ML19281B176
| ML19281B176 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000008 |
| Issue date: | 03/28/1979 |
| From: | James Keppler NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Ungar E Battelle Memorial Institute, COLUMBUS LABORATORIES |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7905010191 | |
| Download: ML19281B176 (1) | |
Text
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,' t NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION I IZ;f ) j REGION IH
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f 799 ROOSEVELT ROAD
Dr. E. W. Ungar Director 505 King Avenue Columbus, OH 43201 Gentlemen:
The enclosed IE Information Notice No. 79-08 is forwarded to you for information.
No specific action is requested and no written response is required.
If you desire additional information regarding this matter, please contact this office.
Sincerely, G~
.c,,. 7; 3 James G. Keppler Director
Enclosure:
IE Information Notice No. 79-08 cc w/ encl:
Mr. H.
L. Toy, License Coordinator Central Files PDR NSIC TIC 7 90501013 l
4 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT REGION III March 28, 1979 IE Information Notice No. 79-08 INTERCONNECTION OF CONTAMINATED SYSTEMS WITH St.RVICE AIR SYSTEMS USED AS THE SOURCE OF BREATHING AIR Description of Circumstances:
This Information Notice describes an event which occurred at the Peach Bottom Nuclear Power station; however, the generic implications may be applicable to other power reactors and selected fuel cycle facilities.
On October 4, 1978, the Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO) reported that, on two occasions at Unit 2, contamination had leaked from the radwaste system to a system used to provide the plant source of breathing air.
The leakage occurred through an interconnection of the radwaste system with the plant breathing air source.
PECO established that no personnel were subjected to contaminated breathing air as a result of this leakage.
One of the functions of the service air system at Peach Botto= is to provide a source of breathing air for personnel using supplied air respiratory protective equipment.
By means of an interconnection to the radwaste system, the facility also uses the service air system to pro-vide a source of compressed air during the backwash cycle of the demineralizer filter element.
The compressed air provides the motive force for reverse water flow through the filter element and was being used to perform this function when the two incidents occurred. Liquid from the radwaste system leaked past a check valve and a process valve.
PECO determined by analysis of liquid samples that contamination had leaked into the service air system. Valves in the leakage path were subsequently dismantled and examined. The examinations revealed the presence of dirt deposits in the check valve and air operated ball valve.
PECO attributes the specific cause of the leakage to these dirt deposits which prevented the proper seating of the valves.
NRC contacts with other operating power reactors have indicated that other facilities also use service air as a source of breathing air.
In several cases, the service air system is physically interconnected to other systems which carry radioactive material and relies on valves or other barriers to prevent contamination of the plant source of breathing air.
7904300481 D0ft
I IE Information Notice No. 79-08 March 28, 1979 Page 2 of 2 NUREG-0041, " Manual of Respiratory Protection Against Airborne Radioactive Materials," which supplements the stipulations of Regulatory Guide 8.15, states in Section 9.8, "A separate breathing air supply and distribution system shall be used. The ordinary plant supply of compressed air in any building shall not be used for breathing purposes...unless it has been specifically modified and properly adapted for such use and specif1-cally approved for this purpose by the qualified person supervising the respiratory protective equipment program."
At those facilities where service air is used as a source of breathing air, certain precautions can be taken to minimize the potential of a problem similar to the one described.
By review of the service air systen and as-built (or design) drawings, interconnections between con-taminated systems and the source of breathing air can be identified.
Where interconnections are identified, the design should assure that adequate separation is provided.
In addition, operating procedures should provide for controls to prevent contamination of the breathing air source.
No specific action or written response to this Information Notice is required.
If you desire additional information regarding this matter, contact the Director of the appropriate NRC Regional Office.
Enclosure:
Listing of IE Information Notices Issued in 1979
s IE Information Notice No. 79-08 March 28, 1979 LISTING OF IE INFORMATION NOTICES ISSUED IN 1979 Information Subject Date Issued To Notice No.
Issued 79-01 Bergen-Paterson Hydraulic 2/2/79 All power reactor Shock and Sway Arrestor facilities with an OL or a CP 79-02 Attempted Extortion -
2/2/79 All Fuel Facilities Low Enriched Uranium 79-03 Limitorque Valve Geared 2/9/79 All power reactor Limit Switch Lubricant facilities with an OL or a CP 79-04 Degradation of 2/16/79 All power reactor Engineered facilities with an Safety Features OL or a CP 79-05 Use of Improper Materials 3/21/79 All power reactor in Safety-Related Components facilities with an OL or CP 79-06 Stress Analysis of 3/23/79 All Holders of Safety-Related Piping Reactor OL or CP 79-07 Rupture of Radwaste Tanks 3/26/79 All power reactor facilities with an OL or CP Enclosure Page 1 of 1