IR 05000270/1950287
| ML113350230 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Oconee  |
| Issue date: | 12/01/2011 |
| From: | Casey L NRC/OE |
| To: | |
| Casey L | |
| References | |
| EA-11-226 EN-11-038 | |
| Download: ML113350230 (2) | |
Text
December 1, 2011 EN 11-038 OFFICE OF ENFORCEMENT NOTIFICATION OF SIGNIFICANT ENFORCEMENT ACTION Licensee: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC EA-11-226 Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 Docket Nos.: 50-269, 50-270, 50-287 Subject: ISSUANCE OF FINAL SIGNIFICANCE DETERMINATION AND NOTICE OF VIOLATION This is to inform the Commission that a Notice of Violation will be issued on or about December 6, 2011, to Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (licensee) for a violation associated with a Yellow Significance Determination Process finding identified during an inspection and in-office review of Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 2, and 3. This Yellow finding, an issue of substantial safety significance, will require additional U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) inspections. It involves the failure of Oconee personnel to maintain the Standby Shutdown Facility (SSF)
pressurizer heater breakers in accordance with the licensing and design basis of the plant, which resulted in the SSF being inoperable from 1983, until June 1, 2011.
The Notice of Violation is based on the licensees failure to meet 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B, Criterion III, Design Control, which requires, in part, that measures shall be established to assure that deviations from appropriate quality and design standards are controlled and that the review for suitability of application of equipment essential to safety-related functions of structures, systems, and components is maintained.
In response to the preliminary determination letter, the licensee attended a Regulatory Conference and provided additional information on the risk characterization of this finding.
After reviewing the information developed during the inspection and the information provided by the licensee, the staff concluded that the inspection finding is appropriately characterized as Yellow. Duke has informed the NRC that multiple corrective actions are in place and/or planned. Their corrective actions include, in part: (1) replacing the SSF pressurizer heater breakers with environmentally qualified fuses; (2) assessing their design change process and operability determination process; and, (3) performing an overall independent assessment of the SS It should be noted that the licensee has not been specifically informed of the enforcement action. The schedule of issuance and notification is:
Mailing of Final Significance Determination December 6, 2011 Telephone Notification of Licensee December 6, 2011 The State of South Carolina will be notified.
Contacts: Lauren Casey, OE, (301) 415-1038 Aida Rivera-Varona, OE, (301) 415-4001
Distribution: EN-11-038, December 1, 2011 OWFN OWFN TWFN EBB Regional Offices Chairman Jaczko EDO OCFO NMSS RI RII Comm. Svinicki DEDR OP CENTER RIII RIV Comm. Apostolakis DEDMRS FSME Comm. Magwood OE OIG MAIL Comm. Ostendorff OGC OCIO ADAMS SECY NRR RES OE staff OCA NSIR ACRS PA OI IP Electronic DISTRIBUTION:
R. Zimmerman, OE N. Hilton, OE A. Rivera, OE L. Casey, OE OE r/f EN binder X PUBLIC X NON-SENSITIVE ADAMS ML113350230 OFFICE OE:ES OE:BC NAME L. Casey A. Rivera DATE 12/1/2011 12/1/2011 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY