IR 05000482/1999004

Insp Rept 50-482/99-04 on 990405-09.No Violations Noted. Major Areas Inspected:Licensee Implementation of Facility Inservice Insp Program & Followup Review of Previously Identified Insp Findings

ML20206H606
Person / Time
Site:	Wolf Creek
Issue date:	05/05/1999
From:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
To:
Shared Package
ML20206H596	List: IR 05000482/1999004 ML20206H594
References
50-482-99-04, 50-482-99-4, NUDOCS 9905110260
Download: ML20206H606 (9)

Text

.

,

ENCLOSURE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

REGION IV

Docket No.: 50-482 License No.: NPF-42 Report No.: 50-482/99-04 Licensee: Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation -

Facility: Wolf Creek Generating Station Location: 1550 Oxen Lane, NE Burlington, Kansas Dates: April 5-9,1999 Inspector: John E. Whittemore, Senior Reactor inspector Engineering and Maintenance Branch Approved By: Dr. Dale A. Powers, Chief Engineering and Maintenance B anch Division of Reactor Safety ATTACHMENT: Supplemental Information i

l

. 1 I

l i

i

0 2

)

,-

.

. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

'

Wolf Creek Generating Station NRC. Inspection Report No. 50-482/99-04 This inspection consisted of a review of the licensee's implementation of the facility inservice

~

inspection program and a followup review of previously identified inspection findings. The inspection report covers a 1-week period onsite by a region-based inspecto Maintenance

The licensee's contractor examiners demonstrated skill in obtaining satisfactory examination coverage of a weld in spite of mechanicalinterference (Section M1.1).

• *

ASME code-governed repair and replacement activities reviewed by the inspector were procured, performed, and tested in accordance with appropriate codes and procedure The licensee's process for validating the use of proper material for code-governed repair and replacement was excellent (Section M1.1).

The licensee's examination reports reviewed provided good documentation of I successful program implementation (Section M3).

i i

.

!

l

l

.

t

'

3- ,

!

,

Report Details i

Summarv of Plant Status I The plant went from Mode 5, shutdown, and cooled down to Mode 6, shutdown refuelMg, during the week of the inspectio ;

I II. Maintenance i M1 Conduct of Maintenance M1.1 Inservice insoection During this inspection, the licensee was conducting Refueling Outage 10. This was the final outage for the first 40-month period of the second inservice inspection program 120-month interval. Licensee Document WCRE-10," Inservice inspection Program Plan Interval 2," Revision 1, had adopted Section XI, the 1989 Edition of ASME Code, without addenda, as the code for the second interval program. The second interval program \ plan, as well as 17 of the 20 requests for relief, were approved in an NRC letter dated October 24,1997, that included the safety evaluatio Inspection Scoce (73753)  !

The inspector observed the performance of one nondestructive examination on a Code ;

Class 3 circumferential pipe weld Planning activities associated with code-governed repair and replacement were reviewed, discussed and assesse Observations and Findinas -

. Nondestructive Examination The inspector observed a portion of the calibration of the portable ultrasonic testing unit that was used to perform angle beam examination of a Class 3,10-inch, circular pipe weld located at the inlet to the safety-related Steam Generator 4 atmospheric dump valve. The portion of the calibration observed was performed in accordance with the approved procedure using the appropriate calibration block. The inspector then observed the performance of the examination as noted belo EXAMINATION ASME ITEM SYSTEM AND LOCATION COMPONENT OR TYPE CATEGORY IDENTIFICATION WELD TYPE

'

Ultrasonic C5.51 AB-01-FO80 10" Pipe Weld The inspector found that the examination was performed in accordance with the appropriate guidance, Procedure NES 83A2417," Procedure for Ultrasonic Examination of Piping Systems and Vessels Greater Than or Equal to 2 Inches Thickness,"

Revision 6. The inspector observed that the examiners experienced difficulty with j l,

s 1

^

I I

t

.-

-4-l obtaining a total volumetric examination due to interference from an imbedded, welded pipe support and an irregular weld contour. The examiners partially overcame this difficulty by using the ultrasonic transducer in normal and reversed configurations. Prior j to using the transducer in the reverse configuration, the examiners rechecked the setup I with the calibration block. The licensee's contractor examiners did not identify any l recognizable flaw or discontinuity indications but the report indicated that a complete i i examination of root weld geometry (360 degrees) could not be obtained. The inspector l felt that the examiners were skillful and obtained the best possible result. The inspector - !

noted that the examination surface had been cleaned and prepared by licensee j

! personnel, and that additional cleaning and preparation by the examiners prior to i conducting the examination was not necessar Reoair and Reolacement Activities )

I The inspector selected and reviewed the code-governed repair and replacement )

activities listed below. The review consisted of reviewing the work planning for I code-specified requirements for procurement, work performance, and nondestructive ;

testing or examination. The inspector also held discussior.s with licensee code j personnel to understand how code requirements were determined and met for the )

specific activities. The reviewed activities had been completed in accordance with the code planning documentatio CODE ACTIVITY PLANNED ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION l PLANNING TYPE DOCUMENT 98-009 Replace

{

Replace carbon steel hinged covers on essential service {

water side of Train 8 component cooling water heat !

exchanger with stainless steel raised-face slip-on and blind flanges, new bolting, and a gasket instead of an j o-rin j l

98-032 Replace Replace bolting for essential service water traveling j screen backflush line flange and support that is rusted j and corrode ]

99-003 Repair : Perform weld repair on eroded disc of Essential Service Water Valve EFHV0049, Train A containment fan cooler f return and containment isolation valve. The safety

. function of this valve was to open, but it was also leak p tested within the licensee's Appendix J program.

!99-010 Repair Conduct a temporary repair to encapsulate a leaking 4 weld and preserve the function of Relieve Valve BGV0020, thermal relief valve protecting the component cooling water side of the non-regenerative letdown heat exchanger. A permanent weld repair was scheduled for the current outag i i

l I

r

.

, ,

, ,

-S-The inspector verified that approved procedures were used to implement the above repair and replacement tasks. A review of code requirements referenced in the packages indicated that the licensee had invoked the appropriate code sections and j articles for procurement, work performance, and post repair / replacement testing t, qd j examination for each of the tasks. Nondestructive examination (penetrant) was  !

appropriately speciGed for weld repair of the essential cooling water disc following the initial metal removal phase. The inspector also observed that each planning package contained extensive verification documentation to assure that the correct material was -

used for every code-related repair or replacement. The licensee's procedures required

.

extensive verification and validation that the correct material was used. Discussions i with the responsible ASME Section XI program code engineer indicated that this individual possessed thorough knowledge of the licensee's procedures, as well as the

{l applicable requirements in ASME Code Sections lll and.X I ~ Conclusions l I

The observed inservice inspection examination was performed in accordance with the

'

appropriate procedures, and the examiners demonstrated skill in obtaining satisfactory examination coverage in spite of mechanicalinterference. Examination surface preparation was adequate. ASME code-governed repair and replacement activities reviewed by the inspector were procured, performed, and tested in accordance with appropriate codes and procedures. The licensee's process for validating the use of proper material for code-governed repair and replacement was excellen ,

l M3 ' Maintenance Procedures and Documentation" l

! Inspection Scooe (73753)

The inspector reviewed program implementing and task performance procedure ,

Examination reports for the examination observed and for examinations not observed i were also reviewed. In addition, the inspector reviewed program plans, schedules, and additional relief requests submitted after initial program submittal. The two new relief requests and the two requests denied in the original program submittal were compared to the current interval program / plan to assure that the denied exemptions or allowed n 1 alternatives were reflected in the program / pla j Observations and Findinas l l

Examination Reports I The inspector reviewed the nondestructive examination reports listed below. The second report was provided to the inspector during the week after the inspectio * Ultrasonic examination of Wald AB-01-FO80, located just outside of containment. The system weld location was between the outlet of a manual valve from Steam Generator 4 steam header to a 10" pipe that fed Main Steam Valve PV-4,' the atmospheric dump valve for Steam Generator 'J

,

.

. , .6-

Ultrasonic examination of Reactor Vessel Flange Ligaments 1-18,Section XI Item Category B6.40. This examination searched for discontinuities in the volume of material surrounding 18 of the 54 threaded vessel flange holes that accommodate the reactor vessel studs. No indications were identifie These reports provided good documentation to substantiate the correct implementation of the licensee's inservice inspection program with regard to the components examine Relief Reauests

.The licensee had submitted two additional program relief requests after the initial program submittal. Both requests were approved.'

Second interval program Relief Request 21 was granted for the second interval program to allow reduced nondestructive examination coverage on the reactor vessel to the outlet nozzle welds due to interference in specific area * Relief Request 22 was granted to allow pressure or flow testing in lieu of direct visual inspection of buried essential cooling water supply piping. The inspector reviewed Procedure STS PE-0490,"A Train Underground Essential Service Water System Piping Test," Revision 6. The test used the other train as a test pressure source to test the isolated portion of the test train with flow test instrumentation that would quantify any leakage. According to a licensee representative, any suspected underground leakage could be located by airborne thermography. The inspector considered the leak detection, identification, and quantification processes adequate to provide a satisfactory alterndic for meeting the code-required visual inspection referenced in ASME Section '(1, Paragraph IWA-5244(a).  ;

I Procedures The inspector reviewed the procedures listed in the attachment. The inspector found j that the licensee's inservice inspection program and implementing procedures were -

clear and provided adequate guidance to performers. The contractor's examination procedures were of sufficient quality and required a minimum of interpretation by the i user (examiner) to perform and report the inservice inspection examinations. The review also confirmed that the licensee had appropnately reviewed and approved the 1 contractor's procedures in accordance with the in-house process for approval of vendor procedures used in safety-related activitie ]

Conclusions

~' )

l The licensee and contractor procedures used to implement the inservice inspection

'

program requirements were satisfactory. The examination reports that were reviewed provided good documentation of successful program implementatio l

t

~

l

.

-7- i l

M4 Maintenance Staff Knowledge and Performance J I

The inspector reviewed copies of the certifications and licensee certification reviews for l five licensee-contracted nondestructive examination personnel. These records indicated '

that the contracted personnel were physically qualified and technically competent to perform the inservice inspection activities they were assigned. Those personnel that performed examination activities observed by the inspector were knowledgeable and )

proficient. The licensee's inservice inspection program responsible engineer l (coordinator), although new to the position demonstrated good knowledge of the licensee's inservice inspection program and ASME Section XI Code requirement M8 Miscellaneous Maintenance issues ]

l The inspector reviewed the licensee's planned and implemented corrective actions to address the following inspection followup issues that were all identified during the Maintenance Rule baseline team inspection conducted in April 199 ,

M8.1 (Closed) Violation 50-482/9805-02: failure to include in the program scope functions )

associated with essential communications and turbine building drain system radioactive l release mitigatio l l

The licensee reviewed all functions associated with plant radiation monitors and '

included 8 of 13 nonsafety-related functions in the scope of the Maintenance Rule program. The function identified by the NRC was one of those added to the program scope. Based upon the licensso's conclusion that communications reliability was needed in spite of the available redundancy, the Gaitronics system was added to the scope of the licensee's program and monitoring was implemented. The licensee also revised scoping guidance relative to the inclusion of nonsafety-related equipment into the progra M8.2 (Closed) Violation 50-482/9805-03: failure to perform a periodic programmatic l evaluatio The licensee completed the first program periodic evaluation, which the inspector found l to be satisfactory. Requirements and expectations for the timely completion of the evaluation were added to the program guidanc i l

M8.3 (Closed) Violation 50-482/9805-05: failure to identify maintenance preventable functional failures of functions associated with containment isolation and main steam system The licensee implemented improved program guidance relative to maintenance  !

preventable functional failure evaluation and determination, as well as repetitive failure The licensee's Maintenance Rule program database was improved to identify and communicate the requirement for evaluation. Evaluation guidance was developed for failure determination and system engineers were trained in the evaluation technique The licensee was nearing completion of a detailed review of corrective action l _

.

-8-documents dating from January.1,1997, to March 1,1999, to identify any additional failures using the improved evaluation guidance. The licensee planned to complete this

'

effort by June 30,199 M8.4 (Closed) Violation 50-482/9805-06: failure to establish appropriate system or train-level performance measures to demonstrate that preventive maintenance was effective to ensure that functions associated with emergency diesel generator, excore neutron monitoring, and process radiation monitoring systems would perform as required.

,

Procedural guidance was improved for the determination of operating / standby status of equipment within the program scope under the new guidance. The licensee reviewed each program scoped function to assure that the operating / standby status was correct and then reviewed performance measures for all functions, not just the systems identified by the NRC. This resulted in extensive changes to performance measure The performance measures for the emergency diesel generator functions were revised to reflect failure rates and availability assumed in the probability risk assessment. The ;

practice of using an industry group recommended monitoring of availability was l discontinue l l

X1 Exit Meeting Summary The inspector presented tM inspection results to members of licensee management at the conclusion of the inspection on April 9,1999. The licensee's management acknowledged the findings presented. No proprietary information was identifie J

n ,

-..

~

l

,)

ATTACHMENT SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION PARTIAL LIST OF PERSONS CONTACTED l

Licensee -

J i

R. Andrews, Licensing Engineering Specialist

{

M.'J. Angus, Manager, Licensing and Corrective Action T. Anselmi, Supervisor Engineering Programs C. Fowler,' Assistant Chief Administrative Officer .

) 1 R. Gimple, Program Engineer, ASME Codes and Standards l T Harris, Superintendent, Licensing D. Jacobs, Manager, Support Engineering'

D. Knox, Manager, Maintenance { i J. Makar, Coordinator, inservice inspection l

B. McKinney, Plant Manager l R. Muench, Vice President, Engineering {

E. Peterson, Supervisor, Quality Control l G. Seire, Supervisor, Predictive Maintenance Group J. Zell, Manager, Engineering Performance ,

MBR F. Brush, Senior Resident inspector INSPECTION PROCEDURES USED 73753, inservice inspection j

92902, Followup-Maintenance ITEMS CLOSED Closed 50-482/9805-02 VIO Failure to include in the program scope functions associated with essential communications and turbine building drain system radioactive release mitigation 50-482/9805-03 VIO Failure to perform a periodic evaluation 50-482/9805-05 VIO Failure to identify maintenance preventable functional failure of functions associated with containment isolation and main steam systems

,

{

..

.

)

. ' 2-

-

-

50-482/9805-06 VIO - ' Failure to establish appropriate system or train level performance measures to demonstrate that preventive

- maintenance was effective to ensure that functions associated with emergency diesel generator, excore neutron monitoring, and process radiation monitoring systems would perform as required LICENSEE PROCEDURES REVIEWED AP 28A-001, " Performance Improvement Request," Revision 14

' AP 29A-002, " Inservice Inspection Program," Revision 1 STS PE-0490, "A Train Underground Essential Service Water System Piping Test," Revision 6 STS PE-300," Inservice Inspection Exeminations," Revision 5 NES 83A1721," Liquid Penetrant Examination Procedure," Revision 8 NES 83A1722,." Procedure for Magnetic Particle Examination," Revision 9 .,

i NES 83A1737," Ultrasonic Examination Procedure for Reactor Pressure Vessel Closure Head f Welds and Threads in Flange Areas," Revision 6 i NES 83A2417," Procedure for Ultrasonic Examination of Piping Systems and Vessels Greater Than or Equal to 2 inches Thickness," Revision 6 j

. NES 83A, " Examination Procedure," Revision 8 -

DOCUMENTS REVIEWED l

~ Contractor Certification Documentation and Certification Reviews for 5 KJE Examiners l

Safety Evaluation for the Proposed Second Ten Year Interval ISI Program and 20 Associated Requests for Relief l

Safety Evaluation for Relief Request 12R-21 ]

Safety Evaluation for Relief Request 12R-22 l

P & ID M-12EG02 )

l Piping Isometric Drawing M-13EG06(Q) {

NDE Examination Reports For:

Weld No. AB-01-F080 Vessel Flange Ligaments 1-18