ML17311A759
| ML17311A759 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palo Verde  |
| Issue date: | 04/03/1995 |
| From: | Callan L NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | Stewart W ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE CO. (FORMERLY ARIZONA NUCLEAR |
| References | |
| 95-4-0003, 95-4-3, NUDOCS 9504110093 | |
| Download: ML17311A759 (10) | |
Text
1 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISS!O REGION IV 611 RYAN PLAZA DRIVE, SUITE 400 AR LINGTON, TEXAS 76011.8064 APR 3 l995 Arizona Public Service Company ATTN:
William L. Stewart Executive Vice President, Nuclear P. 0.
Box 53999
- Phoenix, Arizona 85072-3999 SUBJECT'OTICE OF ENFORCEMENT DISCRETION FOR ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY (APS)
REGARDING PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION UNITS 2 AND 3 (NOED TRACKING NUMBER 95-4-0003)
By letter dated March 30,
- 1995, APS requested that the NRC exercise enforcement discretion not to enforce compliance with the actions required in Technical Specification (TS) 3.6.3. 1 related to containment isolation valves.
That letter documented information previously discussed with the NRC in a
telephone conversation on March 30,
- 1995, at 10 a.m.
(HST).
APS stated that on or before April I, 1995, 2 p.m.
(HST), Palo Verde Units 2 and 3 would deenergize a containment isolation valve circuit (one in each unit) with the valve in the open position and,
- thereby, enter TS 3.6.3. 1.
TS 3.6.3. I requires the licensee to either restore operability to the affected isolation valve or isolate the affected penetration within 4 hours4.62963e-5 days <br />0.00111 hours <br />6.613757e-6 weeks <br />1.522e-6 months <br />, or be in at least hot shutdown within the next 6 hours6.944444e-5 days <br />0.00167 hours <br />9.920635e-6 weeks <br />2.283e-6 months <br /> and in cold shutdown within the next 30 hours3.472222e-4 days <br />0.00833 hours <br />4.960317e-5 weeks <br />1.1415e-5 months <br />.
The circuit is associated with the nuclear cooling water containment isolation valve JNCBUV403 on each unit.
APS requested that a
NOED be issued and be effective until April 2,
- 1995, 6 a.m.
(HST).
APS stated that the need for this NOED occurred when, during performance of a design bases evaluation of electrical penetrations, it was discovered that certain penetrations did not have the required backup overcurrent protection.
Where possible, APS either installed backup overcurrent protection for certain circuits or deenergized circuits as specified in TS 3,4.8. 1.
The NOED request was based on the desire to maintain nuclear cooling water isolation valve JNCBUV403 open to provide cooling water to the reactor coolant pump seals while the control circuit was deenergized to install the required backup overcurrent protective device.
Having the circuit deenergized with the valve open renders its containment isolation function inoperable and causes entry into TS 3.6,3. 1.
1 requires action to restore operability or isolate the penetration within 4 hours4.62963e-5 days <br />0.00111 hours <br />6.613757e-6 weeks <br />1.522e-6 months <br />.
Isolation of'he line would require unit shutdown.
The plans to install a backup overcurrent protection device necessitated an extension (12 hours1.388889e-4 days <br />0.00333 hours <br />1.984127e-5 weeks <br />4.566e-6 months <br /> additional) for restoring valve operability.
APS stated that this valve closes automatically only on a containment spray actuation signal and that a redundant valve outside containment also receives a closure signal on a containment spray actuation signal.
Also, there exists a manual valve which can be shut if the need arises.
In addition, APS has committed to take actions to minimize the time that the valve will be inoperable and brief the operating crew on actions to take should a
504if009g 950g03 PQR,, ADOCK 05000529 P 'DR
l I
Arizona Public Service Company containment spray event occur while the modification is being installed.
A PRA evaluation of this situation has been performed by APS which concluded that an extension of 12 hours1.388889e-4 days <br />0.00333 hours <br />1.984127e-5 weeks <br />4.566e-6 months <br /> to the isolation requirement for the nuclear cooling water containment isolation valve is of a low risk.
The staff has evaluated your proposal and accepts the arguments provided in support of the request.
Compliance with the TS would cause an undesirable transient to shutdown the reactors while the backup overcurrent protection devices were installed in Units 2 and 3.
On the basis of the staff's evaluation of your request, and the actions to minimize the time that the valve is inoperable and the crew briefing, the staff has concluded that the exercise of enforcement discretion is warranted because we are clearly satisfied that this action involves minimal or no safety impact and has no adverse impact on public health and safety.
Therefore, the NRC exercised discretion not to enforce compliance with TS 3.6.3. 1 until April 2,
- 1995, 6 a.m.
(HST).
This letter documents our telephone conversation on March 31,
- 1995, 12 noon (HST), when we orally issued this notice of enforcement discretion.
We were informed that work on these circuits was performed on March 31, 1995, within the 4 hours4.62963e-5 days <br />0.00111 hours <br />6.613757e-6 weeks <br />1.522e-6 months <br /> allowed by TS.
Therefore, use of this NOED was not required.
- However, as stated in Appendix C to 10 CFR Part 2, enforcement action will normally be taken, to the extent that violations were involved, for the root cause that lead to the noncompliance for which this discretion was granted.
Sincerely, L.
Re
. Callan onal Administrator Dockets:
50-529 50-530 Licenses:
NPF-51 NPF-74 cc
~
~
Arizona Corporation Commission ATTN:
Hr. Steve Olea 1200 W, Washington Street
- Phoenix, Arizona 85007 Southern California Edison Company ATTN:
T ~
E. Oubre, Esq.
P.O.
Box 800
- Rosemead, California 91770
Arizona Public Service Company Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency ATTN:
Aubrey V. Godwin, Director 4814 South 40 Street
- Phoenix, Arizona 85040 Maricopa County Board of Supervisors ATTN:
Chairman Ill South Third Avenue
- Phoenix, Arizona 85003 Palo Verde Services ATTN:
Curtis Hoskins, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer 2025 N. 3rd Street, Suite 220
- Phoenix, Arizona 85004 Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld El Paso Electric Company ATTN:
Roy P.
Lessey, Jr.,
Esq.
1333 New Hampshire Avenue, Suite 400 Washington, D.C.
20036 Arizona Public Service Company ATTN:
Angela K. Krainik, Manager Nuclear Licensing P.O.
Box 52034
- Phoenix, Arizona 85072-2034
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Arizona Public Service Company bcc to DMB (IE51) bcc distrib.
by RIV:
L. J. Callan DRSS-FIPB Branch Chief (DRP/F, WCFO)
Senior Project Inspector (DRP/F, WCFO)
Leah Tremper (OC/LFDCB, MS:
TWFN 9E10)
R.
Zimmerman, NRR A. Thadani, NRR J.
Lieberman, OE PDR LPDR Technical Assistant, DRP I/II, NRR Resident Inspector MIS System RIV File Branch Chief (DRP/TSS)
B. Henderson (PAO, WCFO)
L. Thomas (DRP)
DOCUMENT NAME:
To receive copy of document, indiceto ln box: "C" ~ Copy without enclosures "E" ~ Copy with enclosures "N" ~ No copy C:DRP/F S
HJWong 03/31/95 JEDyer 04/3 /95 BBeach 04/g /95 DD:DRP Q
D:DRP PD:DRP C
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Arizona Public Service Company
",bcc'"to DMB (IE5))
bcc distrib.
by RIV:
L. J. Callan DRSS-FIPB Branch Chief (DRP/F, WCFO)
Senior Project Inspector (DRP/F, WCFO)
Leah Tremper (OC/LFDCB, MS:
TWFN 9E10)
R.
Zimmerman, NRR A. Thadani, NRR J.
Lieberman, OE PDR LPDR Technical Assistant, DRP I/II, NRR Resident Inspector MIS System RIV File Branch Chief (DRP/TSS)
B. Henderson (PAO, WCFO)
L. Thomas (DRP)
DOCUMENT NAME:
To receive copy of document, indicate In box: "C" ~ Copy without enclosures "E" ~ Copy with enclosures N
~ No copy S
HJWong BBeach JEDyer C:DRP/F C
DD:DRP Q
D:DRP PD:DRP C
WHBateman~
JM tgomery 03/31/95 04/g /95 04/g /95 04/ 2/95 f'e~nr't. 04/
LJCal an 04/
/95 Moose