ML20002E419
| ML20002E419 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Big Rock Point File:Consumers Energy icon.png |
| Issue date: | 02/15/1978 |
| From: | Fisher W, Schumacher M NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20002E418 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-155-78-01, 50-155-78-1, NUDOCS 8101270923 | |
| Download: ML20002E419 (6) | |
See also: IR 05000155/1978001
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
REGION III
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Report No. 50-155/78-01
Docket No. 50-155
License No. DPR-6
Licensee: Consumers Power Company
212 West Michigan Avenue
Jackson, MI 49201
Facility name: Big Rock Point Nuclear Plant
Inspection at: Big Rock. Point Site, Charlevoix, MI
Inspection conducted: Janua ry 16-20, 1978
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Inspector:
M. C. S humacher
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Approved by:
W. L. Fisher, Chief
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Fuel Facility Projects and
Radiation Support Section
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Inspection Summary
Inspection on January 16-20, 1978 (Report No. 50-155/78-01)
Areas Inspected: Routine, unannounced inspection of radioactive waste
systems, includingt effluent rr. eases; records and reports of effluents;
effluent. control instrumentation; procedures for controlling releases;
containment air-cleaning systems; reactor coolant water quality; solid
radioactive waste; and review of licensee event reports. The inspection
involved 50 inspector-hours onsite by one NRC inspector.
Results: No items of noncompliance were identified in 5 of the 8
areas inspected. One item of noncompliance was identified in each of
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the areas of liquid effluent releases, solid radioactive waste, and
effluent control instrumentation.
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DETAILS
1.
Persons Contacted
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- C. J. Hartman Plant Superintendent
- C.
E. Axtell, Health Physicist
- T. !!. Brun, Chemical and Radiation Protection Supervisor
- D. DeMoor, Technical Engineer
- G. Gilbody, QA Engineer
The inspector also talked with other licensee employees, includ-
ing operators and health physics and instrument control technicians.
- denotes those present at exit inte rview.
2.
General
This inspection, which began at 8:00 a.m. on January 16, 1978,
was conducted to examine licensee activities with regard to
radioactive waste management. The plant was in cold shutdown
for repair work on control rod drives. An initial tour was
made of selected areas of the plant, including access control,
radwaste, various process monitor locations, and the control
room. A more extensive tour of the plant was made later in the
insnect ion.
Radiological conditions within the plant appeared
sc'.isfactory; good 1>usekeeping was evident. A small office near
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access control has seen given over to health physics use.
Licensee employees indicated that it is also used for the one-oe
onerespiratortrainingformey}ygiveninaccesscontrolasnot '
during a previous inspection.--
No items of noncompliance were observed.
3.
Licensee Action on Previous Inspection Findings
(Closed) Exit Interview Commitment (155/77-09):
review and
revise air sampling analysis procedures as necessary. Appropriate
changes to Procedure RP-29, " Radiological Surveys," were made by
the licensee.
4.
Airborne Effluents
Plant records of airborne release samples for 1977 were examined.
These data are used by the licensee's corporate office staff to
1/ RlII Inspection Rpt No. 50-155/77-09.
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generate, by computer, the data presented in the semiannual
effluent report. No significant inconsistencies were noted
between the two data sets. -Noble gas releases are based on
daily samples of off-gas.
Isotopic characteristics are
specified based on weekly spectral analysis of an off-gas
sample. Release rates measures during 1977 were relatively
stable in the range of 400 to 1100 microcuries per second,
less than one percent of the technical specification limits.
Iodine and particulate releases are determined from continu-
ously collected particulate and charcoal filters that are
changed and analyzed weekly. Technetium-99m (half-life
approximately six hours), reported previously only in January
1976, became the dominant particulate released, beginning in
April 1977. Licensee representatives were unable to explain
this matter but agreed to look into it.
All iodine and particu-
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late releases during the period were less than one percent of
the technical specification limits.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
5.
Liquid Effluents
The records of 37 liquid waste batches released during 1977
were reviewed.
In accordance with Licensir.g Procedure RCP-7,
" Analysis of Liquid Radwaste Batch," each batch was sampled,
ccunted for gross alpha and beta activity, and analyzed to
determine isotopic composition. The permissibic release rate,
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a function of the batch isotopic characteristics, is calculated
for the available dilution flow. All releases made in 1977
appeared to meet technical specification requirements with
regard to release concentrations.
During releases, the radwaste monitor is set to alarm at a
count rate that corresponds to a concentration of IE-5
microcuries per milliliter, p'.us background. This setting
is derived using the monitor calibration curve, the expected
dilution flow, and the authorized discharge flov.
T.t assumes
an applicable MPC 'value of IE-6 microcuries per milliliter,
which is further augmented by the factor 10 to allow for
monitor vagaries. This practice appears to be contrary to
Technical Spec 1fication 6.4.1.d, which requires that the
monitor alarm be set to detect 10 CFR 20, Appendix B Table 2,
Column 2 levels. The licensee's set points have averaged
about a factor of three higher than those corresponding to
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the 30 CFR 20 limits determined from the licensee's isotopic
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analyses. The maximum variation ha's been about a factor of
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10.
It was also noted that during the last quarter of 1977
the monitor background increased by a factor of about five
to greater tha;. iC? 000 counts per minute. The need for improved
monitor decontamination was discussed at the exit interview.
6.
Solid Radioactive Waste
The records of 14 solid waste shipments made during 1977 were
reviewed. Twelve shipments of greater than Type A quantities
of dewatered spent resins were made during the period Iby 24-
June 121, 1977. In atparent noncompliance with 10 CFR 71.3,
the shipments were made in packages unapprosed as required
by 10 CFR 71.12.
Before this inspection, tie licensee deter-
mined that the packages were not approved.
Following this
determination, arriangements were made with the consignee and
package owner (Nuclear Engineering Company, Morehead, Kentucky)
to provide an approved Type B Cask for such shipments until
approvals for the formerly used packages are obtained.
Accordingly, the licensee had on hand copies of the licenses
and reference documents for NUS Cask Model SN-1 (Certificate
Number 6771). The inspector pointed out the 10 CFR 71.12
notification requirement before first use of this cask. The
corrective action taken by the licensee in this matter appears
to be satisfactory.
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7.
Records and Reports of Effluents
The licensee's semiannual report for the period January to
June 1977 was reviewed for internal consistency. No problems
were identified. Licensee effluent records examined at the
plant were satisfactory.
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8.
Effluent Control Instrumentation
Process monitor calibration records for 1977 were reviewed.
The records indicated noncompliance with the calibration
check requirements of Technical Specification 6.4.3.d when
the monthly check of the radwaste. monitor was missed during
1977. The missed surveillance was an isolated occurrence; the
licensce's surveillance procedures appear adequate to prevent
recurrence.
9.
Reactor Coolant Water Quality
Records of daily radioactivity measurements in reactor coolant
water during 1977 were reviewed.
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No items of noncompliance were identified.
10. - Procedures
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Thefollowingradwasteprocedures,adgydoramendedsincethe
radwaste inspection of December 1976,- were revie.wed.
RCP2, " Analysis of Of fgas," Revision 2. December 1,1977:
No problems were identified.
RCP5, " Changing Stack Gas Sampling Filters," Revision 3,
November 15, 1977: The possible effects of leaking
valves on the sampling system integrity test in this
procedure was discussed; the absence of a valve line-up
checklist in the procedure was noted. Licensee employees
indicated the procedure would be reviewed.
RCP6, " Analysis of Stack Gas Filters, " Revision 5,
December 2, 1977: No problems were identified.
RCP7, Analysis of Liquid Radioactive Batch, " Revision 2,
December 2, 1977: No problems were identified.
CIP3, " Operation of the TASC-2 Radioisotope Analyzer,"
Revision 1 December 9, 1977: No p.oblems were identified.
The inspector also reviewed the following procedures
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related to radiation protection.
RP4, " Radiation Protection Procedures for Radiation
Workers," Revision 2, September 26, 1977: No problems
were identified.
RP10 "Use of High Radiation Area Worksheet," Revision 1,
October 31, 1977: No problems were identified.
RP29, " Radiological Surveys," Revision 3. August 12,
1977, Revision 4, November 7, 1977, Revision 5, November 29,
1977: This procedure was cha
duringapreviousinspection.ggedtoaddressproblemsnoted
No problems were identified
in this review.
RIP 10. " Sphere and Turbine Room, Calibration of Continuous
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Air Monitors (CAMS)," Revision 1, December 11, 1977: The
inspector noted the absence of the requirement for running
a plateau on the Geiger Mueller detector.
It was also noted
that the method of setting the monitor alarm was dependent
upon an unvarying detector counting efficiency. Alternate
2/ RIII InFpection Rpt No. 50-155/76-22.
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3/ RIII Inspection Rpt No. 50-155/77-09.
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schemes for determining alarm set points were discussed
with licensee representatives, who indicated the proce-
dure would be reviewed.
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RIP 11, " Calibration of Continuous Air Monitor-Sphere
Exhaust CAM," Revision 0. December 8, 1977: The
inspector noted that there was no requirement to run a
plataeu for the Geiger Mueller detector.
An arithmetic error was noted in the particulate channel
calibration in Section 6.5.
11.
Review of Licensee Event Report
The licensee's corrective actions on the following licensee
event reports were reviewed.
155/77-25
Water and clean up resin drain to floor of
clean up denineralizer room, September 24,
1977.
155/77-44
Plant heating boiler contaminated by reactor
closed cooling water, October 31, 1977.
No items of noncompliance were identified in this review.
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12.
Containment Air Cleaning Sys'. ens
The offgas is treated for removal of particulates by passing
through a high ef ficiency (HEPA) filter near the base of the
stack. Other air exhausted through the stack is unfiltered.
The filter is changed at refueling outages.
i.o provisien was
made for introducing a test aerosol for in-place efficiency
testing.
13.
Exit Interview
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The inspection results were discussed with Mr. liartman and
others of the station staff at the c' lose of the inspection.
The inspector st,
ed that corrective actions regarding the
missed radwaste c.
' tor calibration check and unepproved
solid radwaste pat ages appeared adequate.
The need for lower radwaste monitor background was discussed.
The licensee stated that steps would be taken to inprove
monitor background.
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