ML18095A577

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Safety Insp Repts 50-272/90-22,50-311/90-22 & 50-354/90-16 on 900816-1001.Violations Noted.Major Areas Inspected: Operations,Radiological Controls,Maint & Surveillance Testing,Emergency Preparedness,Security & Technical Support
ML18095A577
Person / Time
Site: Salem, Hope Creek  
Issue date: 10/31/1990
From: Swetland P
NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:
Shared Package
ML18095A575 List:
References
50-272-90-22, 50-311-90-22, 50-354-90-16, NUDOCS 9011130391
Download: ML18095A577 (47)


See also: IR 05000272/1990022

Text

t.*

Report Nos.

License Nos.

Licensee:

Facilities:

Dates:

Inspectors:

Approved:

~

U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

REGION I

50-272/90-22

50-311/90-22

50-354/90-16

DPR-70

DPR-75

NPF-57

Public Service Electric and Gas Company

P. 0. Box 236

Hancocks Bridge, New Jersey 08038

Salem Nuclear Generating Station

Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Station

August 16, 1990 - October 1, _1990

T. P. Johnson, Senior Resident Inspector

S. M. Pindale, Resident Inspector

S. T. Barr, Resident Inspector

H. K. Lathrop, Resident Inspector

A. E. Lopez, Reactor Engineer

R. S. Barkley, Project Engineer

F. I. Young, Senior Resident Inspector,

Thr

Mile Island

Inspection Summary:

Inspection 50-272/90-22; 50-311/90-22;

50-354/90-16 on August 16, 199~ - October 1, 1990

IO /"3J}CJCJ

Date'

Areas Inspected:

Resident safety inspection of the following areas:

operations, radiological controls, maintenance & surveillance testing,

emergency preparedness, security, engineering/technical support, safety

assessment/quality verification, and licensee event reports and open item

fo 11 owup.

Results:

The inspectors identified one violation with multiple examples and

five non-cited violations:

three for the Salem Station and two for the Hope

Creek Station.

An executive summary follows.

9011130391 901101 -

F**[-1R'

ADOCK 0500027~

F'DC

C!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

II.

DETAILS

1. SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS

1.1 Salem Unit 1 .. .

1.2 Salem Unit 2 .. .

1.3 Hope Creek ... .

1.4 Organizational Changes.

2. OPERATIONS

.1

.1

.1

.1

Page

2.1

Inspection Activities . . . . . . . . . . . .

.2

2.2 Inspection Finding & Significant Plant Events

.2

2.2.1

2.2.2

Sal em . . .

Hope Creek.

3.

RADIOLOGICAL CONTROLS

3.1

Inspection Activities ........ .

3.2

Inspection Findings & Review of Events.

3.2.1

3.2.2

Sal em . . .

Hope Creek.

4.

MAINTENANCE/SURVEILLANCE TESTING

.2

.13

.14

.15

.15

.15

4.1 Maintenance Inspection Activities . . . .

.15

4.2 Surveillance Testing Inspection Activity.

.16

4.3

Inspection Findings .

.16

4.3.1

4.3.2

Sal em . . .

Hope Creek.

5.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

5.1

Inspection Activity

5.2 Inspection Findings

6.

SECURITY

6.1

Inspection Activity

6.2

Inspection Findings

.16

.24

.26

.26

.26

.26

2

Table of Contents (Continued)

7.

ENGINEERING/TECHNICAL SUPPORT

7.1

TMI Action Plan Item Review

7.2 Salem .......... .

7.3

Hope Creek ........ .

8.

SAFETY ASSESSMENT/QUALITY VERIFICATION

8.1 Waivers of Compliance

8. 2 Sa 1 em . . . . . .

8.3

Hope Creek ....

Page

.26

.28

.31

.32

.34

.39

9.

LICENSEE EVENT REPORTS ( LERS), PERIODIC & SPECIAL REPORTS,

AND OPEN ITEM FOLLOWUP

9.1

LERs & Reports.

9.2 Open Items.

10.

EXIT INTERVIEWS

10.1 Resident ..

10.2 Specialist.

.39

.40

.41

.41

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Salem Inspection Reports 50-272/90-22; 50-311/90-22

Hope Creek Inspection Report 50-354/90-16

August 16, 1990 - October 1, 1990

OPERATIONS

(Modules 71707, 93702, TI 2515/101)

Salem:

The units were operated in a safe manner.

Three unplanned reactor

trips (two on Unit 1 and one on Unit 2) occurred due to:

(1) inadequate

preventive maintenance on non-safety related breaker cubicles; (2) multiple

equipment failure; and (3) development of an inadequate troubleshooting plan.

Licensee followup for these reactor trips was thorough.

An instance of

failure to follow procedural guidance and administrative controls, and several

instances of poor communications resulted in other events (ESF actuations, AFW

tank overflow, unauthorized release of tags).

The licensee effectively

conducted midloop operations at Unit 1 during the replacement of a reactor

coolant pump motor.

A personnel error and a contributing procedure weakness

resulted in a minor spill in the Unit 1 containment.

Two non-cited violations

were identified:

one was for failure to follow a turbine test procedure that

resulted in a Unit 1 reactor trip, and one was failure to follow the tagging

administrative procedure for the number 22 containment fan coil unit.

Hope Creek:

The unit was operated in a safe manner.

Licensee actions for

high moisture content in the high pressure coolant injection system lube oil

system were adequate.

An increase in drywell unidentified leak rate and an

apparent fuel pin leak were aggressively pursued by the licensee with an

appropriate level of safety perspective.

RADIOLOGICAL CONTROLS

(Modules 71707, 93702)

Salem:

No noteworthy findings were identified.

Hope Creek:

No noteworthy findings were identified .

2

MAINTENANCE/SURVEILLANCE

(Modules 61726, 62703, 73755, 73756, 92702)

Salem:

NRC observed maintenance and surveillance activities were effectively

controlled.

Failure to perform 10CFR50.59 and ASME Section XI evaluations for

degraded number 22 boric acid transfer pump flow rate is a violation.

Licensee corrective actions were evaluated to be satisfactory and no response

is required.

Containment liner corrosion issues were adequately addressed by

the licensee.

A licensee QA inspector properly identified, evaluated and

reported a potential safety concern that resulted from poor intra and

interdepartmental communications regarding a reactor trip breaker surveillance

test.

Another example of poor communication occurred during followup to a

safeguards equipment control actuation.

An error in licensed operator

judgement resulted in late declaration of auxiliary feedwater pump

inoperability.

A surveillance test procedure weakness resulted in an

inadvertent main steam line isolation.

A non-cited, licensee identified

violation regarding TS surveillance testing frequency error for the solid

state protection system was identified.

An unresolved item regarding

inservice testing vibration markings remains open due to ineffective

corrective actions.

Hope Creek:

NRC observed maintenance and surveillance activities were

effectively controlled.

Failure to follow a surveillance procedure resulted

in an inadvertent isolation of the reactor core isolation cooling system.

This is a non-cited, licensee identified violation.

A personnel error

resulted in a failure to re-baseline the service water spray wash pump after

maintenance and is a non-cited, licensee identified violation.

Common:

Maintenance troubleshooting was determined to be effectively

controlled.

However, a potential programmatic weakness regarding the control

of operations troubleshooting activities was identified.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

(Module 71707)

No noteworthy findings were identified.

SECURITY

(Module 71707, 93702)

No noteworthy findings were identified .

3

ENGINEERING/TECHNICAL SUPPORT

(Modules 37828, 41400, 71707, TI 2515/65)

TMI Action Plan (TAP) Review:

Salem (TAP item II.B.1.2, 3) Unit 1 and Unit 2

reactor vessel head vents and Hope Creek control room habitability (TAP item

III.D.3.4.2) are closed.

Salem:

A review of the systems engineer training program did not reveal any

deficiencies.

Safety equipment room cooler operability associated with

licensee TS interpretation (unresolved item) remains open pending completion

of licensee actions.

A previous violation associated with the failure to

perform a safety evaluation for the seismic impact of a reactivity computer is

closed.

An unresolved item associated with charging pump flow orifices being

installed backwards is closed.

Hope Creek:

The licensee identified and properly handled a desi~n deficiency

associated with temperature limits of the ultimate heat sink (Delaware River).

SAFETY ASSESSMENT/ASSURANCE OF QUALITY

(Modules 30703, 71707, 90714, 92700,

92702, 92703, 92720)

Salem:

One NRC Regional Waiver of Compliance was processed for Salem to allow

replacement of the Unit 2 number 22 containment fan coil unit.

This submittal

was adequate.

Reactor protection system setpoint changes of steam generator

level and steam pressure were adequately handled by the licensee.

Failure to

maintain independence of station qualified reviewers, failure to perform a

safety evaluation for a non-ASME code repair (Belzona R) and failure to

properly handle significant safety issues are further examples of violations

of 10CFR50. 59.

Hope Creek:

Two NRC Regional Waivers of Compliance were processed for Hope

Creek:

One associated with inadequate diesel generator fuel oil sample

results and one associated with the replacement of the 11A11 safety auxiliaries

cooling system (SACS) pump.

The first submittal was adequate.

However,

weaknesses were identified relative to the completeness of technical

information and safety basis for the second (SACS) submittal.

Two personnel

errors occurred during the period; one by maintenance personnel during

surveillance and one by operations personnel during equipment post-maintenance

testing per ASME Section XI .

t

DETAILS

1.

SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS

1.1 Salem Unit 1

Salem Unit 1 began the report period in Mode 3 (Hot Standby) and

preparing for unit startup following resolution of main steam isolation

valve (MSIV) concerns.

During startup activities, the reactor

automatically tripped on August 17, 1990 after the No. 14 reactor coolant

pump (RCP) lost electrical power during 4 kV non-vital auxiliary power

transformer feeder breaker switching.

The unit was subsequently shutdown

to Mode 5 (Cold Shutdown) to replace the No. 14 RCP motor.

The unit was

returned to service on September 7, 1990, and operated until September

10, 1990, when an automatic reactor trip occurred while preparing to

isolate a high pressure turbine sensing line leak.

Power operation

resumed on September 12, 1990, and continued until the end of the

inspection period.

1.2 Salem Unit 2

Salem Unit 2 began the report period in Mode 3 (Hot Standby) and

preparing for unit startup following resolution of MSIV concerns.

The

unit was placed in service on August 20, 1990, and power operation

continued until September 4, 1990, when the unit tripped automatically

due to a secondary system transient caused by equipment failures.

Power

operation resumed on September 8, 1990, and continued until the end of

the inspection period.

1.3

Hope Creek

The Hope Creek unit remained operational during the report period.

Several power reductions occurred to conduct maintenance and testing

activities.

During the period, the drywell unidentified leak rate

increased, and a small fuel pin leak was noted.

1.4 Organizational Changes

On September 24, 1990, PSE&G announced the following organization changes

effective October 1, 1990:

Lynn Miller, General Manager, Salem

Operations, will assume a new position of General Manager, Nuclear

Operations Support.

His responsibilities will include management of the

Salem materiel and procedure upgrade projects.

He will also assume

interim management responsibility for nuclear services, procurement and

material control, and reliability and assessment.

Stanley LaBruna, Vice

President, Nuclear Operations, will assume responsibility as Acting

General Manager, Salem Operations.

Also, Chuck Johnson has been assigned

as acting General Manager, Hope Creek Operations since September 4, 1990,

while Joe Hagan attends management training until December 1990.

2

2.

OPERATIONS

2.1

Inspection Activities

The inspectors verified that the facilities were operated safely and in

conformance with regulatory requirements.

Public Service Electric and

Gas (PSE&G) Company management control was evaluated by direct

observation of activities, tours of the facilities, interviews and

discussions with personnel, independent verification of safety system

status and Technical Specification Limiting Conditions for Operation, and

review of facility records.

These inspection activities were conducted

in accordance with NRC inspection procedures 60710, 71707, 71711 and

93702.

The inspectors performed normal and back shift inspection (597

hours), including deep backshift inspection as follows:

Unit

Hope Creek

Inspection Hours

8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon

6:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Dates

September 16, 1990

September 22, 1990

2.2

Inspection Findings and Significant Plant Events

2.2.1

Salem

A.

Unit 1 Reactor Trip on August 17, 1990

A Unit 1 reactor trip from 25% power occurred due to 14 steam generator

(SG) low-low water level on August 17, 1990, at 6:12 a.m.

The trip

occurred during 4KV non-vital auxiliary power transformer feeder breaker

switching.

An interlock, cell switch 52IS, prevented the feeder breaker

from properly closing during a group bus transfer.

This resulted in a

loss of power to the No. 14 reactor coolant pump (RCP) motor.

A

resultant level shrink in the No. 14 SG due to the steam pressure

increase caused the SG low level condition.

Prior to the group bus

transfer of the non-safety related distribution system, the shift

electrician had verified breaker cell switch and fuse continuity to

ensure the breaker was ful*ly racked in (interlock switch made up).

However, post trip inspection of the breaker compartment found a loose

and binding condition in the cell switch linkage that could have caused

intermittent continuity during electrical group bus swapping.

The

licensee reported the event appropriately to the NRC Operations Center.

A Significant Event Response Team (SERT) was initiated by the licensee.

After post-trip review, and in preparation for reactor restart, the No.

14 RCP was placed in service at 5:15 p.m. on August 17, 1990.

Subsequently, at 7:13 p.m., the RCP tripped on a phase to ground fault

condition.

The licensee meggered the motor and found a motor winding

failure.

The unit proceeded to Mode 5 (Cold Shutdown) to replace the No.

14 RCP motor.*

B.

3

At about 6:45 a.m. on August 17, 1990, the inspector reviewed post trip

conditions in the control room including emergency operating procedure

implementation, selected chart recorder traces, operator performance and

control room logs.

Operators were interviewed, including the reactor and

senior reactor licensed personnel.

The completed AD-16,

11 Post Reactor

Trip Review

11 , was also reviewed.

The inspector also discussed the trip

with operations and plant management personnel.

The inspector examined the failed breaker cell switch and associated

cubicle in the field.

The system engineer was questioned regarding

breaker and cubicle operation, utilizing electrical prints and

schematics.

The inspector noted that the system engineer was

knowledgeable of breaker operation and of the probable failure mechanism.

The inspector also discussed the breaker failure with the Maintenance

Department manager.

The manager acknowledged that there had been three

similar breaker failures in the past three years.

A five year preventive

maintenance (PM) task on breakers is performed by the vendor.

However,

there is no recurring task or PM to check the breaker cubicle cell switch

(52IS) and the racking mechanism alignment.

A reliability centered

maintenance recommendation was made in March 1990 to check the cell

switch/racking mechanism in each 4KV breaker every 36 .months.

This PM

activity was scheduled for Unit 2 during the fifth refueling outage

(March - May 1990).

However, tagging boundary difficulties prevented

this PM activity from occurring.

Unit 1 is currently scheduled for this

PM activity in January - February 1991.

The inspector also reviewed the related Unit 1 LER 90-29 dated September

12, 1990 and SERT report dated August 23, 1990.

The licensee concluded

that the root cause of the reactor trip was mechanical failure due to

inadequate preventive maintenance on the non-safety related breaker

cubicle (e.g., cell switch).

Licensee corrective actions included:

inspecting and repairing similar breaker cubicles, verifying operability

of breakers and cell switches, and revising maintenance procedure M3H to

include a recurring PM task.

The inspector concluded that the licensee 1s

review of the event and corrective actions were adequate.

Unit 2 Reactor Trip on September 4, 1990

On September 4, 1990, Unit 2 automatically tripped from 60% power due to

high-high water level in the No. 24 steam generator (SG).

While

operating at 100% power, an operator noted a control room indication that

one of two operating SG feedwater pumps had tripped.

The feedwater

regulating valves (FRVs) for each of the four SGs went full open to

maintain programmed water level.

The operator immediately initiated a

main turbine load reduction to 60% power and took manual control of all

four FRVs, per abnormal operating procedures.

SG levels decreased to 24%

narrow range (normal is 44%), and then began to increase.

High-high SG

level turbine.and reactor trips occurred before the operator could

manually close the associated FRV for the No. 24 SG.

A large level error

4

caused by the low SG levels, resulted in slow response of the FRV

controllers to the manual close demand signal.

Additionally, when the

FRVs were placed in manual, the No. 21 FRV operated abnormally and went

fully closed, thereby increasing feedwater flow through the remaining

three FRVs.

The licensee reported the reactor trip to the NRC via the

Emergency Notification System in accordance with 10CFR50.72 reporting

requirements.

Licensee followup of the unit trip identified that the No. 21 steam

generator feedwater pump (SGFP) tripped automatically due to low suction

pressure.

There are two automatic low suction pressure trips associated

with the SGFPs:

1) 215 psig with a three second time delay, and 2) 190

psig instantaneous trip.

The licensee identified two equipment problems

that together resulted in the plant transient, namely the miscalibration

of the No 21 SGFP suction pressure switch and a heater drain pump

discharge control valve diaphragm failure.

The failure of the No. 21 SG

FRV controller also resulted in ineffective level control.

A post-trip calibration of the No. 21 SGFP pressure switch identified

that the 215 psig setpoint was actually set high (an equivalent setpoint

of 329 psig due to sensing line configuration and pressure switch*

location).

SGFP suction pressure prior to the transient was equivalent

to 370 psig as indicated in the control room.

Therefore, only a 41 psig

suction pressure reduction would result in the time delayed No. 21 SGFP

trip (370 to 329 psig).

The licensee also determined that the No. 23 heater drain pump discharge

control valve (HD15) failed during the transient.

Specifically, the

valve's diaphragm ruptured, and the valve went fully closed, creating a

SGFP suction pressure reduction.

That pressure reduction, in combination

with the pressure switch increased trip setting, resulted in the SGFP low

suction pressure trip.

For about one hour prior to the trip, the licensee identified additional

flow oscillations (approximately 2000 gpm) on the outlet of the full flow

condensate polishing system.

These oscillations were unexplained and did

not appear to directly impact operation of the secondary system.

Nonetheless, the licensee initiated and is continuing efforts to identify

the cause of the oscillations.

Prior to the transient, one (of six) condenser circulator (No. 218) was

taken out of service for cleaning and maintenance.

Water level in the

associated cond_enser hotwell was reduced, and temperature was elevated

due to the absence of circulating water in that waterbox.

The inspector

noted that the above conditions may have contributed to the trip by

creating flashing conditions downstream of the condensate pumps and

resulting in reduced pressure at the SGFP suction.

The licensee was also

evaluating those conditions for future corrective actions.

5

During followup of the trip, the inspector reviewed the associated

abnormal operating procedures (AOPs).

AOP-COND-2,

11 Loss of Circulating

Water and/or Condenser Vacuum

11 , specifies procedure entry when one or

more circulating pumps trip or are taken out bf service.

The inspector

determined that the ADP was not entered by plant operators when the

single circulating pump was initially taken out of service. Discussions

with unit operators and Operations management indicated that since

circulators are frequently taken out of service for both preventive and

corrective activities, and this is considered to be a routine activity,

the ADP is not entered.

However, the operators closely monitored

condenser conditions.

The inspector reviewed AOP-COND-2 and determined

that only routine actions are directed when only one circulator is out of

service.

Additional actions are directed by the ADP only when two

circulating water pumps are out of .service on the same condenser shell.

Therefore, entry into the ADP under the specific conditions that existed

on the day of the trip would not have resulted in significant operator

response.

The inspector discussed the practice of not entering AOPs,

although specific entry conditions were met, with licensee management.

Management acknowledged the inspectors' concern and committed to evaluate

ADP usage and implement corrective actions.

A Station Operations Review Committee (SORC) meeting was conducted on

September 5, 1990, to review the post trip data and plant response.

The

inspector attended the meeting.

Plant startup was authorized with the

following conditions and short-term corrective actions:

1) calibrate the

SGFP suction devices, 2) evaluate ADP- COND-2 to develop procedure

changes to address conditions and actions specific to operating with one

circulator out of service, 3) conduct training sessions with the

appropriate personnel, and 4) complete all necessary component repairs.

Longer term recommendations included:

1) resolve condenser polisher flow

discrepancies, and 2) evaluate the condenser hotwell dynamics and the

impact on secondary plant components.

A significant event response team

(SERT) was formed and independently reviewed the event.

A unit startup subsequently commenced and the reactor was made critical

on September 6, 1990.

The inspector concluded that the licensee's review

and followup of this event, and the associated corrective actions (LER

90-36) were adequate.

C.

Unit 1 Reactor Trip on September 10, 1990

At 12:01 p.m. on September 10, 1990, an automatic reactor trip from 80%

power occurred at Salem Unit 1 when the water level in the No. 13 steam

generator (SG) reached the low-low level setpoint.

The steam generator

level shrink was a result of the unexpected closure of all four main

turbine governor and stop valves.

This occurred when operators closed

one of the governor/stop valve pairs while preparing to isolate a high

pressure turbine drain line steam leak.

The licensee's post trip review

determined that Operations personnel failed to initiate and implement an

adequate troubleshooting plan for the steam leak.

A procedural

6

inadequacy and lack of specific training also contributed to the trip.

As a result, an initial condition of greater than 85% power for the

turbine valve test procedure (OP III-1.3.3) being used by the operators

was not met.

A resulting abnormal governor valve arrangement during the

planned No. 11 governor valve closure, combined with the steam leak and

an open drain valve, caused the high pressure turbine to be deflected.

This caused an oscillation of the shaft and the electro-hydraulic (EH)

speed pick-up sensor failed high, simulating an over-speed condition and

driving all four governor valves shut.

This valve closure combined with

feed/steam flow mismatch, caused a shrink condition in all four SGs.

Plant response to the trip was normal.

However, one intermediate range

nuclear instrument (N35) appeared to be under compensated, and therefore

the source range instruments had to be manually unblocked by the

operators as power decreased following the trip.

The licensee found a

bad connection for the N35 detector in containment and made the necessary

repairs.

The licensee inspected the EH system and turbine in conjunction

with the vendor.

Repairs were made to the EH speed pick-up sensor.

No

additional problems were noted, the unit was restarted on September 13,

1990, and the turbine was synchronized at 6:40 a.m. on September 14,

1990.

A significant event response team (SERT) was formed and

independently determined the root cause.

The inspector monitored post-trip conditions including emergency

operating procedure implementation, selected control room instruments and

chart recorder traces, and operator performance.

The inspector also

reviewed the computer sequence of events log and noted that the reactor

trip first-out annunciator was

11 13 SG level low-low

11 *

Additional followup included discussions with the licensed operators,

operations and plant management, and corporate management.

A review of

procedure OP III-1.3.3 confirmed that the initial condition requiring

greater than 85% power was not met nor was a formal troubleshooting plan

developed.

This failure to follow the operating procedure is a licensee

identified violation and is not being cited because the criteria

specified in section V.G of the Enforcement Policy were satisfied (NON

50-272/90-22-01).

The inspector reviewed AD-16,

11 Post Reactor Trip Review

11 , LER 90-30, and

the SERT report.

The inspector concluded that the licensee performed a

thorough review for root cause and developed good corrective actions.

Corrective actions included:

(1) repair of the steam leak, nuclear

instrument N35, and the EH system; (2) inspection of the

turbine-generator; (3) performing a special monitoring program during

turbine-generator startup; (4) revising the turbine-generator operating

procedures OP III-1.3.1 and III-1.3.3; (5) counseling operators and

operations management personnel involved in the troubleshooting

activities; and (6) developing an operations troubleshooting procedure.

Weaknesses associated with troubleshooting activities are discussed in

section 4.3.3.A of this report.

7

D.

Auxiliary Feedwater Storage Tank Overfill

On August 12, 1990, at 8:00 a.m., the auxiliary feedwater storage tank

(AFWST) was overfi 11 ed by p 1 ant operators, spil 1 i ng water and hydrazine

into a storm drain.

This same event had previously occurred on June 22

and July 21, 1990.

Each overfi 11 took p 1 ace for a very short time ( 1 ess

than five minutes).

In five minutes, 3000 gallons and 0.1 pounds of

hydrazine can be displaced into the storm drain.

The reportable quantity

to the state and and the EPA is 1.0 pounds of hydrazine, therefore, in

each case, no report was required.

The inspector reviewed the Incident Reports (IRs) for the June 22 and

July 21, 1990, events and found that in the June 22, 1990, report an

entry into the night order book was made stating that while filling the

AFWST, the operator should station a nuclear equipment operator with a

radio to ensure the AFWST does not overflow.

After the July 21, 1990,

event, the IR stated that the root cause was that the control room

operator became distracted by other events and forgot to close the valve.

The unit shift supervisor then held a discussion with the operator

involved and other operators concerning the night order book

requirements.

A clear control room console cover, stating those

requirements, was then p 1 aced over the *pushbutton for the AFWST f i 11

valve (DR-6).

The inspector spoke with one of the operations engineers concerning the

August 12, 1990 incident.

He stated the root cause to be a noncompliance

with the night order entry.

The operations engineer said that the

personnel involved were counseled.

The Operations manager also discussed

this issue with all the shifts. After discussions with the reactor

operators (ROs), the operations engineer retracted the previous night

order entry and made another night order entry to instruct the ROs to

open the DR-6 valve when filling the AFWST and to close the valve when

the low level alarm cleared.

Previously, DR-6 would remain open so that

the AFWST could be filled beyond that point.

The operations engineer

then requested engineering to look into the issue to find a more

p.ermanent so 1 ut ion.

The overfil 1 of the AFWST has occurred three ti mes

within a two month period vf time.

The corrective actions, currently in

place, have been found to be an effective short term solution.

E.

Reduced Reactor Coolant System (RCS) Inventory Operations

On August 17, 1990, an electrical fault was discovered on the No. 14

reactor coolant pump (RCP) motor (see section 2.2.1.A).

In order to

replace the motor, Unit 1 was required to enter a reduced

inventory/midloop condition.

The RCS was in a good configuration for the reduced inventory/midloop

condition.-

The decay heat levels were very low (approximately 5.75

megawatts-thermal) due to 30 days of shutdown time, and the only type of

RCS boundary work was for the RCP motor changeout.

-- - - - - - - - - - - -

F .

8

Prior to entering the reduced inventory condition, operating procedures

II-1.3.6,

11 Draining the Reactor Coolant System,

11 and AOP-RHR-2, "Loss of

Residual Heat Removal Cooling -

RCS Level Below the Pressurizer,

11 were

reviewed by the Stations Operations Review Committee (SORC).

A safety

evaluation, Engineering Memorandum No.90-099, that justified the RCS

vent size during midloop operation for this particular outage, was

approved.

Training was given to the operations and

maintenance staffs,

including the supervisors.

The inspector attended the training and

concluded that it was satisfactory.

The inspector reviewed the licensee

1s response to Generic Letter No.

88-17, "Loss of Decay Heat Removal,

11 along with the above mentioned

operating procedures, and the safety evaluation.

The inspector

periodically monitored control room operations and toured containment to

visually inspect the level instrumentation, the level taps, and the tygon

tubing backup level indicator.

The inspector concluded that the licensee

adequately implemented the issues discussed in Generic Letter No. 88-17

(Expeditious Actions).

NRC Inspection 50-272/89-07 and 50-311/89-06

closed this item per TI 2515/101.

The inspector also concluded that the

licensee effectively conducted midloop operations in a safe and proper

manner.

Engineered Safety Feature (ESF) Actuation and Inoperable Safeguards

Equipment Control Train

During a review of an ESF actuation that occurred on September 22, 1990,

the inspector identified concerns relative to the review of a test

anomaly and the timeliness of corrective actions for an operational

event.

Some intradepartmental and interdepartmental communication

deficiencies were also identified.

On September 21, 1990, Maintenance personnel completed a periodic

functional surveillance test for the No. 2C safeguards equipment control

(SEC) train.

The SEC is designed to start and load safety equipment onto

the vital electrical system under accident and/or blackout conditions.

A

new test procedure, No. S2.MD-FT.SEC-0003(Q),

11 ESF Actuation Signal

Instrumentation Monthly Functional Test-2C SEC Logit

11 , was being used for

the first time on installed equipment.

The procedure was a recent

product of the Procedure Upgrade Project.

During the test, the

technician and supervisor noted that an accident loading input light (No.

1) had illuminated and then extinguished for no apparent reason.

This

unexpected anomaly was documented in the completed procedure comments

section, and the test was satisfactorily signed off.

On September 22, 1990, Operations personnel conducted a monthly

surveillance test of the 2C emergency diesel generator (EOG).

Upon

successful completion of the test, an operator reset the 2C SEC as

required.

Several minutes later, the 2C SEC spuriously actuated at 2:45

a.m.

The associated equipment automatically started as designed (e.g.

emergency core cooling system pumps and No. 2C EOG).

The 2C SEC was then

9

reset and all components were secured.

The NRC was notified of the ESF

actuation via the Emergency Notification System in accordance with

10CFR50.72 reporting requirements.

On September 24, 1990, the inspector reviewed the event and found that

the 2C SEC had not been declared inoperable and no troubleshooting or

additional testing activities had been initiated.

The licensee stated

that there was no indication-of an existing fault condition as the SEC

self-test was not in alarm.

Based on these items the- SEC was not

declared inoperable.

However, the inspector determined that no actions

were initiated following the September 22, 1990, ESF actuation due to

apparent communication problems between Operations and Maintenance

personnel.

Also, the inspector found that the significance of receiving

the input No. 1 light during conduct of the September 21, 1990

surveillance test was not properly evaluated by staff personnel nor was

it communicated to the appropriate level of Maintenance supervision.

It

was subsequently determined that during the test on September 21, 1990,

the 2C SEC output had been disconnected by procedure, and if connected, an

ESF would have occurred.

This was a precursor to the September 22, 1990,

event which was not recognized by the licensee.

Later on September 24, 1990, the licensee decided that it would be

appropriate to conduct the 2C SEC functional surveillance test in an

attempt to verify operability or identify potential problems.

During the

test, the accident loading input No. 1 again spuriously illuminated.

Since, by procedure, the SEC output was disconnected, no equipment

actuations occurred.

The SEC was immediately declared inoperable and a

unit shutdown was initiated in accordance with Technical Specification

(TS) requirements.

The NRC was properly notified of the initiation of

the shutdown in accordance with 10CFR50.72 reporting requirements.

Subsequent troubleshooting activities, an engineering evaluation and

discussions with the vendor postulated that a faulty SEC input relay

caused the accident loading signals.

The relay was replaced, the SEC was

satisfactorily retested, and the unit shutdown was terminated at 75%

power at 12:10 a.m. on September 25, 1990.

The licensee is continuing

efforts to develop additional periodic checks to confirm the cause of the

event and to detect relay degradation to prevent further similar

actuations.

The unit was then returned to full power.

The inspector concluded that, although a precursor on September 22, 1990,

was not properly evaluated and corrective actions for an ESF actuation

were not initiated in a timely manner, the SEC could have properly

actuated and performed its intended function if needed.

The failure

mechanism appeared to generate unnecessary input signals, however, an

actual signal to actuate the SEC would not have been inhibited.

Nevertheless, several problems were noted, including poor

intradepartmental and interdepartmental communication, ineffective review

of a completed surveillance procedure, and untimely initiation of

corrective actions for the September 22, 1990, ESF actuation.

These

10

concerns were discussed with the licensee.

The inspector will *closely

follow licensee activities in this regard.

G.

Reactor Coolant System (RCS) Spill During System Filling

On August 30, 1990, a minor reactor water spill onto the Unit 1

containment floor occurred while in Mode 5 (Cold Shutdown), during the

RCS fill and vent process.

The spill occurred because two reactor head

vent valves (1RC38 and 1RC39) were left open during the RCS fill

evolution.

A roving firewatch noticed the spill and immediately notified

the control room.

Approximately 70 gallons of water spilled and was then

drained into the containment sump.

The pressurizer level at the time of

the spill was approximately 90%.

The licensee generated an Incident

Report (IR) for this event.

The inspector reviewed Operating Department procedures II-1.3.6,

"Draining the RCS

11 and II-1.3.4, "Filling and Venting the RCS,

11 and the

IR.

Step 5.1.12 of procedure II-1.3.6 required the vent valves to be

open; however, neither procedure directed closure of the valves.

An

initial condition of the fill and vent procedure (Step 2.1.1) states that

a list should be generated of all components that are off-normal and that

they should be evaluated for their effects on normal system operation.

The licensee stated that these valves were on the generated list,

however, they were not properly evaluated by the operator.

The root

cause of this spill was oversight by the control room operator who failed

to thoroughly evaluate the off-normal

val~e report.

The procedural

weakness, the vent valves were not directed to be closed, was also a

contributing factor.

The licensee discussed this event with the operator

involved, and initiated a procedure change to add a step to procedure

II-1.3.4 to close the 1RC38 and 1RC39 vent valves.

The revision will be

completed prior to the next drain down condition.

The inspector

concluded that the licensee performed an adequate review of the spill,

and had no further questions at this time.

H.

Incident Reports

(Closed) Unresolved Item 50-272 and 311/90-81-05.

Incident Reports (!Rs)

were not written for several events which warranted such documentation

per procedure NA-AP-006, "Incident Report/Reportable Event Program and

Quality/Safety Concerns Reporting System".

The inspector reviewed the criteria listed in NA-AP-006 for writing

incident reports and also reviewed sample !Rs90-316 and 90-325.

The

procedure implies, although does not clearly specify, that !Rs should be

written for such events as the Boric Acid Transfer (BAT) pump

surveillance test failures noted by the Integrated Performance Assessment

Team (IPAT).

As stated in PSE&G 1s response to the IPAT findings, the

licensee believes that !Rs should have been written for these test

failures.

11

The IPAT stated that several instances of safety tagging error~ were not

documented in IRs.

The source of this information was apparently a

discussion with no specific examples provided.

As a result, neither

PSE&G nor the inspectors were able to specifically identify these safety

tagging errors.

Discussions with Operations personnel involved with the

tagging process indicated that they were aware of the incident reporting

system requirements for safety tagging errors and used the process as

designed.

Review of the IR logs indicated that over 600 IRs were written

at Salem station in the first eight (8) months of 1990 and about 1000 in

1989.

Further, these reports appeared to be properly screened for LER

reportability and event evaluation and follow-up.

No significant backlog

existed in the program.

No violation of NRC reporting requirements resulted from the lack of IRs

written on the BAT pump issues.

Correction of the BAT pump Inservice

Testing (IST) failures were adequately ensured by other programmatic

mechanisms exclusive of the incident reporting system.

Based on this

review, the inspectors concluded that the criteria for writing IRs are

sufficiently descriptive and encompassing to achieve the goals of the

system.

The system is clearly adequate as a screening tool for

identifying reportable incidents.

The incidents noted by the IPAT were

isolated incidents of personnel misund~rstanding the criteria for

incident reporting or the need for filing incidents reports.

The

inspectors concluded that this problem will be remedied as experience is

gained with using NA-AP-006 (implemented in mid 1989) and with continued

management emphasis on the program.

This unresolved item is considered

closed.

I.

Premature Tagging Release of Safety Equipment

On September 19, 1990, prior to post-maintenance testing, and while

personnel were inspecting the Unit 2 No. 22 containment fan cooling unit

(CFCU), tags were prematurely released, equipment was returned to

service, and the No. 22 CFCU was started.

Men working around the CFCU

motor were unaware that the motor was going to be started.

No one was

injured in the incident.

However, the incident could have resulted in

personnel 1nJury or equipment damage.

The licensee 1 s investigation

following the event found the sequence of events to be:

Maintenance Supervisor requested a temporary release of paperwork to

reduce technician heat stress and exposure.

Control Room operator called the maintenance supervisor to inform

him that they were releasing the tags.

Maintenance Supervisor told the operator not to start the CFCU until

he gave the authorization.

One of the test groups was setting up equipment in the switchgear

room to take data during the CFCU operational test. After they were

12

set up, this supervisor called the control room to tell them that

they were ready.

The operator believed that the above mentioned call was the

authorization to start the CFCU.

The fan was started.

A few minutes later, the operator received a phone call from an

electrician in containment informing that he was very close to the

CFCU when it was started.

Poor intra and interdepartment communication contributed to the event.

However, the root cause was attributed to the unauthorized release of the

tags on equipment that still had personnel working on it.

The release of

the tags left the CFCU ready to be started automatically at any time by

the associated Safeguard Equipment Control train.

The inspector

conducted an independent review of this event and concluded the root

cause to be a failure to follow Administrative Procedure No. 15 (AP-15),

11Safety Tagging Program.

11

This was complicated by the communication

problems between Operations, Maintenance and Testing personnel.

AP-15 states in section 7.3, "Temporary Tagging Release,

11 that the Job

Supervisor shall ensure all personnel ire clear of the equipment and the

work activity covered by the tagging has been suspended.

The failure of

the Job Supervisor to clear all personnel prior to requesting the

temporary tagging release is a licensee identified violation of AP-15,

and is not being cited because the criteria specified in Section V.G of

the Enforcement Policy were satisfied (NON 50-311/90-22-01).

J.

Licensed Operator Medical Records

On August 28, 1990, the inspector reviewed the medical records of four

Salem licensed reactor operators.

The licensee requires licensed

operators to take a physical exam every year.

The exams for 1989 and

1990 were reviewed and the inspector found that Form NRC-396,

"Certification of Medical Examination by Facility Licensee,

11 was filed as

required with the physical exams.

Part 55.21 of lOCFR states that the

licensee shall have a medical examination every two years and Part 55.23

states that Form NRC-396, shall be completed and signed by an authorized

representative of the facility licensee.

The inspector noted that the

medical records demonstrated that each operator reviewed was fit for

duty.

The inspector also noted the licensee to be conservative in their

approach of conducting an exam every year versus the required every two

years.

No deficiencies were identified.

2.2.2

A.

13

Hope Creek

High Pressure Coolant Injection System (HPCI) Inoperability Due to

Moisture in Lube Oil

On September 14, 1990, the licensee reported that the HPCI system had

been declared inoperable due to a high moisture content (0.04%) in the

HPCI turbine lube oil.

(A similar event occurred on June 7, 1990 and is

discussed in Licensee Event Report 90-009-00.)

The lube oil sump was

drained and the lube oil cooler was pressure tested in an attempt to

determine the source of the water.

The test was satisfactory, and no

obvious signs of leakage were detected.

There is no Technical Specification limit on HPCI lube oil moisture

content.

The licensee used a vendor (General Electric) recommended limit

of 0.01% moisture content.

The sump was filled with fresh oil, HPCI was

operated and another sample drawn and analyzed with a resulting moisture

content of 0.03%.

General Electric was consulted and recommended a

revised maximum limit of 0.2%.

A significant moisture content (10-20%)

could lead to swelling of the turbine oil filter and consequent flow

reduction.

The safety significance of this event was minimal because of

both the moisture content necessary to *cause filter degradation (10-20%)

and the fact that both the automatic depressurization (ADS) and reactor

core isolation cooling (RCIC) systems were operable while HPCI was out of

service.

The licensee changed their limit to 0.2% moisture and declared

HPCI operable on September 16, 1990.

The licensee plans to pursue

identification and correction of the source of leakage during the

upcoming refueling outage with technical assistance from the vendor's

systems group.

The inspector reviewed the licensee's actions and planned

activities and found them to be satisfactory.

B.

Drywell Unidentified Leak Rate

On September 4, 1990, following a power reduction during the previous

weekend for turbine control valve surveillances, shift personnel reported

that drywell unidentified leakage had increased from about 0.6 gallons

per minute (gpm) to approx1mately 1.0 gpm.

The leakage then decreased to

a constant rate of about 0.8 gpm.

The licensee's initial investigation

indicated a possible leak in the area of the

11 C

11 drywell cooler, although

the exact cause could not be identified.

Unidentified leakage increased

to 1.6 gpm over the weekend of September 22-23, 1990, following a power

reduction for control rod scram timing, then gradually decreased to a

constant value of 1.45 gpm.

An analysis of the drywell floor drain sump

water indicated that 25% of the contents was reactor coolant.

Further

investigation indicated that the source of leakage could be near the

11 8

11

reactor recirculation pump, but again the exact source could not be

determined.

At the close of this reporting period, drywell unidentified

leakage remained constant at about 1.5 gpm.

The inspector reviewed the leakage monitors, discussed the occurrence

14

with licensee personnel, and reviewed the appropriate Technical

Specifications.

The licensee demonstrated an appropriate safety

perspective with an aggressive investigation in attempting to identify

the leakage source.

The Technical Specification limit on unidentified

leakage is 5 gpm.

The licensee imposed administrative limits of 2.5 gpm

or a significant increasing trend by night order entry on September 5,

1990.

Additionally, the licensee has minimized the number of power

reductions as there appears to be a link between recirculation pump speed

and unidentified leakage.

Also, monitoring of recirculation pump seal

performance has been instituted whenever pump speed is changed.

The

inspector had no further questions at this time.

C.

Apparent Fuel Pin Leak

On September 25, 1990, at about 1:00 p.m., the Hope Creek control room

received high radiation alarms on the radwaste area exhaust and the

off-gas (OG) pre-treatment monitors.

An OG pre-treatment sample was

taken and revealed a noble gas level of about 14,000 microcuries per

second.

This was 4% of Technical Specification (TS) limit per TS 3.11.2.7 (330 millicuries per second).

The licensee did not initially

see any increase in the north or south plant vent radiation monitor.

After a few days the north plant vent monitor increased from 10 to 40

microcuries per second and the south plant vent monitor increased from

140 to 180 microcuries per second.

The OG stream is filtered and delayed

to allow for isotope decay.

The stream is then mixed with the plant vent

for further dilution.

General Electric and the corporate fuels group

were contacted and they believe these results to be indicative of a

pinhole leak in a single fuel .rod.

On Saturday, September 22, 1990, the

unit reduced power to 80% to perform scram time testing on 10% of the

control rods as required by TS.

The unit then returned to full power

using a new rod pattern and adhering to the power increase ramp rates.

By 8:00 a.m. on September 26, 1990, the OG pre-treatment radiation

monitor decreased and an OG sample pre-treatment indicated 3,000

microcuries per second.

By the end of the period (October 1, 1990), the

value had decreased to 1700 microcuries per second.

The licensee is

continuing to evaluate this situation and to take samples of reactor

water and gaseous release streams.

The inspector discussed this item with licensee engineers, operators and

management personnel.

The inspector also monitored the radiation

monitoring system (RM-11) for the affected process streams and area

monitors.

The inspector concluded that the licensee was aggressive in

their program for monitoring this apparent fuel pin leak.

3.

RADIOLOGICAL CONTROLS

3.1 Inspection Activities

PSE&G's conformance with the radiological protection program was verified

on a periodic basis.

These inspection activities were conducted in

accordance with NRC inspection procedures 71707 and 93702.

15

3.2

Inspection Findings and Review of Events

3.2.1

Salem

No noteworthy findings were identified.

3.2.2

Hope Creek

No noteworthy findings were identified.

4.

MAINTENANCE/SURVEILLANCE TESTING

4.1

Maintenance Inspection Activity

The inspectors observed selected maintenance activities on safety-related

equipment to ascertain that these activities were conducted in accordance

with approved_procedures, Technical Specifications, and appropriate

industrial codes and standards.

These inspections were conducted in

accordance with NRC inspection procedure 62703.

Portions of the following activities were observed by the inspector:

Unit

Salem 1

Salem 2

Salem 2

Salem 2

Salem 2

Hope Creek

Work Request (WR)/Order

(WO) or Procedure

Description

Various

14 Reactor Coolant Pump

Motor

Various

22 Containment Fan Coil

Unit Motor

WO 900602016

Replace No. 23 Charging

Pump Room Cooler

WO 900827177

Inspect/Repair Leaking

Service Water Component Cooling

Pump Room Cooler Valve

WO 900123123

Temporary Modification

No.90-057

Various

11A

11 Safety Auxiliary

Cooling System Pump Replacement

The maintenance activities inspected were effective with respect to

meeting the safety objectives of the maintenance program.

However, as

discussed in other sections of this report, there were several examples

of improper communications, both within the Salem Maint~nance

organization and among other Salem station groups .

16

4.2 Surveillance Testing Inspection Activity

4.3

4.3.1

A.

The inspectors performed detailed technical procedure reviews, witnessed

in-progress surveillance testing, and reviewed compl~ted surveillance

packages.

The inspectors verified that the surveillance tests were

performed in accordance with Technical Specifications, approved

procedures, and NRC regulations.

These inspection activities were

conducted in accordance with NRC inspection procedure 61726.

The following surveillance tests were reviewed, with portions witnessed

by the inspector:

Unit

Procedure No.

Salem 1

SP(0)4.0.5-P-AP(13)

Salem 2

M3Q-2

Hope Creek

HC.RE-ST.BF-OOl(Q)

Hope Creek

HC.OP-ST.AC-OOl(Q)

Hope Creek

HC.OP-ST.AC-002(Q)

Test

Inservice Testing -

Auxiliary Feed Pump Test

Reactor Trip Breaker

Semiannual Inspection,

Lubrication and Testing

Control Rod Drive Scram

Time Determination

Turbine Overspeed

Protection System Operability

Test (Weekly)

Turbine Overspeed

Protection and Bypass Valve

Verification (Monthly)

Except as discussed below, the surveillance testing activities inspected

were effective with respect to meeting the safety objectives of the

surveillance testing program.

Inspection Findings

Salem

Boric Acid Transfer (BAT) Pumps

(Closed) Unresolved Item 50-272 and 311/90-81-11, Inservice testing (IST)

deficiencies for the BAT pumps.

The Integrated Performance Assessment

Team (IPAT) team (NRC Inspection 50-272 and 311/90-81) identified an

instance where the No. 22 BAT pump apparently failed an IST test and had

fallen into the required action range.

However, the BAT pump system

engineer may have authorized acceptance of the pump test and lowered the

acceptance criteria for the pump.

Additionally, a concern was expressed

by the IPAT that the Salem units were being operated in an unanalyzed

condition because the BAT pumps were being accepted with less than the

pump manufacturer 1s data and the FSAR stated value.

17

The inspector reviewed the IST records for BAT pump Nos. 11, 12, 21 and

22 as well as the baseline data used since 1988.

The performance of the

BAT pumps has historically degraded at such a rate that trending of pump

performance was difficult.

In the particular.instance noted during the

IPAT, the inspector found that PSE&G had rebaselined the pump performance

curve to accept the BAT pump No. 22 performance test on February 8, 1990,

which was now in the acceptable range (re-baselined range) and subse-

quently returned the pump to operable status.

However, IST pump tests of

January 29, and February 1, 4, 7, 1990, were rejected due to the pump

failing to reach an acceptable flow rate at the required pressure.

The

inspector did note that the latter three of these four completed IST pump

test procedures were not maintained in the IST files, but rather were

located in the document control system with the maintenance work request

package.

This was the apparent source of a discrepancy noted between the

findings of the !PAT and a subsequent review of this matter by PSE&G, as

documented in their response to the IPAT findings and presented to NRC

Region I on August 15, 1990.

The inspector concluded that PSE&G did not accept BAT pump 22 with

performance in the alert range relative to the baseline standard (derived

as delineated in ASME Section XI) in place for that pump at that time.

Further, review of the design requirem~nts for these pumps also indicates

that the baselines established for all the BAT pumps, in all cases~ were

substantially above the minimum TS flow requirements of these pumps (10

gpm), although the inspector considered that flow rate technically

unacceptable as a performance requirement for pumps designed to produce

75 gpm, per the FSAR.

Thus, the plant was never operated in an

unanalyzed condition nor in violation of TS requirements.

The inspector also noted that ASME Section XI, Article IWP-3111, requires

that when new baseline standards for pumps are established following

modification and maintenance, a documented evaluation of the recorded

pump test reference values used for baselining, as compared to the pump

operational requirements, must be performed.

Further, 10CFR50.59

requires that changes to the plant or procedures, as described in the

FSAR, be evaluated and a written safety evaluation performed.

This

provides the bases for the determination that the change, test or

experiment does not involve an unresolved safety question.

No such

evaluations were documented for the change in pump performance

requirements needed to return the BAT 22 pump to service on February 8,

1990.

Further, no evidence was identified that such evaluations were

performed on any of the other BAT pump re-baselinings made in the past.

The failure to perform this 10CFR50.59 evaluation, which also serves to

satisfy the requirements of ASME Section XI, is a violation (VIO 50-272

and 50-311/90-22-02).

The inspector reviewed PSE&G

1 s response to the IPAT on this issue and

noted that PSE&G acknowledged the failure to perform 10CFR50.59 and ASME

Section XI evaluations of the re-baselining of the BAT pumps.

As a

result, 10 CFR 50.59 evaluation No. 272/311-90-81-Q060, dated May 25,

1990, was written to address this issue.

The evaluation provided the

18

basis for the 10 gpm flow requirement for the BAT pumps from TS

3/4.1.1.1, established an administrative low flow limit of 47.5 gpm at

235 ft. total dynamic head (TOH) for all BAT pump IST surveillances, and

justified an FSAR minimum flow value of 45 gpm at 235 ft. TOH (versus the

75 gpm presently listed).

The administrative limit of 47.5 gpm includes

a 45 to 46 gpm alert range and an action range below 45 gpm.

The

inspector reviewed the safety evaluation and found it to be technically

acceptable.

Technical Department procedure No. TI-28 was changed on June 29, 1990,

which provided additional guidance to system engineers for baselining

ASME Section XI pumps.

The procedural changes require 10CFR50.59

evaluations for pumps if they are going to be accepted below pump

operational design criteria or below the administrative limit.

Operations department procedures for boration activities were also

revised to incorporate the new FSAR low flow limit.

Additionally, all

other pumps in the IST program were reviewed to ensure that their most

recent !ST test results compared favorably to their design operational

requirements.

The inspector considered these corrective actions to be comprehensive

enough to address this matter.

As a result, no response to the Notice of

Violation on this issue is required.

Therefore, this unresolved item and

the violation are considered closed.

B.

Containment Liner Corrosion

(Open) Unresolved Item 50-272 and 311/90-81-21, Corrosion visible on the

liners of both containment buildings at Salem.

The inspector discussed this issue with the Manager - Civil Engineering.

PSE&G believes the cause of the corrosion noted by the Integrated

Performance Assessment Team (IPAT) was minor surface rusting caused by

service water spillage over the years.

However, in response to the IPAT

finding and recent NRC information regarding corrosion of steel

containment vessels (i.e. Information Notice 89-79 and Supplement 1 to

the Notice), PSE&G contracted Stone and Webster Engineering Corporation

(SWEC) to perform a study of the containment liner corrosion.

The

inspector reviewed SWEC 1 s draft report and found it technically adequate,

although the recommendations provided were non-specific with regard to

key elements of any inspection program (i.e. statistically representative

sampling sizes for liner thickness measurements).

The inspector did note

that the report stated that the containment liner was designed to be

protected by an installed cathodic protection system.

However, the SWEC

report did not recommend confirming the installation or operability of

this system.

Later discussions between the inspector and the system

engineer for the cathodic protection system determined that no such

system existed at either of the Salem units.

PSE&G immediately initiated

actions to follow-up on this finding at the conclusion of this

inspection .

19

PSE&G has not yet developed a containment liner inspection pro~ram from

the draft SWEC report.

However, PSE&G tentatively intends to develop and

implement an inspection program by the next refueling outage at either

Salem unit, currently scheduled for Unit 1 in February 1991.

This time

schedule is considered satisfactory in that indirect long-term

confirmation of containment liner adequacy via containment integrated

leak rate testing and visual inspection has never identified any

corrosion induced failure of the containment liner at either Salem unit.

The inspector considered PSE&G 1s actions to date in this matter

responsive to the NRC 1 s safety concerns.

This unresolved item will

remain open to allow for tracking the issue for NRC review of PSE&G 1 s

inspection findings for generic industry implication and to evaluate the

need for future regulatory action.

C.

Unit Shutdown During Surveillance Test Due to Inoperable Computer

On September 21, 1990, Unit 2 commenced a Technical Specification (TS)

required shutdown due to the inability to complete time response testing

of the

118

11 reactor trip breaker ( RTB).

During performance of the RTB

surveillance, the process computer (P-250) power supply failed, making

the P-250 inoperative.

The P-250 is used for RT8 time response

measurement, and its unavailability delayed completion of the

surveillance test.

The test began at 2:50 p.m.

The Action for the

applicable TS (No. 3.3.1 - Action 20) allows the

118

11 breaker to be in the

bypass position for up to two hours.

After the two hours expires, Mode 3

(Hot Standby) must be reached in the next six hours.

The licensee was in the process of pursuing the use of an alternative

device to measure the RT8 time response when the two hour time limitation

expired.

Then, at 5:51 p.m., a unit shutdown was initiated in accordance

with TS requirements.

This was reported to the NRC via the Emergency

Notification System in accordance with 10CFR50.72 reporting requirements.

A procedure change was subsequently processed, and the RT8 time response

measurements were taken using a calibrated chart recorder.

The unit

shutdown was terminated at 58% power and the TS Action Statement was

exited at 8:11 p.m.

A licensee Quality Assurance (QA) inspector was present during conduct of

the September 21, 1990, test.

On September 24, 1990, the QA inspector

identified and pursued several concerns related to the conduct of the

surveillance test.

There were two TS Action Statements applicable during

the surveillance test.

The procedure appropriately directed entry and

exit of those requirements.

However, the QA inspector identified that

due to apparent communication problems between operations and maintenance

personnel, TS Action Statements were inappropriately exited.

Specifically, TS Action Statement 3.3.2.1 was prematurely exited by

several minutes, and TS Action Statement 3.3.1 was exited and

subsequently re-entered (and restarted the time limit) when TSs should

not have been exited.

20

The resident inspector reviewed the QA findings and found them*to be

valid, although no TS violations resulted.

That is, if the TS Action

Statement were properly exited, no required actions would have been

necessary.

The inspector verified that these deficiencies are being

properly evaluated by the responsible station personnel.

The inspector concluded that the QA inspector properly identified,

evaluated and reported a potential safety concern that resulted from

interdepartmental communication deficiencies during surveillance testing.

The inspector will monitor the licensee 1s resolution of this issue during

a subsequent inspection.

D.

Inoperable Auxiliary Feedwater Pump

On September 24, 1990, the licensee conducted a monthly operability

surveillance test for the Unit 1 No. 13 turbine-driven auxiliary

feedwater (AFW) pump using surveillance test procedure No.

SP(0)4.0.5-AF(13),

11 Inservice Testing - AFW Pumps

11 *

After the pump was

started at 3:14 a.m. the terry turbine automatically tripped unexpectedly

at 3:18 a.m.

Prior to the trip, the turbine was experiencing speed

oscillations.

The pump was restarted at 3:35 a.m. and was tested.

successfully until it was manually shutdown at 5:03 a.m.

The

surveillance was documented as being satisfactorily completed .

The trip of the No. 13 AFW pump was discussed during the September 24,

1990 daily morning meeting.

The licensee suspected that the turbine may

have tripped because of excessive condensation accumulation in the steam

supply line, possibly due to a clogged orifice in the associated drain

line.

The inspector subsequently expressed concern that the AFW pump was

not declared inoperable following the turbine trip.

The licensee then

implemented actions to monitor temperatures in the turbine steam supply

line at selected locations to ascertain whether condensation was

accumulating and planned to conduct another surveillance test.

On September 25, 1990, the AFW surveillance test was started at 4:28

a.m., however, the turbine tripped at 4:32 a.m.

The pump was immediately

declared inoperable and the appropriate Technical Specification Action

Statement (TSAS) was entered.

Subsequent maintenance activities

identified that the orifice in the steam supply drain line was clogged,

in that deposits had accumulated on the orifice opening and debris (rust)

was found at the orifice flange.

The system engineer was also present,

and identified that the installed orifice assembly did not have the

required strainer (screen) on the upstream side.

On September 26, 1990, the inspector observed the installation of the

required orifice assembly, including the strainer.

Further inspector

review identified that a previous trip of No. 13 AFW pump during

surveillance testing occurred on February 11, 1990, as documented in

Incident Report (IR) No.90-115.

Corrective actions included cleaning

21

the orifice and replacing the orifice gaskets.

No additional formal

followup to IR 90-115 was performed.

The system engineer also identified that the Unit 2 AFW turbine-driven

pump (No. 23) uses a 1/8 inch orifice.

Unit 1 has a 0.03 inch orifice

(about 1/4 the size of the Unit 2 orifice).

The system engineer formally

requested that an engineering evaluation be performed to verify proper

orifice size.

AFW system differences were not identified when the Unit 1

strainer, installed initially via a 1981 modification, was removed.

The repairs to No. 13 AFW pump were completed and the pump was

satisfactorily retested on September 27, 1990, including pump response

time testing.

Slight adjustments were also made to the turbine governor.

The TSAS was properly exited on September 27, 1990, at 12:57 p.m.

Licensee corrective actions included implementing continued monitoring of

the steam supply line temperatures to ensure proper condensate drainage.

The inspector concluded that there was a similar previous event which may

not have been properly evaluated and investigated to the extent that

proper disposition may have precluded subsequent events from occurring.

The inspector also concluded that the failure to declare the No. 13 AFW

pump inoperable on September 24, 1990, was an error in licensed operator

judgement.

Specifically, although the surveillance procedure was

satisfactorily completed, additional information was available which

showed that pump performance and reliability were in question.

The

licensee agreed with this assessment and stated that Operations shift

supervisors will be briefed on management's expectations relative to

operability determinations.

The inspector had no further questions at

this time.

E.

Inadvertent Main Steam Isolation Valve Closure During Surveillance Test

On August 19, 1990, during solid state protection system (SSPS) testing,

one of four main steam isolation valves (MSIVs) closed unexpectedly.

The

unit was critical at about 2% power.

The test is intended to close the

associated MSIV bypass valve and main steam drain line valve for that

loop, but should bypass the closure signal to the individual MSIVs.

Followup licensee review determined that due to a procedure deficiency

and inadequate communication the test equipment (voltage meter) was not

disconnected by the technician when the test switch was placed to the

"operate" position.

With the voltage meter still connected to the test

contacts, a low resistance path was provided, resulting in energization

of the relay that actuates the associated MSIV.

Inadequate

communications contributed to this event in that the operator did

not inform the technician prior to operating the test switch.

Normally,

the operator informs the technician prior to operating the test switch,

and the technician disconnects the voltage meter before the operator

proceeds with the test.

The licensee made the necessary procedure

enhancements to ensure that the meter is disconnected prior to actuating

the test circuit.

All remaining SSPS and MSIV isolation testing was

22

subsequently. performed satisfactorily.

This ESF actuation was reported

to the NRC in accordance with 10CFR50.72 reporting requirements.

The

inspector had no further questions.

F.

Surveillance Frequency Noncompliance Due to Personnel Error

On September 24, 1990, the licensee identified that they did not comply

with Technical Specification (TS) surveillance requirement 4.3.1.1.

Specifically, TS Table 4.3-1 requires that a channel functional test be

performed monthly for the safety injection input from the solid state

protection system (SSPS), howevBr, the licensee found that they have

historically performed that test once every 62 days on a staggered test

basis.

This discrepancy was identified during a TS verification audit,

being performed to ensure all TS surveillance requirements are met.

The licensee determined that the root cause of this event was personnel

error.

The licensee also determined that the staggered test basis

frequency for the above surveillance requirement is consistent with the

current Westinghouse Standard TSs.

Therefore, a TS change request has

been initiated.

Upon discovery of this event, the appropriate Unit 1 and 2 SSPS channels

were tested satisfactorily.

Therefore, the affected channels would have

properly performed their intended functions.

The surveillance procedure

frequency requirements were corrected to comply with the current 31 day

specification.

The inspector concluded that the appropriate corrective

action was completed by the licensee.

The licensee identified violation

of Technical Specifications is not being cited because the criteria of

Section V.G

of the Enforcement Policy were satisfied (NON

50-272/90-22-03).

G.

Reactor Trip Breaker Test Failures

On September 24, 1990, and October 1, 1990, the licensee informed the NRC

that the Unit 2 undervoltage trip atta~hment (UVTA) for reactor trip

breakers (RTBs)

118

11 and

11A

11 , respectively, failed the trip bar lift force

measurement test.

The failures were identified during the performance of

the semiannual RTB maintenance activity, which includes response time

testing, trip bar lift force measurements, and UVTA output force

measurements.

The trip bar lift force measurement test determines the excess margin

that the RTB overcomes to trip the breaker by adding weight to the trip

bar.

Following the failure of the

118

11 RTB on September 24, 1990, as

found conditions were determined.

The breaker tripped with 240 grams

added.

The acceptance criterion is greater than or equal to 460 grams.

Preventive maintenance activities were then completed in accordance with

procedure M3Q-2, however, post-maintenance testing also failed to meet

the 460 gram requirement.

The UVTA was subsequently replaced, and was

satisfactorily retested (700 grams) .

H.

23

When the

11A

11 RTB failed its 460 gram UVTA trip bar lift force measurement

test on October l, 1990, the licensee decided to replace the UVTA.

No

additional as-found testing was performed, and the post-repair testing

was successfully completed (640 grams).

The licensee attributed the

failure to obtain as-found data to be the result of ineffective

communication between Technical Department and Maintenance Department

personnel.

As documented in previous NRC inspectioh reports, the licensee had

identified an apparent marginal lot of UVTAs received at Salem.

Both of

the above mentioned installed UVTAs were from that lot.

The previous NRC

inspections had concluded that considerable margin remained to trip the

breakers based upon as-found testing results of at least 380 grams.

However, the as-found margin for the

11 B

11 RTB was only 240 grams and that

for the

11A

11 RTB was not determined ..

The existing Unit 1 and 2 Technical Specifications (Table 3.3-1) require

that the licensee immediately report to the NRC and prior to any repair

or maintenance any failure to meet the RTB or bypass RTB trip force

requirement.

The licensee recently received a Technical Specification

amendment (not yet implemented), which relaxed the Salem specific*

conservative reporting requirement to a 300 gram threshold for the trip

bar lift force measurement.

The licensee stated that procedures will be

changed to require as-found testing following initial test failure.

The inspector will continue to monitor licensee efforts in this area with

regard to potential UVTA problems.

Inservice Testing (IST) Program

(Open) Unresolved Item 50-272/89-11-06, failure to properly mark the

auxiliary feedwater (AFW) pumps for inservice testing (IST) vibration

probe placement.

The scope of this unresolved item will be expanded to

include all pumps in the !ST Program.

In response to previous NRC findings (Inspection Report No.

50-272/90-03), the licensee stated that by March 31, 1990, one-inch paint

marks would be provided to identify specific pump and motor vibration

measurement points.

In a memorandum dated May 8, 1990, Engineering

stated that they completed the program to mark the pumps for vibration

readings.

During this inspection period, the inspector visually checked

several of the pumps and found specific vibration markings missing.

The

inspector brought this to the attention of the responsible !ST program

engineer who stated that he had recently completed a check of the pumps

and was aware of the problem.

He also stated that the pumps had all been

marked, however since that time, maintenance work on charging and safety

injection pumps had removed selected markings.

The inspector concluded

that the initial actions taken were satisfactory.

However,

administrative controls to maintain the markings have been ineffective.

As a corrective action, procedure No. SP(O) 4.0.5-P-GEN,

11 Inservice

Testing Guidelines,

11 will be changed to instruct the operator p*erforming

the test to notify the appropriate personnel if any of the vibration

measurement markings are missing.

The operator is not to continue the

test until the markings have been reapplied. *

As a future action for the vibration readings, the licensee plans to

permanently.attach bayonet mounts to the pumps for the vibration probes,

however, they are currently investigating whether these mounts will

constitute a design/configuration change to the components.

This item

will remain open pending completion of the program to mark the IST pumps

for the vibration probe readings.

4.3.2

Hope Creek

A.

Technical Specification (TS) 4.0.5

8.

On August 13, 1990, the licensee identified that the

118

11 service water

system spr~y wash pump had not. been iest~d for a re-baseline after

maintenance was performed in July 1990.

This condition constituted a

violation of Technical Specification (TS) 4.0.5 and ASME Section XI

criteria.

The licensee identified violation is not being cited because

the criteria specified in Section V.G. *of the Enforcement Policy were

satisfied (NON 50-354/90-16-02).

The root cause of the violation was identified as inadequate review of a

completed work order on July 6, 1990, by *a nuclear shift supervisor

(NSS).

The work order included maintenance activities for an oil flinger

ring adjustment and replacement of a new mechanical seal.

The NSS

thought that only the flinger ring was worked, and he deleted the retest

requirements as the ASME Code requires retesting if pump disassembly was

required, and the flinger ring adjustment could be made without

disassembly of the pump.

A retest performed on August 13, 1990, was

satisfactory as there were no significant deviations from the previous

baseline data.

The inspector reviewed the licensee event report (LER 90-13), the

incident report and the work order.

The inspector concluded that

was factual, and that licensee corrective actions were adequate.

inspector had no further questions at this time.

the LER

The

Reactor Core Isolation Cooling (RCIC) System Isolation During Testing

On August 21, 1990, the licensee reported than an emergency safety

feature (ESF) actuation signal had been received which shut the RCIC

system inboard steam isolation valve.

After determining the cause of the

isolation, the isolation logic was reset and the valve was reopened,

returning RCIC to its normal standby lineup.

The isolation was caused by

personnel error by Maintenance technicians performing a surveillance test

on the steam leak detection system circuitry associated with the RCIC

isolation valve.

The technicians failed to place a keylocked switch in

25

11 bypass 11 as required by the test procedure (IC-FT.SK-001, step -S;l.2).

Failure to follow the surveillance procedure is a licensee identified

violation and is not being cited because the criteria specified in

Section V.G of the Enforcement Policy were satisfied (NON

50-354/90-16~01).

The licensee 1s investigation determined this was an isolated event, and

the technicians involved were counseled with regard to job performance

expectations and the use of helpers during surveillance testing.

This

event was documented in Licensee Event Report (LER)90-015.

The

inspector reviewed the event, the LER, and discussed the event with

licensee personnel.

The licensee

1 s corrective actions appear to

adequately address the root cause of this event.

The inspector had no

further questions at this time.

4.3.3

Common Troubleshooting Activities

A.

The inspector reviewed administrative guidance and procedural controls

for troubleshooting activities at Salem and Hope Creek including:

Common

Salem

NA.AP.ZZ-13,

11 Control of Temporary Modifications

11

NA.AP.ZZ-9,

11Work Control Program 11

OD-15,

11 Use of Operations Department Procedures 11

MllE,

11Mechanical Equipment Troubleshooting and Repair

11

IC-GP.ZZ-006,

11Controls Equipment - Troubleshooting 11

Hope Creek

MD-GP.ZZ-008,

11 Equipment Troubleshooting

11

IC-GP.ZZ-008,

11Maintenance Troubleshooting 11

Based on this review, the recent Salem Unit 1 reactor trip on September

10, 1990, as discussed in section 2.2.l.C, and the findings from the

Salem and Hope Creek Maintenance Team Inspections (Report Nos. 50-272 and

311/90-200 and 50-354/90-80), the inspector concluded that there was

adequate programmatic guidance for troubleshooting and adequate

implementing procedures for maintenance personnel.

However, there were

no implementing procedures for Operations Department troubleshooting

activities.

The inspector discussed this item with licensee management

personnel and they concurred that this is a potential programmatic

weakness.

The inspector will review licensee efforts in this area during

future inspections.

26

5.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

5.1

Inspection Activity

The inspector reviewed PSE&G's conformance with 10CFR50.47 regarding

implementation of the emergency plan and procedures.

In addition,

licensee event notifications and reporting requirements per 10CFR50.72

and 10CFR50.73 were reviewed.

5.2

Inspection Findings

No noteworthy findings were identified.

6.

SECURITY

6.1

Inspection-Activity

PSE&G's conformance with the security program was verified on a periodic

basis, including the adequacy of staffing, entry control, alarm stations,

and physical boundaries.

These inspection activities were conducted in

accordance with NRC inspection procedu~e 71707.

6.2

Inspection Findings

No noteworthy findings were identified.

7.

ENGINEERING/TECHNICAL SUPPORT

7.1

TMI Action Plan (TAP) Item Review

A.

Salem Reactor Vessel Head Vents (TAP Item II.B.1.2 and 3)

B .

The licensee completed modifications on both Salem units to add reactor

vessel head vents.

The design was approved in 1983.

The NRC inspected

the installation in NRC Inspections 50-272/84-08, 85-15, 86-01 and

311/84-08, 85-17, 85-20, 86-01.

The item remained open pending inspector

walkdown of the system, review of operating and emergency procedures, and

verification of Technical Specifications (TSs).

The inspector performed a walkdown of accessible portions of the system,

including control room switches and indicators.

The inspector

interviewed selected licensed operators to verify their knowledge, and

reviewed system operating and emergency operating procedures to verify

that the head vent valves were included.

The inspector also verified

that TS 3/4.4.12 addresses head vent valve operability, action statements

and surveillance requirements.

No unacceptable conditions were noted and

TAP Item II.8.1.2 and 3 are closed for Salem Units 1 and 2.

Hope Creek Control Room Habitability (TAP Item III.D.3.4.2)

Hope Creek Control Room Habitability (TAP Item III.0.3.4) Section

II.0.3.4 of NUREG-0737, "Clarification of TM! Action Plan Requirements,"

27

required the licensee to assure that control room operators would be

adequately protected against the effects of accidental release of toxic

and radioactive gases.

The item also required that the plant could be

safely operated and shutdown under design basis accident conditions.

The

licensee's submittals to the NRC in support of an application for an

operating license detailed the means by which the licensee proposed to

meet these requirements.

The NRC staff determined that the licensee had

demonstrated that the control room habitability systems would adequately

protect the operators and found the licensee in compliance with

NUREG-0737, TAP Item III.0.3.4 (see NUREG-1048, "Safety Evaluation Report

(SER) related to the operating of Hope Creek Generating Station", October

1984, Attachment 6.4).

A number of issues were not explicitly discussed in the SER.

However,

data was required by NUREG-0737 and the licensee included discussion of

and actions taken to address these in section 6.4 of the Updated Final

Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR).

These issues were reviewed by the

inspector as follows:

The licensee committed to having a minimum of a five day supply of

food and water for five persons available within the control room

envelope (as defined in Figure 6.4-1 of the UFSAR).

A locked

freezer is located in a dedicated storage area.

The freezer's

contents were noted to be in excess of the 75 meals (three meals/day

per person) required.

Additionally, a supply of fresh water is

provided (located in the same space as the freezer) from tank

00-T-411 which contains greater than 1000 gallons.

A check valve is

installed in the tank fill line to prevent draining the tank should

normal system pressure be lost.

The tank can be isolated from

exterior water sources and be pressurized by a small air compressor.

The freezer is completely restocked annually.

The inspector noted,

however, there was no formal program to assure an annual replacement

or to periodically verify the edibility of the frozen food.

Operations management immediately issued an order to obtain

replacement food annually.

A first aid kit for minor injuries is located in a second cabinet

across from the operator's ready room.

An additional first aid kit

and assorted bandages is located in the senior nuclear shift

supervisor's (SNSS) office.

The site also has a full-time emergency

medical team (EMT) for more significant injuries.

Potassium iodide

(KI) tablets are contained in the same cabinet as the first aid kit.

The cabinet's contents are inventoried quarterly and the KI tablets

are replaced if found to be within three months of their shelf life

expiration date.

The SNSS is authorized to obtain and issue the KI

tablets as provided in the Artificial Island Emergency Plan.

KI

tablets are also available at a variety of locations, including the

main radiological control point located just across the corridor

from the control room envelope.

28

At least eight sets of emergency breathing equipment are lncated in

the hallway next to the instructional viewing area (based on a

minimum of one extra set for every three sets needed to meet the

minimum capacity).

The equipment is inspected monthly for material

condition and functionality.

Because there are no toxic chemicals either stored on site or

located within five miles of the site, the licensee determined that

the requirements of Regulatory Guides 1.78 and 1.95 were not

applicable to Hope Creek.

While the control room outside air

intakes were located to minimize the possibility of various gases

entering the control room, exhaust gases from the emergency diesel

generators (EOG) could enter the control room via the air intakes

under certain circumstances.

The licensee's analysis of this issue

indicated a calculated maximum concentration of 1.6 ppm, well below

the limiting threshold value of 3.0 ppm (UFSAR Sections 6.4.4.2 and

6.4.7.1).

Consequently, operation of the EDGs would not compromise

control room habitability.

The inspector discussed with a number of

operations personnel whether they noted diesel fumes when the EDGs

were running.

Several indicated that they had on occasion, but also

indicated the fumes had created no problems.

The fumes were far

more noticeable in the corridor outside the control room envelope .

Because no chlorine is stored onsite or within five miles of the

site boundary, the requirement to have a chlorine detection system

is not applicable to Hope Creek.

The analysis also included a

review of Delaware River traffic.

Hope Creek's Technical Specifications (TSs) included the requirement

that the control room emergency filtration system (CREF) be able to

pressurize the control room envelope to at least 1/8 inch wat~r

gauge, and would isolate by test signals with damper closure within

five seconds (TS 3/4.7.2).

Surveillance tests are in place to

verify system operability.

Based on this review, TAP Item III.D.3.4.2 is closed for Hope Creek.

7.2

Salem

A.

System Engineer Qualification and Performance

The Integrated Performance Assessment Team (!PAT) noted weaknesses in the

performance of Salem system engineers, specifically in the areas of: (1)

system knowledge, (2) lack of field presence, (3) lack of a questioning

attitude, and (4) lack of attention to detail.

These weaknesses were

categorized based on several examples of system engineer performance

noted by the !PAT.

To assess the apparent weaknesses in system engineer knowledge and

performance, the inspector reviewed the formal training and qualification

29

process for the engineers and interviewed and observed system engineers.

Specifically, the inspector reviewed training department procedure

TQ-TP.ZZ-909(Z),

11System Engineer Training,

11 which outlines the formal

classroom training and the qualification process for system engineers.

The program is designed to train degreed engineers to near the level of

senior reactor operators through a six month classroom and simulator

training effort.

The inspector reviewed the content of the training

program and found it to be comprehensive and reasonably challenging.

Frequent testing of the students in the program was required and

remedi~tion of individuals who failed portions of the program was

provided.

The process includes formal classroom and on-the-job training,

demonstrated working skills, and an oral board.

Discussions between the inspector and several of the system engineers

found the individuals to be knowledgeable of system/equipment design and

of system status.

No noteworthy performance-related issues were

identified with the engineers, although only a limited number of

activities were observed.

The inspector concluded that the system engineers received adequate

formal training to carry out their job responsibilities.

However,

performance problems may exist which the IPAT identified, but were not

evident to the inspector.

No examples of such problems were noted during

this inspection.

Evidence of management commitment to improved

performance was apparent.

The resident inspectors will continue to assess personnel performance in

the future as part of the normal inspection program and licensee event

reporting process, and will evaluate recurrent examples of poor

performance which affect plant safety.

No further review of this issue

is warranted at the present time.

Based upon the review condu~ted by the

inspectors, no significant deficiencies were identified in the training

program or qualification process for system engineers.

8.

Salem Safety Equipment Room Coolers

At 2:00 p.m. on September~. 1990, the licensee discovered a through-wall

leak in the service water system piping to the No. 12 charging pump room

cooler.

The piping failure consisted of an approximately 2 inch long

split in the pipe.

The unit entered a 72 hour8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br /> Technical Specification

Action Statement (TSAS).

The licensee stated that the charging pump

operability could be restored prior to replacement of the failed piping

because the room cooler is not considered to be required for charging

pump operability.

The licensee isolated the leak and declared the No. 12

charging pump operable before the 72 hour8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br /> TSAS expired.

The inspector questioned the basis for the licensee's conclusion that the

room cooler was not needed for pump operability.

The licensee uses a TS

interpretation per Operations Procedure No. OD-12.

This procedure states

that the room coolers may be out of service for seven or 31 days

30

(depending on service water availability) without declaring the

respective pump(s) inoperable.

The 00-12 interpretation was based on an

engineering evaluation (SGS/M-F0-29) dated October 9, 1979.

The inspector reviewed FSAR Section 9.4.2 which states that these room

coolers, in conjunction with the auxiliary building air flows, limit

equipment area temperatures below the environmental qualification

requirements.

The referenced engineering evaluation was also reviewed by

the inspector, however, a sufficient basis for the interpretation was not

identified.

The inspector concluded that the basis for the 00~12 interpretation was

lacking sufficient detail.

The licensee concurred and stated that their

long term program to upgrade, revise and formally approve these

interpretations (Unresolved Item 50-272/89-27-03) is currently in

progress with all but four items completed.

The room cooler TS

interpretation is currently under final engineering review and is

scheduled for completion by early November 1990.

Until this room cooler evaluation is complete, the licensee stated that

they would not take room coolers out of service for scheduled

maintenance.

The inspector will continue to follow this area and this

item remains unresolved.

C.

Open Item Followup

1.

(Closed) Violation 50-272/89-11-03: Failure to complete an

10CFR50.59 safety evaluation to address the seismic impact

reactivity computer on adjacent safety related equipment.

reviewed the licensee's response and discussed the concern

reactor engineer.

adequate

of a portable

The inspector

with the

The reactivity computer racks have been removed from the Salem Unit 1 and

2 control rooms and will only be temporarily reinstalled for short time

durations (four days on the average) and controlled by procedures.

As

part of the control room redesign modification, the Unit 1 reactivity

computer will be permanently installed, wired and operable, prior to the

end of the next unit refueling outage.

The Unit 2 reactivity computer is

currently installed permanently in the control room, however, it is not

wired and operable.

This work will be completed prior to the end of the

next unit refueling outage.

This item is closed.

2.

(Closed) Unresolved Item 50-272/89-11-10: Orifices installed backwards in

the centrifugal charging pump injection lines.

Licensee investigation of

the event determined that the orifice configuration resulted in lower

indicated flow rates in the control room.

The root cause was determined

to be personnel error.

Through engineering calculations and discussions

with the pump manufacturer, the licensee determined the following:

31

The short period of operation during the test did not cause pump

damage, as verified by the pump manufacturer;

There was sufficient suction pressure available for all modes of

pump operation;

The*pump motors were sized to accommodate the increased flow rate;

and,

The increased load would not exceed the allowable 2000 hour0.0231 days <br />0.556 hours <br />0.00331 weeks <br />7.61e-4 months <br />

continuous load rating of the emergency diesel generators.

The licensee concluded that the systems and components affected by the

reversed orifice plates would have performed their safety function if

required.

This event was detailed in Licensee Event Report No.89-020.

Corrective actions to prevent recurrence included the development of

Procedure No. MllY,

11 Flow Orifice Plate Removal and Installation,

11 which

includes areas for clear documentation of the maintenance work.

Also,

specific orifice installation/removal training for maintenance personnel

was conducted.

The inspector reviewed the licensee's event investigation

findings and the subsequent corrective actions and found them to

adequately address the concerns of this issue.

This item is closed .

7.3

Hope Creek

A.

Ultimate Heat Sink Design Deficiency

During an engineering evaluation of minimum station service water pump

performance, the licensee determined that the Technical Specification

(TS) limit of 90.5 degrees F was non-conservative.

This 90.5 degrees F

limit was established taking credit for station design margins in service

water pump flow rates and heat exchanger heat removal capability.

Normal

expected degradation of station service water pump performance would

result in potentially inadequate heat removal capabilities with river

temperatures greater than 85 degrees F.

Administrative limits and a TS

interpretation were established to define a maximum allowable service

water temperature of 85 degrees F.

The licensee made an ENS call to

report this to the NRC on August 17, 1990 at 8:45 a.m.

The inspector was also briefed by the licensee regarding this finding.

The inspector monitored the ENS call and verified licensee corrective

actions.

At the time of the report, river temperature was 79 degrees F.

The inspector also discussed this item with licensee engineering,

operations and management personnel.

The inspector reviewed LER 90-14,

dated September 14, 1990, regarding this event.

The licensee concluded

that river temperature was greater than 85 degrees F for a six hour

period on August 5, 1988, when it reached 86.8 degrees F.

A failure of one of the redundant loops of service water and safety

auxiliaries cooling systems combined with river temperature greater than

8.

8.1

A.

32

85 degrees F would result in being outside the design basis for a

offsite power and LOCA.

The licensee further concluded that this

condition would have been minimized because the plant would be in

hour TS Action Statement with these water systems out of service.

inspector had no further questions at this time.

SAFETY ASSESSMENT/QUALITY VERIFICATION

Waivers of Compliance

Hope Creek Emergency Diesel Generators (EDGs) Fuel Oil

loss of

a 12

The

On August 22, 1990, the Hope Creek chemistry department received test

results from a vendor indicating that a diesel fuel oil shipment

delivered on August 15, 1990, did not meet Technical Specification (TS)

test criteria.

PSE&G immediately sampled the fuel oil storage tank to

which the oil had been delivered and shipped the sample to the vendor for

testing to ensure that the tank 1s entire contents still met the required

criteria.

These test results were received on August 23, 1990, and the

results indicated that the fuel oil impurity level, as measured by

ASTM-02274-70, were within TS limits.

In discussing the test results

with the vendor, however, PSE&G learned that the vendor was, in fact, not

testing the fuel oil impurity level in accordance with ASTM-02274-70, as

required by the Hope Creek TSs.

PSE&G subsequently discovered that the

vendor had never performed the test per the specified standard and did

not possess the equipment to do so.

The licensee concluded that TS 4.8.1.1.2.f .2 had not been performed for any of the fuel oil that was in

storage and that the operability of all four EDGs was in question.

Consequently, the 24 hour2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> provision of TS 4.0.3 was placed into effect at

2:40 p.m. on August 23, 1990, when the missed surveillances were

discovered.

This action was subsequently reported in LER 90-16.

In order to maintain the EDGs in an operable status, TS 4.8.1.1.2.f.2 had

to be performed for all diesel fuel oil in storage.

The time required

for PSE&G to find new vendors capable of performing the required test and

for the test to be carried out was going to exceed the 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> allowed

by TS 4.0.3, so on August 24, 1990, PSE&G requested a NRC Regional Waiver

of Compliance allowing a 48 hour5.555556e-4 days <br />0.0133 hours <br />7.936508e-5 weeks <br />1.8264e-5 months <br /> extension of the TS.

Based on other

valid, satisfactory tests of the fuel oil, the NRC granted the 48 hour5.555556e-4 days <br />0.0133 hours <br />7.936508e-5 weeks <br />1.8264e-5 months <br />

extension to allow for completion of the diesel fuel oil testing.

All

diesel fuel oil was tested and found to be within TS limits on or by

August 25, 1990, with all EDGs subsequently deemed operable, and the TS

Action Statement was exited on the same day.

In response to the fuel oil incident, Hope Creek Station Quality

Assurance (QA) conducted a special investigation to determine the cause

of the fuel oil surveillance deficiencies and to review the

qualifications of the vendor who had been performing the fuel oil

analyses.

The investigation was concluded by the end of the inspection

period, and the inspector reviewed the report the investigation team had

B.

33

submitted to the Hope Creek General Manager.

The inspector found the

report to be open and complete.

The report thoroughly assessed the

performance of the vendor, Hope Creek Chemistry Department, PSE&G

Procurement QA, the PSE&G Research Lab, PSE&G.Purchasing Department and

the Hope Creek Station QA organization.

The investigation team concluded

that the responsibility to ensure compliance with the necessary Technical

Specification was not properly understood and that there was an apparent

lack of ownership on both PSE&G's and the vendor's part to ensure that

the contract requirements were adhered to.

Immediate corrective actions

taken by PSE&G included the suspension of the use of the original vendor

and the qualification of two new vendors to perform the diesel fuel oil

surveillances.

Longer term recommendations included the development of a

formal Nuclear Department diesel fuel oil program and a review of the

adequacy and currency of the TS 4.8.1.1.2.f .2 requirements.

The

inspector determined the corrective actions taken to be adequate and will

follow up on the recommendations in a future inspection report.

Hope Creek Safety Auxiliary Cooling System (SACS)

On September 26, 1990, condensation was observed on the surface of the

"A" SACS pump casing.

A one inch linear indication was found on the

pump's lower casing.

The pump, an ASME Class 3 component, was isolated

and tagged out of service for repairs.

The NRC was informed at 10:25

a.m.

The unit was placed in a 72 hour8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br /> Technical Specification Action

Statement (TSAS 3.7.1.1), which would expire at 9:11 a.m. on September

29, 1990.

On September 27, 1990, after the "A" SACS pump had been

disassembled and the inside of the pump casing examined, the licensee

determined that replacing the pump casing would be more prudent than

attempting a weld repair.

A spare casing had already been staged in

close proximity to the "A" SACS pump.

By September 28, 1990, the pump

casing had been replaced and pump reassembly nearly completed, leaving

the final pump/motor alignment and baseline pump performance testing to

be accomplished.

Any delay encountered could have extended beyond the allowed 72 hour8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br /> TSAS

time period.

The licensee, therefore, requested from the NRC a Waiver of

Compliance from TS 3.7.1.1 for a 24 hour2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> period to provide sufficient

time margin for the alignment uncertainties.

The licensee submitted the

request on September 28, 1990, and telephone discussion was held among

licensee, NRC Region I and NRC NRR personnel.

The justification for the

Waiver was not thoroughly documented and the licensee submitted a

followup letter on September 29, 1990.

This second submittal addressed

these NRC concerns.

The NRC granted a Waiver of Compliance to expire at

9:11 a.m. September 30, 1990, subject to a number of conditions,

including establishing roving firewatches in areas containing "B" SACS

loop equipment, and conducting extensive shift turnover briefings

covering the realignment of emergency diesel generator and

filtration/ventilation cooling water in case of a loss of SACS.

Additionally, the Waiver would terminate immediately upon it being

- "

,,

34

determined that any redundant emergency core cooling equipment was

inoperable.

The unit exited the TSAS and associated Waive~ at 3:55 p.m. on September

29, 1990, when the

11A

11 SACS pump was restored to an operable status.

The

inspector reviewed the licensee 1s actions relative to the conditions of

the Waiver and found them to be adequate.

Shift personnel were cognizant

of the additional actions imposed by the Waiver and they exhibited a good

safety perspective.

C.

Salem Number 22 Containment Fan Coil Unit (CFCU)

The licensee requested an NRC Regional Waiver of Compliance in a letter

dated September 17, 1990.

The No. 22 CFCU motor had failed on low speed

at 1:40 p.m. on September 11, 1990.

This placed Unit 2 in a seven day

Technical Specification Action Statement (TSAS) because the low speed

function mitigates the post-accident containment pressure rise.

The

licensee requested a waiver.

The .failure mechanism had been well under-

stood by the licensee and corrective actions to replace all of these

motors were underway.

The waiver was requested to prevent a shutdown of

the unit because replacement of the motor inside containment would exceed the

7-day TSAS.

NRC Region I granted a wafver to extend the TSAS for an

additional six days until September 24, 1990.

This was justified because

redundant equipment was available to mitigate an accident during this

period.

The inspector reviewed the submittal, the work in progress, and the TSAS,

and discussed this ~tern with licensee maintenance and management

personnel.

The inspector *verified that the _specific provisions of the

Waiver of Compliance were adequately followed.

The 22 CFCU motor was

replaced, repaired,. tested and declared operable.

The TSAS was exited on

September 20, 1990.

8.2 Salem

A.

Reactor Protection System (RPS) Setpoint Changes and License Change

Request

On September 4, 1990, PSE&G submitted a request, License Change Request

(LCR) 89-05, for an amendment of Facility Operating Licenses DPR-70 and

DPR-75 for Salem Unit 1 and Unit 2, respectively.

The proposed amendment

would modify Technical Specification Section 2.2, Table 2-2.1 and Section

3/4.3.2, Table 3.3-4, and incotporate new trip setpoints for steam

generator water level low-low and steam line pressure low.

The steam

generator water level low-low setpoint would be raised from 8.5% to 16%,

and the steam line pressure low setpoint would be raised from 500 psig to

600 psig.

The new, more conservative setpoints were derived as a result of a review

of all RPS instrument loops by Westinghouse.

This review was initiated

by PSE&G to ensure existing setpoints were conservative in order to

satisfy an NRC concern stemming from PSE&G

1s 1986 request to allow the

removal of the Salem reactor coolant system resistance temperature

.,

B.

35

detector bypass manifolds.

When the setpoints were reviewed with the

latest Westinghouse setpoint methodology, the only two setpoints shown to

be non-conservative were the steam generator water level low-low and

steam line pressure low setpoints.

The results from Westinghouse were

received by PSE&G in May 1989, and the setpoint changes were necessitated

by uncertainties that had been added by replacement transmitters and the

one hour harsh environment criteria which had been imposed by NUREG 0588.

While plans were being developed to implement the new setpoints, PSE&G

completed an engineering evaluation in May 1989, to justify operation

with the old setpoints.

The inspector reviewed the evaluation for both

setpoints and determined both were adequate and complete in their

analysis and justification of the existing values.

The licensee

subsequently prepared Design Change Packages (DCP lSC-2241 and 2SC-2241)

for implementing the new setpoints, which was accomplished in November

1989.

The inspector also reviewed the DCPs, found them satisfactory, and

determined that a license change was not required to change the setpoints

to the higher, more conservative valves since the Salem Technical

Specifications only required that the setpoints be

11 greater than or equal

to

11 8.5% and 500 psig, respectively.

Licensee management explained to

the inspector that the LCR was not submitted until this past September

due to the LCR essentially being an administrative task and other Salem

projects having a higher safety significant priority.

The inspector

noted that LCR 89-05 was complete and accurate, and had no further

questions concerning the RPS setpoint changes.

Station Qualified Reviewer

(Closed) Unresolved Item (50-272 and 311/90-81-16),

Station Qualified

Reviewer (SQR) independence for procedure change reviews was not

maintained as specified in Technical Specification (TS) 6.5.3.2.a.

The inspector reviewed and discussed the IPAT findings and the applicable

station procedures with PSE&G to determine if the second review for

procedure changes was independent. This review determined that an

independent SQR technical review had not been maintained in all

instances.

For example, a January 9, 1990, change to procedure

SP(0)4.0.5-P-RH-12,

11 Inservice Testing -

RHR,

11 did not receive an

independent review.

The failure to perform independent reviews is

considered to be another example of a violation of TS Section 6.5.3.2.a,

and of 10CFR50.59 as discussed in section 4.3.1.A of this report (VIO

50-272 and 50-311/90-22-02).

Discussions with the licensee indicated that their review confirmed that

an independent SQR technical review had not been maintained for certain

reviews. After the IPAT inspection, PSE&G issued additional guidance to

station personnel to re-emphasize the importance of assuring that an

independent SQR technical review was performed as required by TSs .

..

36

On November 1, 1990, PSE&G is scheduled to begin implementation of

station procedures that will apply to both facilities.

AP-32,

11 Implementing Procedures Program,

11 will be replaced with a new procedure

NC.NA-AP-ZZ-32 (NA-AP-32),

11 Preparation, Review and Approval of

Procedures.

The inspector reviewed the current guidance for station

personnel and the new procedure NA-AP-32 to ensure that PSE&G adequately

addressed the concern.

As an interim measure until the new procedure is

issued, a memorandum was issued to station personnel which described the

methodology to be used to ensure that an independent technical review is

maintained.

Based on the above corrective action, the inspector

considered the unresolved item and the violation closed.

C.

Misapplication of 10CFR50.59

(Open) Unresolved Item 50-272 and 311/90-81-23:

The NRC identified

examples of misapplication of 10CFR50.59 requirements.

For example, a

10CFR50.59 safety evaluation was used to justify the installation of a

non-code repair.

In another case, a required 10CFR50.59 safety

evaluation was not performed when an eroded containment fan coil unit was

repaired through the use of Belzona

11 R

11 metal.

Additionally, station

management displayed an unfamiliarity with 10CFR50.59 requirements, and

Administrative Procedure AP-32,

11 Implenienting Procedures Program, 11

contained erroneous information with respect to 10CFR50.59.

To assess the licensee 10CFR50.59 safety evaluation process, a review of

the applicable procedures was performed.

Presently, Salem Generating

Station Administrative Procedure (AP) 32, Revision 4,

11 Implementing

Procedure Program

111 and DE-AP-ZZ-008,

11 10CFR50.59 Reviews and Safety

Evaluations

11 are the two procedures that govern procedure changes.

AP-32

has been revised since the IPAT inspection and now refers to DE-AP-ZZ-008

for guidance on performing safety evaluations.

By November 1, 1990,

AP-32 will undergo a major revision.

That revised procedure (No.

NA-AP-ZZ-32), along with

NC.NA-AP-ZZ-0059 (NA-AP-59)

11 10CFR50.59 Reviews

and Safety Evaluations,

11 will govern the process associated with

implementing procedures and 10CFR50.59, safety evaluations, replacing

AP-32 and DE-AP-ZZ-008.

One of the significant changes in the PSE&G program has been to eliminate

the use of the Significant Safety Issue screening processing.

A

10CFR50.59 applicability screening process will be used. This approach

will involve answering the following three questions:

Does this make changes to the facility as described in the Safety

Analysis Report (SAR)?

Does this make changes to procedures as described in the SAR?

Does this result in the conduct of tests or experiments not

described in the SAR?

37

If the screening process, which includes a second independent reviewer,

concludes that all three questions can be answered no, the facility or

procedure change may be issued for use.

If any of the answers to the

three questions is yes, a safety evaluation a~ curr~ntly defined in

DE-AP-ZZ-008 must be performed.

Although this process conforms with

10CFR50.59 as noted below, the inspector questioned the licensee's

philosophy of answering the above three questions.

All completed safety

evaluations are required to be reviewed by the Station Operations Review

Committee (SORC) prior to issuance of the procedure.

With respect to plant modifications, the same logic as described above is

applied, however, all modification packages, regardless of its 10CFR50.59

applicability, must go to SORC prior to implementation.

Specific to

temporary modifications (T-MODs), the same screening process is also

applied, along with a second independent review.

The inspector reviewed and discussed the !PAT findings and applicable

station procedures with the licensee to determine if misapplication of

10CFR50.59 requirements occurred.

For the 10CFR50.59 safety evaluation

used to justify the installation of a non-code repair and in another

case, for an eroded containment fan coil unit repaired through the use of

Belzona

11 R

11 metal, the inspector determined that a misapplication of the

safety evaluation process had occurred. The failure to perform a proper

safety evaluation is a violation of lOCFR part 50.59 requirements and

another example of a previous violation (Section 4.3.1.A) (VIO 50-272 and

50-311/90-22-02).

On June 15, 1990, the NRC issued Generic Letter 90-05 that addressed

non-code repairs.

Based on this guidance, the inspector determined that

the appropriate people in PSE&G understand the requirement of how to

perform non-code repairs.

Additionally, the inspector reviewed the

applicable station procedures that were in effect at the time of the !PAT

inspection.

The inspector determined that Attachment 6 of AP-32,

contained conflicting guidance with respect to 10CFR50.59 and

DE-AP-ZZ-008.

Subsequent to the IPAT inspection, AP-32 has been revised

by the removal of Attachment 6, the inspectors considered the .issue to be

resolved.

The inspector determined that the licensee's process to comply with

10CFR50.59 .is adequate.

However, for PSE&G to implement th~ process

correctly, all employees involved with safety evaluations must understand

how to interpret and answer the questions correctly.

The inspector reviewed and discussed the examples stated in IPAT with

PSE&G management and engineering personnel.

From these discussions, the

inspector found that the licensee approach and philosophy on how to answer

the screening question was not as conservative (i.e. too narrow in scope)

as it should be.

Thus, it allowed/and would allow certain activities to

occur at the facility without a safety evaluation and the associated SORC

review being performed.

The licensee allows the reviewer to answer the

questions in the negative if in his view the safety evaluation concludes

  • -

38

that no unreviewed safety question exists, whether or not a change to the

SAR was made.

The conceptual difference is being referred to regional

management for possible further discussions, if warranted.

This item

remains unresolved.

D.

Misapplication of Safety Significant Issue (SSI)

(Closed) Unresolved Item (50-272 and 311/90-81-17), Misapplication of

significant safety issues as specified in TS 6.5.1.6.a.

A review of the applicable procedures was performed.

Presently, Salem

Generation Station Administrative Procedures (AP) 32 and DE-AP.ZZ-008,

11 10CFR50.59 Reviews and Safety Evaluations,

11 are the two procedures that

govern procedure changes.

AP-32 has been revised since the IPAT

inspection.

Procedures NC.NA-AP-ZZ-0032 (NA-AP-32),

11 Preparation, Review

and Approval of Procedures,

11 and NC.NA-AP-ZZ-0059 (NA-AP-59)

11 10CFR50.59

Reviews and Safety Evaluations,

11 are to be implemented on November 1,

1990, and will govern the processes associated with implementing

procedures and 10 CFR 50.59 safety evaluations replacing AP-32 and

DE-AP-008.

One of the significant changes in the PSE&G program has been

to eliminate the use of the Safety Significant Issue screening process

and to substitute a 10CFR50.59 applicability screening process.

The inspector reviewed and discussed the !PAT findings with PSE&G to

determine if misapplication of the safety significant issue (SS!) process

occurred.

The inspector determined instinces where procedure changes

involving safety significant issues were implemented through the SQR

process instead of receiving SORC review and approval, as specified in TS 6.5.1.6.a.

For example, procedure OP-ST.SJ-0013(Q) was revised on May

20, 1990, to include additional acceptance criteria and no SS!

determination was made.

The failure to perform a SSI determination in

accordance with these Technical Specifications 6.5.1.6a is considered a

violation of 10 CFR part 50.59 requirements and another example of the

previous violation as discussed in section 4.3.1.A (50-272 and

50-311/90-22-02).

However, based on the review of the new program which eliminated the use

of SS! determination as a screening factor, the inspector considered the

issue resolved and closed.

E.

Personnel Errors and Communications

During the period several personnel errors occurred.

Poor communications

between departments and within departments was also noted on several

occasions.

Examples included failure to follow testing and

administrative procedures by Operations, poor judgement by Operations in

assessing equipment operability, and poor communications exhibited by

Maintenance during review of equipment testing abnormalities.

The

39

licensee adequately addressed each of these issues and their

effectiveness will be monitored in future inspections.

F.

Management Involvement

Salem management was noted as being aggressively involved in safe

operation of the facility as demonstrated by the recent initiation of a

Daily Management Summary Report.

This report is discussed daily at the

9:30 a.m. management meeting.

Items addressed in this report (and at the

meeting) included unit status and schedules, open issues, and selected

projects status.

This appears to be an effective mechanism to assure

management

1s continued involvement.

8.3

Hope Creek

A.

Personnel Errors

B.

Two personnel errors were identified by the licensee.

One was caused by

a maintenance technician during surveillance testing that resulted in an

isolation of the reactor core isolation cooling system.

The other was

caused by a senior reactor operator that resulted in a missed re-baseline

of a service water spray wash pump as required by ASME Section XI.

The

licensee was aggressive in identification of the errors, and in

corrective actions.

Management Involvement

Hope Creek management was noted as being aggressively involved in safe

operation of the facility as demonstrated by aggressive pursuit for the

causes of and the corrective actions for a higher than normal

unidentified drywell leak rate, and for a small fuel pin hole leak.

However, weaknesses were identified with the completeness of the

technical information and the related safety basis for the safety

auxiliary cooling system waiver of compliance.

9.

LICENSEE EVENT REPORTS (LERs), PERIODIC AND SPECIAL REPORTS, AND OPEN ITEM

FOLLOWUP

9.1

LERs and Reports

PSE&G submitted the following licensee event reports and, periodic

reports, which were reviewed for accuracy and the adequacy of the

evaluation:

Salem and Hope Creek Monthly Operating Reports for August and September

1990 .

,,

40

Salem LERs

Unit 1

LER 90-29 (See section 2.2.1.A of this report)

LER 90-30 (See section 2.2.1.C of this report)

Unit 2

LER 90-34 (See section 4.3.1.E of this report)

LER 90-35 (See section 4. 3 .1. F of this report)

LER 90-36 (See section 2.2.1.B of this report)

Hoee Creek LERs

LER 90-12 concerns an entry into TS 3.0.3 on August 11,

1990.

This event was reviewed in NRC Inspection 50-354/90-14.

No inadequacies were noted relative to this LER.

LER 90-13 (See section 4.3.2.A of this report)

LER 90-14 (See section 7.3.A of this report)

LER 90-15 (See section 4.3.2.B of this report)

LER 90-16 (See section 8.1.A of this report)

9.2 Deen Items

The following previous inspection items were followed up during this

inspection and are tabulated below for cross reference purposes.

Site

Salem

272/89-27-03

272/89-11-03

272/89-11-10

272/311/90-81-05

272/311/90-81-11

272/311/90-81-21

272/311/90-81-16

272/311/90-81-17

272/311/90-81-23

272/311/90-22-02

Section

7.2.B

7.2.C

7.2.C

2.2.1.H

4.3.1.A

4.3.1.B

8.2.B

8.2.D

8.2.C

2.2.1.H

8.2.B, C, D

Status

Open

Closed

Closed

Closed

Closed

Open

Closed

Closed

Open

Closed

~ j '

Hope Creek

354/90-16-01

354/90-16-02

10.

EXIT INTERVIEW

10.1 Resident

4.3.2.A

4.3.3.B

41

Closed

Closed

The inspectors met with Mr. S. LaBruna and Mr. C. P. Johnson and other

PSE&G personnel periodically and at the end of the inspection report

period to summarize the scope and findings of their inspection

activities.

Based on Region I review and discussions with PSE&G, it was determined

that this report does not contain information subject to 10CFR2

restrictions.

10.2 Specialist

Date(s)

9/25-28/90

Subject

Security

Inspection

Report No.

272 '311/90-23

354/90-19

Reporting

Inspector

Dexter