ML19259D506

Environ Incident 50-289/74-01:on 740526,excessive Negative Change Rate of River Water Differential Temp Violated Ets. Caused by Inexperienced Personnel Operating Mechanical Draft Cooling Tower & Inoperative Differential Temp Alarm

ML19259D506
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	05/31/1974
From:	Arnold R METROPOLITAN EDISON CO.
To:
References
GQL-0025, GQL-25, NUDOCS 7910240771
Download: ML19259D506 (4)

Text

AEC DTS'Cv3UTION FOR PART 50 DOCKET MrrEPN4 (TD1?CTAR'r FOPJi) _

CONTROL NO: 4965 FILE: ENVIRO FROM: DATE CF DOC DATE REC'D LTR ' MEMO RPT OTHER Metropolitan Edison Company Reading, Pennsylvania R. C. Arncid 5-31-74 6-4-74 X TO: ORIG CC OTHER SENT AEC PDR XXX J. P. O'Reilly 1 CLASS UNCLASS PROP INFO INPUT NO CTS REC'D DOCKET NO:

XXX 1 50-289 DESCRIPTION: ENCLOSURES:

Environmental Incident rpt #EI 50-289/74-1 (erroneously designated 24 hr rpt A0-74-5) .DONOT REMOVE of 5-26-74 in which an excessive negative rate of shange of river water differential temperature occurred I OEEGE PLANT NAME: THREE MILE ISLAND UNIT #1 1 FCR ACTION /INFORMATION, 6-5-74 GMC BUTLER (L) SCWENCER(L) ZIDIANN(L) [REGAN(E)

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Dear Mr. O'Reilly:

Operating License DPR-50 Docket No. 50-289 In accordance with Environ =cntal Technical Specifications for the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station Unit 1, ve are reporting the following Environmental Incident (ref: inappropriately designated 2h hr. report A0-Th-5):

(1) Reporting Nu=ber: E.I. 50-289/Th-1 __r (2a) Report Date: May 31, 197h (2b) Occurrence Date: May 26, 197h </

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JUN 04 % E (3) Facility: Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station, Unit'y g.fu u., .:" ;

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(h) Identification of Incident: \b y 01 9

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Excessive Nerative Rate of Change of River Water Differential ~'Q '

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Temeerature, which is a violatien of Technical Specifications, paragraph 2.1.a(2), and constitutes exceeding a liciting condition for operation.

(5) Conditions Prior to Occurrence: Reactor cooldown to lh00 F in progress with major plant parameters as follows:

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R.C. Flow: 2800 GPM--Decay Heat Removal System R.C. Pressure: 270 psig

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R.C. Tempa 190 F PRZR Level: 115" PRZR Temp.: h15 F (6) Description of Incident: During cooldown of the Reactor Coolant System, operations personnel noticed that the service vatar discharge (effluent) temperature to the river was increasing abave the river' vater (influent) temperature. They then initiated action to decrease the effluent temperature by starting a 74echanical Draft Cooling Tover pu=p and fan. This action resulted in the effluent to influent differential temperature decreasing at a rate of 7 F/hr. Upor indication that the differential temperature had decreased at a rate exceeding the 20 F/hr. Environmental Technical Specifications limit, action was taken to stop further decrease of the effluent temperature by securing the operating fan on the Mechanical Draft Cooling Tover.

(7) Designation of Apparent Cause of Incident:

(a) Material, in that the service water differential temperature alarm was inoperative, and (b) Personnel, in that individuals were inexperienced in the opera-tion of the Mechanical Draft Cooling Tower, which led to their failing to exercise sufficient caution in cooling tower opera-tion and service water temperature monitoring.

(8) Analysis of Incident: The effluent temperature stopped decreasing and stabilized at 63 F shortly after securing the Mechanical Draft Cooling Tower fan, thus bringing the rate of change of differential temperature to within the Environmental Technical Specifications limit. Visual inspection of the river immediately following the incident revealed no indication of environmental damage. .

(9) Corrective Action: Operations personnel took immediate actions as described in the above analysis and reported the incident to the Plant Superintendent, who in turn notified the Vice President of Generation. Long term corrective action implemented is as follows:

(a) The service water differential terperature alarm has been repaired.

(b) The Mechanical Draft Cooling Tower vill be revised to include

' precautions on the use and control of the towers during cool-down.

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. ~ (c) The T E-1 Supervisor of Operations vill counsel all TMI-1 Operations Departcent Supervisory Personnel on

1. the need to closely monitor the service water differential temperature during cooldown, and

2. the necessity to use caution in operating the Mechanical Draft Cooling Tower pumps and fans.

This action has been reviewed and concurred in by the Manager of Generation Engineering.

(10) Failure Data: Not Applicable.

Sincerely, t'1,  ;

C. dLh Vice President-Generation RCA:D:!G:eg ec: Director Directorate of Licensing U. S. Atocic Energy Co==ission Washington, D.C. 205h5 File 20.1.1/7.7.3.8.1 1459 261

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