IR 05000387/1996004

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Provides Response to Violations Noted in Insp Repts 50-387/96-04 & 50-388/96-04.Corrective Actions:All Doors to Decontamination Bldg on Refueling Floor Immediately Posted on 960201
ML18026A539
Person / Time
Site: Susquehanna  Talen Energy icon.png
Issue date: 06/24/1996
From: BYRAM R G
PENNSYLVANIA POWER & LIGHT CO.
To:
NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
PLA-4473, NUDOCS 9606280252
Download: ML18026A539 (8)


Text

PennsylvaniaPower8LightGompanyTwoNorthNinthStreet~Allentown,PA18101-1179~610/774-5151RobertG.ByramSeniorVicePreslderrr-iVuclear610/774-7502Fax:610i774-5019Jl.iw241996U.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommissionAttn:DocumentControlDeskMailStopP1-137Washington,D.C.20555SUSQUEHANNASTEAMELECTRICSTATIONREPLYTOANOTICEOFVIOLATION(50-387/96-04-02;50-388/96-04-02AND50-387/96-04-03;50-388/96-04-03)DocketNos.50-387and50-388ThisletterprovidesPennsylvaniaPowerandLightCompany'sresponsetotheNoticeofViolation(50-387/96-04-02;50-388/96-04-02and50-387/96-04-03;50-388/96-04-03)containedinNRCIntegratedInspectionReport50-387/96-04and50-388/96-04datedMay23,1996.IThenoticerequiredsubmittalofawrittenreplywithinthirty(30)dayofthedateoftheletter.WetrustthattheCommjssionwillfindtheattachedresponseacceptable.Ifyouhaveanyadditionalquestions,pleasecontactMr.R.D.Kichlineat(610)774-7705.Verytrulyyours,Attacntcopy:NRCRegionIMs.M.BanerjeeNRCSr.ResidentInspectorMr.C.Poslusny,Jr.NRCSr.ProjectManager ATTACHMENTTOPLA-4473Page1of6(387/96-04-02;3SS/96-04-02)Pursuantto10CFR20.1003,ahighradiationareaisanarea,accessibletoindividuals,inwhichradiationlevelscouldresultinexcessof0.100remin1hourat30centimetersfromtheradiationsourceorfromanysurfacethattheradiationpenetrates.Contrarytotheabove,onJanuary4;1996,throughFebruary1,1996,ahighradiationareainthedecontaminationbuildingontherefuelingfloor(818ft.elevation),withdoseratesupto0.800remin1hourat30centimetersfromtheradiationsource(avacuum),wasnotconspicuouslypostedasahighradiationarea.RLQHHLSc:pe~OnJanuary4,1996,aradiationsource(under-watervacuumhousing)wasplacedinthedecontaminationbuildingontherefuelingfloor(818ft.elevation).Thedoseofthevacuumhousingwarrantedthatthedecontaminationbuildingbepostedasahighradiationarea.ThispostingwasperformedonFebruary1,1996.ThecausesforthefailuretopostthedecontaminationbuildingbetweenJanuary4,1996,andFebruary1,1996,are:~OnJanuary4,1996onlyonedoorofthedecontaminationbuildingwaspostedindicatingthatthebuildingwasahighradiationarea.Theneedtopostthe~remainingdoorswentundetectedbecauseofalackofclearproceduralandworkpracticeguidancewhichresultedinhumanerror.Asaresultnosurveyofthedecontaminationbuildingwascompletedafterthevacuumhousingwasplacedinit,andtheneedtopostalldoorswentuncorrecteduntilFebruary1,1996,whenthevacuumhousingwasidentifiedasahighradiationsource.~Surveysthatwereconductedsubsequenttoplacingthevacuumhousinginthedecontaminationbuildingalsofailedtoidentifythepostingdeficiencies.TheinitialsurveyperformedonJanuary4,1996,wasincomplete.AnothersurveyofthebuildingwasconductedonJanuary8,1996,butwasonlyperformedatonecornerofthebuildinganddidnotidentifyanyunusualradiationconditions.Subsequently,asurveyconductedonJanuary15,1996,dididentifyslightlyelevateddoseratesatonelocation-outsidethebuilding.However,theslightlyelevateddoserateswereconsideredinsignificantbecausethehealthphysicstechnicianperformingthesurveydidnotrecognizethattheelevateddoserateswerefromahighradiationsource,i.e.,thevacuumhousin ATTACHMENTTOPLA-4473Page2of6W'lldoorstothedecontaminationbuildingontherefuelingfloorwereimmediatelypostedonFebruary,1,1996,followingidentificationthatthevacuumhousingwasahighradiationsource.Subsequently,anewropebarricadewaserectedtopreventaccesstothedecontaminationbuilding.Thereforecompliancewithhighradiationareapostingrequirementswasachieved.b.Althoughfunctionallyadequate,numerousprocedureshavebeenrevisedtoclarifystationsurvey,posting,andworkpracticeswhenworkingwithradioactiveequipment.Theseproceduralrevisionswillstrengthenthestation'sradiationcontrolsprogram.C.Thehealthphysicstechnicianinvolvedinthiseventwascounseled'astothenecessitytocompletesurveyandpostingrequirementspursuanttostationprocedures.d.HealthPhysicstrainingwasconductedwhichwillenhancea"questioningattitude"regardingradiologicalchangesnotedduringroutinesurveys.Thepurposeofthistrainingwastosensitizethehealthphysicstechniciansontheneedtofollow-upandperformadditionalinvestigativesurveyswhenelevatedradiationlevelsaremeasured.e.Lockingdeviceswereplacedonthedecontaminationbuildingdoorssothatinthefuturethisfacilitycanbelockedwhenradiationlevelsrequirelockedradiationcontrols.A"radiologicalsafetynote"wasdistributedtostationpersonnelreiteratingthenecessityofcontrollingradiologicalpostings.Appropriateradiologicalcontrolsworkprograms,andworkprioritiesandcommunicationenhancementsassociatedwithoutagemanagementactivitieshavebeendeveloped.Theseprogramswillincreasethesensitivityofstationpersonneltostationradiologicalcontrolconcerns,therebyreducingtheoccurrenceof'imilarevents.h.AreasoftheplantwhichwerenotalreadyunderlockedhighradiationcontrolsweresurveyedandupgradedasnecessarytoensurethestationwasincompliancewithNRCpostingandbarricaderequirement ATTACHMENTTOPLA-4473Page3of6Anindependentwalk-down,byfirstlinesupervisors,ofhighradiationpostingchangesisnowrequired.Thiscorrectiveaction,whichisinresponsetoasubsequentpostingevent,addsassurancesthatthe10CFR20andplantTechnicalSpecificationpostingandbarricadingrequirementsare'beingpromptlyandcorrectlyimplemented.W'P&Lmanagementimmediatelycommissionedanintensiveinvestigationtoestablishthecauseandrecommendcorrectiveactionsinresponsetothisevent.Theresultantcorrectiveactionstakentoaddressthiseventwereexpeditiouslydispositioned.PP&L,therefore,considersthecorrectiveactionsidentifiedabovetosatisfactorilyaddressthisviolation.Basedontheactiontakenin2.aabove,PP&Lisinfullcomplianc ATTACHMENTTOPLA-4473page4of6'gjgQ~~(387/96-04-03;388/96-04-03)Pursuantto10CFR20.1003,surveymeansanevaluationoftheradiologicalconditionsandpotentialhazardsincidenttotheproduction,use,transfer,release,disposal,orpresenceofradioactivematerialorothersourcesofradiation.Contrarytotheabove,asofApril4,1996,thelicenseedidnotmakesurveystoassurecompliancewith10CFR20.2001(a),whichdescribesauthorizedmeaitsofdisposingoflicensedmaterial.Specifically,onSeptember21,1995,(Note:ThetankerwasreleasedoffsiteonSeptember14,1995,asstatedinInspectionReport50-387/96-04and50-388/96-04)thelicenseedidnotperformasurveybeforedisposingofsludgeinatankertruckasnormal,non-radioactivewaste.Onprioroccasions,thetankertruckcontainedradioactivewaterabovethelowerlimitsofdetectionforeffluentreleases.4RcBQ~H1KOnFebruary29,1996,PP&Lwasnotified,byanorganizationinMontreal,QuebecCanada,thatatankertruckpreviouslyusedbyPP&L(PP&Lidentification¹255-216)hadaradioactivematerialslabelaffixedtothetanker.Priortoreleasingthetankeroffsite,thetanker(whichhadpreviouslycontainedslightlycontaminatedwater)wassurveyedusingexistingprocedures,anddeterminedtobeacceptableforoffsiterelease.PriortotransporttoMontreal,QuebecthetankerwasthoroughlycleanedatatruckwashingfacilityinPennsylvania.Todetermineifthetankermayhavebeencontaminatedorifotherpotentiallyradioactivematerialmayhavebeeninthetankerfollowingreleasefromthesite,atanker(PP&Lidentification¹255-212)thathadbeenusedinasimilarmanner,wassurveyed.Thesurveyidentifiedasmallamountofslightlyradioactivesludgeinthebottomofthetanker.Dosecalculationsperformedonthissludgeconcludedthatanydosereceivedwouldhavebeenasmallfractionofapplicabledoselimitsforamemberofthepublicand,basedontransportationregulations,thesludgefoundwouldhavebeenclassifiedasan"exemptquantity."BecauseoftheprocessusedbyPP&Ltodetermineifradioactivitywasassociatedwiththetanker,thetankermayhavecontainedsimilarorslightlyloweramountsofslightlyradioactivesludge.Therefore,itwasconcludedthataninadequatesurveyhadbeenperformedontanker¹255-216.~Thereasonfortheinadequatesurveyperformedonthesubjecttanker,priortoitsreleaseoffsiteonSeptember14,1995,wasthat:

ATTACHMENTTOPLA-4473Page5of6~Noproceduralguidanceexistedthatspecificallylookedfororremovedunnecessarylabelingpriortoreleasefromtheradiologicallycontrolledarea(RCA)orthesite.~Theprocedureusedtosurveyforcontamination(HP-TP-602)waslessthanadequateinthatitdidnotspecificallyrequireaninternalsurveyofthetanker.~Nooverallprocedureexistedtocontroltheprocessforuse,surveying,sampling,orreleaseofthetankerbytheseveralaffectedfunctionalorganizationswithinPPAL.Althougheachfunctionalorganizationhasprocedurestoaddresstheirspecificactivity,thelackofacomprehensivegoverningprocedurecontributedtoalackoftrainingrelatedtoaspectsofreleasingofmaterialoffsite,weakprogrammaticcontroloftankersforreleasefromtheRCAandsite,lessthanadequatecontaminationcontrolofemptycontainers,andlessthanadequateworkplansforcompletelyemptyingthetanker.a.TheremainingtankersatSusquehannathatareutilizedforsimilarpurposeshavebeenrelocatedwithintheprotectedarea,andhavebeenphysicallysecured.Thiswillensurepositivecontrolofthesetankerspriortoreleaseoffsite.b.NuclearDepartmentprocedures(NDAP-00-0627andHP-TP-0602)havebeenrevisedtorequirethattheinternalsurfacesoftankersbesurveyedpriortoexitingthesite..C.NuclearDepartmentAdministrativeProcedure(NDAP-00-0627)hasbeenrevisedtoincorporatestepsthatremoveunnecessarylabelsontankerspriortoreleaseoffsite.IncorporationofaspecificproceduralsteptoremovelabelsinthisNDAP,whichappliesacrossfunctionalorganizations,providesassurancesthatonlyrequiredlabelingwillbeattachedtotankersexitingthesite.Thetruckwashfacilitywassurveyed.Nonuclidesattributabletonuclearpower.plantoperationwereidentified.Theinternalstructureofseveraltankershasbeeninspectedtodetermineifthereareanyphysicalobstructionsthatwillpreventthecompletedrainingofmaterialfromthetanker.Thisinspectionconcluded.thattherearenomajorstructuralinternalsthatshouldpreventthecompletedrainingofatanker.Atleasttwodesignshavebeenidentified;however,theypresentnosignificantimpedimentstoemptyingthetanker ATTACHMENTTOPLA-4473Page6of6PP&LcorrespondencewassenttotheorganizationinMontreal,Quebec,whoreceivedthetanker,statingthattherewasnotaradiologicalhazardassociatedwiththetanker,andthatthelabelcouldberemoved.WW'1Surveysoftheremainingtankersthatwereutilizedforsimilarpurposeswillbeperformedtoassurethattheyarenotradioactivelycontaminatednorcontain.radioactivesludgeabovestationreleaselimits.ThesesurveysarescheduledtobecompletedbyJuly31,1996.b.Inspectionsoftheremainingtankersthat,wereutilizedforsimilarpurposeswillbeconductedtoassurethatinappropriatelabelshavebeenremoved.TheseinspectionsarescheduledtobecompletedbyJuly31,1996.C.Requirementsassociatedwithtankeractivitieswithintheprotectedareawillbeenhancedtoassurethatadequatecontrolsexistfortheuse,surveying,sampling,labeling,etc.oftankers.TheserequirementsarescheduledtobedevelopedandimplementedbyJuly31,1996.TheoverallprogramforcontrollingandcoordinatingtheprocessforremovingmaterialfromtheRCAandsitewillbeevaluated.ThisevaluationisscheduledtobecompletedbyJuly31,1996.Trainingwillbeprovided,toapplicablefunctionalorganizations,thataddressesthereleaseofmaterialsfromtheRCAthatmaybeslightlyradioactive.Thistrainingwillcontainelementsassociatedwithappropriate.lowerlimitsofdetection(LLD's),plateoutmechanismsandthediferentrequirementsforreleaseofmaterialsfromtheRCAandoffsite.InitialtrainingforkeyfunctionalorganizationsisscheduledtobecompletedbySeptember30,1996.Basedon2.aand2.babove,PP&Lisinfullcompliance.