ML19256E419
| ML19256E419 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Zimmer |
| Issue date: | 10/19/1979 |
| From: | James Keppler NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Borgmann E CINCINNATI GAS & ELECTRIC CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7911050179 | |
| Download: ML19256E419 (1) | |
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'o UNITED STATES
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION s
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.E REGION lil i
1 799 ROOSEVELT ROAD V
GLEN ELLYN. ILLINOIS 60137 g*****
Docket No. 50-358 Cincinnati Gas and Electric s
Company ATTN:
Mr. Earl A. Borgmann Senior Vice President Engineering Services and Electric Production 139 East 4th Street Cincinnati, OH 45201 Gentlemen:
Enclosed is IE Circular No. 79-21, " Prevention of Unplanned Releases of Radioactivity," which provides information on inadvertent releases /on-site spills of radioactivity.
Should you have any ques.tions related to the enclosed suggested preventive measures, please contact this office.
Sincerely, Y'
ames G. Keppler Director
Enclosures:
1.
IE Ciruelar No. 79-21 2.
List of IE Circulars Issued in the Last Six Months cc w/ encl:
Mr. J. R. Schott, Plant Superintendent Central Files Director, NRR/DPM Director, NRR/ DOR PDR Local PDR NSIC TIC Harold W. Kohn, Power Siting Commission Citizens Against a Radioactive Envircament ilelen W. Evans, State of Ohi 4
310 7911050 g
Accession No.: 7908220128 SSINS:
6830 UNITED STATES m
3 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT 3 o
- E WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555 October 19, 1979 IE Circular.No. 79-21 PREVENTION OF UNPLANNED RELEASES OF RADI0 ACTIVITY Numerous incidents of unplanned releases of radioactivity have been reported to the NRC within the past few months. These incidents of leaks, overflows and spills have resulted in contamination of areas outside of plant buildings.
The attached table provides you with summary information on these events, their apparent causes, the radiological consequences and the corrective actions.
We believe that a number of these incidents could have been avoided and previn-tive actions for these types of unplanned releases should be instituted by all reactor licensees. Based on the reported incidents, the following preventive measures can minimize the occurrence of such events.
1.
Review of procedures for transfer of radioactive liquids.
Errors in written procedures have led to mistakes in valve line-ups and tank overflows. Written procedures, including check lists for valve line-aps, should be developed and followed for operations which could cause spills of radioactivity. Nanagement controls, including audits, should be employed to assure verbatim compliance with such procedures.
2.
Review of "as built" systems having the potential of inadvertent releases because of design or construction errors. Consider items such as:
a.
Tank overflows should be routed to liquid radwaste tanks.
b.
Storm drains should be located away from areas with a high potential for spills.
c.
Consideration should be given to drip pans under equipment, such as pumps and valves, from which leakage is expected.
d.
Cofferdams should be installed under doors to areas with a potential for radioactive spills.
e.
Preoperational testing should verify that crossconnects do not exist that would permit radioactivity to flow from operating unit (s) to unit (s) under construction.
3.
Periodically functionally test and perform inspections to verify integrity of systems that could cause an inadvertent release.
Excessive wear and corrosion degradation have occurred in valves, seals and piping systems to cause leaks.
New permanent and temporary piping systems should be r
1254 311
IE Circular No. 79-21 October 19, 1979 Page 2 of 2 hydrostatically tested prior to first use.
Underground piping should be periodically hydrostatically tested.
Preventive maintenance programs should be implemented and identified problems: such as leaking equipment and plugged floor drains, should be promptly repaired.
No written response to this Circular is required.
If you reqaire additional information regarding this subject,. contact the Director of the appropriate NRC Regional Office
Enclosure:
Recent Events of Radioactive Contamination 1254312 e
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.p RECENT EVENTS OF RADI0 ACTIVE C0HTAMINATION OUTSIDE BUILDINGS
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Plant Date Apparent cause Radiological Consequence Licensee Followup Action i
Turkey Point 3'4 6/11/79 Operator-Error 900 gallons of water processed Total of 0.01 oCi of'Co-58 Procedure reviewed by radwaste system overflowed Co-60 released to stors with operator.
from waste processing tank because drain of error in valve line-bp. The Aux.
Bldg. floor drain backed up to the on site stora drain. 'The drain system discharged to an on-site underground tile bed.
Palisades 6/9/79 Inadequate Procedures
-5 Contaminated secondary system Resins activity at 10 The monitoring procedure spent powdered esins were trans-pCf/ce; total release to determine.the..reuting ferred to an outside storage bin about 10 pCi of Co-60 of the secondary spent withat monitoring.
Rain storm resins has been replaced caused resins to overficw the by a procedura requiring storage bin and be washed to Lake all sps.nt secondary syste Michigan via storn drain.
resins to be handled and shipped as solid waste.
Surry 2 5/21/79 Equipment Failure.
Core spray pump isolation 5 gallons spilled; 2 gallons Leak repaired Three 55-valve leaud duriro RWST outside of b1dg.
gallon drums of con-transfer to Spent Fuel Pit.
0.02 pC1/cc. Co-58 taminated dirt removed' Water leaked to Safeguards 0.035 pCi/cc, H-3.
Bldg. floor.
Floor drain s
plugged; resulted in watcr flow out of building.
Enclosure IE Circular No. 79-21 Page 1 of 3
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3 Plant Date Apparent. Cause Radiological Consequence Licensee Follow-up Action
~ 7 Oconee 3 5/16/79 Operational Error.
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' 5/17/79
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Normally closed valve left 2000 gallons overflowed; Procedure reviewed with. [
open during pumping of fuel 200-300 gallons out cf operating personnel. Areas transfer canal water to BWST.
bu11 ding,4 outside of Aux. Bldg. decon-Water overflowed the BWST to 3.1 x 10 pCi/cc,1-131.
taminated.
Aux. Bldg. penetration room, down a stairway to area outsioe Aux. Bldg.
Farley 1/2 5/14/79 Design Error.
Decontamination drains 1860 gallons of contam-Review all drains from from Unit I routed to Unit inated water discharged Unit I and Unit 2.
Six such 2 sump and released to to pond.
Estimated max-drains were looted and flush pond via tendon inom activity of 10 mci - plugged.
access area.
Those drains Co-58.
Pond mud activity should have been routed
< 500 pC1/Kg. No pond t-Unit I floor drain water activity detected.
system.
Dyster Creek 4/17/79 Equipment Fnilure.
Leakage from a Drywell Water in pipe tunnel DEDT line repaired.
Equipment Drain Tank (DEDT) 9 0.3 pC1/cc and soil Structure to enclose pipe line.
in vicinity of penetra-from Rx. Bldg. to main tion i > the reactor pipe tunnel to con-building were found to structed.
be contaminated.
Enclosure IE Circular No. 79-21 Page 2 of 3
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Plant Date Apparent Cause Radiological Consequence Licensee Follow-up Action ~
~n Brunswick 1 5/8-9/79 Operator Error and Equipment Failure.
Air mixing valve of RWCU Total release of 12 act Tank transfer procedure ' ' N backwash tank left open of corrosion product.
reviewed. Caution tag after liquid transfer.
on valve installed.
Dried tank residue released Loose access cover re-to building ventilation paired.
system via loose access cover.
Hatch 1/2 3/20/79 Construction Error._,
Buried temporary line for Highest on site ground Ten orary line broken 5
N tank in yard for feed-water of 3 x 10 pCi/1 -
inside turbine building w ter heaters was not capped H Highest qtr. avg. off-and capped.
2 after tank removal.
Rx steam site outfal-1 of subsugface released into ground from drainage was 1.8 x 10 duried line.
pCi/1.
North Anna 9/25/79 Construction Error Relief valve on the volume Airborne radioactivity Still under investigation control tank lifted thus trans-levels in the Auxiliary farring reactor coolant to the Building reached 150 X high level waste drain tank and MPCs. Auxiliary Building releasing dissolved noble gases was evacuated.
'l to the auxiliary building via the waste system vent. An incorrectly r
connected vent line allowed venting directly to the auxiliary building.
l Enclosure IE Circular No. 79-21 Page 3 of.3 l
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t IE Circular No. 79-21 Enclosure October 19, 1979 Page 1 of 2 LISTING OF IE CIRCULARS ISSUED IN LAST SIX MONTHS S
Circular Subject Date of Issued to No.
Issue 79-07 Unexpected Speed Increast 5/2/79 All Holders of of Reactor Recirculation BWR OL's or CP's MG Set, Resulted in Reactsr Powe' Increase 79-08 A'. tempted Extortion - Low 5/18/79 All Fuel Facilities inriched Uranium Licensed by NRC 79-09 Occurrences of Split or 6/22/79 All Materials Punctured Regulator Diaphragms Priority I, Fuel In Certain Self Contained Cycle and Operating Breathing Apparatus Reactor Licensees 79-10 Pipefittings Manufactured 6/26/79 All Power ?eactor from Unacceptable Material Licensees t:th a CP and/or OL 79-11 Design / Construction 6/27/79 All Applicants Interface Problem for, and Holders of Power Reactor cps 79-12 Potential Diesel Generator 6/28/79 All Power Reactors Turbocharger Problem Operating Facilities and all Utilities having a CP 79-13 Replacement of Diesel 7/10/79 All Power Reactor Fire Pump Starting
, Operating Facilities Contactors and all Utilities having a CP 79-14 Unauthorizej Procurement and 7/13/79 All Medical Licensees Distribution of XE-133 except Teletheraphy Medical Licensees and to all Radiopharmaceu-tical Suppliers 79-15 Bursting of High Pressure Hose 8/8/79 All Materials Priority I, and Malfunction ofjRelief Fuel, Cycle and Operating Valve "0" Ring in tertain Self-Power Reactor Licensees ContainedBreathidgApparatus 1254 316 i
IE Circular No. 79-21 Enclosure October 19. 1979 Page 2 of 2 LISTING OF IE CIRCULARS ISSUED IN LAST SIX MONTHS Circular subject Date of Issued to No.
Issued 79-16 Eteessive Radiation Exposures 8/16/79 All Radiography la Members Of The General Public Licensees And A Radiographer 79-17 Contact Problem in SB-12 8/14/79 All Power Reactor Switches on General Electric Licensees with a CP Company talclad Circuit and/or OL Breakers 79-18 Proper Installation of 9/10/79 All Holders of a Target Rock Safety-Relief Power Reactor OL Valves or CP 79-19 Loose Locking Devices on 9/13/79 All Power Reactor Ingersoll-Rand Pumps Operating facilities and all utilities having a CP 79-20 Failure Of GTE Sylvania Relay 9/24/79 All utilities having a Type FM Bulletin 7305, Catalog CP SU12-11-AC With A 120V AC Coil 1254 317' h
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