PPL nuclear plant cited again for failing to follow safety rules

•    January 3, 2012: Notice of Violation. (Enclosed)

•    On November  8, 2011 – The NRC issued a severity level IV violation  against the plant operator for failure to notify the  NRC of the change  in medical  status of a licensed reactor operator. It was determined that the operator  needed to wear eyeglasses as early as April 2009, but plant licensee PPL  “did not inform the NRC or request an amended license” for the operator  until August 2011.

“Therefore,” the NRC said, “the reactor operator performed license duties  without an NRC-approved, amended license from April 2009 through August 2011, until the NRC identified the issue.”

The NRC noted that this is a “repetitive” issue. (See report dated Jan. 28, 2010, in which a senior reactor  operator continued to conduct NRC-license activities after not meeting a specific medical prerequisite and there was no notification to NRC to ensure the person’s license was conditioned to require  corrective lenses.) In that Jan. 28, 2010, report, the NRC noted that a civil penalty would not be proposed, but “significant violations in the future could result in a civil penalty.”

•     The NRC issued a report on May 12, 2010, covering a three-month inspection ending on March 31, 2010

The report also discusses the previously discussed failure of two senior reactor operators to meet specific medical requirements for performing their duties. PPL submitted a written response on Dec. 10, 2009 describing its action to restore compliance and prevent recurrence. The NRC said it again reviewed PPL’s plan of action and determined that “PPL’s response and corrective actions were reasonable and appropriate” to address the notice of violation and it “does not require any additional information for these issues and considered these issues to be closed.” (Details of this issue are contained in prior reports from the NRC.)

•    In letter dated Nov. 13, 2009, the NRC noted that it completed an inspection of units 1 and 2 on Sept. 30, 2009. It said the inspection uncovered two examples of an apparent violation. The apparent violation is being considered for escalated enforcement action in accordance with NRC Enforcement Policy, the letter said.

The incidents involved a failure to ensure that individual license holders, on shift in the capacity of senior reactor operators (SRO), met the medical prerequisites required for holding a license prior to performing the duties of a licensed operator.

On one occasion in August 2009, a person performed as an SRO during three watches with a license “that was not appropriately conditioned to require that corrective lenses be worn.” In the second incident, a different SRO performed licensed operator duties 52 times between April 1, 2009, and July 22, 2009 - after the deadline for his biennial (every two years) medical examination.

Upon discovery, plant owner PPL removed both individuals from watch-standing duties pending follow-up medical evaluations.

The latest NRC report does not mention any possible civil penalty for the level IV violation.

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