IR 05000282/1982010
| ML20058F208 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Prairie Island  |
| Issue date: | 07/16/1982 |
| From: | Oestmann M, Paperiello C, Rozak S, Schumacher M NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20058F201 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-282-82-10, 50-306-82-10, NUDOCS 8207300345 | |
| Download: ML20058F208 (6) | |
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
REGION III
Report Nos. 50-282/82-10(DEPOS); 50-306/82-10(DEPOS)
Docket Nos. 50-282; 50-306 License Nos. DPR-42; DPR-60 Licensee: Northern States Power Company 414 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN 55401 Facility Name: Prairie Island Nuclear Plant Units 1 and 2 Inspection At: Prairie Island, Red Wing, MN Inspection Conducted: June 21-23, 28-29, and July 2, 1982 C.>2cgc4. fot.
Inspectors:
M. J. Destmann M/Yf t-S Rz M/(*/3L h.,.
a.y,ug)geu,s Approved By:
M. C. S uumacher, Chief 14r[67 Independent Measurements and Environmental Protection Section h!
htC.
. ha d
/s,/9h1 t te lo, Chief
Emergency Preparedness and O
Program Support Branch Inspection Summary:
Inspection on June 21-23, 28-29, and July 2, 1982 (Report Nos. 50-282/82-10 (DEPOS); 50-306/82-10(DEPOS))
Areas Inspected: Routine unannounced safety inspection of:
(1) Confirmatory Measurements, utilizing the NRC Measurements Van to analyze samples collected and split with the licensee; (2) Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program; and (3) Review of licensee internal audit practices and quality control of analytical measurements. The inspection involved 43 inspector-hours onsite by two NRC inspectors.
Results: No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
8207300345 820719 PDR ADOCK 05000282 O
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DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted
- E. Watzl, Plant Manager, PINGP
- D.
Schuelke, Superintendent, Radiation Protection, PINGP
- D.
Larimer, Supervisor, Radiation Protection, PINGP L. Eberly, Supervisor, Ecological Studies, PINGP j
L. Kuhl, Ecological Specialist, PINGP i
D. Silvers, Quality Assurance Engineer, PINGP K. Albrecht, Superintendent, Quality Assurance, PINGP
- B. Clark, Administrator, Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program, Nuclear Support Services, NSP Corporate Office Several other licensee employees, including chemistry, environmental and training personnel were also interviewed during the course of the inspection.
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- Denotes those present at the plant exit interview on June 23, 1982.
- Denotes the license representative present during a telephone interview on June 28-29, and July 2, 1982.
- Denotes the license representative present during a telephone
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i interview on June 29, 1982.
2.
Licensee Action on Previous Inspection Findings (Closed) Open Item (50-282/78-03-01; 50-306/78-04-01): Unacceptable results were noted in the plant liquid waste, due to licensee failure to identify Cs-137 and to accurately quantify Co-60.
The licensee accurately quantified Co-60 in a liquid waste sample collected during this inspection.
See Table 1 of this report. The licensee also accurately analyzed for Cs-137 in a liquid waste sample collected during a March 1978 inspection.1 This item is, therefore, considered
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closed.
3.
Management and Administrative Controls for the Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program (REMP)
No changes in management and administrative controls for implementation of REMP have occurred from those described in a previous inspection report.2
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Implementation of the REMP The inspectors reviewed the licensee's REMP results as presented in the Annual Report for CY 1981 for compliance with monitoring and
Inspection Report Nos. 50-282/78-13; 50-306/78-14.
- Inspection Report Nos. 50-282/78-22; 50-306/78-22.
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reporting requirements in accordance with Section 4.10 of Appendix A, Technical Specifications.
Inspectors review of the Annual Report and sample collection log book indicated that.all samples had been properly collected at the specific locations and accounted for in accordance with Table 4.10-1.
The analytical results indicated no unusual results or trends attribut-able to plant operations; however, elevated radioactivity levels were found in air particulate filters and milk samples from fallout from atmospheric weapons testing by the Peoples' Republic of China. These results' confirm those obtained from other nuclear plants in Region III.
The inspectors noted that air monitoring equipment was operable and properly maintained during a tour of the air monitoring stations.
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Calibrations of the air monitoring equipment had been performed in accordance with procedural requirements. Thermoluminescent dosimeters were also observed to be properly placed at the monitoring stations.
The Lock and Dam No. 3 location where water samples are collected, was also observed.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
5.
Licensee's Program for Quality Control of REMP and Plant Analytical Measurements a.
Quality Control of REMP The licensee's contractor, Hazleton Environmental Sciences Company, participates in the Environmental Protection Agency's interlaboratory comparison cross check program. Analytical results_for water and milk' samples for the 1980 and 1981 program appear to be satisfactory. The contractor's results of gamma exposure on thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD's) in the inter-national comparison program conducted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the School of Public Health of the University of Texas are adequate.
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The Nuclear Support Services Department staff conducts a combina-tion audit and training program for the Environmental and Regula-tory Activities Department (ERAD) personnel through monthly accompaniment of field sample collections by ERAD personnel.
The NSS staff has just completed an audit of the contractor's analytical measurements program for the REMP as noted in a previous inspection' and is preparing an audit report. This item will be_ examined in a future inspection (Open Item
.50-282/82-10-02; 50-306/82-10-02),
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Quality Control of Plant Analytical Measurements The responsibility and management of plant analytical measurements as described in Section Work Instructions have remained the same
Inspection Report No. 50-282/81-12; 50-306/81-14.
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as discussed in a previous inspection." Management controls appear to be adequate.
Review of selected chemical and radiochemical procedures, records, and logs for 1981-82 indicate that these procedures had been up-dated and approved by licensee management. These procedures in-cluded surveillance tests, quality control and records for instru-mentation, analysis and specific measurement techniques for i
different chemicals.
During a tour of the cold and hot laborator-les, the inspectors noted that all laboratory instruments had been properly calibrated and maintained. Calibration curves were found up to date and calibration stickers on instruments were current. Various chemical solutions had current dates and labels.
No problems were observed during the licensee collection of refueling waste storage tank and waste gas samples split with the NRC under the confirmatory measurements inspection program.
The licensee also performs daily, weekly and monthly checks of the counters in the counting room. The licensee is planning to upgrade his multichannel gamma spectrometry system in the near future. No technical weaknesses were identified in the licensee's analytical measurements program.
The licensee continues to split radiological samples on a quarterly basis with a licensee contractor for internal quality control purposes. The licensee also provides split or blind samples to the Radiation Protection Specialist to test the specialists'
laboratory proficiency. The Radiation Protection Specialist maintains a qualifications card to demonstrate specific procedures and tests he is qualified to perform. This is part of a training and retraining program the licensee maintains for the specialists.
Section Work Instructions SWI-RP-12 and -23 describe the training program for these licensee personnel and include formal acceptance criteria for adequate training and performance of laboratory work.
No technical insufficiencies were observed.
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The licensee's Quality Assurance Department conducted an audit l
on the chemical and radiochemical control program intermittently from December 11, 1980, to February 11, 1981, to assess compliance with licensees' requirements in appropriate administrative control
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directives and implementation of Section Work Instructions. No QA problems were identified.
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No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
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Results of Comparative Analyses
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Results of comparative gamma analyses for sampics collected and l
analyzed onsite with the Region III Mobile Laboratory are given i
Inspection Report 50-282/79-32; 50-306/79-26.
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in Table I; comparison criteria are in Attachment 1.
Analyses for gross beta, H-3, Sr-89 and Sr-90 will be reported in an addendum to this report. The licensee has agreed to perform the analyses (gross beta to be counted July 12, 1982) and to report the results to Region III (0 pen Item 50-282/82-10-03; 50-306/82-10-03).
Eighteen of twenty comparisons met criteria for agreement or possible agreement.
Sampics in four media-liquid, air particulate filter, charcoal adsorber, and gas were collected and analyzed.
In addition, the licensee was asked to count an NBS traceable air particulate filter supplied by the inspectors.
No problems were noted for the comparison on the liquid sample from a refueling water storage tank.
In quantifying effluent gas releases the licensee often uses 1775 cc hand blown glass Marinelli containers. The licensee has several of these and the variation in the shape of these containers was easily visible. The inspectors expressed a concern that some of the sample containers are sufficiently different from the calibration standard that they were not representative of the geometry that was used to calibrate the detector. The licensee achieved all agreements or possible agreements during this inspection using this geometry.
The licensee has agreed to investigate the amount of variation in quantification there is with the various containers (0 pen Item 50-282/82-10-04; 50-306/82-10-04).
The licensee had two disagreements in a spiked particulate filter.
Licensee results were conservative in both cases. The likely cause is the calibration standard used to calibrate this geometry which may not have been representative of the sampics that are counted.
The licensee has agreed to obtain a standard that more closely resembles the actual samples and to recalibrate this geometry (0 pen Item 50-282/82-10-05; 50-306/82-10-05). For the initial count on the air licensee's particulate filter the inspector removed the filter paper from the plastic bag in which it was stored.
In doing so, it was determined later that approximately two thirds of the activity on the filter had remained in the bag.
This does not present a problem for gamma isotopic analysis of the activity on the filter since the licensee counts the filter in the bag; however, it is poss-ible that Sr-89, Sr-90 analyses for this medium might be in error if activity is regularly removed from the filters when they are removed for chemical analysis. The licensee's semiannual effluent reports from CYs 1977 to 1981 were examined to see if any regulatory limits might have been exceeded. The licensee rarely reported seeing any Sr-89 or Sr-90 in continuous or batch releases and it is highly un-likely that an inaccurate quantification of these radionuclides has resulted in any regulatory limit being exceeded. This problem was discussed with licensee representatives who agreed to investigate how much if any activity is removed by the filter bags and to change storage containers, if necessary.
(0 pen Item 50-282/82-10-06; 50-306/82-10-06).
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The charcoal adsorber used for the comparison in Table I was used to sample Unit I containment air.
Br-82 was seen on this sample with an activity level comparable to I-131.
Licensee representatives said that this is the first time that they have seen this radionuclide in any medium.
Primary coolant samples collected before and after the air sample did not show any Br-82.
It is possible that trace quantities of airborne Br 81 have been activated by neutrons from the reactor. The activity seen corresponds to about 2 x 10 11 pCi/cc of Br-82 which is well below the unrestricted area limit of 6 x 10 '
pCi/cc from 10 CFR 20 Appendix B, Table II.
Licensee representatives are investigating the source of the bromine and will report their findings to Region III.
(Open Item 50-282/82-10-01, 50-306/82-10-01).
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
7.
Exit Meeting The inspector met with licensee representatives denoted in Section 1 at the conclusion of the inspection on June 24, 1982. The scope and findings of the inspection were discussed.
In response to inspector comments, the licensee agreed to perform the actions dis-cussed in Section 6 of this report.
- Attachments:
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Table I, Confirmatory Measurements Program 2nd Quarter of 1982.
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Attachment 1, Criteria for Comparing Analytical Measurements.
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