IR 05000254/1979030
| ML19309B314 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Quad Cities  |
| Issue date: | 02/06/1980 |
| From: | Fisher W, Hueter L NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19309B312 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-254-79-30, 50-265-79-28, NUDOCS 8004040034 | |
| Download: ML19309B314 (5) | |
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F U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
REGION III
Report No. 50-254/79-30; 50-265/79-28 Docket No. 50-254; 50-265 License No. DPR-29; DPR-30 Licensee: Commonwealth Edison Company P.O. Box 767 Chicago, IL 60690 Facility Name: Quad-Cities Nuclear Plant, Units I and 2 Inspection At: Quad-Cities Site, Cordova, IL Inspection Conducted: December 11-14, 1979
$ S. h'a$tV Inspector: Ld3.'Hueter 2 /(,,/$0 Approved By: W. L. Fisher, Chief g/6/80 Fuel Facility Projects and Radiation Support Section Inspection Summary:
Inspection on December 11-14, 1979 (Report No. 50-254/79-30;50-265/79-28 Areas Inspected: Nonroutine, announced inspection to review, since mid-year, the licensee's data, reports, and experience in meeting the design
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objective gaseous release rate for radioiodine and radioactive materials in particulate form with half-lives greater than eight days. The inspection involved 12 inspector-hours on site by one NRC inspector.
Results : No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified in the area reviewed.
8004 04003L:
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DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted
- N. Kalivianakis, Plant Superintendent
- K. Graeser, Assistant Superintendent, Administrative and Support Services
- L. Gerner, Technical Staf f Supervisor
- J. Heilman, Quality Assurance Engineer
- R. Flesner, Rad-Chem Supervisor M. Whitemore, Chemistry Laboratory Foreman
- N.
Chrissotimos, NRC Resident Inspector
- Denotes those present at the exit interview.
2.
Background Information As.noted in two previous inspection reports,1/2/ in the third
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quarter of 1978 the licensee began exceeding the reporting level (twice the design objective) for the release rate of iodine and
radioactive materials in particulate form with half-lives greater than eight days. This condition continued through the second quarter of 1979. Timely reports by the licensee notifying the Commission of the condition and corrective measures being taken have been submitted as specified by Technical Specification 3.8.B.3.b. Initial efforts included the identification and repair of several fluid leaks. Also, it was believed that the refueling of Unit 1 in early 1979 with the removal of failed fuel or identified by fuel sipping would provide significant improvement. When the sampling and analysis program did not indicate the anticipated reduction, concerted efforts were made in the remainder of the first half of 1979 to identify and repair system leaks, as evidenced by over sixty work orders for repair of identified leaks. Two identi oftheJulyinspectionreportjjedleaksawaitingrepairsatthetime have since been repaired.
As noted in the July inspection report 4/ a conservative sampling error was discovered and corrected in late June 1979 involving a leak in the chimney sampling system. The indicated release rate via the chimney of radioiodine and radioactive particulates with half-lives greater than eight days promptly dropped by a factor of about two.
No significant drop in the release rate was noted until elimination of this sample line leak.
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IE' Inspection Rpt No. 50-254/79-04.
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IE Inspection Rpt No. 50-254/79-15.
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Ibid.
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Ibid.
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O As noted in both referenced inspection reports, significant con-servatism is inherent in gaantifying radioactive particulate releases based on gross beta analyses,resulting in an overestimation of releases. Therefore, it was noted that the licensee was
.considering using the more accurate gamma isotopic analysis for determining the release rate.
The matter of these release rates in gaseous effluents continuing at greater than the design objective was one item discussed in a manage-ment meeting with Commonwealth Edison Company representatives on July 19, 1979. The licensee agreed to evaluate the plant's ability as presently designed to meet the design objective release rate.
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b! ated July 30, 1979, to the Commission In the licensee's report d
regarding the release rate for the second quarter of 1979 and the then current status of the matter, the licensee noted that during July 1979 (following the identification and repair of many system leaks and the discovery and elimination of the chimney sample line leak, both mentioned above) the releases from the station appeared to return to that expected from trends observed before mid-1978.
Also, the licensee stated that the station would continue to observe plant operations and sample system performance, relative to the
release rate variations, over the next six months to verify that the sample system was the cause of the increased release rates. Further, the licensee noted that they would use isotopic analyses in quantifying radioactive particulate releases but that gross beta estimates would continue to be used day-to-day in determining trends and ensuring that the instantaneous release limit is not exceeded. At the time of the July 30 report, the licensee noted that the release rate was running about two percent of the instantaneous release rate limit (2.0 times the design objective release rate) based on gross beta measurements. However, when corrected for isotopic composition it was estimated (strontium isotopic data not immediately available)
that the release rate would be less than 1.5 times the design objective.
3.
Gaseous Iodine and Particulate Release Rates Since Mid-1979 During the current inspection, the inspector reviewed the licensee's sampling, analytical, and calculational data, with regard to the release rate of radioiodine and radioactive particulates with half-lives greater than eight days, for the third quarter of 1979 ag OctoberandNovember1979.InalettertotheCommissionpfor the licensee reported a release rate approximately equal to the design objective release rate for the third quarter of 1979, based on isotopic analyses. A breakdown of the monthly averages for the third quarter, based on isotopic analyses, were: July 1.1, 5/
Ltr, N. J. Kalivianakis to H. R. Denton, dtd 7/30/79.
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.Ltr, N. J. Kalivianakis to J. G. Keppler, dtd 10/25/79.
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5 August 0.99,and September 0.90. No problems were identified by the inspector in reviewing data supporting the rep < rted quarterly result.
The preliminary release rates for October, November, and December, based on isotopic analyses, were estimated (some strontium 89 and 90 results not yet available), respectively, to be 0.57, 0.59 and 0.69 times the design objective for iodine and particul radioactivity e
with half-lives greater than eight days. As noted above, the licensee was at the design objective release rate for the third quarter of 1979 and significantly below it for October, November, and December.
(Some December results were obtained by telephone in January 1980, before issuance of this report.) Contributing to the reduction in release rate since midyear has been the coast-down of Unit 2 in preparation for a refueling outage which began November 26, 1979. At the beginning of July, Unit 2 was operating at about 75% of full power. Power level had gradually decreased to about 45% of full power just before the outage.
From past experience, the licensee anticipates some increase in the release rate when Unit 2 returns to full or near full power.
For comparison purposes, 1978 and 1979 quarterly release rates, in terms of design objective release rate of iodines and particulate radioactivity with half-lives greater than eight days, based on both gross beta and isotopic analyses, are given in the table below:
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Average Release Rates as Time Multiple of Desiga Objective Gross Beta Isotopic 1978 lst Quarter 1.9 1.5 2nd Quarter 1.8 1.3
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3rd Quarter 4.1 2.7 4th Quarter 3.2 2.2 1979 1st Quarter 4.4 3.2 2nd Quarter 4.9 2.4 3rd Quarter 2.2 1.0
4th Quarter 1.2 0.62 (estimated)
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4.
Exit Interview The inspector met with licensee representatives denoted in Para-graph 1 at the conclusion of the inspection on December 14, 1979.
The matter of meeting the gaseous ef fluent design objective release rate for radioiodine and radioactive particulate material with half-lives greater than eight days was discussed. It was noted that since July 1, 1979, following a major effort to identify and repair system leaks (including the indentification and repair in late June of a main chimney sample line leak which was causing a significant overreporting of iodine and particulate release rates),the release rate dropped rather suddenly to near the design objective (1.12 times the design objective in July 1979) and has remained at or below the design objective. In the fourth quarter of 1979, this release rate was less than two thirds of the design objective.
The inspector noted the licensee's previous commitment to evaluate the plant's ability as currently designed to meet the design objective release rate. The licensee representative indicated this would be done in the report planned for the end of J puary 1980 as a follow-up
to their correspondence with the Commission-regarding the second quarter 1979 release rate.
In the referenced correspondence, the licensee indicated they planned to "... observe plant operations and sample system performance relative to the release rate variations over the next six months to verify that the sample system was the cause of the increased release rates." Although some reservations were expressed about the effect that returning Unit 2 to full power
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(af ter the refueling) might have on the release rate and the need to evaluate this factor, licensee personnel expressed a degree of confidence that data were showing that the plant, as currently designed, could meet the design objective release rate.
Concern relative to meeting the design objective release rate was
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further discussed during a meeting with corporate management on January 10, 1980.
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Ltr, N. J. Kalivianakis to H. R. Denton, dtd 7/30/79.
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