ML053110528
| ML053110528 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Waterford  |
| Issue date: | 11/04/2005 |
| From: | Graves D NRC/RGN-IV/DRP/RPB-E |
| To: | Venable J Entergy Operations |
| References | |
| Download: ML053110528 (5) | |
Text
November 4, 2005 Joseph E. Venable Vice President Operations Waterford 3 Entergy Operations, Inc.
17265 River Road Killona, LA 70066-0751
SUBJECT:
ASSESSMENT FOLLOWUP LETTER - WATERFORD 3 STEAM ELECTRIC STATION
Dear Mr. Venable:
On October 25, 2005, the NRC staff completed its review of the Waterford 3 Steam Electric Station performance indicators and inspection findings for the third quarter of Calendar Year 2005. The purpose of this letter is to inform you of our assessment of your safety performance during this period and our plans for a future inspection at your facility.
Plant performance for the most recent quarter was within the Licensee Response Column of the NRCs Action Matrix, based on all inspection findings being classified as having very low safety significance (Green) and all PIs indicating performance at a level requiring no additional NRC oversight (Green).
However, as part of the baseline inspection program, NRC will be conducting an inspection using Inspection Procedure 71150, Discrepant or Unreported Performance Indicator Data.
This inspection will be conducted to resolve a potential discrepancy related to reporting safety system unavailability for High Pressure Safety Injection Train B. On September 9, 2004, while performing a surveillance test, the safety injection piping between the containment sump outlet isolation and check valve could not be pressurized. Troubleshooting identified that the isolation valve was not fully closed following maintenance in November 2003. It was subsequently determined that under certain accident conditions with a medium or large break loss of coolant accident, containment pressure would force air through the isolation valve and into the safety injection piping. This would create a back pressure on the refueling water storage pool suction check valve, potentially isolating flow from the pool to the containment spray and emergency core cooling pumps prior to the recirculation actuation setpoint. This was documented as a licensee-identified violation in NRC Inspection Report 05000382/2004005.
Subsequently, your staff performed an analysis which determined that, with a certain amount of leakage, the valve could still have performed its safety function. However, our preliminary review indicates that your analysis did not bound the condition. Your analysis evaluated the leakage with the valve positioned open using exactly one turn on the valve actuator manual handwheel. This determination was made on the basis of the operator's recollection that he
Entergy Operations, Inc. turned the valve handwheel approximately one turn closed following the test failure. In two different measurements at this manually opened position, valve gap openings of 16 and 27 mils were measured. In each instance, testing demonstrated that the valve could perform its function. However, your testing and analysis did not identify the maximum range of valve opening gaps that could be obtained with the manual handwheel at the one-turn-open position, nor the minimum gap size that would render the valve unable to perform its safety function.
Given the internal valve design and tolerances, the valve gap size could be greater than the two instances measured. Also, it is not certain that the valve was only one turn open given that the results of the leak test that was reperformed with the valve handwheel one turn open did not correlate to the September 9, 2004, test results.
Because you believed the train could still perform its safety function, no high pressure safety system unavailability time was reported in your performance indicator submission. However, since the condition was not bounded by your analysis, the possibility exists that the train may not have been available between November 2003 and September 2004. Consequently, we will conduct an inspection to review this issue. The staff will also modify the NRC web page to show the PI in question as discrepant (i.e., Gray) and that the PI is under NRC review. Upon completion of the inspection, and recalculation of the PI, if applicable, the PI will be assigned the color consistent with the results of the inspection. We will coordinate with your staff to schedule the subject inspection.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRCs Rules of Practice, a copy of this letter and its enclosure will be made 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).
Please contact me at (817) 860-8147 with any questions you may have regarding this letter.
Sincerely,
/RA/ VGGaddy for David N. Graves, Chief Project Branch E Division of Reactor Projects Docket: 50-382 License: NPF-38
Entergy Operations, Inc. cc:
Senior Vice President and Parish President Chief Operating Officer St. Charles Parish Entergy Operations, Inc. P.O. Box 302 P.O. Box 31995 Hahnville, LA 70057 Jackson, MS 39286-1995 Winston & Strawn LLP Vice President, Operations Support 1700 K Street, N.W.
Entergy Operations, Inc. Washington, DC 20006-3817 P.O. Box 31995 Jackson, MS 39286-1995 Federal Emergency Management Agency ATTN: Gary Jones, Acting Regional Wise, Carter, Child & Caraway Director P.O. Box 651 Region VI, Federal Center Jackson, MS 39205 800 North Loop 288 Denton, TX 76201-3698 General Manager, Plant Operations Waterford 3 SES Col. Michael L. Brown, Deputy Director Entergy Operations, Inc. Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and 17265 River Road Emergency Preparedness Killona, LA 70066-0751 7667 Independence Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70806 Manager - Licensing Manager Waterford 3 SES Albert D. Laque, Parish President Entergy Operations, Inc. St. Charles Parish 17265 River Road P.O. Box 302 Killona, LA 70066-0751 Hahnville, LA 70057 Chairman Sheriff Greg Champagne Louisiana Public Service Commission St. Charles Parish P.O. Box 91154 P.O. Box 426 Baton Rouge, LA 70821-9154 Hahnville, LA 70057 Director, Nuclear Safety & Rep. Gary L. Smith, Jr.
Regulatory Affairs State of Louisiana, District 56 Waterford 3 SES P.O. Box 189 Entergy Operations, Inc. Norco, LA 70079 17265 River Road Killona, LA 70066-0751 Senator Joel T. Chaisson, II State of Louisiana, District 19 Michael E. Henry, State Liaison Officer P.O. Box 1255 Department of Environmental Quality Destrehan, LA 70047 Permits Division P.O. Box 4313 Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4313
Entergy Operations, Inc. Tab Troxler, Director Barry Minnich Dept. of Emergency Preparedness Councilman, District 7 St. Charles Parish St. Charles Parish P.O. Box 302 337 Wanda Street Hahnville, LA 70057 Luling, LA 70070 Clayton "Snookie" Faucheux Nickie Monica, President Councilman-at-Large, Div. B St. John the Baptist Parish St. Charles Parish 1801 West Airline Highway 140 North Oak Court LaPlace, LA 70068 P.O. Box 1342 Luling, LA 70070 Paul Oncale Public Safety Director Desmond J. Hilaire St. John the Baptist Parish Councilman, District 1 1801 W. Airline Highway St. Charles Parish LaPlace, LA 70068 P.O. Box 111 Hahnville, LA 70057 Sheriff Wayne Jones St. John the Baptist Parish Brian A. Fabre 1801 W. Airline Highway Councilman, District 2 LaPlace, LA 70068 St. Charles Parish 322 Beaupre Drive Derryl Walls Luling, LA 70070 Councilman, District 4 St. Charles Parish G. Ram Ramchandron P.O. Box 561 Councilman, District 3 Des Allemands, LA 70030 St. Charles Parish 237 Ormond Village Drive Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO)
Destrehan, LA 70047 Records Center 700 Galleria Parkway SE, Suite 100 April Black Atlanta, GA 30339 Councilwoman, District 5 St. Charles Parish 14 Bridle Path Lane St. Rose, LA 70087 Richard Dickie Duhe Councilman, District 6 St. Charles Parish 401 Oak Street Norco, LA 70079
Entergy Operations, Inc. Electronic distribution by RIV:
Regional Administrator (BSM1)
DRP Director (ATH)
DRP Deputy Director (AXV)
DRS Director (DDC)
DRS Deputy Director (RJC1)
Senior Resident Inspector (MCH)
Branch Chief, DRP/E (DNG)
Senior Project Engineer, DRP/E (VGG)
Team Leader, DRP/TSS (RLN1)
RITS Coordinator (KEG)
V. Dricks, PAO (VLD)
W. Maier, RSLO (WAM)
C. Gordon (CJG)
DRS Branch Chiefs (LJS, MPS1, ATG, CJP)
L. Reyes, EDO (LAR1)
T. Bergman, Chief, TRPS, OEDO (TAB)
S. Richards, Deputy Director, DIRS, NRR (SAR)
C. Holden, Deputy Director, DORL, NRR (CFH)
C. Haney, Director, DORL, NRR (CXH)
D. Terao, Chief, LPLG, DORL, NRR (DXT)
M. Fields, NRR Project Manager for Waterford (MBF1)
SISP Review Completed: _VGG___ADAMS: / Yes G No Initials: _VGG__
/ Publicly Available G Non-Publicly Available G Sensitive / Non-Sensitive R:_REACTORS\WAT\2005\Assessment Followup lt.wpd D:DRP C:DRP/E signature ATHowell DNGraves
/RA/ VGGaddy for 11/04/05 11/04/05 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY T=Telephone E=E-mail F=Fax