ML20199L443
| ML20199L443 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Hope Creek  |
| Issue date: | 02/03/1998 |
| From: | Hehl C NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Keiser H Public Service Enterprise Group |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20199L447 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-354-97-10, EA-98-037, EA-98-37, NUDOCS 9802090203 | |
| Download: ML20199L443 (4) | |
See also: IR 05000354/1997010
Text
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February 3,1998
- EA 98-037,
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1 Mr. Harold W. Keiser
Executive Vice President -
Nuclear Business Unit:
Public Service Electric and Gas Company:
Post Office Box 236 :
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- Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 <
' SUBJECT: NRC INTEGRATED INSPECTION REPORT 50-354/9710
NOT!CE OF VIOLATION AND EXERCISE OF ENFORCEMENT DISCRETION
y IDear Mr. Keiser:
' On January 3,1998, the NRC completed an inspection at your Hope Creek reactor facility.
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1The enclosed report presents.the results of that insp6ction.
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Throughout the seven week inspection period, your conduct of ' activities at the Hope Creek:
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- facility was generally characterized by safety-conscious operations, and appropriate -
- engineering and plant support practices.- Good quality assurance department oversight of,
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- station activities was evident. Aggressive efforts to reduce the backlogs of temporary
_ modifications'and operability determinations were effective. Though several equipmenti
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odeficiencies and delays _ were encountered, we noted good control and cc.iservative :
1 operations during the reactor start up and power ascension following the refueling outage.-
Based on our observations'of you serformance during the refueling ' outage and plant start t
(up, the NRC has determined that violations of NRC requirements occurred.;These
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7 violations are cited in the enclosed Notice of Violation (Notice) and the circumstances
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i surrounding them are described in detsil in the subject inspection _ report < We are _ ,
concerned that corrective actions implemented in response to prior problems in both -
1 maintenance and engineering activities have been iasc than fully effective. Specifically, we -
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noted 'several instaraos of inadequate development'or implementation of technical --
specification-required procedures that resulted in unplanned challenges to plant operators
for important to-safety equipment. Though some of these issues were identified during
system testing, they nonetheless resulted from personnel errors and ir adequate -
r supervisory. reviews and oversight. These causes appear repetitive of those identified for
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numerous previous events, questioning the effectiveness of prior corrective ' action '
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initiatives. An NRC-identified error in a test procedure which implements a technical
specification ~ surveillance requirement for electrical protection' assemblies was of concern
since this procedure was established after your technical specification surveillance .
Improvement program was completed. This finding raises qasstions as to the
effectiveness of your process for implementing Technical Specification changes. I
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9902090203 990203
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POR ADOCK 05000354 /
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. Mr. Harold W. Keiser; 1
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.You are required to respond to this letter and sitooid foliow the instructions specified in the -
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- enciesed Notice when preparing your response. The NRC will use ycur response, in part,
to determine whether further enforcement action is necessary to ensure compliance with- l
- - regulatory requirements.
Additionally, the December 5,1997 reactor core isolation cooling system (RCIC) system
failure resulted from ineffective corrective actions following your 1996 RCIC overspeed ~
W - event.: Failures of Terry turbine governor valves has bu.n the subject of several industryi -1
operating experience information documents as well as generic NRC communications.-
-In contrast, the NRC reviewed your self identified issue involving the faileo inservico -
surveillance test of the reactor building to-torus vacuum breakt.r instrument air check
valves TN3 issue ste.mmed from an inadequate initial design review, and was an apparent
violation of NRC requirements which was considered for escalated enfor:.ement and
- + lect to a civil penalty. - However, after consultation with the Director, Office of
i Avcement, I have been authorized to not issue a Notics of Violation and_not propose a
y.1 penalty in this case in accoidance with the provisions provided in Section Vll.B.3 of
.the NRC's Enforcement Policy. This decision was made after consideration that: (1) the
Evlolatiottwas identified by your_ staff's good questioning attitudes during a voluntary -
. Initiatives; (2) corrective actions, both taken and planned, were comprehensive and timely; ,
l - (3) the condition's were subtle in nature and not likely to be disclosod through routine 1
L surveijance or quality assurance activities; arxl (4) the violations are not reasonably linked
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to current performance. The exercise of discretion acknowledges your good effort to:
identify and correct subtle violations, that would not be identified by routinc efforts, before
- the degraded safety systems are called upon.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter
and its enclosures will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR).
Sincerely,
' Ori9inal Signed By:
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Charles W. Hehl, Director
Division _of Reactor Projects
Docket No.: 50-354
- License No
- NPF-57
- Enclosures: 1. Notice of Violation
- 2. Inspection Report 50-354/9710
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Mri Harold W. Keiser-
cc w/ encl: . ,
L Storz, Senior Vice President - Nuclear Operations
E, Simpson, Senior Vice President - Nuclear Eng,;neering 'l
E. Salowitz, Director - Nuclear Business Support
- A. F. Kirby, Ill,, External Operations Nuclear, Delmarva Power & Light Co.--
!J. A. Isabella, Manager, Joint Generatien
' Atlantic Eiectric'
M. Berilla, General Manager - Hope Creek Operations
J. McMahon, Director - QA/ Nuclear Training / Emergency Preparedness
D. Powell, Director - Licensing / Regulation & Fuels
R. Kankus, Joint Owner Affairs
A. C. Tapert, Program Administrator
Jeffrey J. Keenan, Esquire
- Consumer Advocate, Office of Consumer Advocate . .
William Conklin, Public Safety Consultant, Lower Alloways Creek Township
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State of New Jersey-
State of Delaware -
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Mr. Harold W. Keiser
' Distribution w/ encl:
Region i Docket Room (with concurrences)
Nuclear Safety information Center (NSIC)
. NRC Resident inspector
PUBLIC
H. Miller, RA/W Axelson, DRA
J. Linville, DRP
S. Barber, ORP
L. Harrison, DRP.
C. O'Daniell, DRP
D. Holody, EO, Rl
Distribution w/ encl: (Via E Mall)
B. McCabe, OEDO
- B. Mozafari, Project Manager, NRR
R. Correia, NRR
F. Talbot, NRR
inspection Program Branch, NRR (IPAS)
DOCDESK
R. Zimmerman, NRR
J. Lieberman, OE
.-J. Goldberg, OGC
DOCUMENT NAME: G:\ BRANCH 3\lR9710.HC
Ta receive a copy of this document,Jndicato in the box: 'C' = Cocy without attachment / enclosure T = Copy with attachment / enclosure "N" = No copy
OFFICE Rl/DRP ,/ l Rf/ Off (\, j / l l
NAME JLinville Q// (',1f) Y Hl W 8
DATE ~. 01/29/98 ) 0)/h9E - 01/ /98 01/ /98 01/ /98
OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
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