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NRC NEWS
U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION IV
611 Ryan Plaza Drive - Suite 400
Arlington, Texas 76011-8064 |
| CONTACT: |
Breck Henderson (817) 860-8128 |
RIV: 96-22 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Breck Henderson March 29, 1996
OFFICE: 817/860-8128
PAGER: (800) 443-7243 (065477)
NRC STAFF PROPOSES TO FINE WATERFORD $50,000
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has informed Entergy
Operations, Inc. that it proposes to fine the company $50,000 for
an apparent violation of NRC requirements at the Waterford Steam
Electric Station, Unit 3 nuclear power plant in Taft, La.
Entergy has 30 days to respond to the citation. During that
time it may pay the civil penalty or protest it. If a protest is
denied, the company may ask for a hearing.
This enforcement action results from an NRC inspection
concluded on January 12 that found that the licensee, on several
occasions over a period of several years, failed to correct a
known design deficiency in the Auxiliary Component Cooling Water
(ACCW) system that would allow air into the ACCW system and,
under certain conditions, had the potential to render the system
incapable of performing its intended safety function.
In a letter to Waterford officials, NRC Regional
Administrator L. Joe Callan said, ". . . the NRC is concerned
that, since 1986, plant personnel had multiple opportunities to
correct the design problem but failed to do so. Instead of
taking actions to correct the design problem, work-arounds were
institutionalized in system operating procedures."
The violation has been categorized at Severity Level III in
the NRC's four-level classification system. Level I is the most
serious violation.
Entergy has taken a number of corrective actions since the
discovery of this problem. They include running the ACCW pumps
continuously to prevent air from entering the system until a
system modification can be implemented and reviewing procedures
for operating other safety-related fluid systems that would
preclude a similar problem. In addition, Entergy has initiated
actions to enhance corrective action programs to be sure plant
personnel evaluate known deficiencies to determine the potential
effect on plant systems and take appropriate action.
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