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475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406Fax: 610/337-5241

Internet: dps@nrc.gov or nas@nrc.gov

I-98-80 July 8, 1998

Contact: Diane Screnci (610/337-5330) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Neil A. Sheehan (610/337-5331)

NRC ISSUES $55,000 CIVIL PENALTY AGAINST PECO ENERGY COMPANY

FOR VIOLATIONS INVOLVING INEFFECTIVE VALVE REPAIRS AT LIMERICK

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed a $55,000

fine against PECO Energy Company for violations of agency

requirements involving equipment operability at the Limerick

nuclear power plant. PECO owns and operates the twin-reactor

facility, which is located in the Philadelphia suburb of

Limerick, Pa.

Identified during NRC inspections conducted between

October 20, 1997, and March 16 of this year, the violations were

discussed during a predecisional enforcement conference held on

June 10 at the NRC Region I office in King of Prussia, Pa.

One of the infractions involves PECO’s failure to

aggressively and comprehensively fix a Unit 2 valve that was

experiencing difficulties. Part of the high-pressure coolant

injection (HPCI) system -- one of the plant’s emergency core

cooling systems -- the exhaust valve failed to close during

testing on five occasions between March 1994 and January 1998.

Despite efforts to fix the problem, ineffective

corrective action led to the valve being inoperable for an

extended period of time.

“Although the valve does not have an automatic isolation

function, it is necessary to isolate HPCI system leakage and is

considered an extension of the (plant’s) containment boundary,”

NRC Region I Administrator Hubert J. Miller wrote in a letter to

PECO notifying it of the enforcement action. “In each of the

first four occurrences, root cause analyses were not adequate to

detect the root cause of the problem. Of particular concern is

the fact that after the fifth failure on January 8, 1998, the

valve was not declared inoperable even though subsequent data

revealed internal binding of the valve.”

Another violation was a failure to effectively

troubleshoot a problem affecting a Unit 2 residual heat removal
system valve. One function of the residual heat removal system

is to maintain water level in the reactor vessel following a

loss-of-coolant accident. Part of that system is a minimum flow

valve, which is designed to open when a residual heat removal

pump is in operation with the system’s flow at low levels in

order to prevent pump damage.

However, between Sept. 1, 1997, and Jan. 21, 1998, PECO

efforts to prevent recurrent failures of the valve proved

ineffective. The valve was not declared inoperable even though

it was found closed four times, with the flow at less than the

required 1,500 gallons per minute, during that period.

“The NRC considers this violation significant since pump

damage could occur under no flow conditions in as little as three

minutes. The NRC is particularly concerned that similar to the

issue concerning the high-pressure coolant injection system

exhaust valve, this problem revealed a lack of comprehensive

troubleshooting by the engineering staff, as well as improper

acceptance by the operators that the pump was operable even

though the cause of the problem was not identified,” Mr. Miller

said.

The two violations have been categorized in the

aggregate as a Severity Level III problem. (The NRC issues four

levels of violations, ranging from Level I, which is the most

significant, to Level IV, which is the least significant.) A

fine of $55,000 is being issued for those infractions.

In addition, the NRC cited, but did not fine, PECO for a

Level IV violation. It pertained to a failure to promptly

identify and correct a misinstalled bearing in one of the plant’s

emergency diesel generators.

PECO has 30 days to pay the fine or to request in

writing that all or part of the penalty be withdrawn.

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