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9 Gentlemen:
The enclosed Information Notice 81-38, "Potentially Significant Equipment Failures Resulting from Contamination of Air-Operated Systems", is forwarded to you for information.
No written response is required.
If you desire additional information regarding this matter, please contact this office.
Sincerely, al.aa hi. alk d C. Haynes Regional Administrator
Enclosure:
IE Information Notice No. 81-38 with 1 Attachment CONTACT:
S. Ebneter (215) 337-5283 1
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.t Le LIST OF HOLDERS OF NUCLEAR POWER REACTOR OPERATING LICENSES AND CONSTRUCTION PERMITS RECEIVING IE INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 81-38
~ Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Docket Nos. 50-317 ATTN: - Mr. A. E. Lundvall, Jr.
50-318 Vice' President, Supply P. O. Box 1475 Baltimore, Maryland 21203 s Boston Edison Company M/C Nuclear Docket No. 50-293 ATTN: Mr. A. V. Mortsi Nuclear Operations Support Manager 800 Boylston Street Boston, Massachusetts 02199
-JConnecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company Docket No. 50-213 ATTN: Mr. W. G. Counsil
-Vice President - Nuclear Engineering and Operations P. O. Box 270 Hartford, Connecticut 06101 l
-Consolidated Edison Company of Docket Nos. 50-03 New York, Inc.
50-247 ATTN: Mr. John D. O'Toole 4
Vice President - Nuclear i
Engineering and Quality Assurance 4 Irving Place New York, New York 10003 Duquesne Light Company Docket No. 50-334 ATTN:
Mr. J. J. Carey Vice President Nuclear Division P. O. Box 4 Shippingport, Pennsylvania 15077
Jersey Central Power and Light Co pany Docket No. 50-219 ATTN: Mr. Philip R. Clark i
Vice President - Nuclear-GPU Nuclear 100 Interpace Parkway Parsippany, New Jersey 07054
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2 Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company Docket No. 50-309 ATTN: Mr. Robert H. Groce Senior Engineer-Licensing 1671 Worcester Road-Framingham, Massachusetts 01701 Metropolitan Edison Company Docket No. 50-289 ATTN: Mr. H. D. Hukill Vice President and Director of TMI-l P. O. Box 480 Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 Metropolitan Edison Company Docket No.-50-320 ATTN:
Mr. J. J. Barton Acting Vice President and Director of TMI-2 P. 0. Bax 480 Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation Docket No. 50-220 ATTN: Mr. T. E. Lempges Vice President Nuclear Generation 300 Erie Boulevard West Syracuse, New York 13202 Northeast Nuclear Energy Company Docket Nos. 50-336
'w ATTN:
Mr. W. G. Counsil 50-245 Senior Vice President - Nuclear 50-423 Engineering and Operations Group P. O. Box 270 Hartford, Connecticut 06101 1
1 Philadelphia Electric Company Docket Nos. 50-277 ATTN: Mr. S. L. Daltroff 50-278 Vice President Electric Production 2301 Market Street j
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19101 Power Authority of the State of New York Docket No. 50-286 Indian Point 3 Nuclear Power PJa_nt ATTN: Mr. J. C. Brons Resident Manager P. 0.. Box 215 Bochanan, New York 10511 f
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3 Power Authority of the State of New York Docket No. 50-333 James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant ATTN: Mr. John D. Leonard Resident Manager P. O. Box 41 Lycoming, New York 13093 Public Service Electric and Gas Company Docket Nos. 50-272 ATTN:
Mr. F. W. Schneider 50-311 Vice President - Production 80 Park Plaza - 15A Newark, New Jersey 07101 Rocnester Gas and Electric Corporation Docket No. 50-244 ATTN: Mr. John E. Maier Vice President Electric and Steam Production 89 East Avenue Rochester, New York 14649 Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation Cocket No. 50-271 ATTN: Mr. Robert L. Smith Licensing Engineer 1671 Worcester Road Framingham, Massachusetts 01701 Yankee Atomic Electric Company Docket No. 50-29 ATTN:
Mr. James A. Kay.
Senior Engineer-Licensing 1671 Worcester Road Framingham, Massachusetts 01701 Duquesne Light Company Doci t Ni. 50-412 ATTN:
Mr. E. J. Woolever Vice President 435 Sixth Avenue Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219 Jersey Central Power & Light Company Docket No. 50-363 ATTN:
Mr. J. T. Carroll Acting Director Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station P. O. Box 338 Forked River, New Jersey 08731
'Lhng Island Lighting Company Docket No. 50-322 ATTN: Mr. M. S,Pollock Vice' President - Nuclear 175 East Old Country Road Hicksville, New York 11801
4 Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation Docket No. 50-410 ATTN:
Mr.- Gerald K. Rhode Vice President System Project Management c/o Miss Catherine R. Seibert 300 Erie Boulevard, West Syracuse, NY 13202 Pennsylvania Power & Light Company Docket Nos. 50-387 ATTN: Mr. - Norman W. Curti s 50-388 i
Vice President l
Engineering and Construction - Nuclear 2 North Ninth Street A'lentown, Pennsylvania 18101 Philadelphia Electric Company Docket Nos. 50-352 ATTN:
Mr. John S. Kemper 50-353 Vice President Engineering and Research 2301 Market Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19101 Public Service Electric & Gas Company Docket Nos. 50-354 ATTN: Mr. T. J. Martin 50-355-Vice President Engineering and Construction 80 Park Pla a - 17C Newark, New Jersey 07101 Public Service Company of New Hampshire Docket Nos. 50-443 ATTN:
Mr. W. C. Tallman 50-444
~ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 1000 Elm Street i
Manchester, New Hampshire 03105 e
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Accession No.:
8I07230040 IN S1-38 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGUU. TORY COMMISSION 0FFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 December 17, 1981 IE'INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 61-38:
POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT EQUIPMENT FAILURES-RESULTING FROM CONTAMINATION OF AIR-OPERATED SYSTEMS Description of Circumstances:
The NRC has reviewed a number of problems related to contamination of air systems'in operating nuclear plants. The review indicates that air-operated-components and systems will. occasionally become inoperable because they are contaminated with oil, water, desiccant, and rust or other corrosion products.
The recent instances of inoperable air-operated components occurred at the the following facilities:
1.
Palisades Nuclear Station - On July 18, 1981, ar. air-operated control valve i
failed to stay open. This resulted in both residual heat removal (RHR) trains becoming inoperable. The failure was attributed to the accumulation l
of water.,at the lowest point of the air system lines which coincided with p
the~ valve location (LER 81-030).
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- 2.
Rancho Seco Nuclear Station - On July 7, 1981, a pneumatically operated globe valve failed to close within the time required by the technical specification.
Investigation revealed the presence of desiccant at the air discharge port (LER 81-037).
l 3.
Zion Nuclear Station Unit Number 2 - On May 9, 1980, the containment air l
sample valve failed to close during the monthly containment isolation i
operability test. The valve failed to close because of oil contamination
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of the instrument air lines (LER 80-018).
4.
San Onofre Nuclear Station Unit Number 1 - On February 4,1980, the isolation valve for service water to containmant failed to clost while-performing a containment isolation valve test. The failure of the instrument air filters allowed small particles of desiccant to enter the air lines.
This prevented the solenoid air control valve from operating (LER 80-003).
j No adverse impact on the health and safety of the public has been attributed to 4 -
the events listed above. However, the potential for common mode failure, combined with the observed frequency of air service related events, indicates that added attention to air system' reliability is warranted.
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IN 81-38 December 17, 1981 Page 2 of 2 IE Circular 81-14, " Main Steam Isolation Valve Failures to Close," recommended that the holders of operating licenses and construction permits review their air systems to assure that measures are taken to prevent air quality degradation in the future.
Listed below are some of the actions known to minimize air system problems:
1.
Frequent monitoring of the dewpoint of the instrument air.
2.
Periodic checking of the desiccant and regeneration or replacement as needed.
3.
Periodic blowdown of lines to remove oil, moisture, and cred in the instrument air system.
4.
Periodic inspection of filters downstream of the desiccant cartridges to ascertain that the desiccant has not been pulverized to the point that it is escaping from the cartridge and possibly clogging the filters.
5.
Avoiding the use of service air as a backup to the instrument air system when alternative backups are available.
6.
Frequent monitoring of the instrument air system to ensure that it has not been contaminated with oil, moisture, or crud when service air has been-used as a backup to the instrument air system.
This in' formation notice is provided as an early notification of a possibly significant matter.
It is expected that recipients will review the information for possible applicability to their facilities.
No specific action or response is requested at this time.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact the Regional Administrator of the appropriate NRC Regional Office.
Attachment:
Recently issued IE Information Notices
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Attach;ent IN 81-38 Daccmb2r 17,1981 RECENTLY ISSUED IE INFORMATION NOTICES Information Subject
-Date Issued to Notice No.
Issued 81-37 Unnecessary Radiation 12/15/81 Selected Material Exposures to the Public Licensees and Workers During Events Involving Thickness and Level Measuring Devices 81-36 Replacement Diaphrams 12/3/81 All holders of a for Robertshaw Valve power reactor (Model No. VC-210)
OL or CP 81-35 Check Valve Failures 12/2/81 All holders of a power reactor OL or CP 81-34 Accidental Actuation 11/16/81 All holders cf a of Public Notification power reactor System OL or rP 81-33 Locking Devices 11/9/81 All holders of a Inadequately Installed power reactor on Main Steam Isolation OL or CP Valves 81-32 Transfer and/or 10/23/81 All holders of Disposal of Spent material licenses Generators as designated by IE S1-31
-- Failure of Safety
~10/8/S1 All holders of a Injection Valves to power reactor Operate Against OL or CP Differential Pressure 81-30 Velan Swing 9/28/81 All holders of a Check Valves power reactor OL or CP 81-29 Equipment Qualification 9/24/81 All holders of a Testing Experience power reactor OL or CP 81-28 Failure of Rockwell-9/3/81 All holders of a Edward Main Steam power reacto'r Isolation Valves OL or CP 81-27 Flammable Gas Mixtures 9/3/81 All holders of a in the Waste Gas Decay power reactor Tanks in PWR Plants OL or CP J