[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 15 (Wednesday, January 23, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4016-4019]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1079]



[[Page 4016]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-361, 50-362, 50-206, 72-041; License Nos. NPF-10, NPF-
15, DPR-13, General License Pursuant to 10 CFR 72.210 EA-07-232]


In the Matter of Southern California Edison Company, San Onofre 
Nuclear Generating Station; Confirmatory Order (Effective Immediately)

    Southern California Edison Company (SCE or Licensee) is the holder 
of reactor operating licenses, License Nos. NPF-10 and NPF-15, issued 
by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission), pursuant to 
10 CFR Part 50, on September 07, 1982, and September 16, 1983, 
respectively. The licenses authorize the operation of San Onofre 
Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) Units 2 and 3, respectively, in 
accordance with conditions specified therein. In addition, SCE is the 
holder of License No. DPR-13, which authorizes decommissioning of its 
Unit 1 facility; and SCE is the holder of a General License Pursuant to 
10 CFR 72.210, which authorizes the storage of spent fuel in an 
independent spent fuel storage installation. These facilities are 
located on the Licensee's site in San Clemente, CA. This Confirmatory 
Order is the result of an agreement reached during an alternative 
dispute resolution (ADR) mediation session conducted on December 3, 
2007.

II

    On January 9, 2007, the NRC Office of Investigations (OI) began an 
investigation (OI No. 4-2007-016) at SONGS. As a result of the staff's 
review of the information, the NRC was concerned that a qualified 
contract fire protection specialist appeared to have engaged in 
deliberate misconduct. Specifically, on multiple occasions from April 
2001 to December 2006, the fire protection specialist appeared to 
provide inaccurate information on firewatch records to indicate that 
hourly firewatch rounds had been completed when they had not been 
completed.
    The NRC's preliminary findings were discussed in a letter to SCE 
dated September 27, 2007. That letter identified an apparent violation 
of 10 CFR 50.9 that was being considered for escalated enforcement 
action, and identified the NRC's concern that the fire protection 
specialist's actions may have involved willfulness in the form of 
deliberate misconduct. The NRC's assessment concluded that the missed 
firewatch rounds, absent willfulness, have very low safety significance 
based on a bounding risk analysis, as discussed in our September 27, 
2007, letter. However, the NRC was considering escalated enforcement in 
this case because the apparent violation involved willfulness and 
because of the lack of management oversight over firewatches during the 
midnight shifts for a period of approximately 5\1/2\ years.
    Both SONGS and the NRC noted that the NRC has substantiated several 
instances of willful violations at SONGS in the past year.
    (1) On November 1, 2006, one SL IV NCV (licensee-identified) was 
issued to SONGS involving a radiographer who deliberately failed to 
follow a Radiation Work Permit (EA-06-084).
    (2) On March 15, 2007, two SL IV cited violations were issued 
involving security-related information that is not publicly available 
(EA-06-303).
    (3) On June 29, 2007, one SL IV cited violation was issued 
involving security-related information that is not publicly available 
(EA-07-147).
    (4) On November 7, 2007, one SL IV cited violation was issued 
involving an I&C technician who willfully failed to control the work 
activities of an unqualified I&C technician when performing work on 
safety-related equipment, resulting in inoperability (EA-07-141).
    In addition, OI is investigating other instances of willful 
violations. In an attempt to resolve the issue you requested ADR with 
the NRC. ADR is a general term encompassing various techniques for 
resolving conflict outside of court using a neutral third party. The 
technique that the NRC has decided to employ is mediation. In 
requesting ADR, SCE noted the high number of substantiated willful 
violations that have been identified at SONGS during such a short time 
period, and SCE expressed its concern that SONGS might have an issue 
related to its safety culture.
    On December 3, 2007, the NRC and SCE met in an ADR session mediated 
by a professional mediator, arranged through Cornell University's 
Institute on Conflict Resolution. At the conclusion of the ADR session, 
SCE and the NRC reached an Agreement in Principle. This Confirmatory 
Order is issued pursuant to the agreement reached during the ADR 
process.

III

    During the December 3, 2007, ADR session, a preliminary settlement 
agreement was reached. Pursuant to the ADR agreement, the following are 
the terms and conditions agreed upon in principle by SCE and the NRC 
relating to the issues described in the NRC's letter to SCE dated 
September 27, 2007.
    Whereas, the NRC and SCE agree that a contract firewatch person 
deliberately failed to perform firewatch rounds and falsified 
associated documentation as described in EA-07-232 dated September 27, 
2007.
    Whereas, the NRC and SCE agree that an I&C on-the-job trainer 
willfully did not adequately control the actions of a trainee as 
described in EA-07-141 dated November 7, 2007.
    Whereas, the NRC and SCE agree that several apparent willful 
violations have occurred from 2005 to present that may involve safety 
culture issues.
    The following are the specific actions that were agreed upon.
    1. By January 31, 2008, SCE will perform a common cause evaluation 
of known recent events, actually or potentially involving willful 
events to determine the root and contributing causes for the collective 
issues. This evaluation will include an analysis to determine if any 
deficiencies of safety culture components were significant 
contributors. The results of this evaluation will be factored into the 
Corrective Action Program and addressed in other ongoing related 
efforts, as appropriate.
    2. By February 29, 2008, SCE will provide the NRC with a Corrective 
Action Plan that includes the results of Item 1 and provides the 
following key elements:
    a. A monitoring program to determine the effectiveness of the 
Corrective Action Plan developed pursuant to this Item 2.
    b. By June 30, 2008, SCE will conduct multi-day interventions that 
reinforce fundamental company values. SONGS will ensure that this 
effort includes the elements of a strong nuclear safety culture to 
prevent deliberate misconduct-related violation issues. The intent of 
the interventions will be to focus leaders and managers on the 
importance of balancing accountability and encouraging workers to self-
report errors and the importance of communicating this to their 
workers.
    c. SCE will expand the Corporate Ethics Program to encompass long-
term (i.e., greater than 90 days) managers and supervisors of 
independent contract workers at SONGS, who will be required to take the 
integrity training in 2008. SCE will conduct training for SONGS 
managers and supervisors in 2008 and other SCE SONGS employees in 2009.
    d. SCE will conduct a safety culture assessment by an independent 
outside organization by April 1, 2008, that will provide trends of key 
cultural performance indicators related at a minimum, to: (a) Nuclear 
Safety Culture

[[Page 4017]]

and Performance, (b) Safety Conscious Work Environment (c) General 
Culture and Work Environment. By June 30, 2008, the results of this 
assessment will be factored into the Corrective Action Program and 
addressed in other ongoing related efforts, as appropriate.
    e. By April 1, 2008, SCE will further enhance the new employee 
orientation and the general employee training programs to better ensure 
that new and periodically retrained personnel clearly understand that 
deliberate acts of non-compliance with regulations or procedures will 
not be tolerated and could result in a significant disciplinary action 
up to and including termination.
    f. By September 30, 2008, SCE will develop and begin conducting 
training (for managers and supervisors) on techniques that can be used 
to monitor that workers are implementing procedures as instructed.
    g. By April 1, 2008, SCE will enhance its existing disciplinary 
process to provide more detailed guidance in cases involving a 
deliberate misconduct-related violation. This process will communicate 
to the workforce specific escalating disciplinary actions that may be 
taken in response to initial and/or repeat deliberate misconduct by 
individual contributors and supervisors/managers. Communication of 
process enhancements will focus personnel on the importance of 
balancing accountability and encouraging workers to self-report errors 
and the importance of communicating this with their workers.
    h. By April 1, 2008, SCE will revise the SONGS training lesson for 
On-the-Job Training (OJT) trainers and provide this training to all OJT 
trainers and trainees. The revised OJT training will reinforce the 
responsibilities of the trainer and the trainees. Emphasis will be 
placed on the expectations of a trainer while his/her trainee is 
performing work during an OJT session.
    i. SCE will take steps to incentivize on-site service contractors 
to help SCE address the issues that have resulted in deliberate 
misconduct-related violations. If SCE is unable to negotiate acceptable 
programs by a particular contractor, then SCE will impose additional 
oversight to ensure the performance of the contractor and its personnel 
meets specified criteria.
    j. By April 1, 2008, SCE will incorporate into the SONGS oversight 
surveillance program, periodic sampling of repetitive rounds and log-
keeping activities to provide reasonable assurance that actions to 
deter and detect instances of deliberate non-compliance are effective. 
This oversight will include sampling of SCE and contractor activities.
    k. SCE will use multiple site-wide communication tools (e.g., ``All 
Hands'' meetings, monthly ``Manager and Supervisor Forum'' meetings, 
and written communications) to emphasize to employees and contractors 
at SONGS the need to comply with job rules, regulations, and procedures 
and potential consequences when compliance does not occur.
    l. Upon completion of the terms of the Confirmatory Action Order, 
SCE will provide the NRC with a letter discussing its basis for 
concluding that the Order has been satisfied.
    For the period of 6 months following issuance of this Order, the 
NRC will grant enforcement discretion if it concludes that the 
provisions of Section VII.B.4 of the Enforcement Policy have been met. 
Similar violations identified after this 6-month period may be 
actionable under the NRC Enforcement Policy.
    Based on the above actions, the NRC agrees to refrain from issuing 
a civil penalty or a Notice of Violation for EA 07-232. The resulting 
Confirmatory Order will, however, be considered by the NRC for any 
assessment of SONGS plant performance under the NRC's Reactor Oversight 
Process, as appropriate.
    By 30 days after issuance of the Order, SCE will provide to the NRC 
under separate letter its response to the three issues addressed by the 
NRC in its letter dated September 27, 2007, (EA 07-232) and for NRC 
letter dated November 7, 2007, (EA 07-141), the extent to which 
trainers may fail to follow the procedural requirements of Section 
6.3.2 of SONGS Training Procedure SO123-XV-27.
    On January 8, 2008, SCE consented to issuing this Order with the 
commitments, as described in Section V below. SCE further agreed that 
this Order is to be effective upon issuance and that it has waived its 
right to a hearing.

IV

    Since SCE has agreed to take additional actions to address NRC 
concerns, as set forth in Section III above, the NRC has concluded that 
its concerns can be resolved through issuance of this Order.
    I find that the Licensee's commitments as set forth in Section V 
are acceptable and necessary and conclude that with these commitments 
the public health and safety are reasonably assured. In view of the 
foregoing, I have determined that public health and safety require that 
the Licensee's commitments be confirmed by this Order. Based on the 
above and the Licensee's consent, this Order is immediately effective 
upon issuance.

V

    Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 104, 161b, 161i, 161o, 182, and 
186 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, the Commission's 
regulations in 10 CFR 2.202, and 10 CFR Parts 50 and 72, it is hereby 
ordered, effective immediately, that license NOs. NPF-10, NPF-15, and 
DPR-13, and SCE's General License Pursuant to 10 CFR 72.210, are 
modified as follows:
    1. By January 31, 2008, SCE will perform a common cause evaluation 
of known recent events, actually or potentially involving willful 
events to determine the root and contributing causes for the collective 
issues. This evaluation will include an analysis to determine if any 
deficiencies of safety culture components, as defined by NRC's 
Inspection Manual Chapter (IMC) 0305, ``Operating Reactor Assessment 
Program,'' were significant contributors. The results of this 
evaluation will be factored into the Corrective Action Program and 
addressed in other ongoing related efforts, as appropriate.
    2. By February 29, 2008, SCE will provide the NRC with a Corrective 
Action Plan that includes the results of Item 1 and provides the 
following key elements:
    a. A monitoring program to determine the effectiveness of the 
Corrective Action Plan developed pursuant to this Item 2.
    b. By June 30, 2008, SCE will conduct multi-day interventions that 
reinforce fundamental company values. SONGS will ensure that this 
effort includes the elements of a strong nuclear safety culture to 
prevent deliberate violations. The intent of the interventions will be 
to focus leaders and managers on the importance of balancing 
accountability and encouraging workers to self-report errors and the 
importance of communicating this to their workers.
    c. SCE will expand the Corporate Ethics Program to encompass long-
term (i.e., greater than 90 days) managers and supervisors of 
independent contract workers at SONGS, who will be required to take the 
integrity training in 2008. SCE will conduct training for SONGS 
managers and supervisors in 2008 and other SCE SONGS employees in 2009.
    d. SCE will conduct a safety culture assessment by an independent 
third-party organization by April 1, 2008. By June 30, 2008, the 
results of this assessment will be factored into the Corrective Action 
Program and

[[Page 4018]]

addressed in other ongoing related efforts, as appropriate.
    e. By April 1, 2008, SCE will further enhance the new employee 
orientation and the general employee training programs to better ensure 
that new and periodically retrained personnel clearly understand that 
deliberate acts of non-compliance with regulations or procedures will 
not be tolerated and could result in a significant disciplinary action 
up to and including termination.
    f. By September 30, 2008, SCE will develop and begin conducting 
training (for managers and supervisors) on techniques that can be used 
to monitor that workers are implementing procedures as instructed.
    g. By April 1, 2008, SCE will enhance its existing disciplinary 
process to provide more detailed guidance in cases involving a 
deliberate misconduct-related violation. This process will communicate 
to the workforce specific escalating disciplinary actions that may be 
taken in response to initial and/or repeat deliberate misconduct by 
individual contributors and supervisors/managers. Communication of 
process enhancements will focus personnel on the importance of 
balancing accountability and encouraging workers to self-report errors 
and the importance of communicating this with their workers.
    h. By April 1, 2008, SCE will revise the SONGS training lesson for 
OJT trainers and provide this training to all OJT trainers and 
trainees. The revised OJT training will reinforce the responsibilities 
of the trainer and the trainees. Emphasis will be placed on the 
expectations of a trainer while his/her trainee is performing work 
during an OJT session.
    i. SCE will take steps to develop and implement incentives for on-
site service contractors to help SCE address the issues that have 
resulted in deliberate misconduct-related violations. If SCE is unable 
to negotiate acceptable programs by a particular contractor, then SCE 
will impose additional oversight to ensure the performance of the 
contractor and its personnel meets specified criteria.
    j. By April 1, 2008, SCE will incorporate into the SONGS oversight 
surveillance program, periodic sampling of repetitive rounds and log 
keeping activities to provide reasonable assurance that actions to 
deter and detect instances of deliberate non-compliance are effective. 
This oversight will include sampling of SCE and contractor activities.
    k. SCE will use multiple site-wide communication tools to emphasize 
to employees and contractors at SONGS the need to comply with job 
rules, regulations, and procedures and potential consequences when 
compliance does not occur.
    l. Upon completion of the terms of the Confirmatory Action Order, 
SCE will provide the NRC with a letter discussing its basis for 
concluding that the Order has been satisfied.
    3. By 30 days after issuance of the order, SCE will provide to the 
NRC under separate letter its response to the three issues addressed by 
the NRC in its letter dated September 27, 2007 (EA 07-232) and for NRC 
letter dated November 7, 2007 (EA 07-141), the extent to which trainers 
may fail to follow the procedural requirements of Section 6.3.2 of 
SONGS Training Procedure SO123-XV-27.
    For the period of 6 months following issuance of this Order, the 
NRC will grant enforcement discretion if it concludes that the 
provisions of Section VII.B.4 of the Enforcement Policy have been met. 
Similar violations identified after this 6-month period may be 
actionable under the NRC Enforcement Policy.
    Based on the above actions, the NRC agrees to refrain from issuing 
a civil penalty or a Notice of Violation for EA 07-232. The resulting 
Confirmatory Order will, however, be considered by the NRC for any 
assessment of SONGS plant performance under the NRC's Reactor Oversight 
Process, as appropriate.
    The Regional Administrator, NRC Region IV, may relax or rescind, in 
writing, any of the above conditions upon a showing by SCE of good 
cause.

VI

    Any person adversely affected by this Confirmatory Order, other 
than SCE, may request a hearing within 20 days of its issuance. Where 
good cause is shown, consideration will be given to extending the time 
to answer or request a hearing. A request for extension of time must be 
made in writing to the Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, and include a statement of good cause for the 
extension.
    A request for a hearing must be filed in accordance with the NRC E-
Filing rule, which the NRC promulgated in August, 2007, 72 FR 49,139 
(Aug. 28, 2007). The E-Filing process requires participants to submit 
and serve documents over the internet or, in some cases, to mail copies 
on electronic optical storage media. Participants may not submit paper 
copies of their filings unless they seek a waiver in accordance with 
the procedures described below.
    To comply with the procedural requirements associated with E-
Filing, at least five (5) days prior to the filing deadline the 
requestor must contact the Office of the Secretary by e-mail at 
[email protected], or by calling (301) 415-1677, to request (1) a 
digital ID certificate, which allows the participant (or its counsel or 
representative) to digitally sign documents and access the E-Submittal 
server for any NRC proceeding in which it is participating; and/or (2) 
creation of an electronic docket for the proceeding (even in instances 
when the requestor (or its counsel or representative) already holds an 
NRC-issued digital ID certificate). Each requestor will need to 
download the Workplace Forms ViewerTM to access the 
Electronic Information Exchange (EIE), a component of the E-Filing 
system. The Workplace Forms ViewerTM is free and is 
available at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/install-viewer.html. Information about applying for a digital ID certificate 
also is available on NRC's public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/apply-certificates.html.
    Once a requestor has obtained a digital ID certificate, had a 
docket created, and downloaded the EIE viewer, it can then submit a 
request for a hearing through EIE. Submissions should be in Portable 
Document Format (PDF) in accordance with NRC guidance available on the 
NRC public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html. 
A filing is considered complete at the time the filer submits its 
document through EIE. To be timely, electronic filings must be 
submitted to the EIE system no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on 
the due date. Upon receipt of a transmission, the E-Filing system time-
stamps the document and sends the submitter an e-mail notice confirming 
receipt of the document. The EIE system also distributes an e-mail 
notice that provides access to the document to the NRC Office of the 
General Counsel and any others who have advised the Office of the 
Secretary that they wish to participate in the proceeding, so that the 
filer need not serve the document on those participants separately. 
Therefore, any others who wish to participate in the proceeding (or 
their counsel or representative) must apply for and receive a digital 
ID certificate before a hearing request is filed so that they may 
obtain access to the document via the E-Filing system.
    A person filing electronically may seek assistance through the 
``Contact Us'' link located on the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html or by calling the NRC technical help line, 
which is available

[[Page 4019]]

between 8:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. 
The help line number is (800) 397-4209 or locally, (301) 415-4737.
    Participants who believe that they have good cause for not 
submitting documents electronically must file a motion, in accordance 
with 10 CFR 2.302(g), with their initial paper filing requesting 
authorization to continue to submit documents in paper format. Such 
filings must be submitted by (1) first class mail addressed to the 
Office of the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemaking and 
Adjudications Staff; or (2) courier, express mail, or expedited 
delivery service to the Office of the Secretary, Sixteenth Floor, One 
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville, Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852, 
Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff. Participants filing a 
document in this manner are responsible for serving the document on all 
other participants. Filing is considered complete by first-class mail 
as of the time of deposit in the mail, or by courier, express mail, or 
expedited delivery service upon depositing the document with the 
provider of the service.
    Documents submitted in adjudicatory proceedings will appear in 
NRC's electronic hearing docket which is available to the public at 
http://ehd.nrc.gov/EHD_Proceeding/home.asp, unless excluded pursuant 
to an order of the Commission, an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, or 
a Presiding Officer. Participants are requested not to include personal 
privacy information, such as social security numbers, home addresses, 
or home phone numbers in their filings. With respect to copyrighted 
works, except for limited excerpts that serve the purpose of the 
adjudicatory filings and would constitute a Fair Use application, 
Participants are requested not to include copyrighted materials in 
their works.
    If a person other than SCE requests a hearing, that person shall 
set forth with particularity the manner in which his interest is 
adversely affected by this Order and shall address the criteria set 
forth in 10 CFR 2.309(d).
    If a hearing is requested by a person whose interest is adversely 
affected, the Commission will issue an Order designating the time and 
place of any hearing. If a hearing is held, the issue to be considered 
at such hearing shall be whether this Confirmatory Order should be 
sustained. An answer or a request for hearing shall not stay the 
immediate effectiveness of this order.

    Dated this 11th day of January, 2008.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Elmo E. Collins,
Regional Administrator.
 [FR Doc. E8-1079 Filed 1-22-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P