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	CONTACT:	Diane Screnci (610)337-5330/ e-mail: dps@nrc.gov Neil A. Sheehan (610)337-5331/e-mail: nas@nrc.gov

I-97-108

August 20, 1997

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has cited the New York Power Authority (NYPA) for a violation of NRC requirements at its Indian Point 3 nuclear plant in Buchanan, N.Y. The staff has proposed a $55,000 fine.

Based on an NRC engineering team inspection conducted at Indian Point between April 7 and May 1, and information gathered at a July 30 predecisional enforcement conference, the NRC staff has determined a violation of NRC requirements has occurred.

The violation involves three examples of the failure to correctly translate plant design basis information into emergency operating procedures (EOPs). Design basis refers to the plant's original design information, including the facility's safety features, as well as details of modifications made over the years. Specifically, the repositioning of certain throttling valves in the component cooling water system and other flow rate considerations at Indian Point 3 were not properly translated into procedures.

In a letter to NYPA, NRC Region I Administrator Hubert J. Miller said, "These three examples represent a significant regulatory concern because they are indicative of inadequate controls to properly incorporate design basis information into the EOPs. Apparently, your process did not require sufficient reviews of EOPs by engineering staff. Furthermore, all three of these examples were identified by the NRC, raising significant questions regarding the adequacy of your self assessments of EOPs. As such, these violations represent a breakdown in control of licensed activities, and raise questions both of the adequacy of your EOPs, as well as the effectiveness of the EOP reviews."

NYPA has revised the affected procedures and taken a number of steps to prevent recurrence of the violation, including planning to perform a broad review of procedures and to review all EOPs to ensure all applicable design information has been incorporated.

NYPA has 30 days either to pay the proposed fine or to request in writing that all or part of the penalty be withdrawn.