IR 05000397/2006002
| ML062420512 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Columbia  |
| Issue date: | 08/30/2006 |
| From: | Anton Vegel Division of Nuclear Materials Safety IV |
| To: | Parrish J Energy Northwest |
| References | |
| EA-06-158 IR-06-002 | |
| Download: ML062420512 (5) | |
Text
August 30, 2006
SUBJECT:
RECHARACTERIZATION OF LICENSEE IDENTIFIED NONCITED VIOLATION IN NRC INSPECTION REPORT 05000397/2006002; COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION
Dear Mr. Parrish:
Thank you for your letter from Mr. W. S. Oxenford, Vice President, Technical Services, dated June 9, 2006, in response to our May 12, 2006, letter and integrated inspection report. In your letter you contested the characterization of a licensee identified noncited violation of very low safety significance (Green) concerning the application of WD-40 penetrating oil to the standby service water pumps. Energy Northwest disagreed with the characterization of this issue as being of more than minor significance.
Energy Northwest provided the following information in support of the position that this issue was minor:
Application of WD-40 to the pump components provides extremely low to zero increase in the probability of intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC).
- Any increase in the probability of IGSCC is mitigated by planned preventative maintenance inspections applied to the pumps for the purpose of identifying IGSCC related degradation.
- NRC Manual Chapter 0612, App E, Example 4.f provided a minor example where use of an incorrect sealant was considered minor because the error did not impact the operability of a diesel generator.
After further review, the NRC staff has determined that the application of WD-40 penetrating oil to the standby service water pumps does not constitute a finding of more than minor safety significance due to the very low increase in probability of IGSCC. Therefore, we are recharacterizing the licensee identified noncited violation as minor. We also understand that Energy Northwest has revised the service water pump overhaul procedures to prohibit the use of WD-40 on stainless steel components because it is considered a good practice to avoid the introduction of chlorides and sulfates into these components.
Energy Northwest-2-In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and its enclosure will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of NRC's document system (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).
Should you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact Mr. Claude Johnson at 817-860-8148.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Anton Vegel, Deputy Director Division of Reactor Projects Docket: 50-397 License: NPF-21 cc:
W. Scott Oxenford (Mail Drop PE04)
Vice President, Technical Services Energy Northwest P.O. Box 968 Richland, WA 99352-0968 Albert E. Mouncer (Mail Drop PE01)
Vice President, Corporate Services/
General Counsel/CFO Energy Northwest P.O. Box 968 Richland, WA 99352-0968 Chairman Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council P.O. Box 43172 Olympia, WA 98504-3172 Douglas W. Coleman (Mail Drop PE20)
Manager, Regulatory Programs Energy Northwest P.O. Box 968 Richland, WA 99352-0968
Energy Northwest-3-Gregory V. Cullen (Mail Drop PE20)
Supervisor, Licensing Energy Northwest P.O. Box 968 Richland, WA 99352-0968 Chairman Benton County Board of Commissioners P.O. Box 190 Prosser, WA 99350-0190 Dale K. Atkinson (Mail Drop PE08)
Vice President, Nuclear Generation Energy Northwest P.O. Box 968 Richland, WA 99352-0968 Cheryl M. Whitcomb (Mail Drop PE03)
Vice President, Organizational Performance & Staffing/CKO Energy Northwest P.O. Box 968 Richland, WA 99352-0968 William A. Horin, Esq.
Winston & Strawn 1700 K Street, NW Washington, DC 20006-3817 Matt Steuerwalt Executive Policy Division Office of the Governor P.O. Box 43113 Olympia, WA 98504-3113 Lynn Albin, Radiation Physicist Washington State Department of Health P.O. Box 7827 Olympia, WA 98504-7827 Assistant Director Nuclear Safety and Energy Siting Division Oregon Department of Energy 625 Marion Street NE Salem, OR 97301-3742
Energy Northwest-4-Electronic distribution by RIV:
Regional Administrator (BSM1)
DRP Director (ATH)
DRS Director (DDC)
DRS Deputy Director (RJC1)
Senior Resident Inspector (ZKD)
Branch Chief, DRP/A (CEJ1)
Senior Project Engineer, DRP/E (TRF)
Team Leader, DRP/TSS (RLN1)
RITS Coordinator (KEG)
SUNSI Review Completed: __CEJ_ADAMS: / Yes G No Initials: __CEJ__
/ Publicly Available G Non-Publicly Available G Sensitive
/ Non-Sensitive R:_REACTORS\\CGS\\Denial Letter 2006-02RP.wpd SPE:PBA C:PBA DD:DRP EF:ACES SRI:CGS TRFarnholtz CEJohnson AVegel MSHaire ZKDunham E-CEJohnson
/RA/
/RA/
/RA/
E-CEJohnson 08/16 /06 08/16/06 08/30/06 08/21/06 08/16/06 OE DLSolorio
/RA/
08/29/06 08/ /06 08/ /06 08/ /06 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY T=Telephone E=E-mail F=Fax