IR 05000271/1979005
| ML19270H452 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png |
| Issue date: | 06/27/1979 |
| From: | Crocker H, Thonus L NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19270H451 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-271-79-05, 50-271-79-5, NUDOCS 7908270069 | |
| Download: ML19270H452 (7) | |
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
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Region I Report N,0.
50-271/79-05 Docket No. 50-271 License No.
DPR-28 Priority Category C
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Licensee:
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation 20 Turnpike Road Westborough, Massachusetts 01581 Facility Name:
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Station Inspection at:
Vernon, Vermont Inspection conducted: March 19-23, 1979 Inspectors:
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L. fl. Thonus, Radiation Specialist date signed date signed date signed Approved by:
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' H. W. Crocker, Acting Chief, Radiation date signed Support Section, FF&MS Branch Insoection Summary:
Inspection on March 19-23,1979 (Report No. 50-271/79-05)
Areas Inspected: Routine, unannounced inspection of radiation protection during refueling by a regional based inspector including qualifications of personnel, training, exposure control, procedures, posting and control, radio-active material control, surveys, licensee audit, facility tours, and iodine activity.
Upon arrival, approximately 7:00 p.m. on March 19,1979, a tour of the radiation control area was conducted to observe radiation safety practices.
The inspection involved 34 inspector hours orisite by one NRC regional based inspector.
Results: No items of noncompliance or deviations were observed.
Region I Fcrm 12 (Rev. April 77)
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DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted Mr. L. W. Anson, Training and Document Control Supervisor
- Mr. R. W. Burke, Engineering Support Supervisor
- 'ir. W. F. Conway, Plant Superintendent
- Mr. D. C. Girroir, Engineering Assistant
- Mr. T. Keenan, Director of Engineering and Operations
- Mr. B. N. Leach, Health Physicist Mr. J. T. McCarthy, Chemistry and Health Physics Asst.
- Mr. W. P. Murphy, Assistant Plant Superintendent
- Mr. P. P. Polaski, Chemistry and Health Physics Asst.
Mr. M. E. Prystupa, Chemistry and Health Physics Asst.
Mr. S. P. Skibniowsky, Chemistry and Health Physics Asst.
- Mr. R. E. Sojka, Operations Supervisor Mr. D. S. Tolin, Chemistry and Health Physics Asst.
- Mr. G. D. Weyman, Chemistry and Health Physics Supervisor The inspector also interviewed several other licensee and contractor personnel during the course of the inspection. These employees included operations, maintenance, security and health physics personnel.
- Denotes those present at the exit interview.
2.
Qualifications of Personnel The inspector reviewed the qualifications of thirteen contractor health physics technicians against the criteria given in ANSI N18.1-1971 " Selection and Training of Personnel for Nuclear Power Plants."
The individual designated to become the plant chemist was also found to meet the qualifications of ANSI N18.1-1971.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
3.
Trainina The licensee's general employee and radiation worker training program was reviewed against the criteria given in 10 CFR 19.12, ANSI N18.1-1971, and procedure AP-0720.
Training records and examinations given at the end of training were reviewed for 8 contractor and New England Power Service Company (NEPSCO) personnel used to augment the plant staff during the outage.
The licensee's radiation worker training
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program consists of a series of video tapes augmented by brief lecture periods.
At the end of the training period a written examination is given.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
4.
Exposure Control a.
Bioassay The licensee utilizet a chair type whole body counter for in vivo counting. The chair has two NaI crystals; cr.e of which counts the activity in the thyroid the other counts activity in the trunk. Whole body counts of eight individuals who had completed work assignments and left the plant during March 1979 were examined.
All results indicated less than 10 percent Maximum Permissible Body Burden.
b.
Exoosure Limits 10 CFR 20.101(b) allows personnel to receive exposures in excess of the 10 CFR 20.101(a) limit of 1 1/4 rems per calendar provided that certain additional requirements in 10 CFR 20.201(b) are met.
One of these requirements is that the licensee determine the individual's accumulated exposure on form NRC-4 or equivalent. At the time of the inspection only one individual had exceeded 1 1/4 rems in the calendar quarter.
The licensee had met the 10 CFR 20.101(b) requirements for this individual.
No individuals exceeded the 10 CFR 20.101(b) exposure limits.
c.
Records 10 CFR 20.401 requires the licensee to keep personnel exposure records on form NRC-5 or equivalent.
NRC-5 equivalents of 8 individuals were reviewed.
The licensee also tracks exposure via the TRAP system which provides a computer update of exposures daily based primarily on pocket dosimeter (SRD) readings.
Thermo-luminescent dosimeter (TLD) readings are used to update the SRD readings as they become available. The TRAP printouts of two days were reviewed.
No items of noncompliance were identifie.
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5.
Radiation Protection Procedures The following procedures were reviewed against the criteria given in ANSI N18.7-1972, Regulatory Guide 1.33 (1972) and procedure AP-0001
" Plant Procedure":
RP-1620 " Fuel Sipping," Revision 5, February 22, 1979.
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DP-4541 " Calibration of PIC-6A," Revision 4, February 28,
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1979.
DP-4541 " Calibration of Victoreen Model 444," Revision
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4, February 28, 1979.
AP-0001 requires that procedures be reviewed once per two years. The inspector examined 13 additional radiation protection procedures and found that they had been reviewed within the required interval.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
6.
Advance Planning and Preparation The outage did not represent a major maintenance effort.
In that this was a mid-cycle refueling the inservice inspection usually associated with refueling was not part of the outage activities.
The principal radiation protection preparation consisted of rearranging staff and augmenting staff with contractor personnel to provide increased offshift personnel.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
7.
Posting and Control The inspector examined several radiation areas, high radiation areas, contaminated areas, airborne radioactivity areas and radioactive materials areas for compliance with 10 CFR 20.203 and procedure AP-503 " Establishing and Posting Controlled Areas."
Barricading, locking and access control of high radiation areas were examined against the requirements of 10 CFR 20.203, Technical Specification 6.5.8.1 and procedure AP-503. At least 20 entrances to high radiation areas which had exposure rates greater than 1000 mr/hr were examined and found locked.
No items of noncompliance were identifie..
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8.
Radioactive Material Labelina and Control The inspector examined the licensee's control of contaminated tools and equipment used during the outage. The licensee requires that tools and equipment be surveyed by Chemistry and Health Physics prior to release to uncontrolled areas. Within the controlled area several areas were dedicated to the storage of radioactive components.
10 CFR 20.203 requires that certain containers of radioactive materials' bear labels identifying the radioactive contents.
Several containers of radioactive material were observed to be labeled.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
9.
Surveys The inspector reviewed licensee radiation contamination and airborne surveys against the criteria in 10 CFR 20.103,10 CFR 20.201, licensee procedure DP-4530, " Dose Rate Radiation Surveys," procedure DP-4531,
" Radioactive Contamination Surveys," and procedure DP-4533, " Airborne Radioactivity Concentration Determination."
Results gross beta-gamma counting of air surveys taken during the period March 17-22, 1979 in the reactor building 345 ft. elevation, the reactor cavity, and turbine, operating floor of the turbine building were reviewed. The licensee performed isotopic analyses of air samples showing significant gross beta-gamma activity.
Several selected isotopic analyses were examined.
Radiation and contamination surveys taken in the reactor building 345 ft. elevation and turbine operating floor during the period March 17-22, 1979 were examined.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
10.
Licensee Audit The inspector reviewed the licensee radiation protection audit conducted November 30 - December 1,1978 by personnel from Yankee Nuclear Services Division and Maine Yankee.
Areas covered included:
10 CFR 19 Adherence
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Training
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Respiratory Protection
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10 CFR 20 Adherence
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Calibration of Equipment
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Radiation Work Permits
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Radioactive Material Shipments
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The audit did not identify any problem areas in the radiation protection program.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
11.
Facility Tours Upon arrival, approximately 7:00 p.m. March 19, 1979 a tour of the radiation control area was conducted 'to observe radiation safety practices.
Several additional tours were conducted to make independent radiation measurements, observe work performed under Radiation Work Permits (RWP) and to observe access control and adherence to procedures.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
12.
Iodine Activity in Coolant and Effluents The licensee's anclyses of 131 I in prinary coolant and the plant stack were examined for the period February 26, 1979 thru March 22, 1979.
Technical Specification (TS) 3.6.B.1 limits steady state 131 I dose equivalent in the reactor coolant to 1.1 uCi/gm; if this limit is exceeded the reactor must be placed in cold shutdown within 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />.
The primary coolant 131 I dose equivalent did not exceed the TS limit while the reactor was at power.
T. S. 3.8.C.2 limits iodines in gaseous effluents.
If releases exceed 2 percent of the TS 3.8.C.2 limits averaged over a calendar quarter the licensee is required to submit a report to the NRC describing the event.
If the releases exceed 4 percent of the TS 3.8.C.2 limits averaged over a calendar quarter corrective actions must be taken.
The inspector noted that the release of 131 I exceeded 4 percent of the TS 3.8.C.2 limit and that the licensee had shut the reactor down to replace leaking fuel which had caused the increased iodine. A licensee representative stated that the required report was being prepared and would be submitted to the NR.
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13.
Exit Interview The inspector met with licensee management representatives (denoted in Paragraph 1) at the conclusion of the inspection on March 23, 1979.
The inspector sunnarized the purpose and scope of the inspection and the inspection findings.