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NRC NEWS Office of Public Affairs, Region I E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov Site: http://www.nrc.gov |
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No.
I-07-061 Contact: Diane Screnci, 610/337-5330 Neil Sheehan, 610/337-5331 |
Nov. 27, 2007 |
NRC CITES
FORMER SUSQUEHANNA NUCLEAR PLANT OPERATOR
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has cited a
former control room operator at the Susquehanna nuclear power plant for a
violation of agency requirements that occurred in 2006. The violation stems
from a failure by the operator to report an off-site arrest as required under
the procedures for the plant, which is located in
As part of the enforcement action – the details
of which were determined through the NRC’s Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADRS)
process – the individual is required to take several actions, including writing
a report that will discuss lessons learned from the event. The report is to be
submitted to at least three national organizations for possible publication.
A letter sent to the former operator by the NRC
regarding the enforcement action reminds him that “you held a license from the
United States government that conferred upon you the special trust and
confidence of the American people in the safe operation of nuclear facilities
and placed you in the position where your performance is expected to be above
reproach. This included, as an NRC Senior Reactor Operator license-holder, your
responsibility to follow all licensee procedures to ensure protection of the
public health and safety, and to set an example for those under your supervision.
Your actions on June 27, 2006, did not meet those standards.”
The individual involved, a Senior Reactor
Operator, was arrested on June 19, 2006, for driving under the influence of
alcohol. Under plant procedures, he was required to report the arrest to PPL
upon his first day back at work, which was June 27, 2006. He also reported for
work several times thereafter without reporting the arrest. The arrest
subsequently came to light and the operator had his site access suspended on
July 24, 2006. He was later dismissed by the company and his operating license
was terminated by the NRC.
An investigation into the matter was initiated
by the NRC’s Office of Investigations on Aug. 4, 2006, that substantiated the
procedure violation.
Subsequent to the identification of the
violation, the individual took several actions on his own to demonstrate he had
learned from the event, including attending substance abuse counseling and
entering into the state’s Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition Program, which
included participating in education awareness and community service.
In a letter sent to the former operator on July
2, 2007, the individual was informed about the investigation results and
offered the opportunity to attend either a Predecisional Enforcement Conference
or to request the use of Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR). The individual
opted for ADR, which, in this context, refers to a process in which a neutral
mediator with no decision-making authority assists the NRC and license-holders
in reaching an agreement resolving any differences regarding an enforcement
action. Toward that end, an ADR mediation session between the NRC and the
former operator took place on Sept. 27, 2007, at the agency’s Region I Office
in
As a result of that session, a settlement
agreement was reached. The terms have now been confirmed by the NRC via a
Confirmatory Order issued to the individual. Under that agreement, the NRC and
the former operator agree that a willful violation of regulatory requirements
occurred, since the failure to promptly notify plant management of the arrest
violated the facility’s fitness-for-duty/behavior observation program, which is
required by the NRC. The NRC is issuing a Severity Level III Notice of Violation
to the individual.
Other elements of the agreement include:
● The former operator will write an
operating experience report that will address lessons learned from this
violation. It will include a discussion of meeting the intent of procedures as
part of procedural adherence.
● He will provide the NRC a copy of the
report for review and submit it to a minimum of three national organizations
for possible publication, including the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations
and the Nuclear Energy Institute.
● He will submit a written response to the
NRC explaining the reasons why the agency can have confidence in his ability to
follow plant procedures and meet NRC regulations should he work in the nuclear
industry in the future.
● He will prepare a training plan for
licensed and non-licensed operator training at the Susquehanna plant regarding
procedural adherence as it relates to meeting the intent of procedures and the
lessons learned from the circumstances involved in the violation.
● He will inform the NRC before resuming
work involving activities licensed by the agency.
● The actions will be completed within 3
months after the issuance of the Confirmatory Order. In addition, the former
operator will send the NRC a letter within 30 days of completion of the actions
to provide notification they are done.
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