ML19338F397

Order Confirming Util Commitments to Implement Action Re IE Bulletin 80-17

ML19338F397
Person / Time
Site:	Dresden
Issue date:	10/02/1980
From:	Stello V NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE)
To:	COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO.
Shared Package
ML19338F398	List: ML19338F397 ML19338F399 ML19338F402 ML19338F405
References
IEB-80-17, NUDOCS 8010200294
Download: ML19338F397 (7)

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION-

-In the Matten of-

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Docket No.:

50-237-

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" Commonwealth-Edison Company-

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'(Dresden-Nuclear Power' Station 1).

. Unit;No. 2)

)L CONFIRMATORY ORDER-I t

Commonwealth-Edison Company (the " licensee") is the holder.of Facility Operating License No.;DPR-19;(the " license") with.an expiration date of June 22,'1971 which authorizes operation of theLDresden Nuclear Power Station Unit No. ? (the

" facility").

i.

The Licensee had applied in a timely mann'er for a conversion to a full term operating-license.

This application.is'under_NRC review.

II On June 28, 1980, during a routine _ shutdown of the Browns' Ferry Nuclear _ Power -

~ Station Unit 3-reactor, a manual scram from.approximately 35% power' failed to insert'allfof the control rods. ~Three scrams were initiated over a period of

~ bout 14 minutes:to achieve full insertion of-all of the contro1' rods.

a The control rods which failed to~ insert were' all located on.the east side of-the

' reactor core.'

Investigation indicated that this was caused by water unknowingly accumulating in the east side' scram discharge volume-(SDV).

This' accumulation

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.. g-riduced'the availableifree' volume for scram water' discharge and inhibited control rod insertion..It is believed'that an obstructed vent and/or drain caused the

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accumulation of water. LThis accumul,ation of water was not detected'by the-reactor protection system because it stayed within the'SDV headers and'did.not

- drain to the. scram. discharge instrumented volume (SDIV).

L0n July 2,.1980, a-team of NRC Headquarters representatives went'to the Browns

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Ferry: site' to; gather detailed information on the' event and its related considera-tions.

IE Bulletin No.~80-17. " Failure of 76 of 185-Control Rods to Fully Insert During a-Scram at a BWR"fwas issued on July 3, 1980 and requested actions to be taken by all< licensees of operating General Electric designed Boiling Water-

' Reactors. - Among the actions requested were the following:

1.

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Within'3 days from the date of this Bulletin, perform surveillance tests to-verify that there is no significant amount of. water in the Scram Discharge Volume (SDV) and' associated piping and that tht SDV-vent valves.are operable and vent system is free of obriruction."

"3. :At'the-conclusion of the. scram tests and all other scrams,. verify that all venti: lines in the SDV are functional.

Verify that there risino-significant: amount of water in:the SDV'and associated piping."

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Review and: develop surveillance' procedures such that scram discharge

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. volume.is monitored daily.for residue water for 6 days and, if-i resultsLare acceptable,-the interval mayLbe' extended to 7 days."

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.n s Addition'alfactions.applica'ble-to these BWR facil1 ties were request'ed in..

(Suppleme'nt$Nos;I

,1:'2, tank 3 to'IE Bulletin 80-17;,these'. supplements were issusd ~

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1 lon ' July 118, N.ulyf 22! and August 22,~1980,- respectively.

Specific. actions were

. requested LwN.hl re'g'ard.'to the : unobstructed. veriting and ' draining of the SDV.

In.

-.particular,[I'temBiof5upplementIrequestedthefollowing:

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~ " B.' Actions.to be akenLby BWR' Licensees and Completed:by September 1,-

1980:

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In' stall a system to continuously monitor water levels in all 4

El scram discharge volumes. ' Continuous recording and alarm.

features;must be included in the design.

Consideration should.

be given to use.of diverse level' sensors in this (these) system (s).

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4 The design 1in' stalled sh'uld-represent the design with-the highest-o 2

i level of-reliability compatible with' completion.of installation.

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-.by Septembe'r 1,:1980.- ' Provide _a written description.of.the

' system 1 design to the NRC Regional-Office.

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Iffinstallation byDSeptember 1,c1980.is not possible,: by August 15, 1980,

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' subm t to the NRC Regional 0ffice:

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L1)l Documentation'in detail why the: installation cannot be completed-1

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.(by-September 1, 1980.'

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2). -A commitment to a firm schedule for installation.

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A commitment.tb_ equipment. changes and/or surveillance' requirements in addition to'those now'in effect that will provide adequate-assurance 1of SDV' operability in the interim until: installation

.is complatAd."

1 The licensee. responded to this request in-Supplement'1 to the Bulletin'by-letter dated August 15, 1980.

This response'was-unacceptable on.the basis that it.did

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not' provide adequat'e a'ssurance that'the licensee'could maintaln scram capability at all times.during current operation.

The Bulletin and its Supplements were-

' ssued to provide'such assurance during an interim period of operation untilian i

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ultimate resolution is achieved by changestin system design and operating procedures.

In v.iew of the.:; foregoing considerations the NRC staff.has concluded that partic-ular criteria must betsatisfied.in order to provide adequate justificationifor continued operation'.

Criteria. applicable to the licensee's facilities are set-

forthJin Section:III. 1These. criteria. reflect NRC judgement 1that continuous monito' ring Lof the SDV.with appropriat'e. indication and alarm in the. control room >

.is..to be' completed no'later than specified) Until the.~ installation is complete Eand. operable',. surveillance checksiof the-SDV shall:be made at-least once:per

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oshift"wheneverlthe. reactor is critical.

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s These; matters were the' subject'of the discussions between NRC and licensee representative Mr. : R.JJanacek on September 11, 1980.

The discussions provided-

- the 'information on which the licensee made further commitments to satisfy'the requests of the Bulletin and its supplements.

These commitments were documented-by letter dated September'19, 1980 from the. licensee.

In view of the importance of,these commitments-to safe operation of the facility, it.is' appropriate to confirm the licensee's commitments by order.

III "Accordingly, pursuant to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and_the

' Commission's regulations in 10 CFR Parts 2 and 50, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, THAT:

1.

By-December-1, 1980, the licensee shall:

a)

Install and make operable a systemLto continuously monitor water levels in all scram discharge volumes (SDV).

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The installed system'shall provide for level-indication, with an-

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-associated, alarm, in_the control room, for each SDV.

This (;quipment shall; provide sufficient'information to the. reactor operai

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that if. water accumulates ;in 'either SDV the decision about actions 1

-to be takenlcan be made in a timely l fashion from the control room.

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Until the system described in III.1 is installed and operating satisfac-torily the licensee shall increase surveillance of-the SDV water level to at.least once per shift.

The once per shift surveillance checks shall be

- at least 6 hours6.944444e-5 days <br />0.00167 hours <br />9.920635e-6 weeks <br />2.283e-6 months <br /> apart.

3.

The licensee shall submit a report to the Director, Reactor Operations Inspection, Washington, D.C. 20555 and to the Director of the appropriate-NRC Regional Office, confirming installatioa of the continuous water level monitoring system with provisions for indication and alarm in the

- control room, at the time the installation is completed.

IV

'Any person who has an interest affected by this Order may request a hearing within twenty-five (25) days of the date of the Order.

Any request for a hearing will not. stay the effectiveness of this Order.

Any request for a hearing shall be submitted to the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

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Washington,1D.C. 20555 with a' copy to the Executive Legal Director at the same address.

A request.for'a hearing should describe specifically the manner in whichLthe petitioner's interest is affected by this Order and should address

- the criteria set forth in 10 CFR 2.714(d).

If a hearing is requested by a

. person who has an. interest affected by this Order, the Commission will issue an order designating the time and place of~any such hearing.

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'If^a hearing;-is held, the i'ssue to be cons'idered at such a hearing shall be

. whether.the-licensee should perform the actions. required in Part:III of

-this Order..in accordance'with the schedule stated therein.

Operatio'ntof the facility on terms' consistent'with this Order is not stayed

.by the pendency of any proceeding on the Order.

FOR-THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION s

Victor Stellor Jr. /

Oirector Office of Inspectio'n and Enforcement Effective Date:.0CT 2 1980 Bethes.da, Maryland w

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