ML18142A494

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SALP Repts 50-280/85-05 & 50-281/85-05 for Sept 1983 - Feb 1985.Violations Noted:Failure to Perform Sufficient Valve Lineup Checklists Prior to Unit 2 Startup from 3-wk Outage & Failure to Have Alternate Feedwater Pumps
ML18142A494
Person / Time
Site: 05000000, Surry
Issue date: 05/10/1985
From:
NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
To:
Shared Package
ML18142A487 List:
References
50-280-85-05, 50-280-85-5, 50-281-85-05, 50-281-85-5, NUDOCS 8506270766
Download: ML18142A494 (26)


See also: IR 05000280/1985005

Text

MAY 10 1985

ENCLOSURE 2

SALP BOARD REPORT

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

REGION II

SYSTEMATIC ASSESSMENT OF LICENSEE PERFORMANCE

INSPECTION

REPORT NUMBERS

50-280/85-05, 50-281/85-05

Virginia Electric and Power Company

Surry Plant Units 1 and 2

September 1, 1983 - February 28, 1985

I.

INTRODUCTION

The Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance (SALP) program is an

integrated NRC staff effort to collect available observations and data on a

petiodic basis and to evaluate licensee performance based upon this informa-

tion.

SALP is supplemental to normal regulatory processes used to ensure

compliance to NRC rules and regulations.

SALP is intended to be suffi-

ciently diagnostic to provide a rational basis for allocating NRC resources

and to provide meaningful guidance to the licensee's management to promote

quality and safety of plant construction and operation.

An NRC.SALP Board, composed of the staff members listed below, met on

April 11, 1985, to review the collection of performance observations and

data and to assess the 1 i cen see I s performance in accordance with the

guidance in NRC Manual Chapter 0516, "Systematic Assessment of Licensee

Performance." A summary of th1: g.uidance and evaluation criteria is provided

in Section II of this report.

This report is the SALP Board's assess~ent of the licensee's safety perform-

ance at the Surry Pl ant for the peri ad of September 1, 1983 through

February 28, 1985.

SALP Board for Surry Plant:

P. R. Bemis, Di"rector, Division of Reactor Safety, Region II (RII) (Chairman)

J. P. Stohr, Director, Division of Radiation Safety and Safeguards, RII

D. M. Verrelli, Chief, Projects Branch 1, Division of Reactor Projects

. (DPR), RII

V. L. Brownlee, Chief, Projects Branch 2, DRP, RII

G. E. Lear, Chief, Structural. and Geotechnical Engineering Branch,

Division of Engineering, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

Attendees at SALP Board Meeting:

S. A. Elrod, Chief, Projects Section 2C, DRP, RII

D. J. Burke, Senior Resident Inspector, Surry, DRP, RII

D. S. Price, Reactor Inspector, Technical Support Staff (TSS), DRP, RII

K. M. Jenison, Project Engineer, Projects Section 2C, DRP, RII

T. C. MacArthur, Radiation Specialist, TSS, DRP, RII

J. D. Neighbors, Project Manager, Operating Reactors Branch 1,

Division of Licensing, NRR

I I.

CRITERIA

Licensee performance is assessed in certain functional areas depending upon

. whether the facility has been in the construction, preoperational or

operating phase.

Each functional area represents areas which are signifi-

cant to nuclear safety and the environment and which are programmatic areas.

Some functional areas may not be assessed because of little or no licensee

2

activities or lack of meaningful observations.

Special areas may be added

to highlight significant observations.

One or more of the following evaluation criteria were used to assess each

functional area:

A.

Management involvement and control in assuring quality

B.

Approach to resolution of technical issues from a safety standpoint

C.

Responsiveness to NRC initiatives

D.

Enforcement history

E.

Reporting and analysis of reportable events

F.

Staffing (including management)

G.

Training effectiveness and qualif~~ation

However, the SALP Board is not limited to these criteria, and others may

have been used where appropriate.

Based upon the SALP Board assessment, each fun ct i ona 1 area eva 1 uated is

classified into*one of the three performance categories. The definitions of

these performance categories are:

Category 1:

Reduced NRC attention may be appropriate.

Licensee management

attention and involvement are aggressive and oriented toward nuclear safety;

licensee resources are ample and effectively used so that a high lev~l of

performance with respect to 9perational safety or construction is being

achieved.

Category 2:

NRC attention should be maintained at normal levels. Licensee

management attention and i nvo 1 vement are evident and are concerned with

nuclear safety; licensee resources are adequate and are reasonably effective

so that satisfactory performance with respect to ope rat ion a 1 safety or

construction is being achieved.

Category 3:

Both NRC and licensee attention should be increased.

Licensee

management attention or involvement is acceptable and considers nuclear

safety, but weaknesses are evident; licensee resources appear to be strained

or not effectively used so that minimally satisfactory performance with

respect to operational safety or construction is being achieved.

The SALP Board has also categorized the performance trend over the course of

the SALP assessment period. The trend is meant to describe the general or

prevailing tendency (the performance gradient) during the SALP period. This

categorization is not a comparison between the current and previous SALP

ratings. It is a determination of the performance trend during the current

SALP period irrespective of performance during previous SALP periods.

The

3

categorization process ~nVolves a review of performance during the current

SALP period, and categorization of the trend of performance which occurred

during the course of that period.

The performance trends are defined as

follows:

Improving:

Licensee performance has generally improved over the course of

the SALP assessment period.

Constant:

Licensee performance has remained essentially constant over the

course of the SALP assessment period.

Declinihg:

Licensee performance has generally declined over the course of

the SALP assessment period.

III. SUMMARY OF RESULTS

..

Overall Facility Evaluation - Surry 1 and 2

Surry is a well managed site* with -~ professional and knowledgeable

staff.

Acceptable performance by the licensee at the plant level

  • was observed.

Strengths were identifi~d in the areas of Radiolo*gical

Controls,

Refueling,

Security, and

Licensing

Activities.

Improve-

ments in the areas of Plant Operations, Radiological Controls, Main-

tenance, Surveillance,

and

Training were

recognized.

The

growing

management

emphasis

on

reduction of. plant trips, which

involves

coordination of the several functional areas, is seen as a factor in

the observed improvements.

Weakness was i dent ifi ed in the Surveil 1 ance

area involving failure to properly control and implement revisions and

amendments to the survei 11 ance programs.

Survei 11 ance programs, once

established, functioned reasonably well.

Functional Area

October 1, 1982 -

August 31, 1983

Plant Operations

2

Radiological Controls

3

Maintenance

2

Surveillance

1

Fire Protection

2

Emergency Preparedness

1

Security

1

Refue 1 i ng

1

Training

Not Rated

Quality Programs and

Administrative Controls

Affecting Quality

2

Licensing Activities

1

September 1, 1983 -

February 28, 1985

2

1

2

3

Not Rated

2

1

1

2

2

1

Trend During

Latest

SALP Period

Improving

Improving

Improving

Improving

Not Determined

Constant

.Constant

Not Determined

Improving

Constant

Constant

L

4

IV.

PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS

A.

Plant Operations

1.

Analysis

During the assessment period, inspections of plant operations were

performed by the Resident and Regional inspection staffs.

The Surry faci 1 ity was properly operated and managed by site

personnel and well supported by the corporate staff.

The licensee's

staff was knowledgeable and proficient in normal plant operations

and responded well during transient operations such as plant trips

or shutdowns.

Management involvement in plant operations was

apparent throughout the assessment period. Plant evolutions were

well planned with realistic priorities and conservative methodology

for safety related matters. The licensee was quick to take action

when violations were identified by NRC and demonstrated concern

for items identified by int~rnal audit groups.

The licensee's

knowledge of regulations,. guides, standards and generic issues was

acceptable, and interpretations of these documents and associated

issues were conservative.

Licensee technical competence was well

founded both in technical matters and general plant operations.

The plant staff generally responded to plant trips and other

operational events during this review period in a professional,

thorough and competent manner.

The number of reactor trips

remained high at Surry, but the increased management attention and

resources being applied to this item should help to reduce it:*

For example, the Assistant Plant Manager was required to report to

the site to evaluate unplanned reactor trips with the operating

and safety engineering staff members prior to restart of the unit.

The number of unplanned trips were declining at the end of the

assessment period.

In addition, the main feedwater regulation

valves were rebuilt and upgraded to reduce the number of steam

generator level trips at low power (Startup).

Corporate manage-

ment was frequently involved in site activities and reviews, and

utility policies were well stated, disseminated and implemented.

The corrective action systems appeared to identify and address

nonreportable concerns as well as reportable events, which were

properly analyzed and reported.

The licensee was responsive to

NRC concerns and initiatives, and resolved most cases in a tech-

nically sound and timely manner.

A Human Performance Evaluation

staff was established to review and improve human performance.

The staff had already implemented a visible plant area and

component identification program to ensure plant personnel verify

the components or equipment prior to any manipulation or work.

The reactor control room behavior and formality were maintained at

high professional levels.

The licensed senior reactor operators

(SRO) and reactor operators (RO) performed their duties in desig-

nated uniforms supplied by the licensee. Administrative paperwork

5

related to functions such as maintenance and tagouts was performed

outside the control rooms by a third SRO, who was an assistant shift

supervisor.

This reduced traffic in the control rooms.

Recent

control room upgrades included painting, carpeting, NUREG-0737 and

human factors improvements, and the installation of high-technology

central command consoles with enhanced displays and communications

systems for the shift supervisors.

Plant procedures and entry postings prohibited control room entry

to all but those on official business.

The Control Room conduct

and appearance was a major strength in the area of plant operations.

The operational information provided by the licensee in Licensee

Event Report (LER) submittals was brief, accurate, made use of the

Energy Industry !dent i fi cation System component codes and was

generally sufficient .t9 provide acceptable understanding of the

event.

The violations below point .:to specific weaknesses in licensee

programs but do not indicate an overall lack of management involve-

ment.

On the contrary, the licensee's response to NRC initiatives

was timely and adequate.

The resolution of safety and technical

issues was sound and thorough.

Six violations were identified during the assessment period:

a.

Severity Level IV violation for failure to perform sufficient

valve lineup checklists prior to Unit 2 restart from a three

week outage.

b.

Severity Level IV violation for failure to have the alternate

unit's Auxiliary Feedwater pumps available.

c.

Severity Level IV violation for failure to follow procedures

when criticality was not achieved within predicted control

rod position administrative limits.

d.

Severity Level

IV violation for inoperable vent monitors

during a gaseous waste release.

e.

Severity Level V violation for installing an electrical

jumper to bypass the redundant B train reactor trip logic

when the procedures used did not specify this jumper or

bypass.

f.

Severity Level V violation for exceeding the RCS cooldown

rate limit.

2.

Conclusion

Category:

2

6

Trend During This Period:

Improving

3.

Board Recommendation

Licensee management attention was evident in this area. However,

it was noted that a number of reactor trips, event reports, and

violations resulted from personnel errors .. Although operational

activities are professionally performed, a reduction in these

personnel errors would result in improved operational performance.

Licensee management attention should be directed toward a program

for reducing personnel errors.

No change in the level of NRC

staff resources appli~d to the routine inspection program is

recommended.

8.

Radiological Controls

1.

Analysis

During the assessment period, inspections of radiological controls

were performed by the Resident and Regional inspection staffs.

These* inspect i ans included confirmatory measurements using the

Region II mobile laboratory. Additionally, an evaluation of the

NUREG-0737 Post Accident Sampling System (PASS) was performed with

the assistance of an NRC contractor.

The licensee made progress during the assessment period in imple-

menting an extensive decontamination and general cleanup program

for the plant.

A reduction in the number of radioactively

contaminated areas and in certain radiation levels was achieved.

Fuel rod leakage in the Unit 1 core continued to be a problem.

Increased reactor coolant system (RCS) activity resulting from the

leakage caused higher radiation fields in the work areas and

increased radiation worker exposure.

Comprehensive fuel inspec-

tions and replacement programs have reduced, but not eliminated,

the leaks. The licensee implemented improved As Low As Reasonably

Achi~vable (ALARA) and Health Physics (HP) programs at the site to

control and reduce exposure.

There was consistent evidence of

pre-planning and well-stated, disseminated and understood policies

and procedures.

Training, qualification and staffing in the

HP Department improved during the evaluation period.

The HP

organization was modified to function at a higher and more

responsible reporting level, with full

management

support

following implementation of a utility Radiation Protection Plan in

November 1984.

An HP superintendent position reporting directly

to the plant manager, and additional HP supervisor positions were

established.

The licensee's health physics staffing level was

adequate and compared well with other utilities having a facility

7

of similar size.

An adequate number of ANSI qualified licensee

and contract health physics technicians were available to support.

routine and outage operations.

The performance of the health

physics staff in support of routine operations and outages was

adequate.

Management involvement was evident in the approach to

resolution of technical issues and responsiveness to the NRC.

Although the licensee made considerable progress in establishing a

program to review outage work with a goal of keeping exposures

ALARA, the actual collective dose received for 1984 (2030 man-

rems) was in excess of the 1680 man-rem goal. A significant part

of the excess was attributed to snubber overhaul, steam generator

sludge lancing and eddy current testing, Appendix R compliance and

resistance temperature detector ( RTD)

rep 1 acement.

While the

ALARA goal was exceeded, a reduction in dose received by workers

was achieved when compared to collective dose received in 1983

(3220 man-rems).

This improvement was attributed to the strides

made in decontamination and general cleanup in the plant.

However,

occupational radiation expo~ures at these pressurized water

reactor (PWR) facilities was well over the 1983, 592 man-rem per

unit, average dose accumulation for all PWR units. A major~factor

in the collective dose was the high background radiation from

the RCS piping and other components at Surry due to fuel leakage.

Radiation levels were several times higher than those at a typical

PWR ..

Licensee management was aggressive in the implementation of a

waste management program and of a 1 eak reduction program for

controlling and minimizing inputs to the liquid radwaste proces-

sing system.

During 1984, the licensee disposed of 33,454 cubic

feet of solid radioactive waste with an activity content of 1162

curies.

The radioactive material shipping program was adequate

and was generally well managed.

The leak reduction program was

placed into operation as part of an overall effort to reduce*

releases.

An innovative approach to treatment of liquid radwaste,

using small series-connected demineralizer vessels produced good

. quality effluent while simultaneously reducing the curie content

of the effluent, cost per gallon treated, and volume of expended

resin per gallon treated.

The chemistry and radiochemistry programs have been well managed.

The Post Accident Sampling System (PASS) was capable of functioning

in accordance with the NUREG-0703 design criteria; however, the

system continued to have valve and instrumentation operability

problems.

Licensee management took actions to assure that the

PASS system would function as required, which in~luded assignment

of personnel to perform system maintenance and calibrations.

A confirmatory measurements inspection indicated that the licensee 1s

radiochemistry and radioactive effluent analyses and accountability

programs were adequate.

The results of gamma spectroscopy analyses

performed by the NRC and the licensee were in good agreement. The

' ,

8

licensee

instituted

an

interlaboratory crosscheck program.

Problems identified in the crosscheck program and other problems

areas were generally corrected in a timely manner.

The laboratory

quality control program was well managed.

Three violations and one deviation were identified during the

assessment period:

a.

Severity Level IV violation for failure to provide appro-

priate personnel monitoring equipment.

b.

Severity Level V violation for failure to meet minimum

experience qualifications of ANSI

Nl8.l-1971 for the

Supervisor of Health Physics.

c.*

Severity Level V yiolation for failure to conduct specific

quality control audits which evaluated compliance with the

requirements of 10 CFR 61.

d.

Deviation for failure t~ complete modifications of procedures

governing the use of scaled sources and documentation~f the

issuance and return of these materials by the specified due

date.

2.

Conclusion

  • Category:

1

Trend during This Period:

Improving

3.

Board Recommendation

Management involvement in Radiological Controls was aggressive.

Substant i a 1 improvement was achieved, a 1 though further man-rem

reductions should be pursued.

In order to fully evaluate the

depth of licensee improvements in this area, no change in the*

level of NRC staff resources applied to the routine inspection

program is recommended.

The Board * a 1 so noted that as part of the steam generator

replacement program, the licensee also significantly upgraded the

capability of maintaining high quality water in the secondary

system. After the units returned to power, however, the licesnee

allowed this capability to deteriorate through poor maintenance

of equipment and instrumentation that was needed to monitor water

chemistry.

Although the licensee endorsed the steam generator

owners

group/Electric Power

Research

Institute

(SGOG/EPRI)

guidelines, there was insufficient staff to provide corrective

action or maintenance in a timely manner.

The chemistry program

was staffed with two 10-hour shifts, each day having two two-hour

gaps without chemistry personnel on site.

The chemistry program

was being upgraded, however, to meet the SGOG/EPRI guidelines.

r

9

The licensee should ensure that continued management attention is

devoted to this area.

C.

Maintenance

1.

Analysis

During the evaluation peri ad, i nspecti ans were performed by the

Resident and Regional inspection staffs.

The maintenance program was thorough and technically sound,

procedures and plans were adhered to, and records were adequately

maintained and retrievable.

The licensee had a positive nuclear safety attitude and has

developed a viable preventive and corrective maintenance program.

Maintenance activities exhibited evidence of adequate preplanning

with established priorities, however, the number of outstanding

maintenance requests remaine~ large.

The maintenance procedures

.

and policies were compreh~nsive and were adhered to, but occasional

weaknesses were uncovered in the procedures themselves (violations

b and d below).

Some of these weaknesses were the result of

inadequate instructions from the vendors or manufacturers.

The

licensee recently computerized the maintenance and equipment

hi story files to improve access to and use of these records.

Licensee personnel had a clear understanding of safety and tech-

nical issues and were responsive to NRC requests and initiatives.

Events were properly identified, analyzed, and promptly and

accurately reported.

A special team inspection was performed to assess the licenseels

compliance with Generic Letter 83-28, "Required Actions Based on

Generic Implications of Salem ATWS Events".

This audit assessed

the licensee's post maintenance testing program.

The licensee's

procedures were found to be adequate, with the exception of the

plant administrative procedure for classifying safety related or

non-safety related maintenance work activities. The procedure was

considered too general due to the lack of detail in the "Safety

Classification List".

The licensee expects to have an expanded

and more detailed list formulated by mid-1985.

Management resolution of safety and technical issues was sound and

thorough. The large number of reactor plant trips was not related

to any specifically identified maintenance program deficiencies.

Management response to NRC initiatives was demonstrated by the

licensee through the above mentioned m~intenance program improve-

ments.

10

The four violations identified in the Maintenance area do not

indicate any programmatic breakdown:

a.

Severity Level IV violation for failure to take prompt and

adequate

corrective actions

on

nonconformance

reports

involving several adverse conditions.

b.

Severity Level

IV violation for an inadequate corrective

maintenance procedure for adjusting torque switch settings on

Service Water motor-operated valves.

c.

Severity Level IV violation for failure to perform a written

safety evaluation of the facility change which removed the

component cooling water (CCW) automatic trip valve isolation

function on high flow from the reactor coolant pump thermal

barrier coolers. aqd the primary drain coolers.

d.

Severity Level IV violation for failure to provide adequate

electrical maintenance ~nd testing procedures for maintenance

and testing of the 4160 volt transfer bus.

2.

Conclusion

Category:

2

Trend During This Period:

Improving

3.

Board Recommendation

Licensee resources were adequate in this area.

No change in the

level of NRC staff resources applied to the routine inspection

program is recommended.

D.

Surveillance

1.

Analysis

During the evaluation period, inspections

Resident and Regional inspection staffs.

of *the Inservice Inspection (ISI) programs

were also performed.

were performed by the

Inspections and review

and examination results

Although management was actively involved in assuring the quality

of surveillance activities, as evidenced by well-defined admin-

istrative procedures and additional staffing and training,

repetitive breakdowns in the surveillance program for periodic

testing occurred during the evaluation period.

A particular

weakness which was identified by the NRC and the licensee was the

implementation of Technical Specification (TS) amendments that

revised or expanded the testing programs.

For example, following

a significant addition of fire detection instruments to TS

11

Table 3.21-1, surveillance procedures were not fully implemented.

A Severity Level III violation (violation b) and associated civil

penalty f9r not having the RCS head vents operable as required by

10 CFR 50.44 is a second example of a failure to implement the

revised 10 CFR 50 requirements.

The operational

surveillance

program verified that the vessel head vents were isolated despite

the 10 CFR 50 rule change and a September 13, 1983 NRC letter to

the licensee discussing this matter.

A third example concerned

the failure to fully implement a TS Amendment for NUREG 0737

i terns; survei 11 ances on the contra l room chlorine detectors and

the containment hydrogen analyzers were not initially conducted as

required.

The in-place surveillance and testing programs were

generally conducted as required. Computerization of the surveil-

lance programs was being expedited to improve management of the

programs.

A violation was issued for failure to test a sufficient number

of additional snubbers in accordance with the TS requirements

following initial testing failures.

By following portions of a

draft of an ANSI standard, t~~ licensee divided the snubbers into

small groups and incorporated the grouping into their test *proce-

dures.

Using this procedure, the licensee performed functional

testing on approximately 20 percent of the hydraulic snubbers.

Even though the functional test failure rate was high (20 failed

of the 58 tested on Unit 1, and 23 failed of the 55 tested on

Unit 2}, the licensee's procedure permitted acceptance of those

results without performance of additional testing. The functional

test results were reviewed and accepted by various site management

personne 1 .

By approving the fun ct i ona l test procedures and

accepting the snubber fun ct i ona 1 results, , the 1 i censee demon-

strated that the NRC requirements were not clearly understood

(e.g., using a draft standard as guidance in lieu of NRC generic

letters and Technical Specifications).

Resolution of the technical

issue (snubber failures) from a safety standpoint was not conserva-

tive. The licensee's corrective action was to perform the testing

required on additional snubbers as required by the TS.

When this

testing was performed, approximately 30 percent of the Unit 1 and

25 percent of the Unit 2 snubbers failed to meet the functional

test acceptance criteria.

An indepth review of the problem by the

licensee and NRC disclosed that the high number of snubber test

failures was due to an inadequate service life monitoring program.

This resulted in a Severity Level III violation (violation a) and

associated civil penalty being issued for an inadequate service

life program which resulted in a large number of inoperable

snubbers. The licensee subsequently verified by analysis that no

safety systems were inoperable due to the inoperable snubbers.

A containment integrated leak rate (Type A) test was conducted

on Surry Unit 2, from September 11 through 14, 1983.

There was

adequate management involvement as evidenced by the prior planning

of test preparations and the upgrading of detailed test procedures.

Test personnel demonstrated a knowledge of the test and the issues

12

involved. However, in spite of the effort to identify and correct

leakage problems, the licensee continued to experience containment

leakage problems.

During the test, excessive leakage was identi-

fied which required further isolation or repair before the leakage

acceptance criteria were met.

The test was unsuccessful on the

initial attempt.

Evidence of improvements in the licensee's written Inservice

Inspection (ISI) program and in the timeliness and appropriateness

of their responses to technical issues was noted for the remainder

of the evaluation period as a result of violation e. Also, there

were improvements in the licensee's staffing of this area.

The licensee generally demonstrated a clear understanding of

technical

issues, and was responsive to NRC concerns.

The

reporting and analysis. of surveillance events was prompt and

thorough; however, the corrective actions should be strengthened

to prevent recurrence.

Severa 1 personne 1 and admi n i strati ve

changes as we 11 as addi ti on13,_l survei 11 ance requirements occurred

during the evaluation period which may have affected the tracking

of items and the increased* backlog of work.

Six violations were identified during the assessment period:

a.

  • severity Level

III violation for an inadequate snubber

service life monitoring program.

b.

Severity Level III violation for not having RCS head vents

operable (remotely) from the contra l room by the comp 1 et ion

of the first outage of sufficient duration after July 1,

1982.

c.

Severity Level IV violation for failure to test an additional

10 percent of each type of snubber that failed to meet the

acceptance test criteria during Unit 1 and 2 snubber testing.

d.

Severity Level IV violation for failure to perform monthly

testing of control room chlorine detectors and monthly

channel functional tests of Unit 1 containment hydrogen

-analyzers.

e.

Severity Level IV violation for failure to promptly correct

known deficiencies in ISI procedures and known failures to

supply required ISI reports to the NRC.

f.

Severity Level V violation for inadequate periodic test

procedures and a post-maintenance testing procedure that did

not provide appropriate check-off lists and instructions.

2.

Conclusion

Category:

3 *

13

Trend During This Period:

Improving

3.

Board Recommendation

Only minimally satisfactory performance was achieved in this area.

The timely implementation of new surveillance requirements should

receive increased licensee management attention.

The Board

recommends that NRC staff resources applied to the routine

inspection program be increased.

E.

Fire Protection

1.

Analysis

During the evaluation* perioc;I, inspections were performed by the

Resident inspection staff.

The licensee prepared and routinely implemented numerous admin-

istrative fire protection and prevention procedures which adhered

to NRC guidelines. Adequate fire brigade equipment was available

and was properly maintained.

The fixed fire protection systems

were being properly maintained, inspected and tested in accordance

with TS.

There was consistent evidence of pre-planning and assignment of

priorities, and a clear and conservative understanding of tech-

nical issues by management.

Overall management involvement and

control of the fire protection programs helped to assure their

quality.

Only two minor fires occurred during the 18 month

assessment period,

and these were promptly identified and

extinguished. Responsiveness to NRC initiatives was timely.

The

staffing and training for the fire protection programs were

increased to meet changing NRC fire protection regulations.

One violation was identifjed during the assessment period:

Severity Level V violation for failure to document daily

inspections required by welding and flame permits and failure

to have copies of several welding and flame permits available

in the control room.

2.

Conclusion

Category:

Not rated

Trend During This Period:

Not determined

14

3.

Board Recommendation

There was insufficient inspection activity in this area, during

the assessment period, to justify a rating. Good performance was

evident in those limited areas reviewed.

F.

Emergency Preparedness

1.

Analysis

During the evaluation period, routine inspections as well as two

emergency exercises and one speci a 1 inspection were conducted by

the Regional and Resident inspection staffs. The special inspec-

tion primarily addressed the ability of the shift supervisors to

make prompt protective action recommendations.

One of the exer-

cises involved the full-scale partic.ipation of state and local

governments.

The speci a 1 inspection reve~_l ed two specific weaknesses in the

licensee's training progr~m as well as emergency plan implementing

procedures.

One of the weaknesses identified during interviews

with the duty Shift Engineers involved their failure to provide

protective action recommendations following the declaration of a

Genera 1 Emergency, as we 11 as appropriate response_s for genera 1

core-melt seq~ences.

The other weakness was identified following

a review of the Emergency Plan implementing procedures and indi-

cated that no protective action recommendations would be made if a

General Emergency were based solely on plant conditions.

These

findings resulted in violations a and b below.

The licensee's

management was responsive in resolving these and lesser findings.

Licensee management actively supported the emergency preparedness

program and responded to NRC initiatives in a timely manner.

Other than the above mentioned weakness, the training program was

effective in providing appropriate training for emergency response

personnel.

The exercises demonstrated that the plan and required procedures

were effectively implemented by the licensee's staff, although

minor areas for improvement were noted by the NRC and the

1 i censee.

The emergency organization I s performance during the

exercises was acceptab 1 e and the exercise objectives were met.

The licensee's performance during the exercises reflected a

corporate and plant management commitment to maintaining an

effective emergency plan, emergency implementing procedures and a

high level of emergency preparedness training.

The following

essential elements for emergency response were determined to be

acceptable:

emergency classification;

communications;

shift

staffing and augmentation; dose projection and assessment;

emergency worker protection; changes to the emergency preparedness

programs; and provisions for annual quality assurance audits of

corporate and plant emergency planning programs.

  • ,'

15

During the assessment interval, the new Local Emergency Operating

Facility (EOF) and Technical Support Center (TSC) facilities were

comp 1 eted * and activated to enhance the emergency response

capabilities.

An adequate working relationship existed between the licensee and

offsite support organizations.

Staffing was at an acceptable

level at the plant site. Additional staff support was available

from personnel resources at the Corporate Offices when necessary.

Two violations were identified during the assessment period:

a.

Severity Level IV violation for inadequate procedures for

protective action decisionmaking.

b.

Severity Level. IV. violation for failure to properly train

emergency personnel

in protective action recommendation

decisionmaking.

2.

Conclusion

Category:

2

Trend During This Period:

Constant

3.

Board Recommendation

Licensee resources were adequate in this area.

No change in the

level of NRC staff resources applied to the routine inspection

program is recommended.

G.

Security

1.

Analysis

During this evaluation period, inspections were conducted by the

resident and regional inspection staffs.

A c;hange in the management of the Surry security organization

occur-red during this assessment period.

Improvement. in the

effectiveness of the security organization was continuously

demonstrated by operational efficiency and by a reduced number of

violations of regulatory requirements identified during the

evaluation period.

The licensee's approach to the resolution of technical issues

relating to security systems and equipment remained sound and was

characterized by viable and thorough approaches.

Programmed

changes to the security program were researched and reviewed in

detail prior to implementation, as evidenced by the thorough study

16

and evaluation of the proposed construction of a secondary access

portal in the protected area barrier.

The licensee was responsive to NRC initiatives and made a

concerted effort to meet or exceed minimum regulatory requirements

in the area of security.

An example of the licensee's initiative

in this regard was the installation of heavy concrete barriers

along the protected area perimeter and approaches to the protected

area via the vehicle parking area to preclude forced penetration

of the protected area by vehicle.

The security management staff and operational security force were

adequately

manned

with

qualified personnel.

Problems' of

regulatory concern were identified and reported.

The licensee's efforts. to ensure resolution of operational and

functional security issues continued to be positive, and reflected

effective managerial attention and corporate support.

The violation identified below was attributed to personal error by

the security officer responsible for conducting an appropriate

search of personnel prior to entry into the protected area:

Severity Level IV violation for failure to perform a hands-on

  • search.

2.

Conclusion

Category:

1

Trend During This Assessment Period:

Constant

3.

Board Recommendations

A high level of performance was achieved in this area. The Board

recommends that NRC staff resources applied to the routine inspec-

tion program be reduced.

H.

Refueling

1.

Analysis

During thts evaluation period,

refueling

inspections were

performed by the Resident and Regional inspection staffs.

Surry Unit 2 restarted from a three month refueling outage on

September 25, 1983.

The next refueling outage will begin in the

spring of 1985.

Unit 1 conducted a refueling outage from

September 26, 1984 to December 26, 1984.

17

Unit 1 refueling activities were adequately preplanned with

realistic assignment of priorities and control of activities.

Refueling procedures were complete, accomplishing the associated

tasks efficiently and safely.

Adequate levels of management

attention were observed during refueling. Refueling crew staffing

and staff training were observed to be adequate.

The licensee

conducted fuel assembly movements, containment purging and system

venting operations, all of which were adequate.

The refueling

cavity seal ring assembly was rebuilt and tested to ensure proper

sealing prior to defueling. Corporate fuel management representa-

tives as well as site management were directly involved in the

refueling and the fuel inspection activities.

Refueling was

accomplished in accordance with adequately preplanned, properly

reviewed and approved procedures.

Technical problems encountered

during refueling were promptly resolved in a competent and safety

conscious manner.

Unit 2 post-refueling startup test records were adequate and

supported a conclusion that the tests had been performed accept-

ably.

Administrative errors* led to one violation with two

examples for failure to follow procedures.

After experiencing one stuck rod on Unit 1, an acceptable,

detailed analysis of the situation considering its impact on

accident analyses, was conducted and an operating strategy was

developed before the Unit was returned to power.

An abnormally

high number of fuel failures were experienced during this period.

The licensee 1s approach to the management and correction of this

abnormally high number of fuel failures was both timely and

appropriate. The high number of failures did not reflect unfavor-

ably on the way th~ plant was refueled or operated.

Instead the

failures appeared to result from poor cleanliness control during

steam generator replacement, as well as-potential vendor manufac-

turing inadequacies.

After twelve years of two unit operation, the Surry high-density

spent fuel storage racks are nearly full.

The 1 icensee proposed

the construction of an on-site dry cask spent fuel storage

facility, which is under review by the NRC.

In the interim, spent

fuel is planned to be shipped to North Anna and a Department of

Energy facility in Idaho during the summer of 1985.

One violation was identified during the assessment period:

Severity Level V violation for failure to record test data in

accordance with a periodic test procedure.

2.

Conclusion

Category:

1

18

Trend During This Period:

Not determined

3.

Board Recommendations

Management involvement in this area was oriented toward nuclear

safety.

The Board recommends that NRC staff resources applied to

the routine inspection program be reduced.

I.

Training

1.

Analysis

During the assessment period, routine inspections of plant

training programs were performed by the Regional and Resident

inspection staffs. A *speciaL comprehensive assessment of Surry

training programs was conducted by a six member inspection team to

determine the overall effectiveness of plant training.

Although

several weaknesses were identified, plant training was determined

to be adequate for the support of safe plant operation.

The licensee's General Employee Training (GET) program was well

defined and implemented for all plant personnel.

GET records were

complete and well maintained.

The training and qualification

programs were strengthened and upgraded during the eva 1 uat ion

period, and equipment manufacturers/vendors courses were provided

on a regular basis.

Management was responsive to NRC initiatives and concerns and

aggressively sought to improve the quality of plant training

programs throughout the assessment period.

The deve 1 opment and

implementation of program upgrades and revisions continued through

efforts to fully achieve Institute of Nuclear Power Operation

(INPO) accreditation. Changes included reorganization on both the

corporate and plant levels, culminating in a corporate training

organization responsible for the management of training program

develGpment,

implementation,

administration

and evaluation.

Strong management i nvo 1 vement coup 1 ed with improvements in the

administration of training programs and the certification of

instructors resulted in improvements in the quality of plant

training towards the end of the assessment period.

During the assessment period, eight SRO and seven RO candidates

were administered license examinations.

Four SRO and five RO

candidates passed the examination.

The passing ratio for SRO

candidates was below the Region II average and the past perfor-

mance record for Surry.

Apparent weaknesses in the licensed

operator training program contributing to this below average

19

performance were the lack of current systems texts, the lack of

  • adequate lesson plans, and the new examination format and content.

The licensed operator requalification program was in transition

from knowledge-based methodology to performance based methodology.

The lack of a formal method for review, revision and approval, and

the lack of up-to-date texts hampered the administration of

requalification training.

Other weaknesses included the failure

to formally incorporate operational experience into applicable

training and the lax security of examination question banks and

answer keys. It is anticipated that improvements in these areas

will be forthcoming.

Non-licensed personnel

training programs

experienced steady

improvements throughout the assessment period as a result of

implementing the new performance based training methodology.

Improvements included * the development of a Qua 1 i ty Assurance

Enhancement Course to supplement GET and the development of a

controlled study course for continuing education in the mainten-

ance area. The lack of a training program for staff engineers was

a major weakness in the licensee's training program.

Training and*

continued training programs for engineers were under development

at the close of the assessment period.

The licensee had developed a comprehensive training program for

Qua Hty Assurance/Quality Contra l (QA/QC) personnel . A training *

coordinator

has

been

appointed

to

maintain

personnel

qualifications.

QA/QC training records were well maintained and

easily retrievable.

The licensee maintained an effective security training qualifica-

tion program which produced well-trained security personnel.

The licensee had an effective and fully adequate Emergency

Preparedness training program and records.

No violations or deviations were identified during the assessment

period.

2.

Conclusion

Category:

2

Trend During This Period:

Improving

3.

Board Recommendations

The involvement of management in this area was evident.

Non-

licensed training was a major strength of the licensee's training

programs.

No change in the level of NRC staff resources applied

to the routine inspection program is recommended:

l

20

J.

Quality Assurance and Administrative Controls Affecting Quality

1.

Analysis

During this evaluation period, routine inspections were performed

by the Resident and Regional inspection staffs.

An auditing

program review was also conducted.

The corrective action for some 1983 audits was veri1ied completed

by QA personnel and closed.

However, 1984 audits in these same*

functional areas identified certain repeat findings. These repeat

QA findings indicated that the audited organization 1s management

may not be directing sufficient attention to internal audit

findings to assure effective corrective actions.

Licensee QA

audit findings, when escalated to management attention, were

adequately addressed.

Minor problems were identified with

auditing activities as indicated in violation c. Auditing records

were complete, well maintained and readily available.

The measuring and test equi.pment program was procedurally we 11

defined; however, problems existed in program implementation.

Certain environmental controls in the mechanical and instrumenta-

tion laboratories were not satisfactory for calibration of gauge

blocks and micrometers.

Implementing procedures had not been

prepared for use in the mechanical certification laboratory or in

the instrument laboratory, although

personnel

had

generic

administrative procedures for most work done in these laboratories

(violations a and b). The design change program underwent consid-

erable upgrading based on corrective actions taken to resolve QA

audit findings.

New manuals were implemented to clarify personnel

responsibilities. Drawing updating associated with plant modifi-

cations needed additional management attention to provide more

timely completion.

An independent contractor performed a review and assessment of the

Periodic Test and Surveillance Program.

QA personnel also

identified problems in these areas during an audit. Based on the

audit and contractor identified -problems, increased responsibility

for these areas was assigned to the Performance Test Group.

Admin~strative controls were being written to reflect these

changes.

Licensee responsiveness on identified NRC concerns appeared

adequate in that three.pr.eviously identified QA problem areas were

appropriately resolved.

Three violations were identified during this assessment period:

a.

Severity Level IV violation for failure to control environ-

mental conditions during calibration activities.

21

b.

Severity Level IV violation for failure to provide procedures

for calibration activities.

c.

Severity Level V violation for failure to fully implement

certain QA procedures.

2.

Conclusion

Category:

2

Trend During This Period:

Constant

3.

Board Recommendation

The conduct of activities in this area was satisfactory.

No

change in the level of NRC staff resources applied to the routine

inspection program is recommended.

K.

Licensing Activities

1.

Analysis

The licensee continued to demonstrate active participation in

ljcensing activities and had kept abreast of current and antici-

pate~ (with one exception) licensing actions. In particular, the

licensee's management at times had proposed actions to facilitate

licensee understanding and NRC review of issues such as Appendix R

exemptions (where the* technical staff routinely met during

development of the exemption requests).

The licensee management

consistently exercised good control o~er its activities and had

maintained effective communication with the project manager even

though experiencing severa 1 changes in management staff during

this period.

As referenced above, one area ( amendment 101 -

snubber inspection interval) where management attention could be

increased was in the area of potential amendment requests such

that situations could be avoided that required rapid NRC staff

response.

The interaction of the licensee, including visits and management

discussions/meetings, with the NRC staff had resulted in clear

understanding of safety issues.

Sound techni ca 1 approaches were

taken by the licensee's technical staff toward their resolution.

Conse.rvatism was exhibited in relation to significant safety

issues on a routine basis. Thoroughness in the approach to the

technical issues was demonstrated by the number and complexity of

the licensing actions completed during this period.

Consistently sound technical justification was provided by the

licensee for deviations from staff guidance. The good communica-

tions between the licensee and NRC staff were beneficial to both

L

22

the processing of licensing actions and minimizing the need for

additional information.

The licensee had been responsive to NRC initiatives in all but a

few situations.

One in particular related to a response on a

Technical Specification related to high enefgy lines. However, in

all other instances the licensee had made every effort to meet the

established commitments as illustrated by its response to TMI

action items, Appendix Rand Environmental Qualification of safety

related electrical equipment.

When original commitments could not

be met, the licensee was prompt to discuss the problems and

provide new schedules.

The licensee has a licensing staff which was sensitive to the

requests by the NRC and seeked to assure timely responses. During

the period, the 1 i cens.ee made a rea 1 i gnment in its management

organization to provide more emphasis on licensing.

2.

Conclusion:

Category:

1

Trend During This Period:

Constant

3.

Board Recommendation

A hiEh level of performance in the licensing area was achieved.

V.

Supporting Data and Summaries

A.

Licensee Activities

At the beginning of this assessment period, Surry Unit 1 was Operating

at full power and Surry Unit 2 was in the last month of a three-month

refueling outage.

Unit 2 was returned to power operation on September 28,

1983.

During the ensuing months from September 1983, until February 28,

1985, Units 1 and 2 were periodically shut down for planned maintenance

or snubber inspection outages.

The outages typically lasted from one

to three weeks.

The Unit 1 refueling outage commenced on September 26, 1984, and

continued through December 26, 1984.

Both uni ts operated at power

during February 1985, -which ended the evaluation period.

Unit 1 operated at reduced power (80%) from June 19, 1984, until the

shutdown for refue 1 i ng on September 26, 1984, due to an i mmovab 1 e

control rod (B-6).

One of the two L-shaped corner clamps atop the fuel

assembly, which hold the upper assembly leaf springs in place, had

broken off and fallen into the assembly causing the stuck rod.

All

parts were recovered and no additional failures were observed.

23

Due to the nearly full spent fuel storage facilities, the licensee

plans to begin shipment of spent fuel to a DOE facility in Idaho.

An

on-site dry cask spent fuel storage facility has also been proposed and

is-under review by the NRC.

B~

Inspection Activities

During the evaluation period, routine inspections were performed at the

Surry facility.

Of these inspections, several team inspections were

performed.

The performance appraisal inspection team inspected the

areas of safety review and investigative functions, QA audits, design

changes and modifications, maintenance, plant operations, corrective

action systems, training and procurement.

A radiological assessment

team inspected the areas of TMI action items, internal exposure,

control, surveys, posting, labeling and control, radiological work

permits, HP procedures, HP staff qualifications, licensee audits and

notifications, and reporting.

A special team inspection concerning

Generic Letter (GL) 83-28; "Generic Implications of the Salem ATWS

Events", reviewed the areas of post trip review, post maintenance

testing, equipment classification*, vendor interface, reactor trip

system reliability and QA audits of GL 83-28 activities.

One-- team

inspection involved the annual emergency exercise, and another team

inspection reviewed the licensee training and qualification programs.

Routine resident and regional inspections were performed throughout the

18 month as~essment period.

C.

Licensing Activtties

There were a total of 94 active actions at the beginning of the assess-

ment period for the Surry units. Actions were added to the multi-plant

and plant specific actions for a total of 170 actions by the end of the

period.

Eighty-nine actions were closed during the assessment period.

These actions and a partial list of completions consisting of amendment

requests, exemption requests, responses to generic letters, TMI items

and licensee initiated actions follow:

72 Multi-Plant Actions (28 completed).

Some of the completed actions

in this category are:

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Adequacy*of Station Electric Distribution System Voltages

Natural Circulation Cooldown

Engineered Safety Features Filters

Asymmetric Loss of Coolant Accident Loads

High Energy Line Break and Consequential System Failure

NUREG-0737 Technical Specifications (Generic Letter 82-16)

Control of Heavy Loads (Phase I)

Appendix J Technical Specifications

Fuel Handling Accident Inside Containment

NUREG-0737 Technical Specifications (Generic Letter 83-37)

Detailed Control Room Design Review Program Plan

l

'

..

'

24

_58 Plant Specific Actions (41 completed).

actions in this category are:

Some

of

the

completed

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Exemption on Fire Protection Schedule

Delta Flux and Rod Insertion Limits Technical Specifications

Containment Isolation Valves Technical Specifications

ISI Second Ten Year Interval (Surry 1)

Reduction of Boron Concentration in Boron Injection Tank

Extend Burnup to 45,000 MWD/MTU

ASME Relief Requests

Core Reload Methodology Audit

Appendix R Exemptions

Snubbers

40 TMI (NUREG-0737) Actions (20 completed).

Some of the completed

actions in this category are:

0

0

0

0

0

Plant Shielding (II.B.2.2)

Post Accident Sampling (II.B.3.2)

Inadequate Core Cooling G~idelines (I.C.1.2.A)

Thermal Mechanical Report (II.K.2.13)

Potential for Voiding in RCS (II.K.2.17)

D.

Investigation and Allegations Review

There were no significant investigations or allegation activities

during the assessment period.

E.

Escalated Enforcement Actions

1.

Civil Penalties

A Severity Level I II violation concerning inoperable snubbers

which resulted in a civil penalty in the amount of forty thousand

dollars was assessed on July 30, 1984.

A Severity Level III violation concerning inoperable Reactor

Cool ant System Vents which resulted in a civil pen a 1 ty in the

amount of forty thousand dollars was assessed on February 1, 1985.

2.

Orders (those related to enforcement)

None.

F.

Management Conferences Held During the Appraisal Period

April 17, 1984

An enforcement conference was held to discuss the

operability of Units 1 and 2 reactor head vents and

snubber maintenance.

l

~-

25

G.

Review of licensee Event Reports and 10 CFR 21 Reports submitted by the

Licensee.

During the assessment period, there were 49 LERs reported for Unit 1

and 47 LERs reported for Unit 2.

The distribution of these events by

cause, as determined by the NRC staff, was as follows:

Cause

Unit 1

Unit 2

Component Failure

11

17

Design

1

4

Construction, Fabrication, or

Installation

1

2

Personnel

- Operating Activity

8

5

- Maintenance Activity

10

10

- Test/Calibration Activity

2

2

Other

4

3

Out of Calibration

2

3

Other

10*

1

TOTAL

49

47

It was noted that for Unit 1, 91% of the LERs were confined to three

categories:* 49% due to personnel error; 22% due to component failure;

and 20% fe 11 into the

110ther

11 category.

For Unit 2, 78% of the LERs

fell into two categories:

36% due to component failure; and 42% were

caused by personnel error.

H.

Inspection Activity and Enforcement

FUNCTIONAL

AREA

NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS IN EACH SEVERITY LEVEL

V

IV

III

II

I

Plant Operations*

2

Radiological Controls

2

Maintenance

Surveillance

1

Fire Protection

1

Emergency Preparedness

Security

Refueling

1

Training

Quality Assurance and

Administrative Controls

Affecting Quality

1

TOTAL

8

4.

1

4

3

2

1

2

17

2

2

l