ML19350C781

Responds to NRC 810304 Ltr Re Violations Noted in IE Insp Repts 50-566/81-02 & 50-567/81-02.Corrective Actions: Certification of Welders Previously Certified Were Revoked & Are Tracking Potentially Unacceptable Welds

ML19350C781
Person / Time
Site:	Yellow Creek
Issue date:	03/30/1981
From:	Mills L TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
To:	James O'Reilly NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
References
NUDOCS 8104060689
Download: ML19350C781 (4)

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400 Chestnut Street Tower II March 30, 1981 Mr. James . O'Reilly, Director Office of Iwpection and Enforcement U.S. Nuclear egulatory Commission Region II - S to 3100 101 Marietta S et Atlanta, Georgia 30303

Dear Mr. O'Reilly:

YELLOW CREEK NUCLEAR PLANT UNITS 1 AND 2 - VIOLATION 50-566,50-567/81 02-01

- FA1URE TO ESTABLISH ADEQUATE HEASURL3 TO CCNTROL WELDING AND NDE, AND VIOLATION 50-566/81-02 FAILURE TO FOLLCW CONCRETE INSPECTION PROCEDURE This is in mapcase to R. C. Lewis' letter dated March 4,1981, report numbers 50-566/81-02, 50-567/81-02, concerning activities at the Yellow Creek Nuclear Plant which appeared to have been in violation of NRC regulations. Enclosed is our response to the citation.

If you have any questiens concerning this matter, please get in touch with D. L. La= tert at FIS 857-2581.

To the best of tar knowledge, I declare the statements contained berein are complete and true.

Very truly yours, TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY L. M. Mills, Manager Nuclear Regulation and Safety Enclosure oc: Mr. Victor Stello, Jr., Director (Enclosure)

Office of Inspection and Enforcement U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555 m' 30/y se S

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. A ENCLCSURE YELLCW CREEK NUCLEAR PLANT UNITS 1 AND 2 SEVERITY LEYEL 7 VIOLATION FAILURE TO ESTABLISH ALEOUATE MEASURE 3 TO CCNTECL WELDING AND EE 50-566,50-567/81-02-01 Description of Violation 10 CFR 50 Appendix B, Criterien IX, as inplecented by TVA Tcpical Report TVA-TR-75-1 A, Section.17.1 A.9, requires ceasures be established to assure special processes, including welding and nondestructive testing are controlled. AWS D1.1 and ASME B&P7 Code Section II have been identified as the applicable code for welder qualification. Visual-inspection and welding peccedures ec pliance are centro 11ed by 77A General Ccnstructicn Specificatien G-29M.

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Centrary to the above, en February 18, 1981, adequate ceasures were not established to centrol spoial processes, including welding and ,

nondestructive testing in that the follcwing were noted:

1. A welder was considered qualified based en unacceptable bend test results.

2. A welder failed to follow bead width precedure requirenents and a welding inspector accepted the unacceptable bead aidth cn final

-nsual inspection.

3 A welding inspec:ce incerrectly annotated a bare caterial heat nu=ber en an inspection record.

Admission er Denial of Alleged Violation The failure to centrol special processes,. as described in the subject violatim, occurred as stated.

Reason for Violation

. The reasons for the violation are: (1) failure of test supervisor and inspector to follow procedure, and (2) hmnan errce in transcribing weld data cnto record from notebook. .

Ccerective Action Taken and Results Achieved Corrective actions taken were: .

(A) Welder EABE's certification papers were not processed for performance qualification test rwaher GMFC-6-L-(3) R6. LThe certifientions of all welders (5) who were previeusly certified in GMFC-6-L-(3) R6 were revoked m February 23, 1981. QCIR number 23592 was written to track pctentially unacceptable welds made by improperly qualified welders.

An extensive evaluatim is being conducted to determine the reason for fissures in bend' samples for this particular qualification test. .

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. C (B) '4 eld number 1NMSYS08016 was cut out and replaced with INMSYS08016S which was acceptable.

(C) 'deld data records for weld number *INMSYS08012 were corrected to show the correct heat number of the 90 elbow. Other records on the assembly were reviewed and found correct.

Steps Taken to Avoid Further Recurrence To avoid further recurrences, TVA has instructed the weld test supervisor and inspector that strict adherence to procedure is required. An independent senior inspector will review all test coupons deemed acceptable by the test supervisor for at least two months to ensure compliance and understanding of the procedure. Inspectors will not use notebooks and will record weld data directly onto weld data computer cards wherever. possible.

The weld data reviewer was instructed to pay closer attention to the accuracy of data on records during his review.

Date of Full Compliance TVA is in full compliance except for the results of the evaluation being conducted to determine the mason for fissures in bend samples made for qualification, test number GMFC-6-L-(3)R6. This evaluation will be complete by May 15, 1981.

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. C ENCLOSURE YELLOW CREEK NUCLEAR PLANT UNIT 1 SEVERITY LEVEL V VIOLATION FAILURE TO FOLLOW CONCRETE INSPECTION PROCEDURE 50-566/81-02-02 Description of Violation 10 CFR 50 Appendix B, Criterion V, as implemented by TVA Topical Report TVA-TR-75-1 A,_ Section 17.1 A.5, requires that activities affecting quality be accomplished in accordance with documented procedures. TVA QC Instruction C-207, Revisien 4, " Reinforcing Steel Inspection," paragraph 3E1 and 3E3 require the' minimum clear distance between parallel reinforcing bars and/or concrete lap splices in a layer be greater than ene inch.

Contrary to the above, activities affecting quality were not. accomplished in accordance with documented procedures in that on February 17, 1981, two examples of improper. reinforcing lap spacing were noted. In each case, four bars were spliced together without the one-inch minimum splice separation.~

Admission of Denial of Alleged Violatien The failure to follow the concrete inspection procedure, as described in the subject violation, occurred as stated.

Reason' for Violation The violation occurred because of the failure af a quality centrol

. inspecter to obtain clarification of an apparent contravention of requirements between design drawings and quality control procedures. TVA drawing 4RE0448-R3-2 R2 details reinforcing steel and invokes General Civill Standard Note C-5 of TVA drawing 4GE0100-Ot n2 R2. Note C-5. allows the

, spreading and/or cutting of rebar to clear emb dded items. Quality Control Procedure QCI-C-207. R4, paragraphs 3.E.1 and 3.E.3, requires a minimum clear distance _between parallel bars of one. nominal' diameter, but not less than one' inch.

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Corrective Action Taken and Results Achieved QCIR No. 34125 was dispositioned to chip the concrete and ree the four mislocated rebars. The ends of these bars were embedded approximately ~ one 2

inch.- These. bars were repositioned,.and the required clearance obtained..

4 Design Information Request (DIR) QC-C-012 was sent to TVA's Division of Engineering Design (EN DES) to obtain clarification.on the use.of note C-

5. - The mply to DIR QC-C-012 allows note C-5~ to take precedence over .the QCI in certain cases.1 Hence, corrective action on the subject completed .

pour was not required.-

Steps Taken to Avoid Further Recurrence ,

The response to DIR QC-C-012 will % coac a part of the de'sign specification -(i.e., TVA drawing 419040-02 R2), and should preclude a recurrence.

Date of Full Compliance ,

Full compliance was. attained-on March 10,7 1991.-

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