IR 05000237/1993016
| ML17179A937 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Dresden  |
| Issue date: | 06/03/1993 |
| From: | Steven Orth, Schumacher M, Nirodh Shah NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML17179A936 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-237-93-16, 50-249-93-16, NUDOCS 9306110003 | |
| Download: ML17179A937 (10) | |
Text
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
REGION III
Reports No. 50-237/93016{DRSS); 50-249/93016{DRSS)
Dockets No. 50-237; 50-249 Licenses N DPR~l9; DPR-25 Licensee:
Commonwealth Edison Company Executive Towers West III 1400 Optis Place, Suite 300 Downers Grove, IL 60515 Facility Name:
Dresden Nuclear Station, Units 2 and 3,
Inspection At:
Dresden site, Morris, Illinois Inspection Conducted:
May 3 - 7, 1993 Inspectors:
F2]{~
LITrt
.
Approved By: /)// ~4;1~4'~
M. C. Sc umacher, C ief Radiological Controls Section 1 Inspection Summary 6 ls /er Date
- Date
Date Inspection on May 3 - 7, 1993 (Reports No. 50-237/93016CDRSS);
50-249/93016CDRSS))
.
Areas Inspected:
Routine, announced inspection of the liquid and gaseous radioactive waste, and radiological environmental monitoring program {REMP)
{Inspection Procedure {IP) 84750). Also reviewed were recent corrosion problems identified by the licensee in radwaste storage tanks, and items from
. previous inspection *
Results:
No violations'or deviations were identified. Activity released fn effluent {section 5), and offsite doses {section 8) remained lo The licensee made good progress on modifications to the radwaste system, and associated monitors {sections 5 and 6). The inspectors observed generally good technician performance {section 5), but noted procedure weaknesses
{sections 2 and 9) and problems with REMP air samplers {section 7).
9306110003 930603 PDR ADOCK 05000237 G
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. l
DETAILS Persons Contacted C. W. Schroeder, Station Manager E. Carroll, Chemistry Supervisor B. Wong, Site Engineering P. Boyle, Lead Chemist B. Mayer, Emergency Planning Coordinator B. Gurley, Regulatory Assurance M. Mikota, Radwaste Coordinator M. Gagnon, Health Physicist R. Raguse, Health Physicist
_
T. Britt, Radwaste Shipping Supervisor J. Shields, Regulatory Assurance Supervisor D. Klingensmith, Plant Chemist R. Burns, Superintendent Maintenance/Technical Training J. Grzemski, Quality Verification D. Ambler, Health Physics Services Supervisor T. Jacobsen, Site Quality Verification M. Peck, Resident Inspector--NRC The above individuals were present at the exit meeting on May 7, 1993. *
The inspector also interviewed other licensee personne.
Licensee Actions on Previous Inspection Findings CIP 84750)
(Closed) IFis 50-237/93007~01; 50-249/93007-01:
Filter paper misaligned in Unit 1 chimney system particulate iodine and noble gas (SPING)
effluent monito This problem, attributed to personnel error, existed from February 4 through 11, 1993, until discovered and corrected by a station chemistry technician. The filter and downstream iodine charcoa cartridge were analyzed, and the results were similar to those from filters taken the week prior to and after February 4 - 11, 1993; no abnormal releases were indicated in noble gas monitor readings during the perio Management corrective actions included discussing the event with the chemistry technicians and tailgating subsequent filter collection and replacement activities. The inspectors observed the replacement of the filter paper and charcoal cartridge on the Unit 1 chimney SPING; no problems were identifie (Closed) 50-237/92016-01: 50-249/92016-01:
Operability of the service water monitor Because of operability problems caused by silt accumulation in the monitor's sample lines, the licensee was taking twice daily grab samples to fulfill the monitoring requirements of technical specification (TS) 3.2.F:3. They are to be restored to service following the modification (section 6).
The inspectors reviewed sample results and yerified that they had occurred at the required LL *.
(Closed) 50-237/92016-02: 50-249/92016-02:
Review of liquid radwaste monitor readings following its repai The licensee investigated the cause of erratic response from the liquid radwaste monitor during past liquid discharges, and determined that the problem lay in the monitor electronics. After repairing the monitor, the-licensee verified its response during subsequent liquid radwaste discharge By reviewing past discharge records and observing monitor readings during a liquid release, the inspectors also verified monitor operibilit (Closed) 50-237/92025~01: 50-249/92025-01: Analysis of a liqutd sample for beta emitters. The licensee was to analyze a spiked liquid sample for H-3, Sr-89, Sr-90, and Fe-55 and report the results to Region II The results are listed in Table l and the comparison criteria in Attachment The results indicated good comparisons for the H-3, Fe-55, and Sr-90 analysi Based on the preparation date provided to the licensee, the activity of Sr-89 in the sample had decayed beyond the licensee's LL Thi~ nuclide~ill be analyz~d in future routihe inspection.
Organization and Management Controls (IP 84750)
The inspector reviewed the Chemistry Unit *organization and discussed the changes with the chemistry superviso In February 1993, a member of the regulatory assurance (RA) staff was appointed chemistry supervisor, and the previous supervisor transferred to the licensee's corporate chemistry grou The new supervisor has a degree in analytical chemistry and, prior to serving in the RA group,*held.the positions *of assistant supervisor of health physics and chemistry at Braidwood, and chemistry_trainer at the licensee's Production Training Cente In April 1993, the lead chemist was transferred to the computer group and replaced by the Unit 2 chemist. Also, four chemistry technicians (CTs) and an individual to fill the position of chemist (auxiliary systems) were added to the chemistry staff. The remaining vacancies were filled by realigning the remaining chemist The inspector verified that the new individuals were qualified for their position No violations or deviations were identifie.
Audits and Appraisals (IP 84750}
The inspectors reviewed licensee audits of the environmental monitoring and effluent release program These audits appeared performance based and focused on procedure adherence, management communication of expectations to workers, and oversight of activitie One notable finding was that the procedure for gaseous sampling at the Unit l
. chimney SPING does not specify an alternate sampling point should the monitor be inoperable. Although a backup sampling point exists and has been used in the past, it was not indicated in the procedur The licensee's chemistry group promptly revised the procedure to include the backup sample point. This corrective action was later verified by the
- inspector. i
.,
No violations or deviations were identifie ~
Gaseous and Liguid Effluents (IP 84760)
The inspectors reviewed the licensee's program.for gaseous and liquid effluent release Included in this review were discussions with
personnel, observations of radwaste control room activities, and examination of selected record The status of the licensee's radwaste upgrade was also reviewe Gaseous effluents are continuously exhausted from the plant via the elevated (about 100 meters) DI and D2/3 chimneys and the semi-elevated (turbine building roof) D2/3 reactor building ventilation stac Liquid effluents are normally batch released from the waste surge tank to the rive Both liquid and gaseous release pathways are monitored with alarm setpoints determin~d in accordance with the ~uidance in the Offsite Dose Calculation Manual (ODCM).
The setpoints were verified by the inspector The inspectors reviewed documentation of selected radwaste releases and observed sampling and analysis of a Waste Sample Tank (WST) and a liquid discharge; no problems* were identified. Prior to discharge, the radwaste foreman assembled the documentation package, including the calculations for discharge flow rate and radiation monitor alarm setpoint. This package was also reviewed by the shift eng_ineer before the releas Radwaste operators displayed* good system knowledge and behaved in a professional manner during the observed activitie Gaseous activity released in 1992 has changed little from 1991 (about*
13 curies); liquid effluent tritium activity declined from an annual average of 13-20 curies to about 4 curies. Gaseous and liquid activity released in the first quarter of 1993 remained low (about 1.0 and curies, respectively) but the liquid volume discharged was sig'nificantly higher owing to high total organic carbons (TOCs) in the floor drain syste The licensee identified the cause as uncontrolled use of detergents during outage decontamination and initiated measures to strictly control detergent use, which appears to be having an effec The inspectors will review this matter in subsequent inspettion The inspector reviewed the status of the radwaste upgrad Currently about 83% complete, the upgrade includes a significant reduction in existing piping, new radwaste sample sinks, and the installation of a new closed loop seal water system for the radwaste collection pump Additionally, plant piping and valve configurations were modified to improve connections between onsite storage tank Remaining*tasks primarily consist of upgrading radwaste pumps and associated piping; the licensee expects to complete the upgrade by the end of 199 No violations or deviations were identified
..
., Effluent Monitoring Instrumentation (IP 84750)
The inspectors reviewed the calibration and maintenance of effluent monitors by observing each monitor in place arid by examining selected calibration and functional test record Calibration, functional
. testing, and surveillances were verified as done at the required intervals. At present, two group*s, instrument maintenance (IM) and radiation protection (RP), share responsibility for calibration, but the licensee is considering a change to streamline the process and better
_focus overall responsibility.
. By July 1993, the licensee plans to start conducting secondary SPING calibrations based on a primary calibration performed and maintained by the monitor manufacturer. Currently, the secondary calibrations are
. based on a primary calibration performed by the licensee at the time of initial installation. The change results from a corporate initiative to standardize calibration methods used at Commonwealth Edison plant This will be reviewed further in subsequent routine inspection Because of recent operability problems (section 2), the licensee is modifying the service water monitoring syste Basically, the *
modification consists of replacing the existing centrifugal pump with a positive displacement pump, reducing the number of sharp bends in sample line piping, and installing filter screen The goal is to increase sample flowrate by decreasing silt accumulatio Modifications to the Unit 2 side are expected to be completed during the current outage; Unit 3 modifications will be performed during its next.refueling outag The inspectors will review progress on this matter during routine inspection No violations or deviations were identified Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program {IP 84750)
The inspectors reviewed the licensee's Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program (REMP).
Although the 1992 annual report contained -
data required by the technical specifications (Table 4.8.4), the inspectors noted that additional data described in the ODCM, but not specified in the TS, were omitted from the report. The licensee acknowledged this and will incl~de the data in subsequent annual reports. The inspectors also verified that required analyses were performed and that results were below reportable limit Also reviewed were results from a residential well sampling study described in inspection reports 50-237/92005(0RSS) and 50-249/92005(DRSS).
No abnormal levels of radioactivity, were identified, and normal tritium levels between <200 picocuries/liter (pCi/L) and 300 pCi/L were observe During a tour of selected air sampling sites with a licensee representative, an inspector noted a piece of perforated plastic placed over the intake structure of a sampling station, which inhibited normal
- air flow about the inlet. The plastic, which was used by the licensee to prevent birds from entering the sampler housing, was later replaced with a screen. Several other sampling stations were also observed
- having*loose-fitting retaining rings which prompted an inspector ~oncern regarding possible air inleakag Based on these conce_rns, the licensee is reviewing the matte The inspectors will review this item in future inspections (IFis 237/93016-01; 249/93016-01}.
No violations or deviations were identified Dose Assessment CIP 84750)
The inspectors reviewed the licensee's reporting and calculation of offsite dose from effluent releases. The licensee calculates the
.
offsite doses via a corporate computer system which uses Dresden Station site specific information and historical meteorological informatio The inspector verified that dose calculations were based on ODCM methodology, and that the responsible licensee representative was knowledgeable of the system's operatio The inspectors also performed confirmatory dose calculations for a hypothetical gaseous waste discharge; good agreement was noted between the licensee's and inspector's result No violations or deviations were identified Air Cleaning Systems CIP 84750)
The inspectors reviewed the maintenance of the licensee's control.room heating and ventilation (HVAC} syste Test criteria for control room HVAC high efficiency particulate air (HEPA} filters and charcoal absorbers are contained in Dresden Administrative Technical Requirements (DATR}.
A selective review of surveillance test data indicated that the dioctylphthalate (DOP}
penetration and the halogenated hydrocarbon penetration for the control room HVAC HEPA filters and charcoal absorbers, respectively, were within DATR requirements. Additionally, records of laboratory analyses of representative carbon samples by a contract vendor showed the methyl iodide removal effic_iency met the 99.5% criterion specified in the DAT Although the testing was done in accordance with the DATR, the inspectors noted that the carbon sample test requirements contained in Dresden Technical Surveillance (DTS} 5750-6 "Control Room Standby HVAC Air Filtration Unit Performance Requirements" differed from those in the DAT This was discussed with the. licensee who stated that they were aware of the deficiency and had revised the procedur The inspectors verified the revision, but in light of previously identified problems (section 4}, cautioned the licensee *t the exit meeting (section 11} on the importance of maintaining procedure No violations or deviations were identified
- 1 Corrosion in Radwaste Storage Tanks (IP 84750}
In two separate events in September 1992, the licensee observed water leaking from the "B" WST and the Unit 2/3 "B" Condensate Storage Tank (CST) which are both in the protected are The "B" WST leaked in a pipe tunnel that drained to the plant liquid radwaste syste The CST leaked into soil at the perimeter of the tan Upon discovery, the*
licensee began to collect and route the leak to the plant radwaste syste Company metallurgists concluded that the leaks were caused by galvanic corrosion of the aluminum tank bottom The licensee replaced the bottoms and is planning to drain and inspect the rest of the onsite storage tanks by the end of 199 The event was described in the July-December 1992 Semi-Annual Effluent Report where it was estimated that approximately one microcurie total activity, excepting tritium, was released from the tank in 270 gallons of wate Tritium release was estimated at about one millicurie based on the average concentration in radwaste discharge The licensee's offsite dose calculation indicated no impact from this release on down river water users. Tritium activity in the nearest well was basically unchanged from previous years and were at or slightly above the licensee's lower limit of detection (200 pCi/liter).
Although samples of the affected soil were surveyed with a pancake GM detector-in a low background area and no activity above background was detected, no isotopic analysis was performe The samples were returned to the groun The need to analyze soil samples in such events was discussed at the exit interview and in a telephone discussion on May 21, 199 The inspectors also pointed out that information -regarding such events must be kept in an identified location for ready retrieval at the time of site decommissionin Licensee representatives stated that soil samples would be isotopically analyzed and that their decommissioning file would be reviewed to ensure its adequac Licensee progress on these matters will be reviewed in future inspections (IFis 50-237/93010-02; 50-249/93016-02).
No violations or deviations were identifie.
Exit Meeting The inspectors met with licensee representatives (section 1) at the conclusion of the inspection on May 7, 1993, to discuss the scope and findings of the inspectio No documents were identified as proprietary by the licensee, and no violations were identified during this inspectio The following matters were specifically discussed by.the inspectors:
Misaligned filter paper in Unit 1 Chimney SPING (section 2)
Procedural deficiencies (sections 4 and 9)
Control of decon d~tergents (section 5)
- REMP weaknesses (section 7)
Corrosion in radwaste storage tanks (section 10)
Attachments:.
1. Table 1, Radiological Confirmatory Measurements Program Results 2nd Quarter 1993 Attachment 1, Criteria for Comparing Analytical Measurements
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..
TABLE 1 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION I I I
.CONFIRMATORY MEASUREMENTS. PROGRAM FACILITY:
DRESDEN FOR THE 2ND QUARTER OF 1993 SAMPLE NUCLIDE NRC VAL. NRC ER LIC.VA LIC.ER RATIO RESOL. RESULT SPIKED
l.04E-OS 5.19E-07 l.20E-05 l.OBE-04 5.37E-06 l.20E-04 l.20E-04 6.00E-06 <2.0E-04 l.90E-05 9.52E-07 l.98E-05-A=AGREEMENT D=DISAGREEMENT
- =CRITERIA RELAXED N=NO COMPARISON 1.15
. 20 1.12.. 20
1.04
A A
N A
ATTACHMENT 1 CRITERIA FOR COMPARING ANALYTICAL MEASUREMENTS This attachment provides criteria for comparing results of capability tests and verification measurement The criteria are based on an empirical relationship which combines prior experience and the accuracy needs of this progra In these criteria, the judgment limits are variable in relation to the comparison of the NRC 1 s value to its associated one sigma uncertaint As that ratio, referred to in this program as 11 Resolution
, increases, the acceptability of a licensee 1s measurement should be more selectiv Conversely, poorer agreement should be considered acceptable as the resolution decrease The values in the ratio criteria may be rounded to fewer significant figures reported by the NRC Reference Laboratory, unless such rounding will result in a narrowed category of acceptanc RESOLUTIO <4 4 -
8 -
16 -
51 - 200 200 -
RATIO = LICENSEE VALUE/NRC REFERENCE VALUE Agreement NO COMPARISON 0.5 -.6 - 1.66 0.75 - 1.33 0.80 - 1.25 0.85 - 1.18 Some discrepancies may result from the use of different equipment, techniques, and for some specific nuclide These may be factored into the acceptance criteria and identified on the data sheet.