ML19309A594
| ML19309A594 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Point Beach  |
| Issue date: | 02/08/1980 |
| From: | Fisher W, Gregor L NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19309A587 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-266-79-20, 50-301-79-22, NUDOCS 8003310468 | |
| Download: ML19309A594 (7) | |
See also: IR 05000266/1979020
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
REGION III
Report No. 50-266/79-20; 50-301/79-22
Docket No. 50-266; 50-301
Licensee: Wisconsin Electric Power Company
231 West Michigan
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
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Facility Name:
Point Beach Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2
Inspection At:
Point Beach Site, Two Creeks, WI
Inspection Conducted: December 11-12, 1979
Inspector:b;l'. R. Greger
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Approved By:
W. L. Fisher, Chief
f2./,f / 8 C
Fuel Facility Projects and
Radiation Support Section
Inspection Summary
Inspection on December 11-12, 1979 (Report Nos. 50-266/79-20; 50-301/79-22
Areas Inspected: Nonroutine, announced inspecton of licensee actions
taken in response to IE Bulletin 79-19, " Packaging of Low-Level Radio-
active Waste for Transport and Burial." The inspection involved 13
inspector-hours on site by one NRC inspector.
Results: No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
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DETAILS
1.
Persons Contacted
R. Bredvad, Health Physics Supervisor
- J. Greenwood, Assistant Plant Manager
- C. Ilarris, Radiochemictl Engineer
G. Maxfield, Technical Assistant
M. Moseman, Technical Assistant
- G. Reed, Plant Manager
T. Ross, Training Supervisor
- R. Weedon, liealth Physicist
- G. Zach, Superintendent
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The inspector also contacted several other licensee employees, in-
cluding members of the technical and engineering staffs.
- Denotes those attending the exit interview.
2.
General
This inspection, which began at 11:15 a.m. on December 11, 1979,
was conducted to examine the licensee's processing, packaging,
transfer, and transport of low-level radioactive waste materials
in response to IE Bulletin 79-19.
3.
Regulations and Licenses
,
The inspector verified that the licensee possessed current require-
ments of the commercial burial sites and current copies of the
Department of Transportation and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
regulations for the transfer, packaging, and transport of radioactive
material. Methods for maintaining these documents current had been
established by the licensee.
It was noted, though, that the plant
llealth Physicist's copy of the NRC regulations was not maintained
current. This item was discussed at the exit interview.
4.
Designation of Responsibilities
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Point Beach Administrative Procedure 3.8 and Procedure HP 11.2 de-
lineate responsibilities for the transfer, packaging, and transport
of radioactive material.
No problems were noted regarding imple-
mentation of these responsibilities.
5.
Procedures and Checklists
The inspector selectively reviewed the following procedures related
to the transfer, packaging, and transport of radioactive waste
material.
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HP 11.1
(Revision 1)
General Information for
Receipt of Radioactive
Material
HP 11.1, Appendix A (Revision 0)
Procedures for Receipt
of Radioactive Materials
HP 11.2
(Revision 2)
General Information for
Shipment of Radioactive
Materials
HP 11.2, Appendix A (Revision 0)
Packaging and Labeling
Requirements for Radio-
active Material Shipments
HP 11.2, Appendix B (Revision 0)
Radioactive Waste Pro-
cessing and Shipment
Procedure
HP 11.2, Appendix C (Revision 0)
Shipment of Non Waste
Radioactive Material
01-8
(Revision 0)
Waste Solidification
(Revision 10)
Solid Waste Processing
No discrepancies from the procedure review and approval format speci-
fied in Section 6 of the Technical Specifications were noted.
The licensee had completed the procedure review and revision specified
in their September 24, 1979, response to IE Bulletin 79-19.
Several
comments on the procedures, in particular HP 11.2, were provided by
the inspector for licensee consideration during future procedural
revisions. No significant discrepancies were identified.
The license possessed vendor procedures for handling (inspection,
loading, closing) specific casks used for type B shipments.
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Licensee checklists utilized for these casks include the " package"
related documentation required by 10 CFR 71.54 and 10 CFR 71.62(a).
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6.
Training
The inspector reviewed the training of personnel involved in the pro-
cessing, packaging, transfer, and transport of radioactive waste ma-
terials. Limited training in these areas has been provided in the
past to radiation helpers. As specified in the September 24, 1979,
and January 3, 1980, licensee's responses to IE Bulletin 79-19, the
licensee is presently engaged in review and revision of the training
programs for personnel involved in the processing, packaging, transfer,
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and transport of radioactive waste materials. The training effort
is scheduled for completion by January 31, 1980.
This item will be reviewed further during a future inspection.
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7.
Audits
The inspector did not review this area in detail, as the licensee
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had not conducted the special audit requested in Item 8 of IE
The licensee's September 24, 1979, response to IE
Bulletin 79-19 stated that the requested audit would be conducted
upon completion of the October-November refueling outage of Unit 1.
This refueling outage was completed in late November.
In a January 3,
1980, letter, the licensee stated that the requested audit had been
delayed but would be conducted by January 31, 1980.
This item will be reviewed further during a subsequent inspe tion.
8.
Waste Packaging Systems and Procedures
The inspector observed the licensee's waste packaging system and
equipment. Modifications had been completed on an " add-on" cement
solidification system which'was installed in 1977. After a period
of nonuse awaiting completion of the modifications (improved flush-
ings, remote capper, remote drum handler) the system is currently
in use.
The system is operated by Shift Operations personnel.
Solidification of the cement-radwaste mixture is verified by leaving
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~ the liners open and checking for proper set-up of the mixture.
According to licensee personnel, no problems (free liquid, failure
of mixture to harden, etc.) have been experienced.
Limited high
level storage (four liners) is available; low-level liners are
stored in the radwaste truck bay area.
_ Spent resins are normally shipped dewatered. The last such shipment-
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was made in July 1979. A small quantity of resin has been solidified
with the cement system since that time.
According to licensee per-
sonnel, dewatered resin will not be shipped without evaluating the
free liquid content for conformance with requirements of the burial
site licenses regarding free liquid. An onsite underground storage
facility for spent resin and a limited amount of other radwaste is
nearing completion.
Isotopic analyses are performed on each resin and evaporator bottoms
batch and on representative ' dry radioactive waste (DAW) drums. A
conventional compactor is operated by shift operations and health
physics personnel.
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9.
Radwaste Package Examination
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A 55-gallon drum (79-w-533) containing noncompactible radwaste
awaiting shipment was selected by the inspector and examined for
proper contents. The drum top was removed and the drum tipped to
check for the presence of free liquid. No liquid was observed; the
drum contents were as described in the licensee's records.
According to licensee personnel, there were no cement solidified rad-
waste containers onsite at the time of this inspection (other than
filters in cement filled drums).
10. -Radioactive Waste Shipments
The licensee shipped approximately nineteen radwaste shipments be-
tween' January 1, 1979, and December 12, 1979. Six of the shipments
(1200 curies) were classified type B shipments. These shipments were
made in casks approved by NRC certificates of compliance.
Shipment
records required by 10 CFR 71.62 are maintained.
The licensee did not possess documentation to demonstrate that the
55 and 85 gallon drums in use met the requirements of DOT specifica-
tion 7A packaging. The one shipment of compactible and noncompact-
ible radioactive trash (seventy-eight 55-gallon drums) shipped
between December 3, 1979, and the completion of this inspection con-
tained less than one curie of activity in the form of contaminated
equipment, and paper and plastic products. Although classified a
type A shipment by the licensee, the shipment could have been class-
ified as LSA, thereby requiring only strong, tight shipping cos.tain-
ers.
This item was discussed at the exit interview and will be
reviewed further, during a future inspection.
11.
Exit Interview
The inspector met with licensee representatives (denoted in Paragraph
1) at the conclusion of the inspection on December 12, 1979. The
inspector summarized the scope and findings of the inspection.
In
response to certain items discussed by the inspector, the licensee:
Stated that methods for maintaining the plant Health Physicist's
a.
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copy of NRC regulations current were being pursued. (Paragraph 3)
b.
Stated . hat the recommendations of the inspector concerning Pro-
cedure HP 11.2 would be considered for incorporation in the next
Revision of HP 11.2.(Paragraph 5)
c.
Stated that the NRC would be notified, in writing, if the
January 1, 1980 commitment date in the licensee's September 24,
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1979' response to IE Bulletin 79-19 was not met.
(The licensee
committed to completing the training by January 31, 1980, in
a letter dated January 3, 1980.
(Paragraph 6)
d.
Stated that a revised completion date for the audit requested
by IE Bulletin 79-19 would be submitted to the NRC.
(The
licensee committed to performing the audit by January 31, 1980,
in a letter dated January 3,1980).
(Paragraph 7)
e.
Stated that documentation would be obtained to demonstrate
that the 55 and 85 gallon drums utilized for shipping Type
A quantities of radioactive material satisfied the DOT 7A
package specifications.
(Paragraph 10).
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