ML19323H523
| ML19323H523 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | South Texas  |
| Issue date: | 04/24/1980 |
| From: | Crossman W, Phillips H NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19323H515 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-498-80-05, 50-498-80-5, 50-499-80-05, 50-499-80-5, NUDOCS 8006130074 | |
| Download: ML19323H523 (5) | |
See also: IR 05000498/1980005
Text
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U. S. NUCIIAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
REGION IV
Report No.
50-498/80-05; 50-499/80-05
Docket No.
50-498; 50-499
Category A2
Licensee:
Houston Lighting and Power Company
Post Office Box 1700
Houston, Texas
77001
Facility Name:
South Texas Project, Units I and 2
Inspection at:
South Texas Project, Matagorda, Texas
Inspectio, Conducted: March 1980
Inspector:
>4Nb
5'/P'//@d
H. S. Phillips, Resident Reactor Inspector
Date
Projects Section
Approved:
IU
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W. A. Crossman, Chief, Projects Section
Date
Inspection Summary:
Inspection During March 1980 (Report 50-498/80-05;50-499/80-05)_
Areas Inspected: Routine, announced inspection by the Resident Reactor Inspector
(RRI) included follow-up inspections relative to 10 CFR 50.55(e) construction
deficiencies; and the structural backfill (soils) test program. This inspection
involved forty inspector-bours by one NRC inspector.
Pesults:
In one of three areas inspected, three items of noncompliance were
identified during the inspection period (infraction - failure to provide timely
reply to transmittal letter for an item of noncompliance
paragraph 2a;
infraction - failure to provide timely notification of construction deficiencies
paragraph 2b; and infraction - failure to pravide a timely written report for
construction deficiency - paragraph 2c).
8006130 [f h
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DETAILS SECTION
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1.
Persons Contacted
Principal Licensee Employees
- E.
A. Turner, Vice President Power Plant Construction and Technical
Services
- R. A. Frazar, QA Manager
- W. N. Phillips, Projects QA Manager
T. D. Stanley, Project QA Supervisor
- =L. D. Wilson, Site QA Supervisor
- T. Logan, Civil Engineer (test borings) on Special Assignment
D. G. Long, Lead Civil Engineer (QA)
G. A. Marshall, Senior QA Specialist (Mech)
'
- D. G. Barker, Manager, STP
- L. R. Jacobi, Supervising Engineer, Nuclear Safety & Licensing
Brown & Root Employees
K. M. Broom, Senior Vice President, Power Group
U. D. Douglas, Construction Project Manager
C. W. Vincent, Project QA Manager
G. T. Warnick, Site QA Manager
The RRI also interviewed other licensee and contractor personnel during
the subject inspection period.
- Denotes those attending Houston management meeting March 11, 1980.
- Denotes those attending Houston meeting March 11, 1980, and routine
inspection meetings with RRI.
- Denotes those attending RIV exit meeting on March 14, 1980.
2.
10 CFR 50.55(e) Construction Deficiencies
A management meeting with license 6 management personnel was held in
Houston on March 11, 1980.
Nineagendaitemswerediscussedr7ativeto
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licensee communications with Region IV personnel and
t*' RRI.1
10 CFR 50.55(e) reporting was discussed by the Region IV Cons .uction and
Engineering Support Branch Chief.
The RRI subsequently met with Houston
Lighting and Power Company (HL&P) site personnel on several occasions to
discuss reporting methods in more detail.
' IE Report No. 50-498/80-04; 50-499/80-04
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The licensee has lowered the threshold for reporting construction de-
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ficiencies since the meeting discussed above.
There has been a consider-
able improvement in communications with HL&P site persocnel. However,
the RRI identified additional instances where the licensee's or constractor's
administrative or procedural system failed. As a result a Notice of
Violation was issued on April 4, 1980, regarding the following:
Failure to Provide Timely Reply to the Transrittal Letter for an
a.
Item of Noncompliance (Items No. 498/80-05-01; 499/80-05-01)
The Region IV letter, dated February 13, 1980, transmitted the
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Notice of Violation, which included an item of noncompliance for
failure to provide timely notification of a 50.55(e) item concerning
a bulge in the containment liner.
The letter requested that a
written reply be provided within 30 days from the receipt of the
notice as required by Section 2.201 of the NRC's Rules of Practice.
HL&P failed to provide a written reply to the Notice of Violation
within the 30 day period. The RIV letter, dated February 13,
1980, was received by HL&P on February 18, 1980.
The reply from HL&P
was signed March 18, 1980, and according to Mr. Frazar of HL&P
mailed to RIV on March 24, 1980s
This failure to provide a timely reply is contrary to the requirements
of 10 CFR 50.55(e).
b.
Failure to Provide Timely Notification of Construction Deficiencies
(Items No. 498/80-05-02; 499/90-05-02)
,
10 CFR 50.55(e), " Conditions of Construction Permits," states in
part:
"The holder of a construction permit shall within 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />
notify the appropriate Nuclear Regulatory Commission Inspection
Enforcement Regional Office of each reportable deficiency."
(1) The RRI determined that HL&P did not promptly inform (within
24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />) Region IV that failure of polar crane stud welds was
considered reportable in accordance with the requirements of
50.55(e).
This matter was considered reportable at 7:30 a.m.
on March 18, 1980, but was not reported to the Region IV RRI
until approximately 3:45 p.m. on March 20, 1980.
(2) Additionally, HL&P did not report, as a significant construc-
tion deficiency, an apparent breakdown in the Brown & Root
QA program for welding.
A Brown & Root audit found that
Brown & Root welding engineering documents were corrected by
the use of liquid paper; dates of revisions were applied by
tape; and signatures were applied by Xerox.
In addition, an
unapproved vendor was used for nondestructive examination
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procedure qualification; mechanical tests were not properly
signed and annotated by the test laboratory; and procedures
were not qualified to the applicable ASME Code.
This matter
was called to the NRC's attention on March 18, 1980, when a
stop-work order affecting ASME welding was issued by Brown &
Root on that same date; however, the licensee did not report
this breakdown in the welding QA Program as a deficiency in
accordance with 50.55(e).
This failure to provide timely notification of construction
deficiencies is contrary to the requirements of 10 CFR 50.55(e).
c.
Failure to Provide a Timely Written Report for a Construction
Deficiency (Items No. 498/80-05-03, 498/80-05-03)
10 CFR 50.55(e), " Conditions of Construction Permits," states in
part:
"The holder of a construction permit shall submit a written
report on a reportable deficiency within thirty (30) days to the
appropriate NRC Regional Office .
"
. . .
The RRI determined that HL&P did not provide a written report
within 30 days concerning low relative density of backfill which
was initially reported as a construction deficiency (considered to
1
be a reportable deficiency under 10 CFR 50.55(e)) to the RRI on
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February 4,1980, but was not issued until March 21, 1980.
This failure to provide a timely written report is contrary to
the requirements of 10 CFR 50.55(e).
3.
Relative Density of Structural Backfill
The first phase of the test program for structural backfill started on
January 24, 1980, and was completed on February 8, 1980. Test results
indicated no problems around Unit 1; however, test Borings No. 204 and
205, west of Unit 2 Reactor Containment Building and Borings No. 208 and
209, on the east side of the Mechanical / Electrical Auxiliary Building
indicated that the relative density of the structural backfill was less
than the required 80%.
Boring 203 indicated potertial relative density
problems that were to be explored during additionai drilling.
,
The cecond phase of the test program started March 24, 1980, to determine
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the extent of structural backfill which exhibited lower than the required
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relative density. On March 24, 25, and 27,the RRI met with the HL&P
civil engineer responsible for QA control of testing.
The RRI and the HL&P
civil engineer witnessed the last boring sample and blow count on Boring
No. 208VI (elevation -32.2',
coordinates E45084.0 and N61439.0).
The
Woodward Clyde inspector recorded blow counts and preserved four samples.
The blow count was less than required, however, the sample showed the
custom auger had penetrated through the backfill material into a clay
material.
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.- The licensee reported the structural backfill problem to the RIV office
,,
on February 4, 1980, as a construction deficiency reportable within the
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context of 50.55(e).
A test report will be submitted to RIV on May 8,
1980.
4.
Management Meetings
The following meetings were held during the subject inspection period:
Licensee Representative (s)
Subject
Date
a.
Vice President Power
Agenda Items for
3-7-80
Plant Construction and
March 11, 1980
Technical Services
meeting
b.
Site QA Supervisor
NRC Report
3-7-80
50-498/80-01;
50-499/80-01
findings
c.
See " Personnel
Nine asynda
3-11-80
,
1
Contacted" section
items 2
of this report
d.
See " Personnel
HL&P Nine Point
3-14-80
Contacted"
Response to
section
Investigation
(79-19) Exit
e.
Site QA Supervisor
Stop-work order on
3-18-80
all ASME Welding
f.
HL&P Site QA Supervisor
Welding stop-
3-19-80
and B&R Site QA
work order
Manager
g.
HLP licensing engineers
50.55(e) reporting
3-26-80
and Project QA
Supervisors
h.
Site QA Supervisor
RRI was at Site and
3-28-80
was informed of
additional items of
noncompliance relative
construction deficiencies
E IE Report No. 50-498/80-04; 50-499/80-04
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