ML19254F673
| ML19254F673 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | River Bend  |
| Issue date: | 11/05/1979 |
| From: | Seyfrit K NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | Weigand J GULF STATES UTILITIES CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7911160247 | |
| Download: ML19254F673 (1) | |
Text
JG UNITED STATES
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION O '(
REGloN IV
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611 RYAN PLAZA DRIVE, SUITE 1000
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November 5, 1979 In Reply Refer To:
RIV Docket Nos.
50-458/IE Information Notice No. 79-26 50-459/I; Information Notice No. 79-26 Gulf States Utilities Attn:
Dr. J. G. Weigand General Manager, Nuclear Projects Post Office Box 2951 Beaumont, Texas 77704 Gentlemen:
This IE Information Notice is provided as an early notification of a possibly significant matter.
It is expected that recipients will review the information for possible applicability to their facilities.
No specific action or response is requested at this time.
If further NRC evaluations so indicate, an IE Circular, IE 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.
Sincerely, D
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.hu :
Kar V. Seyfrit Director
/
Enclosures:
1.
IE Information Notice No. 79-26 2.
List of IE Information Notices Issued in the Last Six Months 1347
.521 7911160
SSINS:
6870 Accession No:
7908220133
!!.'HTED STATES aJ > ' If.GULATORY COBullSSION OFl~id. Ui 1NSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASillNGTON, D. C.
20555 IL In formation Notice No. 79-26 Date: November 5, 1979 Page 1 of 2 BREACH OF CONTAIN:lE.NT INTEGRITY Description of Circumstances On September 14, 19 M, the Consumers Power Company (CPC) notified the NRC of discovery at the Palisades Nuclear Generating Plant of a valve misalignment that had resulted in contain:nent integrity being breached for an indeterninate length o f 1 irm.
While prepa ring t.o perform a Type "C" leak test between two manual valves in a 3" bypass 1ine aronod the main 48" containuent purge valve, plant pernonnel dis-covered thA
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mnual isolation valves were locked in the open posi-tion.
Thes,- vm.
E ce been locked closed.
Investigation by the licensee indicated that trn a, have been inproperly positioned since April, 1978, when an efficiency tes. of the bypass line filters was performed.
The plant. has operated at power for the n.ajor portion of t hat time period.
The valve misalignment had no actual impact on the public health.
Houever, 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 signi fi cant path for a radioactive release from the containment.
The initial design purpose for the bypass syst.em was to provide a long-term hydrogen contro basisaccident.heapabilityforthecontainmentatmosphere following a design It was intended that after approximately 30 days following an accident, when containment pressure and activit.y levela dropped suffi.ciently to perr:iit venting, this syste.a would be manually valved to vent the containment atmosphere, through high efficiency and charcoal filters, to the e:.haust stack Thus the components in the bypass line Lt >ond 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 uncont rolled release would resul+
3-bypass line would also make immediate i even if identified as the source of les DUPLICATE DOCUMENT 1/
Current NRC requirements call for Entire document previously control hydrogen buildup.
Palisac entered into system under:
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ANO l W(.522
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