IR 05000171/1998001

Insp Rept 50-171/98-01 on 980612.No Violations Noted. Major Areas Inspected:Review of Facility Mgt & Control, Decommissioning Support Activities,Radiological Safety & Independent Measurements by Inspector

ML20237C884
Person / Time
Site:	Peach Bottom
Issue date:	08/07/1998
From:	Anthony Dimitriadis, Roberts M NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:
Shared Package
ML20237C877	List: IR 05000171/1998001 ML20237C875
References
50-171-98-01, 50-171-98-1, NUDOCS 9808240225
Download: ML20237C884 (10)

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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION I i l

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Docket No.: 50-171 .

i License No.: DPR-12 ,

l Report No.: 50-171/98-001 Ucensee: PECO Energy l i

Location: Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station Unit 1 Dek.. PA

- Date: June 12,1998 -

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l inspector:

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. . lb 6/Ffy8 Anthony Djpdtriadis, Health Physicist Approved by: % b- O ~ 8 ~ 7'N Mark C. Roberts, Chief Decommissioning and Laboratory Branch

9808240225 980817 25 gDR ADOCK 05000171 PDR

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i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Peach Bottom Atomic Power Gtation Unit 1 NRC Inspection Report 50-171/98-001 '

This routine decommissioning inspection included a review of the facility management and control, decommissioning support activities, radiological safety, and independent measurements

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by the inspecto Site History i

~ Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station Unit 1 was the first prototype high-temperature gas-

cooled reactor built in the United States. It began power operation in January 1967, and i- operated for seven years until October 31,1974. At that time, the plant ceased operations and the licensee initiated limited decommissioning activities. Peach Bottom Unit 1 is located

- about 80 miles southwest of Philadelphia on the west shore of the Susquehanna Rive There is no longer any nuclear fuel at the facilit ;

Facility Manaaement and Control i

The organizational structure and staffing levels of the facility appeared capable of conducting the decommissioning and surveillance activities currently in place. The Radiation Protection group conducts the nctual surveillance activities, which are reported to the Plant manage Decommissi'>nina Support Activities The licentee does not plan to decommission this Unit until the 2015 time frame. Some decomn'estioning work was done from 1974 through 1978 during shutdown and shipment of fuel. Cl rrent emphasis is on assuting that the site is free from structural deficiencies and

' that no .ibnormal conditions exist. The licensee has adequately characterized the boundaries of the atfected areas and took good precautions in identifying areas that were cleared of obvious lazard Radioloalcal Safety

. Radiological Safety Staffina The organizational structure and staffing levels of the facility appeared effective in ;

conducting the surveillance activities currently in place. Licensee management appears to be expending adequate resources on planning and execution of surveillance activitie .- Radiological Safety Audi+s.,

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The licemee has a Nuclear Quality Assurance (NQA) program that is designed to audit v:- is aspects of radiation protection of the entire Peach Dottom Atomic Power ( Station.

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Personnel Radiation Protection and Contamination Control l

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The licensee provided good radiological controls for access to Unit 1 and all work in l the restricted and unrestricted areas. Licensee surveys of restricted and unrestricted

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areas were performed in a vieil planned and organized manner. The inspection

verified that the licensee uses properly calibrated radiation detection instrumentatio !

Personnel checked and maintained appropriate survey equipment. No safety L concems were identifie . As-Low-As-Reasonably-Achievable Proaram (ALARA)

The ALARA program is overseen by the ALARA Council which reviews and approves !

objectives and action plans. The ALARA Council has met its dose goals and i adequate resources and capital expenditures have ensured success of the ALARA i concep l

. Radioactive Waste Manaaement

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This inspection verified that the licensee does not generate any radioactive waste from this Uni . Postina and Labelina j

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The licensee provided appropriate posting and labeling throughout the site in a manner that clearly informed all occupants of the hazard i l

IndeDondent Measurements independent radiological measurements made by the NRC inspector, confirmed

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exposure-rates measured by the licensee. Smear samples collected by the inspector in clean L areas of the plant and analyzed in the Region i Analytical Laboratory indicated no removable

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activit Within the scope of this inspection, no safety items or violations of NRC requirements were identified.

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REPORT DETAILS l

Summary of Plant Activities  ;

I The Peach Bottom, Unit i facility is presently in a SAFSTOR condition and final decommissioning will not occur until 2015 when the Peach Bottom Units 2 and 3 are l

tentatively scheduled for shutdown and decommissioning. The Unit i reactor is defueled and  !

no fuel remains on site. Few radiological concems exist for the licensee. The facility has been shut down for over 24 years. Licensee management appears to be expending adequate resources on the execution of surveillance activitie j i Facility Management and Control Organization. Facility Manaaement and Control The inspector reviewed ongoing as well as planned future plant activities and discussed these activities with licensee representatives in order to assess overall facility management and controls. Specific events and findings are detailed in the sections belo l Inspection Scope (36801)

The inspector reviewed the licensee's systems for overall management and control of the decommissioning process. The licensee's organization, staffing, and qualifications were reviewed and evaluated to verify that licensing commitments were being me Observations and Findinas The organizational structure of Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station is headed by the Vice President, who has the overall responsibility of Unit The only radioactivity associated with the facility is contamination that resulted from the operating phase of the reactor. Because the majority of the contamination is sealed in the reactor vessel, the radiological issues at the Peach Bottom Unit i facility are relatively minor. The estimated total curie inventory is currently less than 30 Curie Discussions with members of the Experience Assessment team indicated that they were very knowledgeable in their subject areas. One of the team members had extensive operational work experience with the Peach Bottom Unit 1 facilit Conclusions The licensee's organization appeared to be effectively structured for planning and managing the adivities that contribute to the overall decommissioning of the facilit The presence of the staff member with Unit 1 institutional knowledge provides important background information (corporate memory). No concems were noted.

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1.2 Self-Assessment. Auditina and Corrective Actions Insoection' Scope (40801)

The licensee's controls for identifying, resolving and preventing issues that may

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d(grade safety or. quality were examined, including self-assessments, auditing, and corrective action Observations and Findinos The inspector reviewed and discussed the licerisee's self-assessment audit program, otherwise known as the Nuclear Quality Assurance program, (NQA program), which

includes activities occurring in the Unit 1 facility. The audit team typically covers l activities being conducted in Units 2 & 3, but an suds may review work being done in Unit 1. The audits are typically broad in scope and have addressed the major non-radiological aspects of the facility as weH as any radiological concems.

t i Conclusions l

L The licensee's self-assessment (NQA) program for Peach Bottom, including Unit 1, appears to be effective. No corrective actions or safety concems were identifie .3 Decommissioning Performance and Status Re_yiew at Permanently Shut Down Beactors Inspection Scope (71801)

The inspector toured the facility and evaluated the fire protection system.

Observations and Findinql All areas were generally clean and well maintained for a facility that has been shut L down for 24 years. The areas were adequately posted and controlled. No combustible materials were observed. Fire protection is under the Peach Bottom Unit 2 program including fire extinguisher inspections and hydrant testing. There is no separate program for Peach Bottom External hydrants which are part of the Peach Bottom i general service water system are capable of providing water for fighting fires. PECO Energy has a Peach Bottom fire origade, made up of equipment operators who are trained in fire fighting. These individuals are ready to respond to the Peach Bottom Unit 1 facility in the event of a fire. Backup fire protection is available from the Delta Cardiff Fire Company, a local Volunteer Fire Compan Conclusions i

The licensee's fire protection program appeared well developed and established to meet the existing hazards at Peach Bottom Unit l

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l Decommissioning Support Activities

- Maintenance and Su:veillance (82801)

Peach Bottom 1 is in SAFSTOR and therefore surveillance activities are conducted every 6 months. Surveillance is primarily focused on radiation protection issues and are discussed in Section .2 Cold weather Preparations (71714)

The inspector noted that the majority of the building areas in Unit 1 are unheate However, water is not present in the systems which could potentially freez ' Radiological Safety Radioloalcal Safety Staffino Insoection Scope (83750)

Staffing levels along with the organizational structure are described above in Section The inspector reviewed the licensee's system for overall management and control of

'the decommissioning process. The licensee's organization, staffing and qualifications were reviewed and discussed to verify that licensing commitments were being me Observations and Findinas

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The Radiological Protection and Health Physics programs are managed by the Radiation Protection group, which reports directly to the Plant Manager. In addition, l' the Experience Assessment group also has responsibilities for Unit 1, and reports directly to the Plant Manager. The P! ant Manager reports to the Vice President of the ;

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site. The Health Physics coverage is provided by the Peach Bottom 2 & 3 staff, which l' has an average of at least 10 years of experience in health physics and decommissioning. The staff is provided on-site health physics re-training.

p Etadioloaical Safety Audits Inspection Scope (83750)

The inspector discussed the licensee's Nuclear Quality Assurance (NQA) program and l its applicability to Unit 1 functions.

l l Qbagrvations and Findincs The Nuclear Quality Assurance program is an audit program designed to review and focus on all aspects of radiation protection at the entire Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station. While the audit is designed to focus on Peach Bottom 2 & 3, it also includes activities performed for Unit _

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i j Personnel Radiation Protection Insoection Scope (83750)

l The inspector reviewed and discussed radiation exposure of workers.

l- Observations and Findinas i

All dosimetry is controlled through the PECO Energy Peach Bottom Units 2 & 3. The

' dosimetry program includes both thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) and  ;

direct-reading dosimeters, (DRDs). TLDs are issued quarterly and the program is NAVLAP certified. The dosimetry supplied to individuals entering Unit 1 is not l

differentiated from dosimetry issued for Units 2 & 3. However, on two separate i

occasions, the inspector toured Unit 1 with dosimetry dedicated for use for entry into i Unit 1. A review of the dosimetry results for the inspector and for Health Physics technicians performing the surveillance activiti 4 for the previous 12 months, revealed ;

that the dose received was O millire Based on the information gained during the inspection, the inspector concluded that

the source term for the Peach Bottom Unit 1 facility is small. There appears to be l

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good job planning, work practices and attention to the ALARA program. There was no i report or evidence of intemal exposures due to intakes of radioactive material during

' surveillance operations for the past yea .4 Surveys and Contamination Control Inspection Scope (83750)

The inspector reviewed select direct radiation surveys and wipe test results for the past twelve months. The inspector also performed general area dose rate measurements I and performed three wipe tests in selected locations to determine if any loose contamination was present. Independent measurements are covered in section 4.0 of this repor Observations and Findinas

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Facility surveys had been performed every 6 months, as required by the Technical

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- Specifications. A review of select records from the past 12 months indicated that area dose rates were less than 2 millirem per hour. Contamination levels were less than 1,000 disintegrations per minute (dpm) per 100 square centimeters of beta / gamma activit . All personnel leaving potentially contaminated areas were required to survey l themselves at the exit points using survey instruments brought into the area for this

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purpose. The inspector observed individuals using the exit point survey instruments and performing exit surveys on themselves when exiting the restricted area. No problems or safety concems were noted.

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, As Low As is Reasonably Achievable Proaram (?f. ARA) inspection Scope (8375j1 The inspect 7r reviewed the licensee's ALARA program as applied to this site, which is intended to limit radiation exposures to levels As Low As is Reasonably Achievable, Observations and Findinas The ALARA program is designed to be a program that applies to the entire Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station. The ALARA program is directly managed by the Station ALARA Council, which reviews and approves dose goals and action plans. It also monitors dose goal progress and assigns corrective actions, as needed. The Station ALARA Council also reviews and approves the allocation of resources and capital expenditures to ensure success of the site ALARA program. The Unit i program is not separated from the rest of the Units and is an integral part of the program established at Peach Bottom Units 2 & 3. A general Radiation Work Permit is used to perform work in Unit 1. This includes routine tours, surveillance, escorting, inspections, and minor equipment repair .6 Transportation and Radioactive Waste ' Insoection Scoce (86750).

The inspector toured the restricted area to determine if the licensee was storing radioactive waste in accordance with the regulation Observations and Findinas No radioactive waste was observed during the facility tour. A licensee representative stated that no radioactive waste had been generated since the last radioactive waste shipment in 197 Radiological Safety Conclusions The radiological safety program appeared to be effective in implementing the requirements set under the Technical Specifications in Appendix A to License N DPR-12. The semi-annual inspections are being carried out in accordance with the technical specifications. The staff are limiting their doses to minimal levels. There is

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no radioactive wasta stored in Unit 1 and no material has been shipped from this Unit since 1978. There were tio safety concems identifie .0 Ir* dependent Measurements Inspection Scope The inspector acquired numerous independent measurements and thtue wipe samples te verify that the licensee's results are valid and reproducible

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. Observations and findinas The inspector took gamma exposure rate measurements in the waste storage room ,

l and on the refueling floor. The measurements were made with a Ludlum Micro-R i

meter (NRC Serial No. 033515) calibrated to cesium-13 Background exposure rates were measured at three locations outside the restricted areas and ranged from 5 to 7 microroentgens per hour (pR/hr). Exposure rates in the i radioactive waste room and the refueling floor were also measured at this site. Typical exposure levels measured with thh instrument were 5-8 m!aoroentgens per hour (pR/hr). The wipe samples taken by the NRC showed no activit _Qonclualsns The general area exposure rates measured by the inspector were consistent with the licensee's measurements, i

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5.0 Exit Meeting Summary The inspector presented the inspection results to members of licensee management at the conclusion of the inspection on June 12,1998, and during a telephone call on July 16,1998. The licensee acknowledged the findings presented. The licensee did not identify any of the documents reviewed by the inspector as proprietary.

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Partial List of Persons Contacted l

• Marlene Taylor, Physicist, Experience Assessment, PECO Energy George Lengye!, Manger, Experience Assessment, PECO Energy !

• Dennis Burgard, Experience Assessment, PECO Energy I

• Jerry Phillabaum, Licensing Engineer, PECO Energy  ;

The asterisk denotes the individuals present at the Exit Meeting conducted on j June 12,191 l

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