IR 05000282/1978022
| ML19281A157 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Prairie Island  |
| Issue date: | 01/10/1979 |
| From: | Essig T, Oestmann M NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19281A155 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-282-78-22, 50-306-78-22, NUDOCS 7903070111 | |
| Download: ML19281A157 (6) | |
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t U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCE 3ENT
REGION III
Report No.
50-282/78-22; 50-306/78-22 Docket No.
50-282; 50-306 License No.
Northern States Power Company 414 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN 55401 Facility Name: Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2
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Inspection At:
Prairie Island Site, Red Wing, MN Inspection Conduc.ted; De cem'ae r 12-14, 1978
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Inspectors:
M.e. Oestmann
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Approved By:
T. H. Ess g, Chief 10 9 Environmental and Special Projects Section Inspection Summary:
Inspection on December 12-14, 1978 (Report No. 50-282/78-22; 50-306/78-22)
Areas Inspected:
Routine, unannounced Environmental Protection inspection for Unita 1 and 2, including licensee internal audits; administrative and procedural control systems; quality assurance and control in analytical measurements; implementation of the radiological environmental monitoring program; review of Environ-mental Event Reports and licensee actions on previously identified matters. The inspection involved 19 inspector-hours on site by one NRC inspector.
Results: Of the six areas inspected, no apparent items of noncompliance or deviations were identified during this inspection.
7903070111
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DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted
- L. Mayer, Manager, Nuclear Support Services (NSS)
- E. Ward, Manager, Nuclear Environmental Services (NSS)
B. Clark, Administrator, Radiation Environmental Monitoring Program (NSS)
J. Wolf, Environmental Scientist, Environmental and Regulatory Activities Department (ERAD)
M. Hestick, Water Scientist (ERAD)
- F. P. Tierney, Jr., Plant Manager
- A. Hunstad, Staff Engineer R. Lindsey, Operations Supervisor G. Kuhl, Field Phycologist (ERAD)
K. Mueller, Senior Biologist (ERAD)
T. Zajicek, Field Technician (ERAD)
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- Denotes those present at corporate exit interview on December 13, 1978.
- Denotes those present at plant exit interview on December 14, 1978.
2.
Licensee Action on Previous Inspection Findings (0 pen) Unresolved Item (282/75-16, 77-18, 78-08 and 306/75-13, a.
77-14, 78-10): Necessity for the licensee to justify all operations with cooling tower blowdown flow greater than 150 cfs on the basis of power demand. The licensee has submitted data to the NRC Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation for evaluation in order to determine and clarify blowdown flow rate limits for the plant and is currently dealing with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) concerning these limits.
b.
(open) Unresolved Item (282/77-02, 77-18, 70-08, and 306/77-02, 77-14, 78-10):
Inability of the thermal monitoring system to monitor all flow paths. Data have been provided to NRR for evaluation concurrent with the blowdown flow rate evaluation. This item is also being reviewed by the MPCA in regards to the NPDES.
These two open items remain unresolved at the present time and will be examined again during a future inspection.
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3.
Management and Procedural Control System The inspector examined the licensee's management and procedural controls for implementation of the radiological environmental monitoring program. This examination included a review of assignments of responsibilities and authorities for program management, implementation and audit.
Program management functions of the radiological environmental monitoring program rest with the Nuclear Support Services (NSS) Department. The NSS Department is responsible for data review, preparation of formal reports, and auditing contractor performance. The NSS Department also has responsibilities for managing the contract with the Hazelton Laboratory, headquartered in Vienna, Virginia. This contract was formally with Nalco Environmental Sciences in Northbrook, Illinois, which has been purchased by the Hazelton Laboratory on November 1, 1978. The management at the Northbrook laboratory has remained the same as the Nalco Environmental Sciences organization.
This laboratory is responsible for the radioanalysis and reporting of the radiological environmental monitoring program. The licensee's Environmental Regulatory Activities Department (ERAD), however, is responsible for the radiological environmental monitoring sample collections and shipment to the contractor.
The inspector examined a document entitled, " Sampling Procedures,"
prepared by the contractor and used by the licensee at the plant site for collection, handling and shipment of environmental samples to the contractor laboratory. These procedures were found to be complete and current. The contractor has also prepared an analytical procedures manual for sample preparation and analysis of air, water, milk, vegetation, soil, botton sediment and fish and wildlife environmental radiological samples. The procedures contained a number of sampling locations, location designation, frequency of sample collection, materials needed, method to be employed and data sheets for calculating the amount of radioactivity present in each sample. The inspector examined changes in the procedures which were found to be complete and current. No significant problems were identified in this area.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
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4.
Licensee's Internal Audit In a previous inspection 1/ a quality assurance audit conducted by the licensee in June 1977 of the contractor performing radioanalytical work for the radiological environmental monitoring program was described. In this inspection, the inspector noted that the contractor had taken the necessary corrective actions to the recommendations for program improvement and these actions have met with the approval of the licensee in December 1977.
No items of nonecmpliance or deviations were identified in this area.
5.
Licensees Program for Quality Assurance and Quality Control of Analytical Measurements The inspector reviewed the " Quality Assurance Manual" and the " Quality Control Procedures" used by the licensee's contractor to control quality in the analyses performed pursuant to Section 4.10 " Radiation Environmental Monitoring Program" of Appendix A to the Technical Specifications. These procedures are reviewed annually by the Quality Assurance Officer for the contractor and updated accordingly. Procedures reviewed by the inspector covered field quality control, laboratory analytical quality control for standard, spiked and unknown samples, calibration and quality control by performance test methods for different counting equipment, data reduction, reviewing and checking calculations, sample storage, and record keeping. All procedures noted above and changes thereto were current, having been revised up to November 1978 and were deemed technically adequate.
The licensee's contractor also participates in the Environmental Protection Agency's Interlaboratory Comparison Cross Check Program.
The inspector also reviewed the licensee's ERAD Air Quality Monitoring Quality Assurance Program pertaining to the radiation air sampler equipment, the sample collection analyses and calibration of the equipment. These procedures were determined to be complete and current.
The inspector toured the environmental sampling stations and examined the air sampling equipment and thermoluminescent dosimeters used and noted results of the instrumentation functional checks and calibrations.
Each instrument was found to be calibrated on a quarterly schedule.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified in this area.
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IE Inspection Rpt No. 50-282/77-18; No. 50-306/77-14.
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_ Implementation of the Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program The inspector examined the results of the radiological environmental monitoring program for the latter half of 1977 and for 1978 to date during this inspection. In addition, during the tour of the sampling stations, the inspector noted the installation and operability of selected environmental sampling stations.
Review of sample collection and shipment logs established that all samples had been collected and shipped to the contractor as required. The inspector also examined the analyses data tables for 1977 and 1978 to date which showed the analyses were performed as required.
The inspector identified certain unusual results which were discussed with cognizant licensee personnel. As discussed in the previous inspection report 2/, the inspector noted that ambient direct radiation monitoring data from TLDs placed at the control stations were higher than the data from TLDs at the indicator stations. The licensee found that the TLDs at the control stations located at different substations were affected by background radiation from the crushed rock covering the substation ground. They were therefore relocated several hundred feet away in August of 1978.
As reported in a previous inspection report 3/, the inspector noted that there were slightly elevated tritium levels of less than one percent of maximum permissible concentration in river water samples taken at a downstream sampling location. The licensee reported that in 1976 and 1977, insufficient mixing of the water discharged from the plant and tne river water occurred at the old sampling location. During 1978 the licensee changed the sampling location and is now collecting river water samples below the Lock and Dam No. 3 roller gates to be sure good mixing has occurred prior to sampling.
During this inspection, the inspector noted that anomalous tritium results were detected in Plant Well No. 2 samples and these anomalous results were discussed with cognizant licensee personnel. The inspector determined that the licensee has conducted a trend analysis in evaluating the tritium results starting in 1970 prior to plant operation. These results show that concentration values ranged from 200 to 800 picoeuries per liter prior to operation. Since operation had begun in 2/
Ibid.
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Ibid.
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1973, the tritium concentrations levels have ranged from 200 to 920 picocuries per liter. The inspector also noted that these concentrations are about 100,000 times less than the maximum permissible concentration of tritium in water in restricted The licensee is also conducting a hydrological study areas.
to determine the cause of these levels in the Plant Well No. 2.
The inspector also noted that there were elevated radioiodine levels found in milk due to the atmospheric weapons testing by the Republic of China during the fall of 1977 and during the spring of 1978.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified during this inspection. The above matters, however, will be examined further during a subsequent inspection.
7.
Licensee Environmental Event Reports The inspector reviewed ERR's from 78-06 through 78-11.
ERR's 78-06 through 78-11 reported daily average blowdown flow rates in excess of 150 cfs. The inspector selectively examined Procedure PINGP 45, the daily computer printout, and the thermal effluent reports, in order to verify compliance with the A T requirements of SF0, c6T across the condenser of 35F, blowdown in excess
of 150 cfs and verification of the Environmental Event Reports.
A review of the environmental event logs verified that the licensee had reported properly. The inspector has no further questions regarding these items.
8.
Exit Interview The inspector met with licensee representatives (denoted in Paragraph 1) at an exit interview conducted at the corporate office on December 13, 1978, and at the plant on December 14, 1978.
In both instances, the inspector discussed the purpose and scope of the inspection and inspection findings. Licensee representatives made the following responses to certain items discussed by the inspector at the corporate office exit interview:
a.
Continue the evaluation of anomalous results of tritium in the Plant Site Well No. 2 to determine the cause of the elevated tritium levels.
b.
Continue to work with NRR and the MPCA to resolve the open items pertaining to excess cooling tower blowdown and unmonitored flow paths of the thermal discharges.
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