ML20198Q964
| ML20198Q964 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/23/1998 |
| From: | Todd Jackson NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20198Q940 | List: |
| References | |
| REF-WM-39 NUDOCS 9901080044 | |
| Download: ML20198Q964 (8) | |
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h U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION I g.
l MONITORING REPORT Report No.
98-03 Licensee:
U.S. Department of Energy. West Valley Demonstration Project Western New York Nuclear Service Center Location:
10282 Rock Springs Road West Valley, NY 14171-0191 Inspection Dates:
November 30-Dscember 4,1998 Inspector:
[dd f
[f Todd J. h&sorl, CHP date Health Physicist d I Approved By-i i
Ronald R. Bellamy, Ph. D., Chief ' -
date Decommissioning and Laboratory Branch Division of Nuclear Materials Safety i
Document Name: G:ONMSOOCWORKMNsPRPT\\WVNOV98.RPT 9901000044 981223 PDR WASTE WM-39 PDR g
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
U.S. Department of Energy, West Valley Demonstration Project Western New York Nuclear Service Center NRC Monitoring Report No. 98-03 A routine monitoring visit was conducted November 30 - December 4,1998, to observe site i
operations and current project status at the West Valley Demonstration Project. Operational areas reviewed included recent organizational and personnel changes, vitrification operations i
and melter status, recent significant events, high level waste tank operations, self-assessments and program reviews, low-level waste shipping plans and preparations, melter noble metals buildup monitoring, radioactive waste management, and decommissioning planning. As a result of this review, the monitor determined that the contractor has established and maintained controls, processes, and programs, which are adequate to protect public health and safety.
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t REPORT DETAILS
- 1. Project Status Overview i
l This report documents the third routine periodic monitoring visit of calendar year 1998 to observe site operations and current project status at the West Valley Demonstration Project l
. (WVDP). The monitor observed activities in progress, held discussions with Department of Energy (DOE) and West Valley Nuclear Services (WVNS) personnel, and reviewed related documentation. DOE and WVNS personnel presented status briefings on site activities, with emphasis on the following:
Organizational Changes Recent Reportable Events and Follow-Up Vitrification Operations.
High LevelWaste Tank Operations Facility Closure Projects.
Radioactive Waste Management i
Decommissioning Planning
- 11. OrganizationalChanges Effective since the last monitoring visit in July,1998, DOE named Barbara Mazurowski as Director for DOE at WVDP. Several DOE staff were acting in supervisory positions, to backf"I
. vacancies including Deputy Director, Associate Director, and in two Team Leader positions.
WVNS had reorganized to better address the post-vitrification focus of operations at the WVDP.
The new organizati n is intended to be better aligned with projects underway or planned, as the i
site focus shifts from vitrification to other waste management and decommissioning projects.
Ill. Recent Reportable Events and Follow Up to Previous Events
' Follow-Uo' to Procedure Comoliance issues '
= During the previous monitoring visit, one focus of interest by the monitor was on the reasons -
why personnel were not following procedures during the conduct'of work. Two events occurring during 1998 were referenced as examples. Since the July 1998 monitoring visit, WVNS had
. made additional efforts to determine the root cause. Intervieus of numerous individuals were
' conducted some with personnel personally involved in the referenced events and also with other site workers who had not been involved in the events. WVNS had concluded that the root cause was expEtations for procedure use and compliance were not clearly communicated or demonstrated in a manner which employees understood or could implement.
L The monitor had observed WVNS actions to improve procedure compliance 2: West Valley
- since the November 1996 backup of high level waste (HLW) into a domineralized water line at the Vitrification Facility. WVNS management had published policy statements and conducted l
. employee meetings, yet all workers had not understood the stated expectations. A significant l
' difference in the actions taken since July 1998, compared to previous actions, is that several of
~
' the actions had the effect of making the commun! cation of expectations more personal, and 1
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directly opplicable to individuals. Recent actions included an actualincrease in the presence of supervisors and engineers at the site where work is performsd, incorporation of more detail and structure into pre-job briefings, more direct interaction betvecen procedure writers and performers, and creating an environment mandating this c.oser interaction (the Work Review Group meetings). Management has continued f ' try different ways to get out the message of procedure compliance expectations. Individual staff appeared to be understanding better that procedure complianco expectations apply to all staff. This personalization is a significant difference, and is important in accomplishing the goal of truly changing the site " culture" of what constitutes acceptable behaviors.
An operations-focused change instituted since July is the site Work Review Group (WRG),
which the monitor observed during this visit. The WRG convenes daily to bring together the people who plan work and those who perform work. Discussions involve all participants, with the objective of understanding the details of work being planned as early as possible in the planning crocesses. The WRG also served as a mechanism for bringing the people together who are responsible for reviewing and signing-off on work control documents, affording them opportunities for questions, and also shortening the time required to obtain all necessary signatures. Discussions also addressed the issues of closer communications between procedure writers and implementers, improving the opportunity for implementers to question written instructions prior to beginning work in the field. The WRG appeared to be effectively improving the coordination of complex work activities.
Review of Events Since the Last Monitorina Visit WVNS personnel described sito events which occurred since the last monitoring visit in July 1998. On October 16 and 21,1998 the site sheltering alarm was sounded by the Main Plant Operations Shift S'.ipervisor in accordance with site emergency procedures. A high ammonia alarm was received because of approximately 200 ppm ammonia detected near the top of the ammonia storage tank on October 16, and greater than 200 ppm on October 21. It was determined that the cause of the ammonia leaks was deterioration of the ammonia piping welds, and the storage tank and piping were drained to enable repairs. Another high ammonia alarm activated the site sheltering alarm on October 30, about 2% hours after the residual ammonia in the storage tank fill line had been drained into the tank. Ammcnia concentrations were not found to be elevated anywhere but the immediate vicinity of the storage tank in any of the occurrences. Repairs were nearing completion at the time of the monitoring visit.
In another event, post-maintenance checking of work performed on the fire protection system found a sprinkler system flow switch inoperable. The sprink!er system was operable, however the flow switch was improperly re-connected electrically following work. The site " experience database", accumulated as a result of the performance monitoring program, was reviewed and WVNS concluded that there had been other examples of inadequate post-maintenance testing in fire protection system work. It was determined that there was a lesser level of work-control rigor in the process for contracting work on the fire protection system. As a result, the fire protection work control system was revised to make it similar to the work controls used for other work at the site. In this case the site performance monitoring and experience database provided additional insight into the contributing factors for this occurrence and was used to modify the program before more significant consequences occurred. The monitor noted this as 2
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a good example of a success for the performance monitoring program and experience database.
Other events described by WVNS included discovery of a steam valve to the waste tank farm shelter, believed to be locked and tagged closed, but found to be in the open position when the lock and tag were being removed. The cause of this was believed to be personnel error in not adequately verifying va!ve position. Another event involved an apparent mechanical failure that caused potable water to migrate into a utility air line, flooding some important instrumentation.
Investigation of this event is continuing. One additional event being investigated is the discovery of a small leak of process liquid through welds of the piping in the demineralizer skids at the new low level radioactive waste processing facility (LLW2). Although the leak rate is very low, the cause of the leak in this new system is actively being investigated.
Continued Performance Monitorina and Self-Assessments WVNS and DOE had completed a Conduct of Operations assessment in July 1998 focusing on use of procedures, following the last NRC monitoring visit. This review was intended to assure a broad-based review of recent procedure compliance issues to accurately determine causal factors (as was discussed above). An additional Conduct of Operations Self-Assessment was conducted in September 1998, focusing on LLW2 facility operations, critique and event fact sheet paperwork completion, walkdown c' oerating procedures and work orders, waste generation, pre-job briefings, and worker tre :ing and qualification. A report and corrective action plan for findings had been completed and was being implemented.
Self-assessment programs continued at WVDP, and continued to emphasize observed evolutions in the plant. These efforts required significant resources to involve workers in critically reviewing procedures as they are implemented. Radiation Protection was on schedule to complete most reviews in an aggressive 1998 calendar year program goal. Other WVNS operating organizations were also implementing the self-assessment programs developed following the November 1996 event (HLW backed up into a demineralized water line at the vitrification facility).
IV. Vitrification Operations HLW feed to the melter continued to be reduced due to the les,ser quantity of waste available for transfer from tank 8D2 to the melter. Melter availability remained high, and noble metals buildup has not increased because of the reduced HLW feed rate to the melter. WVNS expectations for fiscal year 1999 are to process one canister every 5-6 weeks, using whatever waste materialis available to mix with non-waste glass-forrners. Major waste processing efforts will be focused on activities within the waste tanks. Approximately 10.3 million curies of Sr-90 and Cs-137 have been transferred to the melter since vitrification began.
V. High Level Waste Tank Operations Efforts continued to remove the settled solids from the bottom of tank 8D2. Different approaches to mobilizing solids had produced good success, enabling significant mobilization of solids and transfer to the melter. Some areas of the tank remained difficult to reach with 3
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l Installed equipment, and new equipment was planned to be introduced into the tank to better j
l reach these areas.
l Tank 8D1 contains zeolite ion-exchange columns used for processing liquid wastes prior to star
- up of vitrification. The zeolite and other materials in the tank must be transferred to tank 8D:. prior to transfer to the metter for vitrification. Work is in progress to replace one failed mobilization pump, to develop a method to spray water on bearings in another mobilization pump to enable the pump to function, and to install a mechanical aim with a spray sluicer to help mobilize settled solids within the tank.
WVNS was also in the process of refining the calculations of radioactivity remaining in the HLW storage tanks. The calculated quantity of Sr-90 was revised downward, from more than 800,000 curies to about 230,000 curies. This revision was due to an incorrect assumption in calculations, which used the fission yield for Sr-90 from U 235 applied to other fissionable I
materials in the mixtures (specifically U-23J and Pu-239). The composition of the fissionable materials used in earlier calculations was not changed, however the appropriate fission yields were adjusted. The most recent calculation determined that the activity remaining is primarily 800,000 curies Cs 137 and 230,000 curies Sr-90. WVNS also plans to collect samples from the tanks to better quantify the remaining HLW activity by measurement, in addition to the refined calculations.
VI. Facility Closure and Site Operations Projects Since the last monitoring visit several projects related to work on the head-end cells (HEC) had been added to the kWNS work planning scope. Several activities, such as installation of new video cameras into cells and replacement of opaque cell windows, will enable planning of future strategies for remediating the hot cells. Work was continuing on the decommissioning of the old low level waste treatment facility (known as the O2 plant). Decontamination of the building was in progress.
WVNS personnel also described some additional significant projects recently completed. The routine site procedure to verify preparedness for freezing weather had been performed, with necessary repairs completed. This surveillance focused on plant modifications performed since the last season of freezing weather. During the 1998 fair-weather construction season about 5,000 square feet of roofing had been replaced above three sections of the main plant.
Vil Radioactive Waste Management The new liquid low level radwaste processing (LLW2) facility continued to operate effectively, in order to treat plant liquid wastes and the groundwater pumped from the North Plateau to mitigate the Sr-90 groundwater plume. Ion exchange resin for North Plateau water treatment is used more efficiently in the new system, processing more water per quantity of resin. Better controls on inputs to liquid radwaste systems in 1998 have improved water quality of discharged liquids, especially with regard to non-radiological contaminants. Project work controls improvements have been significant in accomplishing better water quality, through increased awareness of work impacts on water effluents, through review of materials prior to their use, and by discouraging use of materials that cause unacceptable water quality impacts.
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.w The WVNS emphasis on shipping more class A solid radwaste has continued. Rather than creating more storage space on the WVDP site, efforts are now focused on efficiently using the l
existing space. WVNS had instituted a " touch waste once" philosophy to minimize the amount of handling and repackaging work required. Repackaging of the existing waste inventory on-site was also being performed under the " touch once" approach. This includes the backlog of waste that was previously containerized for temporary storage and must be repackaged to i
characterize or to ship.
WVNS had noted the deteriorating condition of the fabric covering the LSA-4 low level radwaste storage structure and was taking action to minimize any impacts if the fabric should fail before it can be replaced. Planning has also accelerated for replacement of the fabric-covered structure with a non-fabric structure before the 1999-2000 winter season. Repairs were made to the fabric after the fabric covering on the similar LSA-3 structure failed and ripped open during high t
winds in 1996. Inspectiora of the fabric and repairs in August 1993 showed faster than expected deterioration, necessitating the accelerated replacement planning. As a contingency, the building contents were being assessed to minimize risk if the covering failed. Additionally, the l
waste sorting facility located within the structure was being covered by a tent to protect it in case of fabric failure.
Vill. Planning for Decommissioning WVNS was reviewing how operations at WVDP are conducted to determine what changes are necessary or appropriate to better position the site to perform decommissioning work in the future, rather than for operations such as vitrification. It is believed that work control l
mechanisms appropriate for complex operations such as vitrification are unnecessarily l
prescriptive and rigid for many of the activities expected in decommissioning. WVNS is working i
to identify what changes are appropriate to approach decommissioning activities more efficiently and cost effectively. WVNS stated that the objective r,f this effort is "To develop a streamlined, user-friendly, engineering process that supports current operations and engineering activities and will support future decommissioning work".
While reviewing the activities of the WRG (discussed in Section lll above), WVNS informed the l
monitor that the WRG approach could be also used to cover construction-related activities, although it is necessary for the responsible facility manager to require the WRG be involved.
The monitor noted that this approach to controlling construction work was different than how other site work is controlled, and that such differences in work controts among various site groups had caused some confusion and inconsistencies in the past. The amount of l
construction (or de-construction) work at the WVDP is expected to become more significant as decommissioning proceeds, and the monitor suggested that the unique work controls for
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construction activities be reviewed to assure that the degree of control is appropriate.
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IX. Exit Meeting l
The monitor presented the results of this visit to senior DOE and WVNS management and staff at the conclusion of the visit on December 4,1998.
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PARTIAL LIST OF PERSONS CONTACTED Deoartment of Enerav. Ohio Field Office-West Vallev Demonstration Project Barbara Mazurowski, Director Elizabeth Lowes, Acting Deputy Director William Hamel, Acting Associate Director Herman Moore, Remedial Projects & Waste Management Team Leader David Cook, Operations and Engineering Acting Team Leader i
. West Vallev Nuclear Services i
Robert Campbell, President Robert Lawrence, Waste, Fuel, and Environmental Projects Manager Paul Valenti, High Level Waste Projects Manager Stuart MacVean, Site Operations and Facility Closure Projects Manager Cliff Winkler, High-Level Waste Engineering Manager l
John Garcia, Radiation Protection Manager Joe Jablonski, Main Plant Operations Manager
- Mae Wright, Waste Management Manager Jack Gerber, Safety Analysis & Integration Manager Jim Gramling, Team Leader Ken Schneider, Head End Cells Project Manager John Gwynar, Conduct of Operations Team Leader Craig Repp, Transition Environmental Programs Manager Bob Steiner, Senior Environmental Engineer Sonja Allen, Public and Employee Communications Lisa Schlack, Operations Support i
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