ML19312E252
| ML19312E252 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Phipps Bend  |
| Issue date: | 05/08/1980 |
| From: | Mills L TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY |
| To: | James O'Reilly NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19312E251 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8006030604 | |
| Download: ML19312E252 (4) | |
Text
h TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY CHATTANOOGA. TENNESSEE 374ot 400 Chestnut Street Tower II May 8, 1980 Mr. James P. O'Reilly, Director Office of Inspection and Enforcement U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region II - Suite 3100 101 Marietta Street Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Dear Mr. O'Reilly:
In response to your letter dated April 29, 1980, to H. G. Parris, RII:BRC 50-553/79-17, 50-554/79-16, enclosed are supplemental responses to an item of noncompliance and to a reportable deficiency concerning weld weave widths greater than allowed. Enclosure 1 provides a supplement to our March 14, 1980, response on noncompliance item (Infraction) 553/79-17-01. provides a supplement to our April 3,1980, final report on the reportable deficiency, NCR PBN-067.
If you have any additional questions, please call Jim Domer at FTS 854-2014.
Very truly yours, TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY f
I
. M. Mills, Madager Nuclear Regulation and Safety Enclosures c.r-c)
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4 8006030 UrHCIAL COPY An Equal Opportunity Employer
ENCLOSURE 1 SUPPLEMENTAL RESPONSE TO NRC-0IE LETTER FROM C. E. MURPHY TO H. G. PARRIS DA f D JANUARY 10, 1980
(
REFERENCE:
RII:BRC 50-553/79-17, 50-554/79-16),
This report is a supplemental response to the Notice of Violation described in Appendix A, Item A, of the OIE Inspection Report referenced above.
This is provided as requested by Inspectors T. E. Burdette and W. R. Crowley in a telephone conversation on April 24, 1980. This report supplements our revised report dated March 14, 1980, on Infraction 553/79-17-01. Our response to Infraction 553/79-17-02 is unchanged.
Please also see our supplement to the final report (report No. 2) on NCR PBN-067, included herewith, for additional background information.
Supplemental Response 1.
Corrective Steps Taken and Results Achieved TVA has considered the generic implications of the item of noncompliance (Infraction 553/79-17-01), and TVA considers the problem to be limited to all ASMEwelds performed to date in the vertical position with the gas metal are flux core process.
An investigation, discussed more fully in the suppleuental report on NCR PBN-067, identified six additional welds in the vertical seams of containment sidewall plates (ring No. 2) which had or may have had weld metal deposited with a weave width in excess of the 5/8-inch limitation. These six welds will be added to and corrected as per a revision of NCR PBN-067.
The infraction initially identified only two welds made with unacceptable weave widths. One other unacceptable weld on ring 3 which was not discussed in our response to the infraction was included in our final response on NCR PBN-067 submitted to your office April 3,1980.
Including all three noncomplying welds on ring No. 3, a total of nine vertical gas metal are flux core welds have been identified which had weld metal deposited in excess of the 5/8-inch limit. All other vertical, gas metal are flux core welds were made according to applicable specifications. Corrective action on all nine welds will be to remove weld metal deposited in excess of the 5/8-inch maximum weave width requirement.
2.
Corrective Steps Taken to Avoid Further Noncompliance This item is unchanged from the revised report dated March 14, 1980.
3.
Date When Full Compliance Will Be Achieved Full compliance will be achieved by September 30, 1980.
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ENCLOSURE 2 PHIPPS BEND NUCLEAR PLANT UNIT 1 MAXIMUM WEAVE WIDTH EXCEEDED ON CONTAINMENT SHELL WELDS 10CFR50.55(e) REPORT No. 2 (SUPPLEMENT TO FINAL)
NCR PBN-067 On March 6, 1980, TVA notified NRC-0IE, Region II, Inspector R. W. Wright of a potentially reportable condition involving containment shell welds which were made with weave widths greater than allowable.
This condition was also discussed in TVA's response to noncompliance item 553/79-17-01.
This supplemental report is being filed to inform you of the results of our investigation into the generic implications of use of weave widths in excess of allowables in which TVA found additional welds other than those indicated in our final report dated April 3, 1980, which is still applicable but with supplemental information provided below.
Background
On April 23, 1980, the TVA Phipps Bend CONST QA unit supervisor met with the construction engineer and his assistant to discuss the extent of their investigation into the possible existence of additional welds made before December 17, 1979, with weave widths greater than allowable.
(This discussion took place in the course of site QA's normal followup to the nonconforming condition.) From that meeting an investigation was launched to look into the generic aspects of Infraction 553/79-17-01. Also, on April 24, 1980, Inspectors T. E. Burdette and W. R. Crowley raised the same question in a telephone conversation with TVA EN DES representatives and requested that a supplemental report be filed answering their question about our investigation into other welds that might have been made before December 17, 1979, with weave widths greater than allowable.
During the course of the above investigation, Phipps Bend management requested that independent (offsite) individuals be sent to the site to conduct an independent investigation into the possible existence of additional welds made with nonconforming weave widths. This independent investigation was conducted on April 29, 1980, by representatives of CONST management and OEDC QA. The investigation included interviews j
with site welding QC inspectors, welders, the welding engineer, craft i
supervision, and other knowledgeable parties. Their findings, discussed below, were given to Inspector F. S. Cantrell on April 30, 1980, by telephone.
Description of Deficiency - Additional Findings The independent investigation discussed above has resulted in the identification of six additional gas metal are flux core vertical seam welds on the containment shell sidewall plates (ring No. 2) which had or may have had weld metal deposited with a weave width in excess of the 5/8-inch limitation. A seventh weld was questioned but was determined to be acceptable based upon a written statement from the QC inspector involved in its production that the weld in question was made according to applicable specifications.
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e TVA, in weighing the generic implications of this problem, considers the problem to be limited to all ASME welds performed to date in the vertical position with the gas metal arc flux core process.
A.11 such welds which were in noncompliance with specifications before December 17, 1979, have now been identified to include only the three previously listed in NCR PBN-067 on ring No. 3 and the six identified above on ring No. 2.
All other vertical gas metal arc flux core welds were made "according to specifications.
NOTE: This condition does not apply to the vertical seams on ring No. 1 because other welding techniques were employed on those welds.
Corrective Actions Supplement A revision to NCR PBN-067 was issued to include the additional six welds (discussed above) made in noncompliance with specifications.
Corrective actions on these welds will be identical to that discussed in our previous final report. This work will be completed by September 30, 1980, as previously indicated.
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