ML20084T012

Informs That Shortage of diesel-grade Fuel Oil 2 Has Prevented Operation of Radwaste Evaporators Since 731019 Due to Restrictions Imposed by Govt Oil Allocation Program. Established Priorities for Fuel Oil Use Listed

ML20084T012
Person / Time
Site:	Palisades
Issue date:	11/30/1973
From:	Sewell R CONSUMERS ENERGY CO. (FORMERLY CONSUMERS POWER CO.)
To:	Oleary J US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC)
References
NUDOCS 8306200399
Download: ML20084T012 (2)

Text

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neras omce.: 2i2 we. Michigan Avenue.. Jackson, Michigan 49201. Area Code 517788-0550

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l Mr. John F. O' Leary, Director Re: Docket 50-255 Directorate of Licensing License DPR-20 US Atomic Energy Coc: mission Wash'ington, DC 20545

Dear Mr. O' Leary:

Pursuant to a Directorate of Regulatory Operations request,

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this is to advise you that a shortage of No 2 diesel-grade fuel oil has prevented operation of the radvaste evaporators at the Palisades Plant since October 19, 1973. We do not consider that any failure to comply with the Technical Specifications of our license is involved, however, since the plant is in a shutdown ecndition because of abnor-mal operating conditions, and because our continuing inability to operate the evaporators is due to an inability to obtain fuel oil supplies, which is an event beyond our reasonable control.

Because of the oil shortage and the restrictions imposed by the Government's oil allocation program, supplies of oil for the Com-pany's facilities have been curtailed. Consequently, we have estab-lished priorities for the use of fuel oil at the plant. They are:

Priority 1: Adequate oil supply for the emergency diesel generators to maintan an emer-gency power capability.

Priority 2: Adequate oil supply for heating in order to assure the health and safety of_ employees and to keep plant pipes from freezing.

Priority 3: 011 supply for the radwaste evaporators.

Based on the above priorities, the radwaste evaporators were shut down on October 19, 1973 because the oil supply was inadequate to continue their operation without jeopardizing the first two priorities.

In a 45-day period since the plant was shut down to investigate the previously reported steam generator tube leak, the radwaste evaporators, which are powered by extraction steam during normal plant operation, I

consumed approximately 100,000 gallons of oil in order to process ap-l proximately 130,000 gallons of liquid waste.

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Mr. John F. O' Leary, Director 2

Docket 50-255 License DPR-20 November 30, 1973 The November oil allocation for the plant was approximately 19,500 gallons, all of which was utilized for Priorities 1 and 2.

The December,. January and February allocations have been established at 13,000, 40,000 and 40,000 gallons, respectively. These allocations could well be altered by changes currently being made in oil alloca-l tion regulations.

During the vinter months, the expected oil requirement to adequately heat the plant is h0,000 to h5,000 gallons per month. The l

oil supply reserve required for the emergency diesel generators during the shutdown period has been preliminarily set at 8,000 gallons. This amount is enough to operate one emergency diesel generator supplying minimum in-plant loads for about one week. As we further evaluate the alternatives available with regard to fuel oil supply, this value may change. If it does, the guiding principle vill continue to be to main-tain an adequate emergency power capability.

Since the radvaste evaporators have been shut down, liquid vastes have been processed by holdup, filtering and demineralization to the maximum practicable extent, and have been discharged at con-centrations lover than all applicable Technical Specifications limits,

including those in the Special Technical Specifications. Specifically, these concentrations have been less than one percent of 10 CFR 20 limits on a quarterly average basis.

We are presently attempting to arrange for additional sup-lies of fuel oil so that the evaporators may be operated during the current outage.

Yours very truly, RBS/ce Ralph B. Sewell Nuclear Licensing Administrator CC: JGKeppler, USAEC

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