IR 05000029/1992010

Insp Rept 50-029/92-10 on 921104-06.One Open Items Noted. Major Areas Inspected:Contamination Monitoring of Guardhouse,Postings & Other Controls,Radiological Control of Work in Progress & Organization & Staffing

ML20127H408
Person / Time
Site:	Yankee Rowe
Issue date:	11/23/1992
From:	Chawaga D, Joseph Nick, Pasciak W NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:
Shared Package
ML20127H394	List: IR 05000029/1992010 ML20127H391
References
50-029-92-10, 50-29-92-10, NUDOCS 9301220318
Download: ML20127H408 (4)

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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION 1 Report Nos. 50-029/92-10 Docket Nos.10-022 License Nos. DPR-03 Category C Licensee: Yankee Atomic Electric Company 580 Main Street ilotton. Massachusetts 01740-1398 Facility Name: .YJmkee Nuclear Power Station Inspection At: Rowe. Massachusetts inspection Period: November 4 - 6.1992 Inspector: 1e _

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11- 2 * -3L D. ChawaM, Senior Radiation Specialist - Date -

Facilities Radiation Protection Section inspector: I~c n[20/e/2 J.' Nick, .lRadiatiUn Specialist Date'

Facilitifs Radiation Protection Section

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- Approved byi ). 6c d li' 23 - $ L -

W. Pasciak, Chief Date -

Facilities Radiation Protection Section Areas insnected: _ Contamination- monitoring at the guardhouse, postings and Wher controls observed during facility tours, radiological control of work in progress, and organizatie and staffing. Special emphasis was placed on radiological controls established for control rod bla&

cutting and crushing activities in the spent fuel pool, Results: Overall, good performance was observed in the area of radiological controls. The only NRC open item in the radiological controls area was closed during the inspection. This item-involved the setpoint for the guardhouse radiation monitor. Postings and other radiological controls were maintained in accordance with NRC requirements. No weaknesses were noted in health physics staffing and support of work in progress. Within the scope of this inspection, no radiological safety concerns or violations of regulatory requirements were identifie o 9301220318 921123 9 PDR .ADOCK 0500 ___ _ . "

'x _y-e DETAILS Persons Contacted Yankee Atomic Electric Company

• G. llabineau, Radiation Protection hianager

• R. Williams, Operations Support hianager

• ht. Schuster, Quality Assurance

• M. Desilets, Radiation Protection Engineer -

=M. Vandale, Radiation Protection Engineer

• T. Henderson, Assistant Plant Superintendent

• N. St. Laurent, Plant Superintendent NRC Personnel

• N. Perry, Resident Inspector -

• W. Pasciak, Chief, Facilities Radiation Protection Section

• Denotes attendance at the Exit Meetin .0 Purnose The purpose of this unannounced inspection was to assess the licensee's radiological controls program during shutdown. Program elements reviewed included contamination monitoring at the guardhouse, postings and other controls observed during facility tours, radiological control -

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of work in progress, and organization and staffing. Special emphasis was placed on radiological controls established for control rod blade cutting and crushing activities in the spent fuel poo . Ereviously Identified Item. Guardhouse Monitor Set Point Closed, IFI 92-07-0 The licensee has reviewed the alarm set point of the personnel contaminr+ ion portal monitor in the guardhouse. According to licensee personnel, the guardhouse monitor was not intended to serve as a sensitive frisking device. _ A comprehensive' survey of all potentially contaminated i personnel and materials was performed at the exit from the RCA. Although the alarm set point on the guardhouse monitor corresponded to an activity reading of approximately 1 million-l disintegrations per minute, licensee personnel concluded that lowering the set point was not -

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practical. It was determined that fluctuations.-in background radiation _ levels would cause L excessive spurious false alarms of the monitor. The inspectors concluded that set ' point ~ -

E modification was not required by NRC regulations. This item is closed.

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3 Facility Tours l The inspectors toured the vapor containment (VC) building, spent fuel pool area, auxiliary ,

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building, and radioactive waste processing and packaging areas. Exposure rates were measured by the inspectors in many areas visited during plant tours. Postings were concise, informative 3 and in compliance with 10 CFR 20.203. Workers were knowledgeable of the radiation hazards present and practiced measures to reduce their radiation exposure. Locked High Radiation Areas l a

were secured in accordance with Technical Specification requirements. The' inspectors accompanied a work party to a remote High Radiation Area within the lowest level in the V The entry was made in accordance with Technical Specifbation requirements and no weaknesses

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were noted in ALARA practices observe Housekeeping was adequately maintained throughout the facility. Strippable coating had been applied to much of the readily accessible areas within the VC. The coating reduced loose

surface contamination levels to less than 2,000 dpm/100 cm . The entire VC, with the exception of a small area near the personnel airlock, was controlled as a contamination area. Strippable coating was also applied to cubicles within the auxiliary building that climinated the need for protective clothing in many of those area .0 Survey of Highly Irradiated Reactor Comoonents Surveys were performed on several highly activated reactor components such as control rod absorber sections, control rod follower sections, shim rods, drive shafts, bolts, and the reactor vessel. Dose profiles were well documented for all surveyed components. Licensee personnel were in the process of developing activity estimates for each component based on measured -

exposure rates, calculated neutron fluence and material composition. Activity calculations were --

being prepared with the assistance of the corporate Yankee Atomic Energy Laboratory (YAEL)

in preparation for transportation and disposal of these component .0 Control Rod Cutting Work Initial planning efforts associated with the control rod blade disposal project had been developed with a strong emphasis placed on radiological safety. Strictjob coverage ' controls were planned for removal of any item from the spent fuel pool. Requirements for decontamination of items prior to and during removal from the pool were established. Due to the possibility of hot particles, the establishment of hot particle control zone ~s was planned. Provisions for frequent survey of material and monitoring of personnel were incorporated in the work plan, The inspector observed the pre-job briefing for personnel involved in the control rod cutting j i work. The work was being performed by contractor personnel and plant personnel. The '

inspector observed preparation of the work area in the spent fuel building and placement of the a ,.

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underwater saw and Glter. The licensee demonstrated good radiological planning, precautions, and controls especially when removing items from the spent fuel poo .0 StafHng Levels The licensee has experienced a significant reduction in Radiation Protection staffing levels since -

the last inspection. The staff was reduced from 5 professionals and 9 senior technicians, to 2 - 1 professionals and 5 senior technicians. Reductions in staff were commensurate with the decline in scope of radiological work. Licensee personnel plan to augment the staff with contract j

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technicians and YAEL corporate personnel as require y Back-shifLHealth Physics Coverage i The licensee's Technical Specification (TS) 6.2.2.d defined minimum stafGng requirements. The TS required the presence of "an individual qualified in Radiation Protection procedures while _i fuel is on site." As of October 18,1992, Radiation Protection technicians were no longer .

assigned to back-shift coverage. Equipment operators (EOs), who had been task qualified in Radiation Protection piocedures, were responsible for providing basic health physics support on

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j the back-shift. The inspector noted some concerns with the qualiReation of the back-shift EOs_

and the deGnition of allowable radiological work on back-shift.- According to the NRC's Health Physics Position Paper, HPPOS-238, "HPPOS on Task Qualification of HP Technicians", certain 1

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duties should not be authorized to be performed by individuals unless they are fully qualified HP

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Technician The EOs assigned to back-shift do not meet the TS requirements for full _j qualification as an HP Technician. Activities reserved for fully qualified HP Technicians, according to HPPOS 238, included the release of radioactive materials from the RCA, approval of Radiation Work Permits (RWPs), and emergency radiological respons Licensee personnel wrote an internal memorandum (dated 11/6/92) which addressed the cencerns raised during this inspection. The memo documented limitations on work that EOs could perform on back-shift when there are no HP Technicians on _ site. The memorandum detailed issuance and use of survey meters,-how to handle personnel contaminations, unexpected spills, and the limited work that could be performed. This memorandum addressed the concerns raised l by the inspector. No weaknesses or violations were noted in th% are .0 Exit Meeting A meeting was held with licensee representatives at the end of this inspection on November 6, 1991. _The purpose and scope of the inspection were reviewed and the findings of the inspection were discussed in detail at that tim