05000298/FIN-2014005-02
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Finding | |
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| Title | Implementation of Enforcement Guidance Memorandum 11-003, Revision 2, Causes Conditions Prohibited by Technical Specifications |
| Description | During Refueling Outage 28, Cooper Nuclear Station performed Operations with a Potential for Draining the Reactor Vessel (OPDRV) activities while in Mode 5 without an operable secondary containment. An OPDRV is an activity that could result in the draining or siphoning of the reactor pressure vessel water level below the top of fuel, without crediting the use of mitigating measure to terminate the uncovering of fuel. Secondary containment is required by TS 3.6.4.1 to be operable during OPDRV. The required action for this specification is to suspend OPDRV operations. Therefore, entering the OPDRV without establishing secondary containment integrity was considered a condition prohibited by TS as defined by 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(i)(B). The NRC issued Enforcement Guidance Memorandum (EGM) 11-003, Revision 2, on December 13, 2013, to provide guidance on how to disposition boiling water reactor licensee noncompliances with TS containment requirements during OPDRV operations. The NRC considers enforcement discretion related to secondary containment operability during Mode 5 OPDRV activities appropriate because the associated interim actions necessary to receive the discretion ensure an adequate level of safety by requiring licensees immediate actions to: (1) adhere to the NRC plain language meaning of OPDRV activities, (2) meet the requirements which specify the minimum makeup flow rate and water inventory based on OPDRV activities with long drain down times, (3) ensure that adequate defense in depth is maintained to minimize the potential for the release of fission products with secondary containment not operable by (a) monitoring RPV level to identify the onset of a loss of inventory event, (b) maintaining the capability to isolate the potential leakage paths, (c) prohibiting Mode 4 (cold shutdown) OPDRV activities, and (d) prohibiting movement of irradiated fuel with the spent fuel storage pool gates removed in Mode 5, and (4) ensure that licensees follow all other Mode 5 TS requirements for OPDRV activities. The inspectors reviewed this Licensee Event Report for potential performance deficiencies and/or violations of regulatory requirements. The inspectors reviewed the stations implementation of the Enforcement Guidance Memorandum 11-003, Revision 2, during operations with a potential for draining the reactor vessel. Specific observations included: 1. The inspectors observed that the operations with a potential for draining the reactor vessel activities were logged in the control room narrative logs, and that the log entry appropriately recorded the standby source of makeup designated for the evolutions. 2. The inspectors noted that the reactor vessel water level was maintained at least greater than 21 feet above the top of the reactor pressure vessel flange as required by Technical Specification 3.9.6. The inspectors also verified that at least one safety-related pump was the standby source of makeup designed in the control room narrative logs for the evolutions. The inspectors confirmed that the worst case estimated time to drain the reactor cavity to the reactor pressure vessel flange was greater than 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />. 3. The inspectors verified that the operations with a potential for draining the reactor vessels were not conducted in Mode 4 and that the licensee did not move irradiated fuel during the operations with a potential for draining the reactor vessels. The inspectors verified that two independent means of measuring reactor pressure vessel water level were available for identifying the onset of loss of inventory events. Technical Specification 3.6.4.1 requires, in part, that secondary containment shall be operable during operations with a potential for draining the reactor vessel. Technical Specification 3.6.4.1, Condition C, requires the licensee to initiate actions to suspend operations with a potential for draining the reactor vessel immediately when secondary containment is inoperable. Contrary to the above, from October 3, 2014 to October 22, 2014, Cooper Nuclear Station performed operations with a potential for draining the reactor vessel activities while in Mode 5 without an operable secondary containment. Specifically, the station conducted the following seven operations with a potential for draining the reactor vessel activities without an operable secondary containment: Draining reactor recirculation pump without the jet pump plugs fully installed Control rod drive maintenance Removal of jet pump plugs associated with reactor recirculation pump B maintenance Venting the control rod drives Defeating the scram function for two control rod drives and support IVVI inspections Reactor recirculation pump A seal maintenance Control rod drive freeze seal These conditions were reported as conditions prohibited by Technical Specifications. The licensee entered this issue into its corrective action program as Condition Reports CR-CNS-2014-06293. Since this violation occurred during the discretion period described in EGM 11-003, Revision 2, the NRC is exercising enforcement discretion in accordance with Section 3.5, Violations Involving Special Circumstances, of the NRC Enforcement Policy, and, therefore, will not issue enforcement action for this violation. In accordance with EGM 11-003, Revision 2, each licensee that receives discretion must submit a license amendment request within 4 months of the NRC staffs publication in the Federal Register of the notice of availability for a generic change to the standard TS to provide more clarity to the term OPDRV. The Licensee Event Report is closed. |
| Site: | Cooper  |
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| Report | IR 05000298/2014005 Section 4OA3 |
| Date counted | Dec 31, 2014 (2014Q4) |
| Type: | Violation: Severity level Enforcement Discretion |
| cornerstone | Mitigating Systems |
| Identified by: | NRC identified |
| Inspection Procedure: | IP 71153 |
| Inspectors (proximate) | C Henderson E Coffman J Drake J Groom J Josey M Langelier P Elkmann P Hernandez R Azua |
| Violation of: | 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(i)(B), Prohibited by Technical Specifications 10 CFR 50.73 Technical Specification |
| INPO aspect | |
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Finding - Cooper - IR 05000298/2014005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Finding List (Cooper) @ 2014Q4
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