IR 05000352/1989014
| ML20247N521 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Limerick  |
| Issue date: | 07/20/1989 |
| From: | Bores R, Joseph Furia NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20247N482 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-352-89-14-EC, NUDOCS 8908030036 | |
| Download: ML20247N521 (3) | |
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.a U. S. NUCLEAR REGUIAIURY C3HISSION
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REGION I
4, Report No.
89-14 Docket No.- 50-352
~ imnse No. NPF ~t9
, Category C
L Licensee: Philadelphia Electric Conpany P.O. Box 7520 Philadelphia,-PA 19101-Facility Name:
Limerick Generating Station Unit 1 Meeting At:
NRC Region I, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania Meeting Conducted: July 17, 1989 Prepared 1,y: M4 7 / zo /3 'l
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J.TV Furi'a, Radiation Specialist, ERPS date
' Approved by:-
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R.J. Boresf/ Olief, Effluents Radiation date Protection Section, FRSSB, IRSS Meeting Summary:. Enforr. air.ud Conference'at NRC Region I, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, on July 17, 1989, to die = the findings of NRC Inspection Report No. 50-352/89-14. h topics di m = ad related to the shipment of a SeaVan to a vendor site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
N meeting was atterded by NRC and licensee managament and lasted for approximately one hour.
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DETTAIIB 1.
Participants 1.1 Philadelphia Electric Cmpany G. leitch, Vice President - Limrick M. McCormick, Jr., Plant Manager l
R. Kridi, Branch Head, Limerick Licensing L. Wells, Physicist Supervisory Radwaste Service R.- Dubiel, rt Services - Limerick G. Murphy, or Health Physicist - Limerick 1.2 NRC Personnel M. Knapp, Director, DRSS, RI R. Bellamy, Chief, FRSSB, RI J. Linville, Chief, DRP Br. 2, RI R. Bores, Chief, ERPS, RI L. Doerflein, Chief, DRP, PS 2B, RI D. Holody, Jr. Enforuuierit Officer, RI
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J. Scholl, Resident In W or, Limerick J. Furia, Radiation Specialist, R1 2.
Purpose 2e Enforcement Conference was held at the request of NRC Region I to discuas the circumstances relating to the shipment of a SeaVan containing radioactive materials which upon arrival in Oak Ridge, W nnessee had excessive external radiation levels. W e dia'nenions at this meeting focused on: the identified apparent violation, the root cause of the event, and licensee corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
3.
Licensee Presentation h e licensee presented a chronology of events and actions which preceded and immediately followed the shipment of a SeaVan containing radioactive materials to a vendor's facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on June 20, 1989. W ere were no disagreements between the NRC staff and the licensee as to the sequence of events.
The licensee's root cause analysis determined that the reason for this apparent violation was the use of a survey meter which significantly undem-spvids to radiation levels in the 170 - 250 milliroentgen per hour (mR/hr) range. Studies performed by the licensee utilizing their survey meter and a survey meter of the same mode] used in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, revealed that these meters differ significantly in their response to radiation fields in the range of this shipment. The linaa m W ated that the meter used was selected in an attempt to utilize trP sive instruuTc es that widely utilized in the radwaste industry.
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l In addition, the licensee stated that its procedural release limit of 200 mR/hr on the exterior surface of a transport vehicle was the same as the regulatory limit set forth in 49 CFR 173.442 arxl thus failed to leave them any margin for error.
Follcuing the incident, the licensee lowered its premhlral shipping radiation action limit to 160 mR/hr, and has eih=]tently, as a result of its root cause analysis, set a limit of 150 mR/hr. Any package above this limit will not be shipped unless approved by the Supervisory Health Ihysicist and Radwaste Enginear.
'Ihe licensee is currently in the gvcxss of providing training to Health Physics personnel to preclude a reoccurrence of this incident. A Philadelphia Electric Ompany Information Notice was sent to the Health Physics staff discussing the incident and the problercs associated with survey meter response. In addition, traini g on the event and its cause are to be addressed in the cyclic training prwtmu for the Health Physics staff which should commence on or about July 31, 1989 aisl le caipisted appuaimately six weeks later, and in the continuig trainlIKJ ptwImu.
.Ihe licensee has also placed a notice in the INFO Network describing the results
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of the survey meter testing arx3 requesting other licensee's with similar experiences to contact Philadelphia Electric. As of the Enforcement Conference, no response had been received.
4.0 Concludirn Statements Licensee management stated that they have learned not to set release limits close to regulatory limits, that their corrective action, especially in the area of lowering the release limit to 160 mR/hr (and sh=q_mntly to 150 mR/hr)
was taken quickly, and that the root cause was instrument underresponse. Ihey enphasized their Mceintment in this occurrence and stated that in the future, they would devote more management attention to this area.
NRC Region I management stated that the licensee would be informed of the need and the nature of appropriate enforw:imt action relative to this incident at a later time.
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