ML19225A848

IE Insp Rept 50-057/79-02 on 790313-15.Noncompliance Noted: Failure to Provide NSC Review of Operating Procedures

ML19225A848
Person / Time
Site:	University of Buffalo
Issue date:	04/16/1979
From:	Mccabe E, Raymond W NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:
Shared Package
ML19225A838	List: ML19225A837 ML19225A839 ML19225A842 ML19225A847 ML19225A848
References
50-057-79-02, 50-57-79-2, NUDOCS 7907200420
Download: ML19225A848 (9)

See also: IR 05000057/1979002

Text

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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT

Region I

Report No. 50-57/79-02

Docket No. 50-57

License No. R-77

Priority

--

Category

C

Licensee:

State University of New York at Buffalo

Rotary Road

Buffalo, New York

14214

Facility Name:

Nuclear Science and Technology Facility

Inspection at:

Buffalo, New York

Inspection conductqd: March 13-15,1979

Inspectors:

M

h/M/V/D

1'/3!79

W. J. Raymonf Reactor Inspector

date signed

'

date signed

~

date signed

Approved by:

@ jM

I

+/N /19

E. 'C. McCabe, Jr.,' Chief, Reactor Projects

date signed

Section No. 2, RO&NS Branch

Inspection Summary:

Ins pection on March 13-15,1979 (Report No. E0-57/79-02)

Xh as Inspected:

Routine, unannounced operations inspection by a

regional based inspector of facility organization, logs and records;

requalification training program; Safety Committee review and audit;

licensee action on bulletins and circulars facility operational status;

and status of previous inspection findings.

The inspection invulved

15 hours1.736111e-4 days <br />0.00417 hours <br />2.480159e-5 weeks <br />5.7075e-6 months <br /> onsite by one NRC inspector.

Results: Of the six areas inspected, no items of noncompliance were

identified in five areas; one apparent item of noncompl' . ice was

identified in one area (Infraction - Failure to provide NSC review

of operating procedures, Paragraph 5).

79072004zo

Region I Form 12

744

nnr

(Rev. April 77)

Juu

UUd

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DETAILS

1.

Persons Contacted

• Dr. W. Chon, Acting Director

Mr. L. Henry, Radiation Protection Department

• Mr. P. Orlosky, Operations Manager

The inspector interviewed other licensee personnel during the

inspection, including members of the operations and office staff,

• denotes those present at the exit interview.

2.

Licensee Action on Previous Inspection Findings

(Closed) Followup Item (57/77-04-04):

Report Submittal.

The

1977-197810 CFR 50.59 Report of Changes, Tests, and Experiments,

dated August 29, 1978, was transmitted by the licensee to the

appropriate address.

This item is closed.

(Closed) Unresolved Item (67/77-01-03):

Staff Training.

Internal

memorandum number 302.5, da ed March 24, 1977, provides documenta-

tion of the meeting held .<ith the entire NSTF staff, including

all clerical staff, to discuss and explcl high radiation area

control and posting at NSTF. This item i:, closed.

(Closed) Unresolved Item (57/78-03-03): OP-5 Update.

Procedure

OP-5, Routine Startup Procedure - Startup for Full Power Operation,

dated August 1978, was revised uo incorporate guidelines to allow

differing primary and secondary coolant pump operating conditions

depending upon ambient and reactor coolant temperatures.

This

item is resolved.

(Closed) Unresolved Item (5.7/78-03-02):

OP-1 Update.

The Addendum

to Procedure OP-1, dated August 1978, provides administrative

controls governing temporary procedure changes and allowable

deviations from established procedures.

This item is resolved.

(Closed) Unresolved Item (57/78-03-04):

Irradiation Request Forms.

The licensee has issued a new irradiation request form, entitled

Service Request cnd Experiment Safety Analysis Form, which ncor-

porates the safety analysis performed for each experiment conducted.

The inspector verified through a sampling review of service request

forms that the accompanying safety analyses were incorporated.

This item is resolved.

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009

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(Closed) Noncompliance (57/78-03-05):

Isotope Production Facility

Irradiation Procedure.

The licensee has issued Procedure OP-49,

Use of Isotope Production Facility, dated August 1978.

The inspec-

tor reviewed the procedure for technical content and no inadequacies

were identified.

This item is resolved.

(0 pen) Unresolved Item (57/78-01-02):

NSC Safety Review.

The

licensee stated that a facility nuclear safety review by the NSC

was planned for the Spring of 1979.

During a telephone conversa-

tion with Dr. Chon on March 23, 1979, the inspector was informed

that a staff nuclear engineer on campus will be employed by the

NSC to conduct an NSTF facility audit.

The audit will include a

review of facility documentation and operating procedures, and

will be complet j by April 15, 1979.

This item remains unresolved

pending compleu.on of the subject audit, review and acceptance of

the audit results by the full NSC Committee, and subsequent review

by NRC: Region I.

3.

Operator Requalification Program

Requalification training performed in 1978 was reviewed to verify

conformance with regulatory requiremente.

a.

References

1978 Operator Requalification Program Lecture Scheduled

--

1978 Requalification Exam and Answers

--

Internal Memorandum from Operations Manager to all

--

Operators dated December 5, 1978

b.

Scope

The following items were verified during this review:

(1) All operators currentiy employed at the facility partici-

pated in the requalification program.

The inspector

noted that three individuals are candidates for new

licenses.

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010

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(2)

Records maintained as required by the Requalification

Program include the following:

(a)

Individual examinations, including corrected examination

results;

(b) Documentation of required manipulation;

(c) Operator performance evaluation; and,

(d) Records of Attendance at program lectures.

(3) Verification that Requalification Program requirements

are implemented for the following:

(a) Conduct of lectures - records of lecture times,

dates, and attendance maintained to verify complf-

ance with program;

(b) Operator review of abnormal and emergency procedures,

including evaluation of operator response to simu-

lated emergencies;

(c) Oral re-examination for those individuals scoring

less than 80% on the requalification exams; and,

(d) Operator review of changes and modifications to the

facility, including annual review of facility procedures.

No it. adequacies were identified duri"g this review and, except

as noted below, the inspector had no further comments in this

area.

c.

Findings

A file of memoranda issued to all operators to describe

facility modifications is maintained by the Operations Manager.

The inspector noted that verification of operator review of

the subject memos is not maintained.

The Operations fianager

stated that such a provision would incorporated in the Requalification

Program record requirements.

The insoector noted through

discussior with the licensee that all ooerators were directly

involved w ;h the reactor modifications completed during 1978

and that operating procedure changes necessitated by the

modifications were reviewed.

This item will be followed on a

subsequentinspection(57/79-02-01).

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011

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4.

Orcanization, Logs and Records

Licensee organization and selected facility records were reviewed

to ascertain conformance Lith regulatory and licensee administrative

requirements.

a.

Organization and Staffina

Facility organization and staffing were reviewed to verify

compliance with the Technical Specifications and 10 CFR 50

requirements.

The inspector determined through a sampling

review of the Operator's Log and by direct observation that

the shift composition mot the requirements of TS 0.2.d.

No

significant organizational or staffing changes have occurred

since the last inspection in this area (reference:

NRC: Region

I Inspection Report 50-57/78-03).

Three individuals (students)

holding a facility license have terminated activity at NSTF

upon graduation from SUNY in December,1978.

Three new students

are presently candidates for facility licenses; invcivement

of these individuals with facility operation is being limited

pending license issuance.

No items of noncompliance were ident;fied.

b.

Operation and Maintenance logs

Facility records listed below were reviewed for the periods

indicated to verify that (i) operator logs are descriptive

and complete; (ii) operating parameters are maintained within

Technical Specification limits; (iii) maintenance activities

were conducted in accordance with administrative requirer, ants;

and, (iv) no abnernal operational cenditions exist, other

than those previously reported by the licensee to the NRC.

--

Control Operator's Log, March 3,1978 to December 1,1978

Primary Water Log (Additions), March 10, 1978 to March

--

6, 1979

--

Maintenance Log, February 6,1978 to March 2,1979

--

Log N Strip Chart Recording, November 8-22, 1978

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012

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The inspector noced that modifications made to replace primary

piping have been reviewed by NRC: Region I, as documented in

Region I Inspection Reports 50-57/77-04 and 50-57/78-01.

The

inspector noted that,: based on a review of the primary water

addition log, water additions to the reactor pool curing the

period December 28, 1978 to March 6,1979, averaged less than

40 gallons per de, and represent the amount required to make

up for normal evaporative losses and operational leakage.

The following activities were also reviewed during this inspec-

tion:

(i) control rod insertion time measurements conducted

June 23, 1978 and January 30,1979; (ii) insertion. of test

coupon #97 into the secondary system to monitor any corrosion

associated with the new water treatment process, December 1,

1978; and, (iii) work conducted on September 9 and October 6,

1978 to replace sar 'le tubing on the primary side of the heat

exchanger and to replace a drain connector on the secondary

site outlet of the heat exchanger.

No items of noncompliance were identified.

5.

Eeview and Audit

Activities of the Operating Committee and the Nuclear Safety

Committee (NSC) in 1978 were reviewed to verify compliance with

Technical Specification and administrative requirements, including

the following specific items:

Committee member qualifications

--

Committee meeting frequency and auorua

--

--

Review of experiments and tests, and implementation of com-

mittee recomendation relating 'to experiments

--

Review and approval of facility design changes and modifica-

tions

Conduct of facility audits

--

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013

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Facility records and references used during this review included

the following:

Techncial Specifications N and 0

--

NSC Charter and Dylaws, dated May 18, 1977

--

Operating Committee meeting minutes for March 20, July 7, June

--

24, July 19, August 1, August 8,1978 and January 5,1979

--

NSC meeting minutes for December 16, 1977, May 1, 1978, and

November 17, 1978

--

NSTF 10 CFR 50.59 report to NRC dated August 29, 1978

Operating Procedures OP-2, 22, 23, 24, 48, 51, and 54

--

Facility Drawing Nos. M-1, M-2, and M-3 (J. Foruchtbaum Associates)

--

dated February 28, 1977

Experiments designated as Jobs 748-2TCT, 748 standard, J-622

--

--

Operator t.og for February 13, 1979, June 14, 1978, and April

18, 1978

--

Reuter Strokes Test Procedures for In-Core Flux Mapping

Probes, RS-SOP-860 series procedures for Job No. 622

Within the scope of the above and except as noted below, the

inspector had no further comments on safety committee activities.

a.

NSC Audit Functions

Technical Specification N.2.a and the Charter of the NSC

iequires that operating procedures reviewed and

approved by the Operating Committee be subject to review

by the NSC.

The procedures defined to be within the scope

of the NSC review include those for reactor operation, main-

tenance and emergency operations.

Although all procedures

examined by the inspector during this inspection have been

reviewed and approved for use by the Operating Comittee,

none of the facility procedures examined have been subject

to review by the NSC.

This constitutes an item of noncom-

pliance with Technical Specification N.2.a (57/79-02-02).

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014

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The licensee stated it was not the intent for the NSC to review

each operating procedure in detail, but to provide NSC reviews

as requested by the Operating Committee when expertise ~in a

specific area was required.

The licensee further stated his

intent to revise / clarify the subject requirement in the new

Technical Specifications to be submitted for renewal of the

facility license in November,1979.

In a telephone conversa-

tion on March 23, 1979, the licensee stated that a review of

facility operating procedures will be included in the NSC audit

of facility safety (as discussed in Paragraph 2 above).

6.

Facility Tours

Inspection tours of the facility were conducted during the period

from March 13 to March 15, 1979 to observe the overall facility

operation status.

Inspector observations included a witnessing

of a facility startup on March 13, 1979, following a shutdown

to rearrcr.ce experiments in progress.

Facility areas toured

included: ' operations, gamma and neutron ceck, including associated

laboratories; reactor control room; hot cell manipulator room;

switchgear room; heating and ventilation room; primary coolant

pump room; student laboratories; and, cold fuel storage vault.

General housekeeping and radiation protection controls in the

areas toured were discussed with the Operations Supervisor.

No inadequacies were identified.

7.

Bulletin / Circular Followup

The bulletins and circulars listed below were reviewed with the

Op' ratiord Manager to verify that (i) copies of the bulletins /circu-

lars were received and reviewed for applicability to the NSTF

facility; (ii) bulletin responses were submitted to the NRC in

the time required; and, (iii) licensee reviews and dispositioning

of problems identified by the bulletins / circulars are supported

by facility records and physical installations.

--

IEC 77-14, Separation of Contaminated Water Systems from

Non-Contaminated Plant Systems

--

IEB 78-07, Protection Afforded by Air Line Respirators and

Supplied Air Hoods

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IEB 78-08, Radiation Levels from Fuel Transfer Tubes

--

The licensee's reviews of these items concluded that facility

designs and practices required no additional actions to be taken

in these areas.

No items of noncompliance were identified.

8.

Exit Interview

A management meeting was held with licensee representatives (denoted

in Paragraph 1) at the conclusion of the inspection on March 15,

1979.

The purpose, scope, and findings of the inspection were

dise.ussed as they appear in the details of this report.

The

licensee acknowledged the apparent item of noncompliance with

TS N.2.a.

Licensee plans to: provide ~ procedure reviews.by

the N,SC'.were discussed in a telephone conversation with Dr. Chon

on March 23, 1979. The licensee stated that a copy of the draft

Technical Specifications would be forwarded for NRC: Region I

review pending: completion of the NSC review of the proposed

specifications.

,

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