IR 05000124/1981002
| ML20010H228 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000124 |
| Issue date: | 08/17/1981 |
| From: | Butcher R, Julian C NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20010H219 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-124-81-02, 50-124-81-2, NUDOCS 8109240240 | |
| Download: ML20010H228 (7) | |
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UNITED STATES
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101 MARIETTA ST., N.W., SUITE 3100 Q
ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303 s
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Report No. 50-124/81-02 Licensee: Virginina Pclytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA 24050 Facility Name: Nuclear Research Reactor Docket No. 50-124 License No. R-62 Inspector:
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R. C. Butcher, Project Inspector Date Signed Approved by:
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[C. A. Julian, Acting Section Chief, Divieion of Date Signed Resident and Reactor Project Inspection f
SUMMARY Inspection on August 3-7, 1981 Areas Inspected This routine unannounced inspection involved 32 inspector-hours on site in the areas of Procedures, logs and records, requalification training, surveillances, IE Circular followuo, experiments and plant operations.
I Resul ts Of the seven areas inspected, no violations or deviations were identified in six
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l areas; one violation was found in one area (Violation - failure to submit changes to nuclear reactor procedures to the Reactor Safety Committee - paragraph 8).
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8109240240 810903 PDR ADOCK 05000124 o
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e DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted Licensee Employees
- A. K. Furr, Director, Occupational Health and Safety
- R. A. Teekell, Chairman, Radiation Safety Committee
- T. F. Parkinson, D k m'
, Nuclear Laboratory
- A. P. Curtner, Reacwr Supervisor
- R. D. Mogle, Radiation Safety Officer D. R. Prater, Senior Reactor Operator E. R. Ellis, Reactor Operator.
W. J. Bryan, Reactor Operator
- Attended exit interview 2.
Exit Interview The inspection scope and findings were summarized on Auam 7,1981 with those persons indicated in Paragraph 1 above..The licensee understood and j
concurred in the findings.
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3.
Licensce Action on Previous Inspection Findings a.
-(Closed). Unresolved Item (50-124/77-02-01) The reactor procedures have
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undergone an update by the licensee and now contain a standard format:
(1)
Initial Conditions (2) Precautions and Limitations
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(3) Procedure l
(4) Final Conditions l
l This item is closed.
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b.
(Closed) Item (50-124/79-02-01) The licensee has replaced all electrical connectors and the complete cable run.for the source range nuclear instrumentation to reduce the interference caused by radio frequency electrical noise generatred by. operation of a welding machine in the building. The source range nuclear instrumentation operated normally while the inspector was on site. This item is closed.
c.
(Closed) Infraction (50-124/79-02-02) The inspector reviewed the procedures in question, reactor heat balance (IV.26), reactor rod speed check (IV.27), and the rod cocking portion of the rod drop time (IV.15), and all three procedures have been reviewed - ' approved by
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the Reactor Safety Committee (RSC) and satisfy Technica Specification
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requirements. This item is closed.
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d.
(Closed) Unresolved Item (50-124/79-02-03) The inspector reviewed the Technical Specifications maintained at the console and it was up to u
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date. The only change not entered was Amendment No. 4 which was a temporary amendment that expired on December 31, 1980. The licensee was aware of the amendment but chose not to incorporate a temporary change that had expired in the console copy.
This item is closed.
e.
(Closed) Ugen Item (50-124/79-02-04) The inspector spot checked several procedures and found reference to a jumper installation / removal or a wire disconnect / reconnect log book.
The log book was dated and reflected accomplishment of a step in a given procedure. This item is closad.
f.
(0 pen) Unresolved Item (50-124/79-02-05) The inspector reviewed the rod
drop test procedure (IV.15) and it was reviewed and approved by the Reactor Safety Committee on March 5,1979.
The procedure specifies manual rod withdrawal of control rods during performance of the rod drop time measurements. The licensee did not include a discussion of the basis for manual rod withdrawal in the proposed Technical Specif-ications submitted to Nuclear Reactor Regulation for license renewal as committed to by telephone on February 8,1979. (See report 50-124/79-02).
The licensee agreed to document the manual withdrawal of control rods to the NRR in the near future.
This item remains open.
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(Closed) Unresolved Item (50-124/79-02-06) The inspector reviewed the Westronic recorder maintenance procedure (IV.7) the Dump valve maintenance procedure (IV.9) and the associated surveillance records.
l Surveillances were accomplished within the required time intervals.
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The Westronic recorder maintenance interval was revisad to an annual l
requirement by RSC meeting minutes dated March 25, 1974 and was i
subsequently changed to semi-annually when a revised procedure was reviewed by the RSC and approved June 4,1979.
Tm Dump valve maintenance interval was revised to an annual requirement by RSC meeting minutes dated March 15,169.
This item is closed.
h.
(Closed) Infraction (50-124/70-02-07) The inspector observed that the fission product monitor was set at approximately 500 mr/hr.
Inspector observation and discussions with the licensee indicate that the normal reading at 100 KW is about 100 mr/hr.
This satisfies Technical
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Specification Table 1 requirement that the radiation level fission l
product monitor setpoint be less than or equal to ten times the normal i
reading.
This item is closed, i.
(Closed) Open Item (50-124/70-02-08) The inspector reviewed the licensees logs which included a console log that the licensee stated was unofficial.
Discussions with the licensee revealed that the console log was the only source for determining who was actually acting as reactor operator between hourly log readings since the operators sign the console log when assuming control.
Other vital data, such as significant operational events, are entered in red to high light the significance of the entry.
The licensee agreed to make the console log an official document.
This item is closed.
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(0 pen) Deficiency (50-124/79-02-09) The inspector reviewed the licensees records for training and requalification of licensed personnel. The requalification and operational logs were satisfactory except the minutes for monthly meetings for February, May and June of 1981 are missing. The monthly meeting minutes have recently become nothing more than a subject title with the attendees names. The licensee recognizes this problem and has committed to improve this area. This item remains open.
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(Closed) Open Item (50-124/79-02-10) The inspector observed the regulating rod back up position indication meter during a startup and no indication of the meter hanging up was observed. Operation of the primary and back up position indicators was nonnal. This item is closed.
4.
..esolved Items
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No unresolved items were identified during this inspection.
5.
Reactor Operations and Plant Tour a.
A tour of the facility was conducted on August 3,1981. The inspector noted the following.
(1)
Radiation survey results were posted on the door leading into the reactor room.
(2) Housekeeping in the control room and the reactor room was satis-factory.
(3) The process pit was clean and dry with no visible leaks.
(4) The Pu Be source could be visually verified as removed during startup by use of a prism.
(5) Lead sheets were stacked against the west wall of the reactor building. The licensee intends to install improved shielding in this area prior to the expected increase in power to 500 KW.
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(6) An in-calibration radiation survey meter was outside the reactor room door for personnel monitoring.
(7) The radiation survey meters kept in the reactor operating room had the following discrepancies.
(a) Two neutron radiation meters had out of date calibration stickers.
In;estigation revealed that they had been calibrated on schedule but new calibration stickers were not applied.
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(b) One of the two neutron radiation meters did not have an identification tag, therefore its serial number could not be -
verified.
(c) A Gamma / Beta survey meter was found that did not have a calibration sticker and a battery check showed the battery was either dead or missing. Another Gamma / Beta survey meter that was calibrated and operational was available.
The licensee committed to improving in this area. This will be confirmed in future inspections.
This is an open item (50-124/81-02-
-01).
b.
The inspector witnessed several reactor start-ups, power operation and shut-downs.
The start-up check sheet, operating log entries and shut down check sheet entries.were satisfactory. The inspector noted that the panel mounted shim and regulating rod position indicator (a digital volmeter with readout from 0 to 100 percent) was not functional but the licensee was using a portable meter for this function.
Operation appeared satisfactory and the inspector had no further questions.
6.
Followup on Circulars a.
(80-CI-02) IE Circular 80-02, Nuclear Power Plant Staff Work Hours.
The inspector discussed the circular with the licer.see. The licensee dces not have a written policy for overtime but the licensee has never had a problem with excessive operator work hours in all the years of operation. This item is closed.
b.
(80-CI-14) IE Circular 80-14 Radioactive Contamination of Plant Demineralized Water System and Resultant Internal Contamination of Personnel.
The inspector reviewed the circumstances of the contamination with the licensee. The licensee does not consider they have a similar problem for the following reasons:
(1) The city water supply to the secondary side of the reactor heat exchanger is manually isolated when the reactor is shut down.
(2) Secondary water pressure is always greater than primary water pressure and in the event of a leak, the secondary system water would flow into the primary water system.
(3) Water pressure alarms on the primary and secondary water systems are set as follows:
(a) Secondary water pressure alarms at 15-20 psig (decreasing).
(b) Primary water pressure alarms at 8-10 psig (increasing).
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P This item is closed.
c.
(79-CI-15) IE Circular 79-15, Bursting of High Pressure Hose and Malfunction of Relief Valve and 'O' Ring In Certain Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus.
The inspector reviewed the licensees self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and they do not use the SurvivAir SCBA. This item is closed.
d.
(79-CI-08) IE Circular 79-08, Attempted Extortion - Low Enriched
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Uranium..
'The licensee has received and reviewed this circular. They have an approved security plan that was inspected this year and the fuel used
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under this license is either installed in the reactor or locked in the j
fuel storage pits. This item is closed.
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l 7.
Review of Reactor Experiments
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The inspector reviewed the records of experiments conducted during 1980.
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One new experiment was submitted to the Reactor Safety. Committee (RSC) for review and approval of the safety analysis. The RSC reviewed and approved the experiment. Several repeat experiments were conducted and the. inspector
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i reviewed the " Experimental Activities Plan" and " Irradiation Request Form"
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for completeness and acct: racy. The records were satisfactory. The inspector had no further questions.
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8.
Procedures i
i The inspector. raiewed selected operation, maintenance and emergency
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procedures for compliance to Technical Specifications. The procedures j'
reviewed were up to date and complete except for procedure II.2'" Control Rod i
Reactivity Worth and Rate Measurements". Procedure 11.2 had been changed (
based on concurrence of the reactor supervisor, a' senior reactor operator and the radiat on safety officer. The change was not submitted to the RSC
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for review and approval and the concurrence sheet was missing.
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reactor procedure VI.6 provides that changes to procedi.res may be made with the concurrence of the reactor supervisor, a senior reactor operator and the radiation safety officer provided the change does not reduce the level of safeguards imposed by the RSC and the change.must be submitted for RSC review and approval at the next regularly scheduled RSC meeting.
Failure to have the required change concurrence sheet and to submit the procedure change at the next regularly scheduled RSC meeting is a violation-(50-124/81-02-02).
9.
Surveillances The inspector reviewed the licensees program for routine surveillances as required by paragraph 11 of the Technical Specifications. The procedures and ~related administrative requirements were satisfactory. Surveillance t
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requirements were accomplished on schedule and by approved procedures. The inspector had no further comments.
10.
Reactor Logs and Records a.
Reactor operations and Maintenance Logs.
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The inspector reviewed the daily check sheets, the console log and the unscheduled shut down log and found the records complete and traceable.
Significant events in the console log were high-lighted in red and were traceable to the unscheduled shut down log or other related documents.
The licensee informed the inspector that the console log was considered an unofficial log and not a required document.
During the inspection it was found that certain essential data could o11y be documented by use of the console log (i.e. who was actually the reactor operator at a given time during a run). The licensee concurred with the inspector and agreed that the console log would be considered official.
b.
Review of Minutes of Reactor Safety Committee The records of Reactor Safety Comittee minutes for August 1979 thru July 1981 were reviewed.
The required quorums were present and meetings were conducted within the required frequency. The RSC reviewed safety analysis for proposed new experiments, new procedures and procedure changes, reactor design changes and reactor operations.
The inspector had no further questions.
11.
Requalification Training The inspector reviewed requalification records for 1980 and 1981. The examinations and each individuals answers, records of the examiners observations and evaluations, documentation of the required reactor control manipulations and notification of disqualified individuals were satis-factory. The inspector could not find records of the required monthly meetings of qualified operators for February, May and June of 1981.
The monthly meeting minutes were satisfactory in 1980 but the quality deteriorated in 1981 to where the minutes consisted, only of the subject title for the meeting and names of the attendees. This remains an open item. See paragraph 3.j for details.