IR 05000228/1980002
| ML19347C604 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Aerotest |
| Issue date: | 11/18/1980 |
| From: | Chaffee A, Faulkenberry B, Horn A NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION V) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19347C603 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-228-80-02, 50-228-80-2, NUDOCS 8012310415 | |
| Download: ML19347C604 (4) | |
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U. S. ZiUCLEAR REGULiTORY C0!CilSSION
i 0FFICE OF INSPEC'" ION AND ENFORCE:ENT
REGION V
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l Report No.
50-228/80-02 I
Docket No.
50-228 License No.
R-98 Safeguards croup I.icensee:
Aerotest Operations, Inc.
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3455 Fostoria Way
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San Ramon, California 94583 Facility Na=e:
ARRR San Ramon, California Inspection at:_
Inspection conducted:
October 7-8, 1980 Inspectors:
N'Mos N//.s/ea
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A-l'J. Horn, Seactor Inspector Date signed
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A. E. Chaffde, Reactor Inspector
'Date Signed
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Date Signed
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i Approved ;y:
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B. H. Taulkenberry, Citicf& actor Projects Section 2, Date Signed Reactor Operations an'd ibclear Support Branch Su==ary:
Inscection on October 7-8,1980 (Report t'o. 50-228/80-02)
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Areas Inscected:
Routine, unannounced inspection of organization, logs and
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records; review and audit; requalification training; surveillance; experiments; and miscellaneous independent inspection effort including a tour of the facility i
and observation of a reactor startup. This inspection consisted of 22 regular inspector-hours by two !!RC inspectors.
Results: flo items of nonccmpliance or deviations were identified.
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b RV Form 219 (2)
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DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted R. flewacheck, President, Aerotest Operations
- J. }!askins, Reactor Supervisor R. Tsukirura, Radiological Safety Officer
- I. Lamb, f*anager of Ouality Assurance
- Denotes those present at the exit interview.
2.
Reactor Operations - General The reactor facility continues to be used primarily for neutron radiography and short term irradiations for activation analysis.
There were no scrams of an erd gency nature during the past year.
All reactor trips were considered to be due either to power failures, operator errors or spurious line noises.
There has been a recurring problem with the Regulating rod magnet not being able to hold the rod. The licensee has initiated corrective action of replacing the magnet.
3.
Organization, Logs and Records The licensee's basic organization has not changed since the last inspection. There are still four SR0 licenses in effect at Aerotest.
The following logs and records pertaining to plant operations were examined:
. Annual report dated July 30, 1980, and
.0perating Log f!o items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
4.
Review and Audit The inspector reviewed the minutes of the Reactor Safety Coninittee (RSC)
meetings since the last inspection.
The membership remains the same since the last inspection and results of audits indicate they conduct them as required by the Technical Specifications.
The only recurring item brought up by the RSC is the issue of two fuel elements that cannot be removed from the. reactor core.
RSC meeting minutes indicate that corrective action is ongoing consistent with continuing plant
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operations since the Committee has determined that the stuck elements do not constitute a safety problem. There are no Technical Specification requirements to mcasure the fuel, thus there is no requirement to remove the fuel elements from the core.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identifie _-
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Additional infornation on stuck fuel elements.
The licensee planned a two phase approach to freeing the fuel eierents, i
Phase I will be the evaluation and perfernance of techniques to provide a controlled, and as clcse as possible, vertical force and torquing of the stuck fuel rods to facilitate their renoval. During this phase, all forces imparted to the fuel rods will be analyzed to ensure a sufficient safety margin to prevent any damage to the fuel rods.
Phase II will include the evaluation and perforrance of whatever techniques are necessary
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to rctave the fuel reds.
The licensee will inform the flRC, Region V, pricr to initiating Phase II.
Subseouent to the inspection on October 7-8, 1980 the licensee reported
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that one of the fuel rods became free after a torque was applied.
Visual
inspection did not reveal any apoarent damage or problems with the fuel rod and it was replaced, i
It appears that the other element cannot be removed from the reactor core because of a possible burr on the weld connecting the bottem end piece to the cladding, couoled with the location of the fuel rod not allowing a
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straight vertical pull with the tools currently being used.
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The Technical Specifications do not contain requirements for inspecting fuel, but a licensee representative told the inspector and the fiRR Project Manager that the licensee will continue their efforts to remove the fuel red for purposes of verifying that no unusual grcwth or distortion of the fuel rod has occurred. The licensee representative also stated they will keep the inspector and the liRR Project Manager informed as to the results of their efforts.
As a result of Pegion V discussions with URR, the liRR Project Manager
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stated that the lerotest Technical Specifications will be reviewed for
possible inclusion of fuel rad inspection requirements, based in part on the results of the licensee's investigation into the cause of the
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stuck rod.
This is an outstanding item which will be followed-up by the inspector on future inspections.
(Fcllow-up item 80-02-01)
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Recualification Trainina Requali"ication records, including monthly lecture records, annual recualification exaninations, and manipulations which were documented in operational legs, were reviewed for the past year along with
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discussions with qualified operators to verify compliance with the
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?;RR approved requalification program.
l The follcwing item is worthy of note:
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The 1978 and 1980 Annual Recualificaticn examinations were identical. Since there are no requirements as to the revision
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of exams frca year to year, the inspector only emphasized to the
licensee the importance of varying exam composition as much as possible to assure the integrity of the examination process,
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the licensee indicated that changes to their examination format were in progress.
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No items of nonccmpliance or deviations were identified.
6.
Surveillance Records of surveillance checks conducted daily, monthly, Quarterly and semi-annually er the past year were selectively examined.
d No items of noncampliance or ceviations were identified.
7.
Exceriments The inspector reviewed the scope and conduct of the four types of experiments conducted since tne last inspection.
The' inspector
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noted that the missing approvai signature for experiment #123 which was the subject of infraction 79-01-01 had been correctly inserted.
No further followup is requireo for this item.
No items of nonccepliance or deviations were identified.
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Indecendent Inscection
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The inspectors tourcd the facility and observed a reactor startup.
The facility is well maintained and kept free of cenbustible materials in the wcrk area.
No items of nonccmpliance or deviations were identified.
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Exit Interview I
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The inspectors met with licensee representatives (denoted-in paragraph.1)
at the conclusion of the inspection on October 8,1980. The scope and findings of the inspection were summarized.
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