ML19254F678
| ML19254F678 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Waterford  |
| Issue date: | 11/05/1979 |
| From: | Seyfrit K NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | Aswell D LOUISIANA POWER & LIGHT CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7911160256 | |
| Download: ML19254F678 (1) | |
Text
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- jd Moof,'o UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION O 'e
' 'n REG,0N IV 7 I o 611 RYAN PLAZA DRIVE,SulTE 1000 ',C ARLINGTON. TEX AS 76012
- b. / ;';
o; 8 %; %D 0 November 5, 1979 In Reply Refer To: RIV Docket No. 50-382/IE Information Notice No. 79-26 Louisiana Power and Light Co. ATIN: Mr. D. L. Aswell Vice President of Power Production 142 Delaronde Street New Orleans, Louisiana 70174 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 hM 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 Of fice. Sincerely, !'/$1,f:klW" 0/ 2 Karl V. Seyfrit. Director I
Enclosures:
1. IE Information Notice No. 79-26 2. List of IE Information Notices Issued in the Last Six Months 1351 287 79nieo2%
pg'% [ D 0 g d fbs SSINS: 6870 Accession No: 7908220133 !!NITED STATES MMAP 1:EGULATORY COMMISSION - 0FFiCE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHlNGTON, D. C. 20555 IE Information Notice No. 79-26 Date: November 5,1979 Page 1 of 2 BREACH OF CONTAINMENT INTEGRITY Description of Circumstances: 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 th,t botn c th c manual isolation valves were locked in the open posi-tion. These valvt 4o. i have been locked closed. Investigation by the licensee indicated that int say have been improperly positioned since April,1978, when an ef ficiency test o f the bypass lina 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.-{capabilityforthecontainmentatmospherefollowingadesign It was intended that af ter approximately 30 days following an accident, when containment pressure and activity IcVels 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 li.e would also make immediate c even if identified as the source of lea DUPLICATE DOCUFINT Entire document previously If Current NRC requirements call for entered into system under: control hydrogen buildup.
- Palisad, nuO 12fM^$/39 f
1351 288so. of pages:}}