ML19254F654
| ML19254F654 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Dresden, Byron, Braidwood, Quad Cities, Zion, LaSalle  |
| Issue date: | 11/05/1979 |
| From: | James Keppler NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Reed C COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7911160194 | |
| Download: ML19254F654 (1) | |
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UNITED STATES l'
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION E
REGION 111 o,
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799 ROOSEVELT ROAD e
%**"*j' GLEN ELLYN. lLLINOIS 60137 hOV 5 1979 Docket Nos. 50-10, 50-237, 50-249, 50-254, 50-265, 50-295, 50-304, 50-373, 50-374, 50-454, 50-455, 50-456 and 50-457 Commonwealth Edison Company ATTN:
Mr. Cordell Reed Manager of Nuclear Operations Post Office Box 767 Chicago, IL 60690 Gentlemen:
This Information Notice is provided as an early notification of a possibly significant matter.
It is expected that recipients will review the infor-mation for possible applicability to their facilities. No specific action or response is requested at this time.
If further NRC evaluations so indi-cate, an IE Circular, Bulletin, or NRR Generic Letter will be issued to recommend or request specific licensee actions.
If you have questions regarding the matter, please contact the Director of the appropriate NRC Regional Office.
Sincere 1y, aTes
~
Director
Enclosure:
IE Information Notice No. 79-26 cc w/ enc 1:
Mr. D. L. Peoples, Director Mr. Gunner Sorensen, Site of Nuclear Licensing Project Superintendent Mr. B. B. Stephenson, Mr. R. Cosaro, Project Station Superintendent Superintendent Mr. N. Kalivianakis, Central Files Station Superintendent Director, NRR/DPM Mr. N. Wandke, Station Director, NRR/ DOR Superintendent PDR Mr. L. J. Burke, Site Local PDR Project Superintendent NSIC Mr. T. E. Quaka, Quality TIC Assurance Supervisor Anthony Roisman, Esq., Attorney Mr. R. H. Holyoak, Station Mr. Dean Hansell, Office of Superintendent Assistant Attorney General
6 221 7911160 M Q
SSINS:
6870 Accession No:
7908220133 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D. C.
20555 November 5, 1979 IE Information Notice No. 79-26 BREACH OF CONTAINMENT INTEGRITY Description of Circumsta' ices:
On September 14, 1979, the Consumers Power Company (CPC) notified the NRC of discovery at the Palisades Nuclear Generating Plant of a valve misalignment that had resulted in containment integrity being breached for an indeterminate length of time.
While preparing to perform a Type "C" leak test between two manual valves in a 3" bypass line around the main 48" containment purge valve, plant personnel dis-covered that both of these manual isolation valves were locked in the open posi-tion.
These valves should have been locked closed.
Investigation by the licensee indicated that the valves may have been improperly positioned since April, 1978, when an efficiency test of the bypass line filters was performed.
The plant has operated at power for the major portion of that time period.
The valve misalignment had no actual impact on the public health.
However, in the event of a design basis accident wherein fuel damage and release of primary coolant inside the containment are postulated, the open valves would provide a significant path for a radioactive release from the containment.
The initial design purpose for the bypass system was to provide a long term hydrogen contro basisaccident.hcapabilityforthecontainmentatmospherefollowingadesign It was intended that after approximately 30 days following an accident, when containment pressure and activity levels dropped sufficiently to permit venting, this system would be manually valved to vent the containment atmosphere, through high efficiency and charcoal filters, to the exhaust stack.
Thus the components in the bypass line beyond the two manual isolation valves were not designed for the severe service they would be exposed to with the valves open during the initial pressure surge of the design basis accident, and signif-icant uncontrolled release would result.
High radiation in the vicinity of the bypass line would also make immediate closing of the manual isolation valves, even if identified as the source of leakage, an extremely hazardous operation.
The principal cause for this event was inadequacy of the procedures addressing proper use and positioning of these valves.
The master containment integrity valve line-up checklist, which is performed prior to each startup from cold 1/ Current NRC requirements call for the use of hydrogen recombiners to control hydrogen buildup.
Palisades has recombiners installed.
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IE Information Notice No. 79-26 November 5, 1979 Page 2 of 2 shutdown, did not include these valves.
The filter efficiency test for the 3" bypass line did not adequately specify the final position of these valves, and this is the probable cause for the valves being left incorrectly positioned The valve misalignment represents a case where human factors in the form of inadequate procedures resulted in a loss of safety system function.
CPC has updated the above mentioned procedures to assure that proper positioning of these valves is addressed.
Concurrently, CPC is reviewing other paths from containment to assure that procedures and checklists are complete.
CPC has also hired a qualified consultant to perform an independent review for the same purpose.
This Information Notice is provided as an early notification of a significant occurrence.
It is expected that recipients will review the information for possible applicability to their facilities.
No written response is required.
If you desire additional information regarding this matter, contact the Director of the appropriate NRC Regional Office.
Enclosure:
List of IE Information Notices Issued in the Last Six Months
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IE Information Notice No. 79-26 Enclosure November 5, 1979 Page 1 of 2 LISTING OF IE INFORMATION NOTICES ISSUED IN LAST SIX MONTHS Information Subject Date Issued To Notice No.
Issued 79-14 NRC Position of Electrical 6/11/79 All Power Reactor Cable Support Systems Facilities with a CP 79-15 Deficient Procedures 6/7/79 A d Holders of Reactor OLs 67d cps 79-16 Nuclear Incident at Three 6/22/79 All Reseacch Reactors Mile Island and Test Heactors with OLs 79-17 Source Holder Assembly Damage 6/20/79 All Holders of Reactor Damage From Misfit Between OLs and cps Assembly and Reactor Upper Grid Plate 79-18 Skylab Reentry 7/5/79 All Holders of Reactor OLs 79-19 Pipe Cracks In Stagnant 7/17/79 All Holders of Reactor Borated Water Systems At OLs and cps PWR Plants 79-20 NRC Enforcement Policy 8/10/79 All Holders of Reactor NRC Licensed Individuals OLs and cps and Production Licensees with Licensed Operators 79-21 Transportation and Commercial 9/7/79 All power and research Burial of Radioactive Material reactors with OL's 79-22 Qualification of Control 9/14/79 All power reactor Systems facilities with operating licenses and construction permits.
79-23 Emergency Diesel Generator 9/25/79 All power reactor Lube Oil Coolers facilities holding OLs and cps
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IE Information Notice No. 79-26 Enclosure November 5, 1979 Page 2 of 2 LISTING OF IE INFORMATION NOTICES ISSUED IN 1979 Information Subject Date Issued To Notice No.
Issued 79-24 Overpressurization Of 9/28/79 All power reactor facilities Containment Of A PWR Plant with a CP After A Main Stream Line Break 79-25 Reactor Trips At Turkey 10/1/79 All power facilities with Point Unit 3 And 4 an OL or a CP 7'6 225