ML19338F402
| ML19338F402 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Dresden, Quad Cities  |
| Issue date: | 10/02/1980 |
| From: | Stello V NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE) |
| To: | COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19338F398 | List: |
| References | |
| IEB-80-17, NUDOCS 8010200302 | |
| Download: ML19338F402 (7) | |
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-UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
~ NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In'the Matter of
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Docket No.: '50-254
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Commonwealth Edison Company
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(Quad-Cities. Nuclear. Power: Station
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Unit No. 1)'
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CONFIRMATORY' ORDER 1
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' Commonwealth Edison' Company (the "l'icensee")'is the holder of Facility Operating
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License' No. DPR-29 (thE." license") with an expiration date of February 15, 2007 which authorizes operation of the Qua'd-Cities Nuclear Power Station Unit No.1-(the " facility").
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 all of the control rods.
Thnee scrams were initiated over a period of about 14 minutes to' achieve full insertion of all of.the control rods.
The control' rods which faile'd to insert were.all located on the east side of the reactor core. LInvestigation indicated that this was caused by. water unknowingly
. accumulating.in the east' side scram discharge. volume (SDV).
This accumulation reduced the available free' volume 4for scram water discharge-and inhibited control
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rod' insertion.~ ~It'is: believed that.an-obstructed vent and/or drain caused-the 9
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2-accumulation of. water.
This accumulation of water was not de'. :ted by the reactor protection system because it' stayed within the SDV headers-and did not drain to.the-scram discharge instrumented volume (SDIV).
On July 2,-1980, a team of NRC Headquarters representatives went to the Browns 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" wasj ssued on July 3, 1980 and requested actions to be i
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taken by all licensees of operating General Electric designed Boiling Water-Reactors. ; A'mong the actions requested were the following:
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' "1.
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 the.SDV vent valves are, operable and vent system is free of obstruction."
"3.
At the conclusion of the scram tests and all other scrams, verify that all vent lines in the SDV are functional.
Verify that there -
is no significant amount of water in the SDV and associated piping."
"5 Review and' develop surveillance proce'ures such'that scram-discharge d
volume is monitored daily for.. residue' water for 6 days and, if results are acceptable,' the3 interval may be extended'to 7 days."
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. Additional. actions applicable to these BWR facilities'were requested in lSuppleme'nt Nos. 1, 2, and 3 to IE Bulletin'80-17; these supplements were
. issued on-~ July-18,-July 22 and August 22, 1980, respectively.
Specific actions
- we're requested with regard to the unobstructed venting and draining of the SDV.
In particular, Item B.1 of Supplement 1 requested.the following:
"B.
Actions to be-Taken by BWR Licensees and Completed by September 1, 1980:
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_ Install a system to continuously monitor water levels in all-scram discharge volumes.
Continuous recording and alarm
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features must be include'd in the design.
Consideration should Y
be given to use offdiverse level. sensors in this-(these) system (s).
The design' installed should represent.the design with the highest l
. level of reliability compatible with completion of installation by. September 1,-1980.. Provide a written description of the
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system design toLthe NRC Regional Office.
4 Ifrinsta11ation by September 1,.1980 is not possible, by August 15, 1980, submit to the NRC Regional Officei
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- Documentation in detail why.the installation.cannot be completed by September 1,11980.
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A commitment to' a firm schedule for installation.
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A commitment to equipment changes and/or surveillance requirements in addition to those now in effect that will provide adequate assurance of SDV operability in the interim until. installation is completed."
The licensee responded to this request in Supplement 1 to the Bulletin by 1'etter dated August 15, 1980..This response was unacceptable on the basis that it did not provide adequate assurance that the licensee could' maintain scram capability at all times during current operation. -The Bulletin and its Supplements were issued to provide such assurance during an interim period of operation until an ultimate resolution is achieved by changes in system design'and operating procedures.
In view of the foregoing considerations the NRC staff has concluded that partic-ular criteria must be satisfied in order to provide adequate justification for continued operation.
Criteria applicable to the licensee's facilities are set forth in Section III.
These criteria reflect NRC judgement that continuous
- monitoring of.the SDV with appropriate indication and alarm in the control room is to be completed no later than specified.
Until the installation is complete and operable, surveillance checks of the SDV shall be made at least once per.
. shift whenever,the. reactor is critical.
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These matters wer'e the subject of the discussions between NRC and licensee representative Mr. R. Janacek on September 11, 1980. -The discussions provided the Linformation 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.
Byl December 1, 1980, the licensae shall:
4 a)
Install and make operable a system to continuously monitor water levels in.all scram discharge volumes (SDV).
b)
The -installed system shall provide for level-indication, with an associated _ alarm, in the control room, for each SDV.
This equipment Lshall_ provide. sufficient information to the reactor operator such.
that,Lif water ac' cumulates.in either SDV the decision about actions to tHe taken can be 'made ;in a timely fashion from the control room.
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j 2.
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 installation of the continuous water level monitoring system with' provisions for indication and alarm in the control room, at the time the' installation is completed.
l 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, p
Washington, D.C.-20555'with a copy to the Executive Legal Director at the same o
i address.
A request for a hearing should describe specifically the manner in l
which'the petitioner's' interest is affected by this Order and should address l.
.the criteria' set forth in 10 CFR'2.714(d).
If a hearing is requested by a-
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person who.has an interest affected by this 0rder, the Commiss' ion will' issue.
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- an: order designating the. time and place of any-such hearing.
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. e 7-If a hearing.is held,lthe issue to be considered at such a hearing shall be whether the) licensee.should perform the actio'ns required in Part III of this~0rderLin-accordance with the schedule stated therein.
0perationtof 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
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t Victor Stello,'-Jr.
4-Director Office'of. Inspection and Enforcement
-Effective DateiOCT 2 1980
- Bethesda, Maryland y
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