ML19309E123

Interim Deficiency Rept Re Welds in Essential Cooling Water Sys.Methods to Verify Integrity of Weld Joints Are Being Evaluated.Second Interim Rept Will Be Submitted by 800613. Oversize Drawing Indicating Weld Locations Encl

ML19309E123
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas
Issue date:	04/10/1980
From:	Eric Turner HOUSTON LIGHTING & POWER CO.
To:
References
ST-HL-AE-445, NUDOCS 8004180423
Download: ML19309E123 (4)

Text

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The Light Company n--ugyu- mamim am..w, moi aism.nii r l

l April 10,1980 ST-HL-AE-445 SFN: V-0530 Director, Region IV Nuclear Regulatory Commission 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 1000 Arlington, Texas 76102

Dear Sir:

South Texas Project l

Units 1 & 2 l Docket Nos. STN 50-498, STN 50-499 Interim Report on the Potentially Reportable  ;

Deficiency Concerning Welds in the Essential Cooling Water System On March 12, 1980, pursuant to 10CFR50.55(e), Houston Lighting and  !

Power Company notified your office of a potentially reportable deficiency l i

concerning rejectable indications on the radiographs of the girth welds in the Essential Cooling Water System.  !

Brown & Root's Construction Department Welding Engineering Standard, WES-4, " Field Welding of Aluminum-Bronze Pipe (Inspection Plan)" describes inspection requirements for the aluminum-bronze pipe being used for the j Essential Cooling Water system. The plan required the following: a) the first five welds made by each welder were to be subject to a 100% radiograph  !

inspection; b) the remainder of the welds were to be spot radiographed; c) if a spot radiograph was rejected, two tracer shots were to be taken and, if found to be unsatisfactory, the entire weld was to be 100% radiographed; '

and d) all rejectable indications were to be repairec and reradiographed for acceptance. These requirements were over and above those specified in the i ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code,Section III, Subsection ND which required visual and~ dye penetrant examinations. Since the Code did not have acceptance criteria for the pipe material, the Welding Engineering Standard specified acceptance criterip based upon ASME ND-5321 acceptance criteria, except that porosity restrictions were made more stringent. All cracks, lack of fusion, l and lack of penetr'ation were to be judged to be unacceptable. Some rein"orce- I ment and root concavity were to be permitted based upon ASME radiographi':

acceptance criteria. The plan required Brown & Root Quality Control pe sonnel to perform the Code required inspection and the reading of the radiogrr,) hic film.

(SoI9 52//

os 80 04 No

Non tyhung & Ptmer company ST-HL-AE-445 Page 2 Subsequent to the completion of this activity and following the burial of some of this pipe, the radiographs were re-evaluated by the Brown & Root Corporate Level III Inspector. His re-evaluation of the film showed that, in his judgment, sixteen of the welds that had been previously accepted had rejectable indications and approximately thirty films showed some radiographic technique / processing problems. These findings were reported on NCRs and all work directly related to and affected by the rejectable indications was stopped. Although these radio-graphs had been originally reviewed by Brown & Root Quality Control personnel, the rejectable indications recently identified by the Brown & Root Corporate Level III Inspector were not identified or recorded originally. This constitutes a breakdown in the Brown & Root Quality Assurance Program.  ;

The sixteen suspect welds are located in the aluminum / bronze Essential Cooling Water System piping to and from the Essential Cooling Pond and the Unit 1 Diesel Generators, and the Unit 1 and 2 Component Cooling Water Heat Exchangers (see Figure 1). Since the ECWS is safety-related, it was assumed that the welds with the rejectable indications could have a potentially adverse effect on the safety of operation of the plant.

Methods to verify the integrity of these weld joints are presently being evaluated. A second interim report providing the status of this potential deficiency will be submitted to your office on June 13, 1980.

Further questions should be directed to Mr. Shawn S. Rodgers.

(713) 676-7953.

Very truly yours, A. h i E. A. Turner Vice President Power Plant Construction

& Technical Services  !

i PLW:bjr i

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I Houston Lghting & Tbwer Company F

ST-HL-AE-445 ~

Page 2 CC: G.W. Oprea, Jr.

D.G. Barker C.L. McNeese i H.R. Dean R.L. Waldrop ,

G.B. Painter ,

A.J. Granger .

i R. A. Frazar t

' M.D. Schwarz (Baker & Botts) '

R. GordonGooch(Baker &Botts) '

J.R. Newman'(Lowenstein, Newman, Reis, Axelrad & Toll)

Director Office of Inspection & Enforcement  :

Nuclear Regulatory Comission  !

Washington, D.C. 20555 M.L. Borchelt Executive Vice President Central Power & Light Company P.O. Box 2121 Corpus Christi, Texas 78403 R.L. Hancock Director of Electrical Utilities City of Austin  ;

P.O. Box 1088 Austin, Texas 78767 J.B. Poston l Assistant General Manager of Operations l City Public Service Board i P.O. Box 1771 i San Antonio, Texas 78296  ;

R.C. Mecke City Public Service Board i P.O. Box 1771 San Antonio, Texas 78296 M.C. Nitcholas City of Austin P.O. Box 1088 -

Austin, Texas 78767 .

T.L. Range Central Power & Light Company P.O. Box 2121 Corpus Christi, Texas 78403 Charles Bechoefer, Esquire Chairman, Atomic Safety & Licensing Board

. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Washington, D.C. 20555

Houston Q;hting & Pour Company ST-HL-AE-445 Page 3 y l

Dr. James C. Lamb, III 313 Woodhaven Road i Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514 Dr. Emmeth A. Luebke Atomic Safety & Licensing Comission  !

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission ,

Washington, D.C. 20555 l Steven A. Sinkii, Esquire 116 Villita Street San Antonio, Texas 78205 Citizens for Equitable Utilities ,

c/o Ms. Peggy Buchorn Route 1, Box 432 ,

Brazoria, Texas 77422 l Richard W. Lowerre, Esquire  !

Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas P.O. Box 12548 Capitol Station i' Austin, Texas 78711 I

Henry J. McGurren, Esquire Hearing Attorney  :

Office of the Executive Legal Director U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Washington, D.C. 20555 l

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