED0 002279 Secy 86-1128 Secy 86-1151 Docket No. 50-277/50-278 Public. Document Room Local Public Document Room ED0 Reading File Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 3 e ad *"'""# k biotwW" # gh o'" REVISED IN DEDR0GR 11/20/86 //

See attached for previous concurrences OFC :RI:DRP :RI:DRP :RI:DRP :RI:DRP :RI:DRA :RI:RA :EDO NAME :Eselgroth* :Gallo*  : Collins * :WKane* :JAllan* :TEMurley* :VS ello

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DATE :11/ /86 :11/ /86 :11/ /86 :11/ /86 :11/ /86 :11/ /86 :11/9M86 l OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

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'The Honorable Robert S. Walker United States House of Representatives

< Washington, DC 20515

Dear _ Congressman Walker:

I am pleased 29, 1986 letter to NRC Chairman Lando Zech and your\to respond j0ctober to inquiry 17, 1986 your October addressed to the .NRC Office of Congres-sional Affairs, regarding a letter from one of your constituents, Mr. Lester M.

Brown. These Ietters s

expressed your concern and the concerns of your constituent

, about the history of problems that have been identified at the Peach Bottom Atomic L Power Station in luding the issues contained in an October 12, 1986 Sunday News article.

4 I want to assure yo that the NRC shares.your concerns and those of your-constituent regardin the problems that have bee'n identified at Peach Bottom

, and that we are dete ned to see that these problems are resolved. NRC identification and asse sment of the issues pt Peach Bottom have resulted in our assigning high inspectio and oversight pri,ority to the plant. Most recently, the NRC has established a hird resident nspector position at Peach Bottom to provide for increased plan activity eval ation and is currently in the process of filling that position. ditionally4' Peach Bottom will continue to receive high inspection priority inc1 ding the/ assignment of site reviews by regional based specialist inspectors. enfor NRC management has and will continue to be involved with monitoring Peach tt . performance through periodic meetings with Philadelphia Electric Company ma ement.

As the Sunday news article indic t s, Peach Bottom has been receiving special attention from the NRC. As an /xam'ple of our attention, an NRC diagnostic team inspection was conducted in Ju e 1986. Although the review identified n.o evidence that the Peach Botto plantk were being operated unsafely, the team inspection report, which is ttached to this letter, does identify some areas where we have determined th t improvements are needed. The Peach Bottom licensee, Philadelphia Ele tric Compan'y, has responded positively to our '

inspection findings and i currently engaged in a comprehensive program to improve Peach Bottom per rmance. This program has been formally presented to the NRC and we intend t closely monitor performance improvement program status

and results.

. Continued NRC vigilance will t'e accomplished, as indicated above, through an aggressive inspection program and continuirg management level reviews of the progress of the Peach Bottom improvement program. We will examine, in particular, the licensee's progress in bringing about significant improvement in those areas of weakness identified in the most recent Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance. A copy of the most recent SALP is attached for your 1

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perusal. In your October 29, 1986 letter you also asked for our assessment of employee training at Peach Bottom. As documented in the attached SALP report, our current overall assessment is that training is satisfactory while areas for improvement in the training program have also been identified.

In conclusion, I believe that our efforts to date have resulted in the early identification of current problems at Peach Bottom. The NRC staff has been aggressive in relying on its inspection results and providing effective y analyses of these results through the Systematic Assessment of Licensee sg Performance to identify weaknesses to management and plant staff. I assure n 3 you that the NRC will continue to fulfill its responsibilities concerning the X Peach Bottom plants and will not hesitate to take those actions required to D ensure the public health and safety. (-QJ g P

Sincerely, q w '

N

, C kd Victor Stello, Jr.

Executive Director for Operations Attachmen : As stated /

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DISTRIBUTION w/o attachment J. Roe T. Rehm

'J..Sniezek l

-G. Cunningham J.-Taylor C. Kammerer H. Denton T.' Murley-W. Kane S. Collins R. Gallo P. Eselgroth T. Johnson P. Lohaus '

D.-Muller R. Bernero W. Kerr '

~ED0 002247' EDO 002279

'Secy 86-1128 Secy 86-1151 Docket No.' 50- 77/50-278 Public Document oom Local Public Doc nt Room EDO Reading File Commonwealth of Pen ylvania l

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RI:DRP RI:DRP RI:DRP RI:DRP RI:DRA RI:PA EDO Eselgroth/rbl Gallo Collins Kane Allan Murley Stello 11/ /86 11/ /86 11/ /86 11/ /86 11/ /86 11/ /86 11/ /86

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