ML18093B186

Special Rept 88-7:on 880902,fire Barrier Electrical Penetrations Found Degraded by Site Protection Dept Personnel.Cause Unknown.Hourly Roving Fire Watch Patrol Will Continue Until All Concerns Resolved

ML18093B186
Person / Time
Site:	Salem
Issue date:	09/27/1988
From:	Miller L Public Service Enterprise Group
To:	NRC OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION & RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (ARM)
References
88-7, NUDOCS 8810040312
Download: ML18093B186 (3)

Text

'~ .... ;' PS~G Puh!ic Service Electric and Gas Company P.O. Box E Hancocks Br*idge, New Jersey 08038 Salem Generating Station September 27, 1988 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555

Dear Sir:

SALEM GENERATING STATION LICENSE NO. DPR-75 DOCKET NO. 50-311 UNIT NO .. 2 SPECIAL REPORT 88-7 This Special Report addresses fire barrier penetration impairments which have not been restored to functional status within seven (7) days. This report satisfies the reporting requirements of Technical Specification Action 3.7.11.a pursuant to Technical Specification 6.9.2. It is being submitted within thirty (30) days as per the Action Statement.

Sincerely yours, L. K. Hiller General Manager-Salem Operations MJP:pc Distribution Ti10 !::nergy Peopir:.

95-2189 111 M) 12-84

UNIT 2 SPECIAL REPOR'9a-7 PLANT- -AND SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION:

Salem Generating Station - Unit 2 Public Service Electric & Gas Company Hancock's Bridge, New Jersey 08038 IDENTIFICATION OF OCCURRENCE:

Technical Specification 3.7.11; Fire Barriers Impaired For Greater Than Seven (7) Days Event Date: 09/02/88 Report Date: 09/27/88 This report was initiated by Incident Report Nos.88-351.

CONDITIONS PRIOR TO OCCURRENCE:

Unit 2: Mode 1 Reactor Power 73% - Unit Load 790 MWe DESCRIPTION OF ocq,JRRfilKE ;__

On August 26, 1988 two (2) fire barrier electrical penetrations, in 78' Elevation Electrical Penetration Area (Aux. Building), were found degraded by Site Prote6tion Department personnel. They were found during performance of Technical Specification Surveillance 4.7.11, which requires fire barrier penetrations be visually inspected every 18 months to ensure continued operability of the penetration seals.

Both penetrations had conduit sleeving containing electrical cable._

One penetration was 3.5" in diameter and although sealed with silicone foam, air could be felt rushing through it. The other penetration was 2" in diameter and had no seal around the conduit sleeve.

An hourly roving fire watch had been extablished for these areas previously due to other fire protection concerns. Therefore, the requirements of Technical Specification Action Statement 3.7.11.a, were met.

Technical Specification 3.7.11 states:

"All fire penetrations (including cable penetration barriers, fire doors and fire dampers), in fire zone boundaries_,

protecting safety related areas shall be OPERAB-LE."

Action Statement 3.7.11.a states:

"With one (1) or more of the above requirec;i. fire barrier-penetrations inoperable, within one hour ei.ther establish a continuous fire watch on at least one side- *of the affected penetration, or verify the OPERABILITY of fire detectors on at least one side of the inoperable fire barrier and establish an hourly fire watch patrol. Restore the inoperable fire barrier-penetration(s) to OPERABLE status within 7 days or, in lieu of any other report required by Specification 6.9.1, prepare and submit a Special Report to the Commission pursuant to Specification 6.9.2 within the next 30 days outlining the action

r --

VNJT 2 SPECIAL REPOR'.8-7 DESCRIPTION OF OCCURRENCE:

(cont'd) taken, the cause of the inoperable penetration and plans and schedule for restoring the fire barrier penetration(s) to OPERABLE status."

APPARENT CAUSE OF OCCURRENCE:

The cause of the degraded fire barrier penetrations could not.be positively determined.

ANALYSIS OF OCCURRENCE:

The functional integrity of the penetration fire barriers ensures that fires will be confined or adequately retarded from spreading to adjacent portions of the facility. This design feature minimizes the possibility of a single fire involving several areas of the facility. The fire barrier penetration seals are a passive element in the facility fire protection program and are subject to periodic inspections. This report satisfies the reporting requirements of

~echnical Soecification Action Statement 3.7.11.a pursuant to Technical Sp2cification 6.9.2 (both Units) since the time between discovery and eventual iepair of the fire barrier impairments is greater than seven {7) days. Appropriate actions were already in place in accordance with the requirements of Technical Specification Action Statement 3.7.11.a {both Units) to establish an hourly roving fire watch patrol for the impaired fire barriers once the impairments were ident5fied.

The subject fire areas contain detection in addition to the roving fire watcl1 p3 t:rol. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that a fire in either area would be detected before it could involve an adjacent area. This occurrence therefore involved no undue risk to the health or safety of the public.

CORRECTIVE ACTION:

The hourly roving fire watch patrol, as addressed in the Description of *occurrence section, will continue until all fire protection concerns associated with this area are resolved.

The repair of the penetrations was not accomplished within seven (7) days due to the additional review being conducted by the Penetration Seal Task Force~ The review has been completed and the penetrations have been sealed.

This review and corrective action will be completed in accordance with PSE&G letter NLR-N88037, dated March 4, 1988, to the NRC which discusses the Penetration Seal Review I>:rogr(:lm sched.tile~

• General Manager -

Salem Operations MJP:pc SORC Mtg.88-080