IR 05000271/1993006
| ML20045A517 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png |
| Issue date: | 06/03/1993 |
| From: | Joyner J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Reid D VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER CORP. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9306110022 | |
| Download: ML20045A517 (3) | |
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N N 0 3 1993
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Docket No. 50-271 Mr. Donald Vice President, Operations Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation RD 5, Box 169 Ferry Road
Brattleboro, Vermont 05301
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Dear Mr. Reid:
SUBJECT:
Inspection No. 50-271/93-06
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This letter refers to your May 7,1993 correspondence, in response to our April 9,1993 letter.
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Thank you for informing us of the corrective and preventive actions documented in your letter.
These actions will be examined during a future inspection of your licensed program.
Your experation with us is appreciated.
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Sincerely,
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James H.Joyner Jades-H. Joyner, Chief facilities Radiological Safety and Safeguards Branch i
Division of Radiation Safety and Safeguards
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FFICIAL RECORD COPY G:VY9306.RL May 27,1993
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i Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power
JUN 0 3 1993
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Corporation cc:
R. Wanczyk, Plant Manager J. Thayer, Vice President, Yankee Atomic Electric Company L. Tremblay, Senior Licensing Engineer, Yankee Atomic Electric Company J. Gilroy, Director, Vermont Public Interest Research Group, Inc.
D. Tefft, Administrator, Bureau of Radiological Health, State of New Hampshire
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Chief, Safety Unit, Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts R. Gad, Esquire G. Bisbee, Esquire R. Sedano, Vermont Department of Public Service T. Rapone, Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety Public Document Room (PDR)
Local Public Document Room (LPDR)
Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)
NRC Resident Inspector State of New Hampshire, SLO Designee State of Vermont, SLO Designee Commonwealth of Massachusetts, SLO Designee
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OFFICIAL RECORD COPY G:VY9306.RL May 27,1993
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Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power
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Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)
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V. McCree, OEDO D. Dorman, NRR W. Butler, NRR
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VERMONT YANKEE
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NUCLEAR POWER CORPORATION c
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Ferry Road, Brattleboro, VT 05301-7002
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ENGINEERING OFFICE
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580 MAN STREET
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(5081779-6711 May 7,1993 BVY 93-047
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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attn: Document Control Desk Washington, D.C. 20555 References:
a)
License No. DPR-28 (Docket No. 50-271)
b)
Letter, USNRC to VYNPC, inspection Report 93-06, dated 4/9/93 Subject:
Reply to Notice of Violation - Inspection Report 93-06
Dear Sir:
This letter is written in response to Reference (b), which documents that one of our activities was not conducted in full compliance with NRC requirements. The Violation, classified as a Severity Level IV, was identified during a routine radwaste and transportation inspection conducted on March 9-12, 1993. Our response to this item is provided below.
VIOLATION:
10 CFR 20.311(d) requires that any generating licensee who transfers radioactive waste to a land disposal facility or a licensed waste collector shall prepare all wastes so that the waste is classified according to 10 CFR 61.55.
10 CFR 61.55(a) states the concentration of radienuclides may be determined by indirect methods such as the use of scaling factors which relate the inferred concentration of one radionuclide to another that is measured...lf there is reasonable assurance that the indirect methods can be correlated with actual measurements.
Contrary to the above on October 5,1992, a shipment of licensed material was sent from Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station to the Chem-Nuclear commercial low-level radioactive disposal site in Barnwell, S.C. In which the concentration of the radioactive nuclides in the waste was determined by indirect methods using scaling factors and the licensee did not provide reasonable assurance that the indirect methods correlated with actual measurements. Specifically, the latest available waste stream analysis data was not used to determine the scaling factors. As a result, the waste was incorrectly classified as Class A waste and should have been classified as Class B waste using the licensee's procedure.
This is a Severity LevelIV violation.
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VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER CORPORATION
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't U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission May 7,1993 Page 2 RESPONSE Based on our root cause analysis, this problem occurred due to a lack of management controls for the timely processing and updating of the applicable scaling factors in the computer program used to classify our radioactive waste. This program had recently been improved and formalized into a new procedure in response to an internal Quality Assurance audit, however, specific guidance for implementation of the scaling factors had not been included.
The new scaling factors had been entered into the system prior to the time of the inspection, so no additional changes were needed. Our review of previous shipments determined that no other problems in the classification existed and no further findings were identified. All present radioactive waste shipments are being classified by the updated data.
The controlling procedure, OP 2527, " Sampling and Analysis for Radwaste Classification", has now been revised to include specific guidance for entry of the updated scaling factors into the
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classification process. Additionally, we have emphasized the need for timely corrective actions and attention to detail with the appropriate Supervisor and his staff.
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We trust the information provided is adequate; however, should you have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Very truly yours,
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Donald Vice President, Operations
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USNRC Regional Administrator, Region I
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USNRC Resident inspector, VYNPS USNRC Project Manager, VYNPS l
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