NRC Fines TVA More Than $600,000 for Discrimination Violations; Cites Two Managers for Their Roles

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release
No: 20-042 August 25, 2020
CONTACT: Scott Burnell, 301-415-8200

NRC Fines TVA More Than $600,000 for Discrimination Violations; Cites Two Managers for Their Roles

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has issued a $606,942 civil penalty to the Tennessee Valley Authority, an order prohibiting a senior TVA executive from NRC-licensed activities for five years, and a Notice of Violation to another TVA manager.

The enforcement actions stem from NRC investigations finding that two former TVA employees were subjected to adverse actions after raising concerns about a chilled work environment in which employees are less likely to report safety issues for fear of reprisal.

The NRC found that TVA’s former vice president of regulatory affairs and former director of corporate nuclear licensing violated the NRC’s employee protection rule and engaged in deliberate misconduct. The NRC is prohibiting the former vice president of regulatory affairs from any involvement in NRC-licensed activities for five years, since he was a decisionmaker for the adverse employee actions. The NRC is issuing a Notice of Violation to the former director of corporate nuclear licensing.

The NRC staff continues to review and inspect work environment issues and TVA’s corrective actions at the utility’s corporate office and its three nuclear power plants (Browns Ferry, Sequoyah and Watts Bar). As stated in the most recent annual assessment of Watts Bar, the NRC staff has determined that TVA has made progress in addressing these issues.

TVA and the two individuals have 30 days to respond to the NRC’s enforcement actions.

20-042.pdf

NRC Names New Senior Resident Inspector at Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Plant

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release
No: I-20-017 August 18, 2020
Contact: Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331

NRC Names New Senior Resident Inspector at Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has selected Gwynne Eatmon as the new senior resident inspector at the Beaver Valley nuclear power plant in Shippingport, Pa.

Eatmon joined the NRC in 2011 as a reactor inspector as part of the agency’s Nuclear Safety Professional Development Program in the Region IV Office in Arlington, Texas. Upon completion of the program, she worked as a reactor inspector in the Region IV Division of Reactor Safety, conducting inspections at operating nuclear power plants.

In 2014, she began serving as the resident inspector at the North Anna nuclear power plant near Mineral, Va. More recently, she was the acting senior resident inspector at the Vogtle nuclear power plant near Augusta, Ga.

Eatmon holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from New Mexico State University.

Each U.S. commercial nuclear power plant has at least two NRC resident inspectors, who serve as the agency’s eyes and ears at the facility, conducting inspections, monitoring significant work projects and interacting with plant workers and the public.

20-017.i.pdf

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 - Integrated Inspection Report 05000387/2020002 and 05000388/2020002

 Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 - Integrated Inspection Report 05000387/2020002 and 05000388/2020002

​​​​​​​ADAMS Accession No.  ML20224A179
SUS2020_002.pdf

Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station: Major Loss of Emergency Preparedness Capabilities

 Peach Bottom - LOSS OF TECHNICAL SUPPORT CENTER VENTILATION SYSTEM

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

Event Reports For
8/11/2020 - 8/12/2020

** EVENT NUMBERS **

54829

Power Reactor	Event Number: 54829
Facility: Peach Bottom Region: 1     State: PA Unit: [2] [3] [] RX Type: [2] GE-4,[3] GE-4 NRC Notified By: John Whelan HQ OPS Officer: Brian P. Smith	Notification Date: 08/11/2020 Notification Time: 20:22 [ET] Event Date: 08/11/2020 Event Time: 13:34 [EDT] Last Update Date: 08/11/2020
Emergency Class: Non Emergency 10 CFR Section: 50.72(b)(3)(xiii) - Loss Comm/Asmt/Response	Person (Organization): MEL GRAY (R1DO)

Unit

SCRAM Code

RX Crit

Initial PWR

Initial RX Mode

Current PWR

Current RX Mode

2

N

Y

97

Power Operation

97

Power Operation

3

N

Y

100

Power Operation

100

Power Operation

Event Text

LOSS OF TECHNICAL SUPPORT CENTER VENTILATION SYSTEM "At 1334 EDT on Tuesday August 11th, the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station (PBAPS) Technical Support Center (TSC) Ventilation System lost power due to a trip of the Station Blackout (SBO) electric power supply breaker. The trip was due to a fault at the Conowingo Dam and Conowingo was not able to realign electric power to the SBO within an hour. Power restoration is complete and TSC Ventilation was restored at 1725 EDT. "This report is being submitted pursuant to 10CFR 50.72(b)(3)(xiii) as a Major Loss of Emergency Preparedness Capabilities due to a reduction in the effectiveness of the Onsite Technical Support Center (TSC). "The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified."

 

Beaver Valley - RFO Summary Report

 Hello Eric,

This docketed today.  

See page three for CRDM coming attractions nozzle 27 & 37.

N2

MJK

ML20213B897

https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML20213B897 

Document Title:

Beaver Valley Power Station, Unit No. 2 - Twenty-First Refueling Outage lnservice Inspection Summary Report

Document Type:

Inservice/Preservice Inspection and Test Report
Letter

Document Date:

07/28/2020

Beaver Valley Inspection Hardship

Dear Beaver Valley Trackers,

Hardship at Beaver Valley so they request deferral of Inspections.

This Smells.
N2
MJK

ML20206K865

https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML20206K865 

Document Title:
Beaver Valley Power Station, Unit 2 - Relief Requests 2-TYP-4-RV-06 and 2-TYP-4-RV-07 from the Requirements of the ASME Code (EPID L-2020-LLR-0053 and EPID L-2020-LLR-0054 [COVID-19])

Document Type:

Code Relief or Alternative
Letter
Safety Evaluation

Document Date

08/07/2020

Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3 - Audit Plan Regarding License Amendment Request to Implement Riskinformed Extended Completion Times (L-2020-LLA-0120)

Subject:  Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3 - Audit Plan Regarding License Amendment Request to Implement Riskinformed  Extended Completion Times (L-2020-LLA-0120)

ADAMS Accession No. ML20217L346

ML20217L346.pdf

Oversight of Security at Decommissioning Reactors

https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML20217L683

Document Title:

OIG-17-A-09-Status of Recommendations: Audit of NRC'S Oversight of Security at Decommissioning Reactors dated August 4, 2020.

Document Type:

Memoranda

Document Date:

08/04/2020

https://riseup.net/lists>

Fire Protection During Decommissioning

ML20078K925

https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML20078K925 

Document Title:

Regulatory Analysis for DG-1370 proposed Revision 1 of Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.191, Titled, Fire Protection Program for Nuclear Power Plants During Decommissioning

Document Type: 

Fire Protection Plan

Regulatory Analysis

Document Date:

08/05/2020

NRC to Hold Webinars Seeking Public Comment on Updating Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Renewing Reactor Licenses

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release

No: 20-040 August 4, 2020

CONTACT: Scott Burnell, 301-415-8200

NRC to Hold Webinars Seeking Public Comment on Updating Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Renewing Reactor Licenses

Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hear the public’s views on updating the Generic Environmental Impact Statement used by the agency when considering applications to renew operating reactor licenses.

NRC staff will consider written comments on the updated GEIS scoping process until Nov. 2, following the publication of a notice in the Federal Register. Include Docket ID NRC-2020-0175 with your comment, via the regulations.gov website. The notice includes details for participating in webinars Aug. 19 and Aug. 27, with two sessions each day from 1:30-4 p.m. and from 6:30-9 p.m. to discuss the GEIS process and gather input.

The GEIS covers environmental topics relevant to all nuclear power plant licensees seeking renewed licenses. The NRC is reviewing the document to re-evaluate potential impacts and apply what the agency has learned during previous license renewals. The agency will consider whether to modify, add to, consolidate, or delete any of the 78 environmental issues currently evaluated in the GEIS.

The NRC is particularly interested in comments in several areas, including greenhouse gas emissions, groundwater quality degradation, the impact of new reactors on existing reactor license renewals, and the consideration of small modular or advanced reactor license renewals.

20-040.pdf