ML20148B633

Discusses Insp on 870818-20 & Forwards Notice of Violation & Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalty.Violation Involves Failure to Correct Longstanding Condition Adverse to Quality Re High Temps in Containment Bldg

ML20148B633
Person / Time
Site:	Arkansas Nuclear
Issue date:	03/14/1988
From:	Martin R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
To:	Campbell G ARKANSAS POWER & LIGHT CO.
Shared Package
ML20148B638	List: ML20148B633 ML20148B640
References
EA-87-227, NUDOCS 8803220062
Download: ML20148B633 (3)

Text

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f #% t UNITED STATES

y. ,

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

$/ 'c. REGloN IV S 611 RYAN PLAZA DRIVE, SUITE 1000

• o , ,y ,, ARLINGTON. TEXAS 76011 MAR I 41988 I

Docket Nos. 50-313/87-29 and 50-368/87-29 License Nos. DPR-51 and NPF-6 EA P.7-227 Arkansas Power & Light Company ATTH: Gene Campbell, Vice President Nuclear Operations Post Office Box 551 Little Rock, Arkansas 72203 Gentlemen:

SUBJECT:

NOTICE OF VIOLATION AND PROPOSED IMPOSITION OF CIVIL PENALTY (NRC INSPECTION REPORT NOS. 50-313/87-29, AND 50-368/87-29)

This refers to the inspection conducted by an NRC inspection team on August 18-20, 1987 at the Arkansas Nuclear One, Units 1 and 2. During this inspection, NRC personnel identified findings that were discussed at an enforcement conference on December 18, 1987, at the NRC Region IV office in Arlington, Texas.

After evaluating the information you presented, one violation was identified which involved the failure to correct a longstanding condition adverse to quality. From the time of startup testing in 1974 until August 1987, when it was identified by the NRC inspectors, temperatures in certain regions of the Unit 1 containment building were considerably higher than the design

, temperature specified in the Updated Safety Analysis Report (USAR). This condition was recognized by plant personnel during the startup program yet, neither adequate corrective action or evaluation of the problem was accomplished.

Of additional concern to the NRC are other problems highlighted by this violation including, the failure to properly report the condition when it was identified and the impact on your environment qualification program including operation of the plant with acoustic monitor preamplifiers in place twenty-one months beyond their qualified life. In total, these problems collectively point towards weaknesses in your design control process which continue to generate potential safety significant problems that have not been identified, analyzed, or properly reported. When the high temperature problem was identified you did perform substantial anal Opr: ration (JC0) dated yses Augustthat wereYou 28, 1987. reported inayour also made Justification number of short and for Continued long term commitments for inspection and improvements to mitigate the tempera-ture problem. The JC0 and your commitments were found to be acceptable by the staff and our evaluation was documented in a letter dated October 15, 1987.

Based on the inspection findings and on the information presented by your staff during the enforcement conference, the NRC feels that there is a need to further develop or sharpen the safety consciousness throughout your j organization such that a recurrence of these problems will be avoided.

CERTIFIED MAIL RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED 8803220062 080314 i PDR ADOCK 05000313 G PDR

Arkansas Power & Light Company To emphasize this need, I have been authorized, after consultation with the Director, Office of Enforcement, and the Deputy Executive Director for Regional Operations, to issue the enclosed Notice of Violation and Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalty in the amount of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) for the violation described in the enclosed Notice. In accordance with the "Gen,eral Statement of Polic Part 2, Appendix C (1987) (y and Procedure Enforcement Policy), the forviolation NRC Enforcement Actions," 10 CF described in the enclosed Notice has been categorized at a Severity Level III. The base civil penalty amount has been increased by 100 percent because this violation continued uncorrected for such an extended period of time, notwithstanding your response to the matter following NRC identification of it in August 1987.

As indicated earlier we are also concerned with the failure to report to the Commission the elevated containment temperatures which were outside the plant design basis as described in the USAR. We understand that your decision for not reporting this condition was based on your conclusion that even though the condition was outside the design basis, the plant was not degraded. In the future, we expect that all conditions outside the design basis will be reported.

As stated in the Statements of Consideration for 10 CFR 50.72, if there is doubt about whether or not to report, a report should be made.

You are required to respond to this letter and should follow the instructions specified in the enclosed Notice when preparing your response. In your response, you should document the specific actions taken and any additional actions you plan to prevent recurrence. Your response should also address what actions you plan to take to assure matters such as those at issue here are promptly reported. After reviewing your response to this Notice, including your proposed corrective actions and the results of future inspections, the NRC will determine whether further NRC enforcement action is necessary to ensure compliance with NRC regulatory requirements.

In accordance with Section 2.790 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," Part 2, Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, a copy of this letter and its enclosure will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.

The responses directed by this letter and the enclosed Notice are not subject to the clearance procedures of the Office of Management and Budget as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, Pub. L. No.96-511.

Sincerely, g h/'

Robert D. Martin Regional Administrator

Enclosure:

Notice of Violation and Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalty cc: Arkansas Radiation Control Program Director

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MAR I 4 1988 Arkansas Power & Light Company DISTRIBUTION bcc w/ enc 1:

PDR SECY CA JMTaylor, DEOR0 HThompson, HMSS JLieberman, OE LChandler, OGC Enforcement Officers RI, RII, RIII, RV HDenton, 0GPA EJordan, AE00 SConnelly, 0IA OE:ES File OE:EA File BSummers, OE (ltr hd)

WDCS4 RIV Distribution:

RMartin JMilhoan JCallan RIreland JGilliland (1tr hd)

GSanborn DPowers RIV Files MIS Coordinator BJohnson OETW RA:RIYH-p latkb* 0:

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