IR 05000373/1985018

Insp Repts 50-373/85-18 & 50-374/85-19 on 850618-21.No Violation Noted.Major Areas Inspected:Gaseous & Liquid Radioactive Programs,Including Records & Repts of Effluents & Procedures for Controlling Releases

ML20129H487
Person / Time
Site:	LaSalle
Issue date:	07/12/1985
From:	Hueter L, Schumacher M NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:
Shared Package
ML20129H485	List: IR 05000373/1985018 ML20129H483
References
50-373-85-18, 50-374-85-19, NUDOCS 8507190159
Download: ML20129H487 (7)

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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

REGION III

Reports No. 50-373/85018(DRSS); 50-374/85019(DRSS)

Docket Nos. 50-373; 50-374 Licenses No. NPF-11; NPF-18 Licensee: Commonwealth Edison Company Post Office Box 767 Chicago, IL 60690 Facility Name: LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2 Inspection At: LaSalle County Station, Marsellies, IL Inspection Conducted: June 18-21, 1985 Inspector:

e /N L. J. Hueter 7.g-yf Date Approved By:} /kbt=':$C. Schumacher, Chief gI ,

Independent Measurements and Date Environmental Protection Section Inspection Summary Inspection on June 18-21._1985 (Reports No. 50-373/85018(DR$$h 50-374/85019(DRSS))

Areas Inspected: Routine unannounc ' inspection of gaseous and liquid radioactive programs including: effluent releases; records and reports of effluents; effluent control instrumentation; procedures for controlling releases; reactor coulant chemistry and activity; and gaseous effluent flitratio The inspection involved 41 inspector-hours onsite by one NRC inspecto Results: No violations were identified, k$ 3

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i DETAILS  !

1. Persons Contacted

• L. Aldrich, Lead Health Physicist

• Bishop, Superintendent, Services  ;

G. Ford, Technical Staff T. Hammerich, Assistant Technical Staff Supervisor for Compilance l F. Lawless, Rad / Chem Supervisor l

• P. Nottingham, Lead Chemist J. Schuster, Chemist A. Settles, Technical Staff

• Jordan, NRC Senior Resident Inspector

• Kopriva, NRC Resident Inspector

• Denotes those present at the exi ;

2. General This inspection, which began at 8:30 a.m. on June 18, 1985, was conducted to examine the licensee's gaseous and liquid radwaste management program l and related activities for safety and compliance with regulatory i

requirement . Gaseous Radioactive Waste i

The inspector reviewed the licensee's gaseous radwaste management program, .

including: determination whether gaseous radioactive waste effluents were '

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in accordance with regulatory requirements; adequacy of required records, reports, and notifications; and experience concerning identification and .

correction of programmatic weaknesse The program was reviewed for calendar year 1984 and the first quarter of 1985. The inspector reviewed semiannual effluent reports for 1984 and 1 selectively reviewed effluent records for the same perio Gaseous offluents are exhausted from the plant via a single vent stac !

However the standby gas treatment system (SGTS) has a separate flue inside the vent stack with a separate monitoring / sampling syste Containment vent and purges normally are exhausted via the regular vent stack but may be diverted through the SGTS if filtration is neede Under normal plant conditions, gaseous releases are quantified weekly from stack grab samiles for noble gas and weekly particulate filter and charcoal sample 'Jnder abnormal conditions sampling may be more frequent in order to meet technical specification requirements. Similar -

samples are taken to quantify SGIS releases. Stack tritium samples are t l

collected on $11(ca gol during reactor startup and shutdown and when !

I power changes exceed 15 porcent in one hnur. Prior to containment l

! purges, grab samples for noble gas and tritium are collected and analyzed ( from both the vent stack and containment to verify that releases will not >

l exceed the Offsite Dose Calculation Manual (ODCH) criteri l l

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The CECO computer program for dose updates and projections is run weekly and before containment purges (more than meeting the 31 day maximum interval for dose projection determination). By inputting releases of each nuclide for the period into the computer program, the gamma air dose, beta air dose, total body dose, skin dose and most restrictive organ dose is provided for the current period, the current calendar quarter to date, the three previous calendar quarters and the calendar year to dat Reactor Unit I has been in operational status throughout most of the review period except for a few short outages plus one of several weeks duration in late 1984. Unit 2 was operated sporadically until startup testing was completed in the Fall of 1984. An approximate four month outage (expected to end in late June, 1985) was conducted to complete a number of plant modifications. The licensee has had no evidence of fuel cladding problems to date with either unit. Redioactive effluent release rates and offsite dose rates have remained low. In 1984, 566 curies of )

noble gas and 3.54E-03 curies of iodine-131 were released in gaseous '

l effluents from both units combined. Inserting into the Ceco computer I

code the annual values of curies of each nuclide released in gaseous effluents in 1984, the calculated maximum whole body dose and maximum thyroid dose (most restrictive organ dose) to any individual beyond the site boundary were 6.9E-03 mrem and 1.1E-02 mrem respectivel A land use survey is conducted by a contractor during the third calent v quarter i each year to determine if any changes have occurred that would require changes in ODCM formulation In review of gaseous effluent, it was noted that a significant fraction of the particulate nuclides in effluents were measured on the charcoal adsorber cartridges located downstream of the particulate filters. For example, in November 1984, cobalt-60 was identified on the charcoal adsorber on eight days and accounted for about 36 percent of the total cobalt-60 activity quantified in gaseous ef fluents for the month. During the same month, manganese b4 was identified on the charcoal adsorber on eleven days ano accounted for about 62 percent of the total manganese-54 activity quantified in gaseous effluents for the month. Possible causes t were discussed including filter installation problems and possibly elevated counting room backgrounds affecting gamma counting. 1his matter was discussed at the exit and will be further reviewed during a future inspectio (0 pen item 313/85018-01; 374/85019 01)

No violations were identifie . Liquids __and Liquid Radioactive Wastes The inspector reviewed the licensee's reactor litulds i and liquid radwaste management programs, including: determination whether reactor liquids meet chemical and radlochemical requirements, determination whether liquid radioactive waste offluents Woro in accordance with regulatory requirements, adequacy of required records, reports, and notifications; and experience concerning identification and correction of programmatic weaknesse __ - - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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The program was reviewed for calendar year 1984 and the first quarter of 1985. The inspector reviewed semiannual effluent reports for 1984 and selectively reviewed effluent records for t5e same period. No significant problems were identified during this revie Liquid effluents are released on a batch basis from one of two tanks (following sampling and analysis) to a single release path which is a monitored (alarm and isolation functions) radwaste line. This line diverts the effluent to the cooling lake blowdown line to provide adequate dilution to assure that the effluent reaching the river is below MPC for the mixture of all nuclides released. Most plant liquids including chemical waste liquids are process ~ed and reclaimed by use of filters, radwaste evaporators and resin beds. As a result, batch releases consist mainly of laundry water and an occasional batch of other water which does not meet criteria for reuse. The licensee has had rather frequent problems with the three radwaste evaporators but has continued to repair and use them. One of the three radwaste evaporators is currently out of service owing to a recent leak in the surface condenser that cools and condenses (via service water) distillate from the evaporato Analyses of batch liquid releases include counting a sample of the recirculated liquid for 60 minutes using a GeLi system to identify and

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determine the concentration of gamma emitting nuclides in Technical Specification Table 4.11.1-1. For pure beta emitters, including

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. strontium-89 and 90, fron-55 and hydrogen-3, concentrations are considered to be identical to the concentrations in the latest analysis of monthly composite samples of Ilquid batch releases. The composite samples are sent to a contractor for beta analysis. The concentrations of each nuclide, as well as the cooling lake blowdown flow rate are fed into a computer program which provides the MPC fraction for each nuclido, the sum of MPC fractions, the allowable radwaste discharge flow rate and the setpoint (above background) of the monitor on the discharge line which has alarm and isolation functions. Calculation of the release rate has a built-in safety factor of 10 included. Also, the maximum dilution flow used for the cooling lake blowdown in the calculation is 20,000 gpm whereas the flow rate can range from 20,000 to about 60,000 gpm when the blowdown is in operation. Further, the maximum releate rate from the effluent line is 45 gpm. Selective review of recent release records identifled no problems with setpoint determination and setting ment surveillance requirements of Technical Specification 4.11.1.2, for each liquid batch release, the activity of each nuclide is entered into a CECO computer program which determines the cumulative dose contributions (in accordance with the 00CM) for the total body and any organ for that batch, for the calendar quarter to date and for the calendar year to dat In 1984, about 85 millicuries of gross beta gamma activity (excluding tritium) and about 1.1 curies of tritium was released in liquid offluents from both units combined. From these effluent releases, the calculated maximum whole body dose and maximum bone dose (most restrictive organ dose) to any individual beyond the site boundary were 1.3E-02 mrem and 3.2[ 01 mrem respectivel .. .

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Licensee efforts are continuing in determining the extent of release of activity to the cooling lake as well as the bounds and degree of soil and ground water contamination resulting from the,below ground HPCS line break of late May 1985 which is described in Inspection Report Nos. 50-373/85017 and 50-374/8501 Reactor coolant sampling and analysis records were reviewed for compliance with chemical and radiochemical criteria contained in Technical Specifications 3/4.4.1 and 3/4.4.5 respectively. Test results reviewed for the period July 1, 1984, to May 31, 1985, included pH, conductivity and chloride. The pH and chloride concentration was contained within tne respective specified criteria for both units throughout the review period except for the chloride concentration in Unit 1 reactor coolant for a period of time on August 7 and 8 when the concentration exceeded the 0.2 ppm criteria, reaching a peak of 0.388 ppm. A report was not required nor was a change in the operational condition required becaus f the concentration was brought back within the criteria within a period of /

less than 72 hours8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br />. The conductivity for Unit 1 was out of specification -

for less than a 72 hour8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br /> period on a couple of occasions, once in late j- ,d July and again in early August 1984 when the 1.0 micro mbos/cm was exceededf i , l and reached a maximum of 2.20 micro mhos/c The problem has beery more~ i p j frequent with Unit 2 particularly when operating at low power leyels # '

during startup testing in the latter half of 198 The conductivity for Unit 2 was out of specification on seven occasions (each being less than 72 hours8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br /> duration) when the conductivity exceeded 1.0 micro mhos/cm (maximum of 1.92 micro mhos/cm).

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A facility change made during the current Unit 2 outage involves a ..

modification in piping / valving from which the control rod drives obtain >

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cooling water. The modification is designed to eliminate the potential, '

of drawing the control rod drive cooling water from a stagnant supply in _

a line which can significantly affect primary coolant conductivity >

particularly during low power operation. The control rod cooling water ' ,

will now be taken from the condenser hot well for Unit 2 as is already

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I the case with Unit The dose equivalent iodine-131 activity test results were reviewed from 5 December 1, 1984, to May 20, 1985 and the gross beta gamma activity test results were selectively reviewed for the last half of 1984 and first quarter of 1985. No problems were identified during the review in either frequency of testing or compliance with concentration No violations were identifie s 5. Calibrations and Surveillances of Gaseous and Liquid Process and Effluent Monitors The inspector reviewed records for seven monitors on the liquid system (including the common radwaste discharge, the service water discharge for each reactor unit and two RHR service water monitors for each unit) and two monitors on the gaseous system (the SGTS and the vent stack).

Technical Specification 4.3.7.10 requires calibration of the liquid 5 C

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monitors described above at 18 month intervals and source checks prior to each release. Technical Specification 4.3.7.11 requires calibration of the gaseous monitors described above at 18 month intervals and source

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! ch7cks at monthly intervals. The inspector reviewed calibration records

} 7 and selected source checks for the liquid and gaseous effluent monitors

' ' )< described above for the period August 1, 1982 to June 18, 1985. The review showed proper calibrations on a timely basis. The selected review of source checks and instrument setpoints identified no problem .

The initial calibration of liquid monitors involved determination of an efficiency using a single concentration of cesium-137 liquid source and

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response to several solid cesium-137 sources to determine linearity of response and for use in subsequent calibration check For subsequent

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calibrations an electronic calibration check for linearity is performed s as well as verification that response to a solid cesium-137 source (decay l 4 , corrected) has remained within an established error band. For the liquid )

I radwaste monitor only, during the initial calibration a curve was

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developed of instrument response versus gamma energy by using five

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sources ranging in energy from 88 key to 1332 kev. This information is used, in conjunction with analysis of samples of planned batch releases, for determination of expected monitor response and setpoint value _ In January 1984, the licensee had a contractor do a detailed calibration of the gaseous normal range effluent monitor (beta scintillation

' detectors) involving several concentrations of xenon-133 and also several concentrations of krypton-85 to show counting efficiency for each gas and-to demonstrate linearity characteristics over the range of the monitor

)(, ' for gases with different beta energies. At the same time, five solid

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sources with a range of beta energies were counted and efficiencies

' t'ete rmi ned. During subsequent calibrations these solid sources are counted to show that the counting efficiency has not changed by more than 10 percent over a broad range of beta energies. Linearity is also n rified by counting several sources of a single nuclide with a broad range of activitie '

No violations were identifie > . f.; Procedures for Controlling Releases The inspector selectively reviewed revisions to the licensee's liquid and Ii' gaseous radwaste procedures. No significant problems were identified during the procedures revie LCP 140-7, Revision 9, Analysis of Radwaste Discharge Tanks 1(2)WF05T and

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Determination of Discharge Flowrate Using Cooling Pond Blowdown

\; . LCP 730-1, Revision 0, Determination of Station Vent Stack and Standby-Gas Treatment Stack Wide Range Gas Monitor Effluent Release Rate Alarm

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Setpoints LCP 820-13, Revision 5, Efficiency Calibration of NAI Liquid Process Radiation Monitors LCP 820-23, Revision 0, Determination of Efficiency Curve for Radwaste Liquid Process Monitor No violations were identifie s

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. 4 7. Changes to Equipment and Procedures In discussions / reviews of changes made to gaseous or liquid waste systems during the past year, two facility changes were identified, both involving the liquid waste system. One modification, involving the source of cooling water for Unit 2 CRDs, is described in Section 4. The other modification involves the recent relocation of part of the liquid radwaste discharge line and relocation of the liquid radwaste effluent monitor from an offsite location to a location in the turbine buildin The inspector verified that a 10 CFR 50.59 review / evaluation was performed by the licensee for both of these facility change No violations were identifie . HEPA Filter and Charcoal Adsorber Systems Two ventilation syseems have HEPA filters and charcoal absorbs subject to technical specification surveillance requirements. These systems are the two trains of the control room and auxiliary electric equipment room emergency filtration system and the two trains (common to both reactor units) of the standby gas treatment system. Inplace testing of HEPA filters and charcoal adsorbers have been performed on a timely basis and records show the efficiency to be greater than the 99.95 percent criteria for the latest tests of the systems described abov In addition, a laboratory analysis of a representative carbon sample from each train for methyl iodide removal has been performed with records showing the removal efficiency to be greater than the 99% criteria for the most recent test results available. Test results from samples just recently removed and sent to a laboratory for analysis were not yet availabl No violations were identifie . Exit Meeting The inspector met with licensee representatives (denoted in Section 1)

at the conclusion of the inspection on June 21, 1985. The inspector discussed the likely information content of the inspection report with regard to documents or processes reiiewed by the inspector during the inspection. The licensee did not itentify such documents / processes as proprietary. The inspector summarized the scope and findings of the inspection. In response to certain items discussed by the inspector, the licensee:

Acknowledged a potential problem involving proper quantification of particulates in gaseous effluents in that a significant fraction of the particulate activity is identified on the charcoal adsorber cartridges located downstream of particulate filters. The licensee committed to evaluate the cause and significance of this concern. (Section 3)

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