IR 05000373/1986026
| ML20207G683 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | LaSalle  |
| Issue date: | 07/16/1986 |
| From: | Hueter L, Schumacher M NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20207G637 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-373-86-26, 50-374-86-27, NUDOCS 8607230144 | |
| Download: ML20207G683 (7) | |
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
REGION III
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Reports No. 50-373/86026(DRSS); 50-374/86027(DRSS)
Docket Nos. 50-373; 50-374 Licenses No. NPF-11; NPF-18 Licensee: Commonwealth Edison Company Post. Office Box 767
Chicago, IL 60690 l
Facility Name: LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2 Inspection At: LaSalle County Station, Marseilles, IL
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Inspection Conducted: June 18-19 and 23-24, 1986 b.
mm An Inspecto:
L. J. hueter
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Approved By:
umacher, ief Radiological Effluents and Date Chemistry Section Inspection Summary Inspection on June 18-19 and 23-24,1986 (Reports No. 50-373/86026(DRSS);
50-374/86027(DRSS))
Areas Inspected:
Routine, unannounced inspection of gaseous and liquid
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radioactive effluents including: effluent releases; records and reports of effluents; effluent control instrumentation, reactor coolant chemistry and activity; and gaseous effluent filtration.
Results: One violation involving failure to analyze for tritium in monthly composite samples from cooling lake blowdown between June 18, 1985 and March 1, 1986. Section 4
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DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted
- L. Aldrich, Rad / Chem Supervisor
- D. Berkman, Assistant Superintendent, Services R. Bishop, Superintendent, Services L. Butterfield, Nuclear Services Technical Manager (Corporate)
- G. Diedrich, Plant Manager
- T. Hammerick, Assistant Technical Staff Supervisor for Compliance F. Lawless, Assistant to the Assistant Superintendent of Technical Services
- P. Nottingham, Lead Chemist D. Pepalis, Engineering Assistant J. Schuster, Chemist D. Smythe, Technical Staff Engineer
- R. Thomas, QA Inspector
- R. Kopriva, NRC Resident Inspector
- Denotes those present at the exit meeting.
2.
Licensee Action on previous Inspection Findings (Closed) Open Item (373/85018-01; 374/85019-01): Concerning commitment to evaluate cause and significance of the rather large fraction of particulate activity in gaseous effluents being observed on the charcoal adsorber cartridges located downstream of particulate filters. The problem was found to be primarily caused by minor contamination occasionally transferred to counting equipment from sources prepared in the hot laboratory. A procedure was established for both background trending and subtraction.
Also, counting equipment is now decontaminated when the background count shows a significant upward trend.
The measures taken have minimized the
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observance of particulate activity on the charcoal adsorber cartridges.
(Closed) Unresolved Item (373/86008-01; 374/86009-01): Determination if cooling lake blowdown samples taken at a 16 cation (prior to dilutic-a)
satisfying technical specification monitoring regt:irements.
It was determined that the monthly composite water samples analyzed for tritium by the environmental contractor were not collected from the cooling lake blowdown prior to release in the Illinois River and therefore the analyses
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did not meet technical specification monitoring requirements.
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resolution of this item culminated in a violation described in Section 4.
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3.
Gaseous Radioactive Waste The inspector reviewed the licensee's gaseous radwaste management program.
The effluent records were selectively reviewed for calendar year 1985 and the first quarter of 1986. The 1985 semiannual effluent reports were selectively reviewed.
The gaseous effluent release paths, control mechanisms and procedures, as well as effluent quantification methods, dose projections and dose calcula-tions are unchanged from the brief description provided in Inspection Reports No. 50-373/85018; 50-374/85019.
Since July 1,1985, Unit I reactor was operational until its first refueling outage program on October 17, 1985 except for three short outages lasting from one to about 12 days. The unit has remained down since that time owing to the refueling and major modifications previously planned for the outage.
Unit 2 was in an outage on July 1,1985 but came out of the outage July 22, 1985 and except for a two month outage from late October to late December, plus several small outages, was operational until June 2, 1986, when the unit was shut down due to apparent pressure sensitivity (affecting calibration) of water level gai9es.
Both units are currently shut down.
An apparent minor fuel cladding problem was identified in Unit 2 in late January 1986, as evidenced by an increase in pretreatment noble gas activity (about an eightfold increase before stabilizing) but remained undetectable at the stack.
No significant increase in the dose equivalent I-131 of primary coolant resulted from the small leak.
Noble gas and iodine release rates as well as offsite dose rates have remained low.
In 1985, about 180 curies of noble gas and about 8.4E-03 curies of iodine-131 were released in gaseous effluents from both units combined. The calculated maximum whole body dose and maximum thyroid dose to any individual beyond the site boundary from these releases were 2.9E-03 mrem and 2.0E-02 mrem respectively.
A number of errors were identified in the 1985 semiannual effluent report during a selective comparison with plant data for gaseous effluents.
Refer to Section 4 regarding a similar problem involving liquid effluents. This matter was discussed at the exit.
No violations or deviations were identified.
4.
Liquids and Liquid Radioactive Wastes The inspector selectively reviewed the licensee's reactor liquids and liquid radwaste management program, including effluent records and semiannual effluent reports, for calendar year 1985 and the first quarter of 1986.
The licensee's liquid radwaste systems, instrumentation, controls and release path are basically unchanged from that described in Inspection Reports No. 373/85018 and 374/85019.
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In 1985, about 1.7E-02 curies of gross beta gamma activity (excluding tritium) and about 3.9E-01 curies of tritium were released in liquid
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effluents from both units combined.
The calculated maximum whole body
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dose and maximum bone dose to any individual beyond the site boundary from these releases were 1.4E-05 mrem and 1.8E-04 mrem respectively.
A number of errors were identified in the 1985 semiannual effluent report during a selective comparison with plant data for liquid effluents.
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similar problem was noted in Section 3 regarding reported gaseous i
effluents).
For example, the data reported for November included only one l
of the two liquid batch releases during that month.
The batch release
near the end of November was not included nor was.it included with the December reported data. Also, the total gross beta gamma activity in
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i liquids reported for November was not converted from millicuries (as recorded in plant data) to curies (as recorded in semiannual report) and was therefore conservatively reported by a factor of 1000.
However, the-
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l proper value was noted in calculating the dose to verify compliance with
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ODCM/ technical specification criteria. Another apparent error j
(conservative by a factor of about 100) was identified in the reported average concentration of gross beta gamma activity in liquid effluent i
releases for the fourth quarter of 1985. The need for, (1) a thorough
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review of 1985 semiannual effluent reports for identification of errors, (2) submission of errata to correct the previously reported data, and (3)
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establishment of a means for adequate review of future reports for
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accuracy before publication was discussed at the exit and will be reviewed during a future inspection.
(0 pen Items No. 373/86026-01; 374/86027-01)
No batch liquid releases have been made for the past six months.
Further, j
it was noted that the last several batches released (in late 1985) had been
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processed such that concentrations of activity were about one MPC or less before dilution with the cooling lake blowdown.
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As noted in Inspection Reports No. 373/86008 and 374/86009, the licensee was I
informed on March 21, 1986, that presence of radioactivity in the cooling l
lake from dewatering activities and ground water migration (associated with
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the Unit 2 condensate storage tank (CY-2) HPCS return line break of May 27,
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1985 and the subsequently verified analogous but smaller leak from the Unit 1 (CY-1) HPCS return line) meant that the blowdown was a continuous release pathway requiring monthly tritium analyses in accordance with
Technical Specification (T/S) 4.11.1.1.3.
The continuous release path
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i existed since June 18, 1985, when the cooling lake blowdown flow was i
re-established following discovery of the Unit 2 leak on May 27, 1985.
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l However, at the time of the above referenced inspection, the licensee i
provided data showing that its environmental contractor had analyzed l
monthly composite samples for tritium (as well'as gamma emitters) on a
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regular basis, howner, it could not be determined at that time from
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either review of licensee's environmental reports or from discussion with
a licensee representative if these samples were taken from the blowdown j
canal prior to dilution as would be necessary to satisfy T/S 4.11.1.1.3 or from the Illinois River after dilution.
It was subsequently verified
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I that the monthly samples analyzed for tritium by the contractor were i
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taken from the Illinois River and therefore did not satisfy TS 4.11.1.1.3.
Starting in March 1986, the licensee sends monthly samples collected from the cooling lake blowdown compositor to the environmental contractor for analysis for tritium (and other radionuclides). Review of data returned for the months of March and April (latest data available) showed no detectable tritium or other radionuclides as would be expected based on the dilution factor from the lake volume (1E10 gallons). Therefore, the licensee was informed that failure to analyze for tritium monthly composite samples from the cooling lake blowdown (a continuous release path) between June 18, 1985, and March 1, 1986, is a violation of T/S 4.11.1.1.3 and T/S Table 4.11.1-1 which require that a monthly composite sample from a continuous release point be analyzed for tritium (Violations No. 373/86026-02; 374/86027-02)
Corrective action to preclude recurrence appears to have been established with the program for sending monthly composite samples from the cooling lake blowdown to the contractor for tritium analysis beginning in March 1986.
During the inspection, the inspector was contacted by telephone by the Nuclear Services Technical Manager.
The manager confirmed that the licensee has been in contact with NRR and plans to make a submittal pursuant to 10 CFR 20.302 for disposal by onsite burial of contaminated material associated with both the Unit 1 and Unit 2 condensate storage tank HPCS return line breaks. The stated goal is to make the submittal in late 1986 or early 1987.
One violation and no deviations were identified.
5.
Coolant Chemistry and Radiochemistry 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 1,1985, to May 31,1986, included pH, conductivity, chloride and dose equivalent iodine-131. The pH and chloride concentration was contained within the respective specified criteria for both units throughout the review period. The conductivity has on occasion exceeded the applicable specification for short intervals but was always less than 72 hours8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br />, thus not requiring a report to the Commission.
The dose equiva-lent iodine-131 activity has remained well within the specified criteria throughout the period even though a minor fuel cladding failure was evident in Unit 2 starting in late January 1986 and described in Section 3.
No violation or deviations were identified.
6.
Calibrations and Functional Tests 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).
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inspector reviewed 18 month calibration records for these monitors and selectively reviewed records of monthly source checks.
No problems were identified, set points were also selectively reviewed and appear to be conservatively established.
No violations or deviations were identified.
7.
HEPA Filter and Charcoal Adsorber Systems Two ventilation systems have HEPA filters and charcoal adsorbers subject to technical specification surveillance requirements. These systems are the two trains of the control room and auxiliary electric equipment room
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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 above.
In addition, a laboratory analysis of a representative carbon sample from each tra;n for methyl iodide removal has been performed with records showing the removal efficiency to be greater than the 90% criteria for the most recent test results available.
No violations or deviations were identified.
8.
Training and Qualification Effectiveness Liquid radwaste processing and releases are handled by operations personnel.
Improved effectiveness is indicated by the absence of any batch liquid releases since mid-December 1985.
Laboratory work and analysis associated with effluent releases are performed by chemists and RCTs. Training for these activities is obtained during initial RCT training and changes in procedures and practices are covered in retraining scheduled as needed through the department training coordinator. The training coordinator's position was established about a year ago for training oversight and maintenance of training records.
Training and qualification effectiveness appeared adequate in the liquid and gaseous radwaste program with the exception of the review and verification of accuracy of data submitted in the semiannual effluent reports as discussed in Sections 3, 4, and 10.
No violations or deviations were identified.
9.
Open Items Open items are matters which have been discussed with the licensee, which will be reviewed further by the inspector, and which involve some action on the part of the NRC or licensee or both.
Open items disclosed during
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the inspection are discussed in Paragraph 4.
10.
Exit Meeting The inspector met with licensee representatives (denoted in Section 1) at the conclusion of the inspection on June 24, 1986. The inspector discussed the likely information content of the inspection report with
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regard to documents or processes reviewed by the inspector during the inspection.
The licensee did not identify such documents / processes as proprietary. The inspector summarized the scope and findings of the
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inspection.
In response to certain items discussed by the inspector, the licensee:
a.
Acknowledged the inspector's identification of a number of errors in the gaseous and liquid effluent data reported in the 1985 semiannual effluent reports and agreed to, (1) thoroughly review the 1985 reports to identify errors, (2) submit appropriate errata to correct, as necessary, the previously reported data, and (3) establish a means to provide adequate review of future reports for accuracy before publication.
(Sections 3 and 4)
b.
Acknowledged the inspector's favorable comments regarding the achievement of not releasing any batch liquid releases since mid-December 1985.
c.
Acknowledged the no response violation regarding failure to collect and analyze for tritium in a monthly composite sample from the cooling lake blowdown, a continuous release path, between June 18, i
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1985 and March 1, 1986.
(Section 4)
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