ML20028F910
| ML20028F910 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000000, Salem |
| Issue date: | 11/23/1980 |
| From: | Mark Resner NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTOR & AUDITOR (OIA) |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTOR & AUDITOR (OIA) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20027A699 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-82-530 NUDOCS 8302070123 | |
| Download: ML20028F910 (2) | |
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\\9 b 2.3 1330 MGORANDUM FOR:
File p-97[gMQ, FROM:
firk E. Resner, Investigator f
Office of Inspector and Auditor
SUBJECT:
POTENTIAL SABOTAGE - SALEM NUCLEAR STATION
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leif Norrholm, NRC Senior Resident Inspector at Salem Nuclear Station, -
was contacted by. telephone on November 13, 1980, with regard to the captioned subject.
Norrholm was asked to comment on the technical ramifications concerning the' sodium chloride c'ontamination of the hydrazine addition tank (HAT) and subsequent contamination of the auxillary feed system.
1 Norrholm first related how the HAT is incorporated in the plant system and what the, purpose of the HAT is.
He said the HAT is only used when n,
the plant is operating on auxillary feedwater as it would during a reactor trip.
He explained that auxillary feedwater is a cooler temperature than nonnal feedwater and consequently retains oxygen, which if introduced into the steam generator could accelerate corrosion in-the steam generator.
According to Norrholm, hydrazine strips the oxygen from the auxillary feedwater and is added to the system from the HAT.
He indicated that when the Salem Reactor tripped on September 10, 1980, the HAT had apparently been contaminated with sodium chloride which was introduced into the plant system with the hydrazine.
Norrholm said any ionic contaminant such as sodium chloride could cause accelerated corrosion within the steam generator and if undetected over a period of time could cause crackingoftubN.;withinthesteamgenerator.
However, according to Norrholm, daily samples are taken from the steam generator, and a.ny contaminant in a concentration strong Enough to cause accelerated corrosion 8302070123 821221 PDR FOIA 1 9'J SHOLLY82-530 PDR
3 would be detected in the samples.
Nor.holm said that if the contaninant went undetected and cracked tubing 1 developed, the re;suY'.I c.
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- r. t could be an uncontrolled release of radioactivty to the environment.
He commented W
that in consideration of the level of concentration of contaminants found on September 10, 1980, the manufacturer of the reactor, Westinghouse, suggested that a period of longer than seven days without detection
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s would have probably resulted in corrosion to.the system.
He also said that even though the manufacturer suggested seven days at that level of concentration, there is probably an additional tolerance margin.
2 Norrholm mentioned that a couple of months prior to the incident on '
t September 10, 1980, there was a job action by union eniployees at the
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Salem unit.- He said that during this action malicious damage was done Electrical wiring was cut in the in such areas as the machine shop.
.I machine shop and telephone lines were cut leading to the site.
He was
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cf the opinion ;M Lar the sodium chloride added to the HAT could have been done during that time frame.
hamm
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