ML17037C143

Letter Notifying the Commission of a Situation in Which Waste Discharge in Excess of Technical Specifications Has Taken Place on February 26, 1970

ML17037C143
Person / Time
Site:	Nine Mile Point
Issue date:	03/06/1970
From:	Schneider F Niagara Mohawk Power Corp
To:	Morris P US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
References
Download: ML17037C143 (4)

Text

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NIAGARA MOHAWK POWER CORPORATION

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CA CD 300 ERIE BOULEVARD WEST >zo SYRACUSE, N.Y. I3202 March 6, 1970 CA>>3

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C Dr. Peter A. Morris, Director -

Division of Reactor Licensing Da@jgj'Sg@

United States Atomic Energy Commission t'tashington, D. C. 20545 '>>9 II>>IIII

Dear Dr. Morris:

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Subject:

Provisional Operating License DPR-17 ~ <<+$

Docket 50-220 This is to notify you of a situation in which we'exceeded the Technical Speci-fications for Nine Mile Point.

On at hours'I February 26, 1970, a batch of radioactive waste was accidentally pumped out a flow rate which resulted in an instantaneous concentration of 1..32 x 10 pCi/ml gross beta in our effluent. This condition existed for approximately 1~2 This situation occurred because a mistake was made in interpreting the graph which is part of the waste discharge procedures. In addition, the hi-hi alarm on the waste discharge monitor was not noticed. This occurred because waste was being discharged on an almost continuous basis on February 26 and most of this waste exceeded the hi alarm point (1 x 10 7 pCi/ml) . ti>>hen the hi alarm is in and the annunciator is acknowledged, an increase to the hi-hi alarm (1 x 10 6 pCi/ml) does not give another audible annunciator alarm.

• " . ~The fact that the waste discharge in excess of the Technical Specifications had taken place was detected on a routine audit of the waste records on March 4, 1970. This discharge resulted in a daily average activity of 2.01 x 10 " pCi/ml in the effluent. The monthly average activity in the effluent was 3.06 x 10 8 pCi/ml, and the running 52-week average activity was 1.92 x 10 8 pCi/ml at the end of February 26.

Although no specific analysis was made on this tank, the specific analyses on typical waste samples have been running quite consistent. Based on these typical analyses, this discharge would'onsist of 5.4 x 10 7 pCi/ml Co-58, 1.8 x 10 pCi/ml Co-60, 2.27 x 10 pCi/ml Cr-51, 8.4 x 10 " pCi/ml Mn-54, 5.2 x 10 pCi/ml Fe-59. The total activity (1.32 x 10 6 pCi/ml gross beta) 7 does not exceed any of the MPC's for these nuclides.

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Dr. Peter A. Morris, Director Page 2 March 6, 1970 To prevent a reoccurrence, we have reviewed the waste discharge procedure with all the Station Shift Supervisors and are making a revision to the waste dis-charge monitors so,that the hi-hi alarm will give an additional audible annunciator alarm.

Very truly yours, F. J. Schneider Vice President - Operations mjs

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