PNO-III-88-026, on 880323,licensee Began Orderly Shutdown of Unit 1 Due to Identified Deficiencies in Lubricant Used in motor-operated Limitorque Valves.Deficiencies Apply to 263 safety-related Valves in Both Units 1 & 2

PNO-III-88-026:on 880323,licensee Began Orderly Shutdown of Unit 1 Due to Identified Deficiencies in Lubricant Used in motor-operated Limitorque Valves.Deficiencies Apply to 263 safety-related Valves in Both Units 1 & 2

ML20150E661
Person / Time
Site:	Braidwood
Issue date:	03/24/1988
From:	Forney W, Hinds J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:
References
PNO-III-88-026, PNO-III-88-26, NUDOCS 8804010243
Download: ML20150E661 (1)

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L P_RfLIMLNACY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-ITI-88-26 Date March 24, 1988 MMS This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety i 'or public interest significance. The information is as initially received without

! verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by the Region III

. staff on this date.

Facility: Comonwealth Edison Company Licensee Emergency Classification:

Braidwood Units 1 & 2 Notification of an Unusual Event hV

~

Braceville, IL 60407 Alert Site Area Emergency Docket Nos. 50-456; 50-457 General Emergency X Not Applicable q

Subject:

SHUTDOWN GREATER THAN 48 HOURS TO REPLACE QUESTIONABLE VALVE LUBRICANT At 1:27 p.m. (CST), March 23, 1988, the licensee began an orderly shutdown of Unit I from 25 percent power because of identified deficiencies in the lubricant used in motor operated Limitorque valves. Unit 2 has been shutdown since March 16 after low power physics testing. It has not yet received a full-power license.

The deficiencies, which apply to 263 safety-related valves in both Units 1 and 2, were identified by the licensee in response to NRC concerns regarding the environmental qualification of equipment.

The lubricant was found to contain two differs nt types of grease. In this mixed form, the lubricant may not stand up to harsh environmental conditions in the event of an accident and, ,

therefore, may not be environmentally qualified.

Region III (Chicaga) issued two Confinnatory Action Letters (one for each unit) on March 23, 1988, requiring the licensee to: (1) sample lubricant in all safety-related Limitorque valve operators; (2) complete a visual inspection and laboratory analysis of all samples taken; (3) remove existing lubricant, clean operator internals and lubricate the operator 4 with qualified lubricant. The results of these activities are to be made available to the

• NRC. Neither Unit I nor Unit 2 may restart without the concurrence of the Regional Administrator or his designee.

Region III is monitoring the licensee's course of action.  ;

The State of Illinois will be notified.

Region III was nutified of this event at 9:30 a.m. (CST), March 23, 1988. This information is current as of 11:30 a.m. (CST), March 24, 1988.

k. ~ltttAM AA-)

CONTACT J. Hinds (FTS 388-5575) Forney (FTS 388-5590)

DISTRIBUTION:

i H. St. NM8B Phillips LE W WFN 1 Chairman Zech EDTI hRR DTA TR!T

! Com. Roberts ARM 01 SLITP l Com. Bernthal EDO Mail To:

< Com. Carr PA Resident Inspector Offices DCS (Original)

Comm. Rogers OGC Resident Inspector DOT (Trans. Only)

SECY

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FAX TO: Nicholson Lane Regions

! CA '.D Region I GPA TF /.M NSAC /.

RES Region II

, ACRS Licensee /.~3 V Region IV PDR HQS. Operations Officer /.M Region V <

?904010243 880324 9 U" '

PDR I&E Rev. November 1987 j

PNO-III-88-026 DCD  !