ML19261F145

Environ Incident 50-289/75-02:on 750413,ETS Violated by Total Chlorine Concentration at Plant River Discharge Exceeding Limits.Caused by Lack of Guidelines Determining Chlorine Feed Rate.No Environ Damage Caused

ML19261F145
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	04/18/1975
From:	Arnold R METROPOLITAN EDISON CO.
To:
References
GQL-0953, GQL-953, NUDOCS 7910240804
Download: ML19261F145 (5)

Text

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NRC 'STR!EUTION FOR PART SO DOCF M ATERI AL

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. CONTROL NO: 4559 FILE: I W48'e A o FROM: }tetroplitan Edison Co. DATE OF DOC DATE REC'D LTR TWX RPT OTHER Reading, Pa R.C . Arnold 4-18-75 4-24-75 m CC OTHER SENT AEC PDR XXXX TO: ORIG tlr. J.P. 0"Reilly no 1 SENT LOCAL PDR vvvv CLASS UNCLASS PROPINFO INPUT NO CYS REC'D DOCKET NO:

m xx 1 50-289 DESCRIPTION: ENCLOSURES:

Ltr reporting Environmental Abnormal L. recurrence

1. 75-02 on 4-13-75 concerning excessive total -

chlorine concentration at the plant river water discharge ......

PLANT NAME:

Three Mile Island #1 FOR ACTION /INFORMATigN 4-28-75 JGB BUTLER (L) SCHWENCER (L) ZlEMANN (L) 4fEG AN (E)

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/ METROPOLITAN EDISON COMPANY sues:ciaRy oF GENERAL PUBLIC UTILITIE3 CO3?CRATICN PCF O :t02 30X 542 R EADING, PENNSYLV ANI A 10603 TELEPHONE 215 - 929-2601

. .I .' ' , , GQL 0953 MR .1 6 Xpf Mr. J. P. O'Reilly, Director Office of Inspection and Enforcement, Region 1 Nuclear Regulatory Commission 631 Park Avenue King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 19406

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Dear Mr. O'Reilly:

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3 Operating License DPR-50 Docket #50-289 In accordance with the Environmantal Technical Specifications for Three Mile Island Nuclear Station Unit 1, we are reporting the following Environnental Incident: ,

(1) Reporting Number: E.I. 50-289/75-02

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(2a) Report Date: APR 1 8 1973 ,

(2b) Occurrence Date: April 13, 1975 T (3) Facility: Three Mile Island Nuclear Station Unit 1' /' '

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(4) Identification of Incident: 'N - - -

Excessive total chlorine concentration at the plant river water dis-charge, which is a viclation of the Environmental Technial Specifications, paragraph 2.2.la, and constitutes exceeding a limiting condition for operation.

(5) Conditions Prior to Occurrence:

The reactor saa at 11 cat Stanc'of prior to routine startup with najor plant parameters as follows:

Power: Core: 0%

Elec.: 0 W (Gross) 3 RC Flow: 1.37 x 10 lb/hr RC Pressure: 2155 paig 1485 351 h559

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RC Temp.: 536 F PRZR Level: 23G in.

PRZR Temp.: 650 F (6) Description of Occurrence :

During a periodic evolution conducted to chlorinate the systems cooled by the Mechanical Draf t Cooling Tower, the station river discharge sample taken 30 minutes af ter co=mencecent of the evolution indicated a total chlorine residual of 0.23 ppm. The station river discharge sample taken 50 minutes after cocmencement of the evolution indicated a total chlorine residual of 0.12 ppm.

In that cli.orine addition had been terminated about 15 minutes after the commencement of the evc' cion, it was determined that there were no additional actions whien could be taken to get the reading within the specification limit.

(7) Designation of Apparent Cause of Occurrence:

Procedure is thought to be the apparent cause of the occurrence in that there are no guidelines to aid in determining how the chlorine feed rate should be varied as a function of existing conditions. Some of the conditions which can affect the amount of total chlorine consumed as it passes through the systems are:

1. River cooling water transit time from the river cooling water pump discharge to the cooling tower discharge which is in turn a function of the number of systems and pumps in use.

2. Various river water conditions such as temperature, pH, and organic composition.

Operator error is not thought to be the cause of the incident in that the technician who perform &d the analysis was trained in the analytical technique.

The sample for chlorine concentration is normally obtnined at the Radiation Monitor Pit. Due to the fail 3re of the sample pump, this sample was collected in the basin of the Mechanical Draf t Cooling Tower (MDCT) .

(8) Analysis of Occurrence:

It is believed that the total chlorine level did not exceed the 0.2 ppn limit by a sufficient degree to cause environmental damage or to have endangered the health and safety of the public because

a. During the course of the subject chlorination period, f ree chlorine residual remained less than the 0.1 ppm specification limit.

b. The chlorine residuals are measured prior to discharge to the river. The actual plant discharge is small in <.cmparison to total river flow resulting in an enormous d 1 t q o hy

e chlorine residual. It is believed that the effective chlorine residuals actually established in the river would be below environmentally hazardous values.

c. As noted above, the sample was taken from the MDCT. Sub-sequent investigation shows that the chlorine concentration at the radiation monitoring pit is lower than that at the NOCT. It is, therefore, possible that the reported violation may, in fact, be due only to sampling location and that the total residual chlorine level at the discharge to the river may actually have been lower than 0.2 ppm.

(9) Corrective Action:

Immediate corrective action involving termination of ch1.orine was not feasible as chlorination had already been terminated by the time it was realized that the limit for free ahlorine had been exceeded. However, prior to the next chlorination period following the incident, the chlorination rate at the river water screen house was reduced f rca 300 lbs/ day to 200 lbs/ day. Also, additional analyses are being perfor=ed to attempt to provide better correlation between chlorine demand and usage.

Long term corrective action includes a continuing investigation of the chlorination program and its associated systems, procedures, and equip-ment. A part of the investigation will consist of utilizing the 90-day period referenced in the Environmental Technical Specifications, paragraph 2.2.1.6, to better determine if and how chlorine addition rate limits should be established as a function of existing conditions.

This 90-day period will commence in June 1975 as noted in our latter dated April 19, 1975.

The Plant Operdtions Review Committee and the Station Superintendent reviewed and approved these corrective actions.

(10) Failure Data:

a. Previous Failures:

Although the incident is not thought to have resulted from equip-ment failure, similar incidentsuvere reported as E.I. 50-289/74-2, 74-3, 74-4, 74-5, 74-6, 74-7, 74-9, and 75-01.

b. Equipment Identification:

Not Ap plicable .

Sincerely,

, Signed: R. C. AN_D R. C. Arnold Vice President RCA: RSB:tas 1485 353

. -- n cc: Director Directorate of Licensing Nuclear Regulatory Cornission Washington, D.C. 20555 File: 20.1.1 / 7.7.3.11.1 1485 354