ML17328B079
| ML17328B079 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | LaSalle  |
| Issue date: | 06/06/1990 |
| From: | Norelius C NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Reed C COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML17328B080 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9006130149 | |
| Download: ML17328B079 (5) | |
See also: IR 05000373/1990008
Text
Docket
No, 50-373
Docket No. 50-374
Commonwealth
Edison
Company
ATTN:
Nr. Cordell
Reed
Senior Vice President
Post Office Box 767
Chicago,
IL
60690
Gertlemen:
This refers to the special
team assessment
conducted
by Nr. William Snell
and
others of this office,
NRC Headquarters,
NRC Region I, and Brookhaven National
Laboratory on April 22-27,
1990, of activities at LaSalle County Nuclear
Station, Units
1 and 2, authorized
by Operating
Licenses
No.
and
No.
NPF-18 and to the discussion of our findings with messrs.
D. Galle
and
G. Diederich
and others of your staff at the conclusion of the inspection.
The assessment
was conducted to evaluate
the effectiveness
of licensee
actions
to keep radiation
doses
at the LaSalle Station
as
low as reasonably
achievable
(ALARA).
The team used selective
examinations of procedures
and representative
records,
interviews with personnel,
and observations
of activities in progress
to perform the evaluation.
While Commonwealth Edison's
ALARA program
as it relates
to tIle LaSalle station
appears
to be generally adequate,
the inspection identified a number of areas
for your consideration
to improve the effectiveness
of the program.
Inasmuch
as the radiation
sour'ce
term at the LaSalle Station
appears
to be lower than
that found in comparable facilities,
we conclude that the work scope
and
practices
are likely the primary cause for the high exposures
which have
been experienced.
A number of notable strengths
and improvement
items are
'escribed
in Enclosure
1 and are discussed
in detail in the enclosed
report.
Within the scope of the assessment,
no violations or deviations
were identified.
After you have
completed your evaluation of this report,
we would like to meet
with you to discuss
your evaluations of our findings.
In accordance
with 10 CFR 2.790 of the Commission's
regulations,
a copy of
this letter and its enclosures will be placed in the
NRC Public Document
Room.
Commonwealth
Edison
Company
gUN
6 1990
We wi,ll gladly discuss
any questions
you have concerning this assessment.
Sincerely,
Enclosures:
l.
Executive
Summary
2.
NRC Inspection
Reports
No. 50-373/90008(DRSS);
No. 50-374/90009(DRSS)
cc w/enclosures:
D. Galle, Vice President -
Operations
T. Kovach, Nuclear
Licensing
Manager
G. J
~ Diederich, Station
Manager
DCD/DCB (RIDS)
Licensing
Fee
Management
Branch
Resident
Inspector,
RIII
Richard Hubbard
J.
W. McCaffrey, Chief, Public
Utilities Division
Patricia O'rien, Governor'
Office of Consumer
Services
R. Pulsifer,
LPM
bcc w/enclosures:
R.
R. Bellany,
NRC,
RI
D.
M. Collins,
NRC, RII
B. Murray,
NRC,
RIV
G.
P.
Yuhas,
NRC,
RV
C.
S. Hinson,
NRR,
PRPB
R.
L. Nimitz, NRC,
RI
B. Dionne,
J.
Baum,
Charles
E. Norelius, Director
Division. of Radiation Safety
and Safeguards
RIII
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ENCLOSURE
1
Executive
Summar
During 1987 and
1988 the annual collective radiation
doses at the LaSalle
County Generatino Station exceeded
the national
average for Boiling Water
Reactors
(BWRs).
For 1987 the dose per reactor
(697 person-rem)
was
36 percent
above the national
average of 513 person-rem.
This placed LaSalle
fifth highest out of 33 U.S.
BWRs for 1987.
For
1988 the dose
per reactor
( 1236 person-rem)
was
134 percent
above the national
average of
529 person-rem.
This placed LaSalle
second
highest out of 34 U.S.
for 1988.
During 1989 the collective dose per reactor
was
692 person-rem.
Although the
1989 national
average collective dose.was
unavailable, it appears
certain that LaSalle will again
have exceeded
the average for U.S.
BWRs. It
appears,
based
on data available
to date, that LaSalle
may be near the
national
average for 1990, which would continue the downward trend since
1988.
During the period of April 22-27,
1990,
a special
team assessment
was
conducted
by the
NRC to evaluate
the licensee's
efforts for maintaining
occupational
radiation doses
as
low as reasonably
achievable
(ALARA).
The
assessment
included
a review of the causes
of the past high radiation doses;
an"evaluation of the licensee's
current organization
and program for keeping
radiation
doses
ALARA; a review of the initiatives the licensee
has taken or
is taking to bring the radiation
doses
to within industry norms;
and
an
assessment
of licensee
management's
awareness
of, involvement in, and support,
for the
ALARA program.
The team concluded that inasmuch
as the radiation source
term at the LaSalle
plant appears
to be lower than that found in comparable facilities, the work
scope
and practices
are likely the primary cause for the high exposures
which
have
been experienced.
The team found
a high level of plant and corporate
management
awareness
and support for the
ALARA program.
Although the
licensee
has
been
implementing
a formal
ALARA program since initial plant
startup in 1982, the high annual collective dose in 1988 brought additional
attention to the program.
This additional attention
has
prompted
numerous
program changes
and upgrades,
from which tangible results
are being realized.
Recognizing the
ALARA program was still evolving, and considering
the
progress that
had
been
made over the past three to five years,
the team
concluded that many of the areas
identified as needing
improvement
may have
eventually
been
independently identified and addressed
by the licensee.
The licensee's
ALARA program was found to be generally adequate;
however,
a
number of areas
where
improvement would benefit the overall
ALARA efforts
were identified by the inspection
team.
Program strengths
and areas
where
the program
can
be significantly improved are
summarized
as follows:
~Stean
ths
Broad and effective corporate
support for the LaSalle Station
program.
Aggressive
dose reduction program with respect
to program
and equipment
initiatives.
Items for Im rovement
Conduct continuing comparisons
of radiation
dose
data at LaSalle with
that for average
U.S.
BWRs to identify areas
where
improvement is
warranted,
and evaluate/implement
corrective actions
as appropriate
to reduce
doses.
Implement
an
ALARA suggestion/incentive
program.
Expand the training program to address:
advanced
radiation worker
training;
ALARA staff qualification and on-the-job training; and
design engineering
ALARA training.
Upgrade the quality of the mockup training to make it more realistic.
Upgrade overall quality, content
and guidance
contained in
RWP and
procedures
to ensure
jobs are reviewed
on sub-task
bases
and to ensure
appropriate
dose
and contamination
reduction techniques
are considered.
Formalize
and upgrade
the criteria for performing
ALARA job reviews
and
post-job evaluations.