ML19317G038
| ML19317G038 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Rancho Seco |
| Issue date: | 01/19/1972 |
| From: | Spencer G NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION V) |
| To: | Henderson J US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19317G034 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8002210740 | |
| Download: ML19317G038 (2) | |
See also: IR 05000312/1971005
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UNITED STATES
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ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
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olvisION OF COMPl.!ANCE
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REGION V
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2111 BANCROFT WAY
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BERKELEY, CAI.!FoRNIA 94704
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January 19, 1972
J. B. Henderson, Chief
Reactor Construction Branch
Division of Compliance, Headquarters
SACRAMENTO MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT (RANCHO SECO)
DOCKET No. 050-0312
The Rancho Seco construction site was visited on December 13-17, 1971 for
the purpose of conducting a routine construction inspection. A follow-up
interview was held with upper management on January 7,1972.
Several items
of noncompliance with the AEC QA criteria and the licensee's QA program were
identified.
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Our findings presented in the report and the observations and discussions with
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personnel at the construction site gave us the impression that the implementa-
tion of the QA-QC program for the project showed signs of deterioration as
indicated by the following items:
1.
Inspection planning, the heart of the QA program, had not been prepared
prior to the conunencement of construction activities on the field
erected tanks, 4160-volt switch gear and 125-volt D-C battery chargers.
2.
QA personnel were defending activities for construction of the field
erected tanks on the basis of "its covered somewhere" in the codes, the
SMUD QA manual, the Conseco QA or QC manuals, the Bechtel procedures or
the contract specifications. It was also clear in talking with personnel
performing inspection and production activities that they believed they
knew what was required to assure a quality product, notwithstanding their
lack of knowledge as to whether the activities were required by one or
more of the written' documents.
3.
Documentation for electrical components was lacking in the QA files and
may not have been checked to verify equipment conformance to design
specifications.
Upper management assured us during our discussion on January 7 that corrective
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action was being implemented on all of the id1ntified deficiencies. Further,
the entire QA-QC program was being examined because of the potential generic
aspects of these deficiencies.
Mr. McMahon attributed the problems in the
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8002 210 $
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lJ..B. Henderson.
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January 19, 1972
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QA-QC program to
several changes in Bechtel's management. The individual
- assigned -as Project QA Engineer, af ter McMahon transferred from Bechtel to
SMUD, became' ill and had to be replaced with another individual (Mr. Walker,
current Project QA Engineer) who was not familiar with the program at Rancho
Seco. This probably resulted in a lack of attention to details on the part
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of the QA Engineers.
In our opinion, Mr. Walker does not. appear to be a
strong supervisor. This has been recognized by Mr. McMahon. Therefore, he
plans to continuously scrutinize Bechtel's performance in this area to bring
the program back to its previous high standard. We plan to follow-up by
examining the implementation of the QA program in total during our next
inspection'at Rancho Seco.
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With regard to the use of the unnormalized steel in the steam generator, SMUD
feels that they ,have gone as far as they can go in establishing the acceptability
of the material.- They have tested everything there is to be tested and the
tests have been performed in accordance with the applicable ASME codes.
It is
their opinion that the tests and analyses show that the material is acceptable
for its intended service. They have generated at least three complete sets of
data from several-different locations of the plate. They will not ask B & W
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to perform any additional tests on material that is not of the same heat, nor
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do they believe that one can technically justify additional t esting unless it
is solely for " political reasons".
The FSAR only discusses t.he material contained in the primary system and not.
the secondary side.(shell) of the steam generator.
Mr. Ross Brown, CO:I, has
told us (informally) that the documentation on the generator testing and
design change appear to be in order. The Chief Code Inspector of the State of
California has been kept fully informed. He has been advised that B & W's
Code Inspection Agency.(Hartford Insurance) has confirmed at headquarters level
that the vessel complies with the ASME Code and has signed off on the' Code
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~ Data Report.
In view of this, it does not appear to us that Region V can
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contribute to any' additional discussion with SMUD on this matter.
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~ G.S. Spencer
Senior Reactor Inspector
Enclosure:
CO Rpt. No. 050-0312/71-05-
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.by R. T.-Dodds
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DISTRIBUTION:-
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E. G.. Case,..DRS (3)
A. Giambusso, CO
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R.' S. Boyd,=DRL (2)-
L. Kornblith, CO
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R.-C.._DeYoung, DRL (2)
R. H. Engelken, CO
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D. J. Skovholt, DRL (3)
CO Files.
H. R. Denton, DRL'(2)
DR Central Files'
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