ML20198N346
| ML20198N346 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Trojan File:Portland General Electric icon.png |
| Issue date: | 10/31/1997 |
| From: | NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20198N343 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-344-97-04, 50-344-97-4, 72-0017-97-04, 72-17-97-4, NUDOCS 9711040046 | |
| Download: ML20198N346 (7) | |
See also: IR 05000344/1997004
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ENCLOSURE
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
- REGION IV
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Docket No.:
50-344: 72-17
License No.:
NFP-1
Report No.:
50-344/97-04;72-17/97-04
Licensee:
Portland General Electric Company (PGE)
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Facility:
Trojan Nuclear Plant
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Location:
121 S.W. Salmon Stroet, TB-17
Portland, Oregon -
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- Dates:
September 29 - October 2,1997
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- Inspectors:
Lee H. Thonus, Project Manager
Office of Nuc' ear Reactor Regulation
Approved By:
D. Blair Spitzberg, Ph.D., Chief
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Nuclear Materials inspection and Fuel Cycle Decommissioning
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9711040046 971031
ADOCK 05000344
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EXECUTIVE SUMMABY
Trojan Nuclear Plant -
NRC Inspection Report 50-344/97-04;72-17/97-04
Portland General Electric (PGE) is proceeding with several decommissioning activities at the
Trojan nuclear facility in parallel. Their goal is to move the spent fuel to a 10 CFR Part 72
licenseo Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) and to complete decommissioning
and terminate the 10 CFR part 50 license by calendar year 2001.
To accomplish this goal, Portland General Electric personnel are processing fuel debris in the
fuel building to reduce it to a form suitable for storage in the ISFSt. They are also constructing
the ISFSI pad and continuing with decontamination and dismantlement activities in the reactor
containment and auxiliary buildings. Material which PGE expects can be released for
unconditional use is prepared for free release in the demineralizer building. The preparation
includes any required decontamination and a preliminary survey. The materialis then sent to
the turbine building for final free release surveys.
Fuel Debris Processina
The licensee processed 15 cans of fuel debris. The fuel debris consisted primarily of
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fuel pellets, fuel pellet fragments, weld dross, and filter material which had been
vacuumed out of the reactor vessel and the spent fuel pool floor. The cans were placed
in 3 capsules which were filled with inert gas and welded closed. The fuel debris
processing observed by the inspector was performed in accordance with the licensee's
safety analysis and supporting documents (Section 1).
Dry Cask Storace
Placement of rebar for the transfer station portion of the independent Spent Fuel
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Storage Installation was found to be consistent with the licensee's drawings.
Preparations for the concrete pour of the transfer station were nearing completion
(Section 2).
Control of Radioactive Material
The licensee's interim corrective actions following the discovery of several contaminated
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articles outside of the radiologically controlled area were reasonable but had not been
completed. The licensee's evaluation of the extent of the release of contaminated items
is still underway. The NRC will continue to review the licensee's actions in this area as
an inspection followup item (50-344/97004-01) (Section 3).
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Rgoort Detalb
Summarv of Plant Status
Active decommissioning continued at Trojan, with the goal of placing the spent fuel in a
10 CFR Part 72 licensed ISFSI and terminating the Part 50 license by calendar year 2001.
Critical path / priority work included fuel debris processing, ISFSI construction and support
activities, and work in support of reactor vessel removal and shipment. Decontamination,
dismantlement, packaging and shipment of radioactive waste and release of non-radioactive
items continued.
Fuel debris processing had experienced several delays in startup, but once in operation, the
processing proceeded efficiently. PGE and their contractors, GTS Duratek had completed the
processing of 15 cans of fuel debris and had placed them into three capsules. The capsules
were overpacks which could hold as many as five fuel debris cans each. The capsults were
filled with helium gas and closed with a seat weld. The seal welds were inspected using dye
penetrant and found to be acceptable.
The ISFSI storage pad continues under construction. The cask storage portion had been
completed and the steel reinforcement (rebar) for the cask transfer station had been placed.
Two concrete pours remained to complete the facility. The rebar placement for the cask
transfer station was found to be consistent with specifications. Final shimming of the rebar at
the outer edge of transfer station portion of the ISFSI pad had not yet been completed.
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Fuel Debris Processing (37801,71801)
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Insoection Scooe
The purpose of the fuel debris processing project was to seal fuel debris material into
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canisters that could be stored at the ISFSI. The fuel debris consisted primarily of fuel
pellets, fuel pellet fragments, weld dress, and filter media. The activities associated with
the processing and sealing of the fuel debris material was observed to verify compliance
with the limits and conditions specified in the licensee's safety analysis
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Observations and Findinas
The licensee had processed 15 cans of fuel debris which were placed in three capsules.
The capsules were overpack containers capable of holding five fuel debris cans each.
The fuel debris material consisted primarily of fuel pellets, fuel pellet fragments, weld
dross, and filter material which had been vacuumed out of the reactor vessel and the
spent fuel pool (SFP) floor. The inspector observed several activities associated with
the fuel debris processing project. This included the processing of a fuel debris can,
transfer of the can to the fuel transfer canal, and the insp ; tion of the seal weld on a
capsule using dye penetrant testing.
The fuel debris cans were filled with fuel debris material and heated to 1100 F to drive
off organic material such that the remaining H would result in less than 0.250 moles per
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Action Request (CAR) 97-0024 to investigate and identify corrective actions. The
inspector reviewed the status of the licensee's findings and interim corrective actions.
3.2
Observations and Fin. dings
in April,1997, the licensee informed the NRC that contaminated material had been
improperly released from Trojan's radiologically controlled area. Subsequent to that
finding, in September,1997, the licensee informed the NRC that additional
contaminated material had been found outside the radiologically controlled area, but
within the site fenced area. The licensee was in the process of determining the root
cause(s) and developing corrective actions to address the problem. The licensee had
conducted surveys of storage areas outside the radiologically controlled area and
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identified several contaminated items, including wrenches, shackles, a lifting cable ; a
lifting eye, a screwdriver arid scaffold tubing. A bucket surveyed was found to have
fixed beta-gamma contamination of 200,000 dpm/20 cm The licensee's free release
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limit for fixed contamination was 1,000 dpm/20 cm . The bucket was being used to
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transport material to the survey / release facility. The bucket had come from a North
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American (licensee contractor) tool room. A survey of the ISFSI pad found two scaffold
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tubes with fixed contamination. Additional site surveys were still underway by the
licensee.
Interim actions taken by the licensee included instituting a two man rule at the
survey / release facility, stationing a radiation protection technician at the exit from the
radiologically controlled area to survey items being removed and to observe personnel
exiting, and performing surveys of storage area which might contain items which had
been released from the radiologically controlled area.
The inspector observed the survey and release facility and found that the two man rule
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was being implemented. Tiie technicians were observed to be thorough and methodical
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in their surveys. The technicians were using thin window G-M " pancake" type probes
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with 20 cm area. The technicians were allowed to take breaks when they felt fatigued.
After the technicians released a bin of material, a sample of severalitems was selected
by a radiation protection supervisor and resurveyed.
The licensee had also stationed a radiation protection technician at the radiologically
controlled area exit to survey hard hats and hand carried items being removed from the
radiologically controlled area. Previous practice had allowed the owner of the items to
survey his/her own hard hat and hand carried items. The technician also responded to
alarms from the automated personnel monitors. Trojan had not completed a
determination of the extent to which contaminated materia!s existed outside the
radiologically controlled area, or the extent that radioactive materials may have been
transported offsite. Troian's quality assurance organization had responded aggressively
to the discoveries. Their involvement lead to the discovery of the contaminated scaffold
tubes at the ISFSI pad. The quality assurance organization was planning to have an
independent assessment performed by an independent offsite group. The licensee's
interim corrective actions appeared reasonable. The NRC will continue to follow the
licensee's actions in this area as an inspection follow item (!FI) (50-344/97004-01).
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Conclusions
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The licensee's interim corrective actions following the diccovery of several contaminated -
articles outside of the radiologically controlled arv. were reasonable but had not been.-
completed. The licensee's evaluation of the extent of the release of contaminated items-
is still underway. The NRC will continue to review the licensee's actions in this area as
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an inspection followup item (50-344/97004-01)
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Exit Meeting
The inspector presented the inspection results to members of licensee management at
the conclusion of the inspection on October 2,1997. The licensee acknowledged the
findings presented. Portions of a GTS Duratek procedure reviewed but not retained b'
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the inspector were identified as proprietary and are not discussed in the inspection
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ATTACHMENT
PARTIAL LIST OF PERSONS CONTACTED -
Licensee
D. Gilonw, ISFSI Project
T. Meek, Radiation Protection
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D. Nordstrom, Nuclear Oversight -
H. Pate, Licensing --
S. Quennoz, Trojan Site Executive
S, Schnieder, Plant Operations
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M. Tursa, ISFSI Engineer
C. Yundt. Plant Support /Techr.ical Functions
GTS Duratek
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R. Roberts, Engineer
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State of OreaQD
A.- Bless, Resident inspector, Oregon Office of Energy
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INSPECTION PROCEDURES USED
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- 37801
Safety Reviews, Design Changes, and Modifications at Permanently Shutdown
Reactors
46053
Structural Concrete Work Cbservation
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71801
Decommissioning Performance and Status Review at Permanently Shutdown
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Recctors
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92701
Follow up
ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED
Opened
50-344/97004-01
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Follow corrective actions re: surveys
Closed
None
Discussed
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None
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UST OF ACRONYMS
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' corrective action request -
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- cm
centimeter
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CFR
Code of Federal Regulations
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disintegrations per minute
_G-M-
_ Geiger-Mueller-
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lSFSI
Independent Spent Fuel Installation
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mrem ~
milli-Roentgen equivalent man.
mSv >
milli Sievert
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NRC:
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
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ppm-
parts per million
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PGE
- PortJand General Electric
Rem-
Roentgen equivalent man
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Sievert
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