ML20198S148

Special Rept:On 971222-980120,fire Detection Zones 1-16, 1-16P,1-22P,1-31,2-36 & 2-37 Had Been OOS for Period Greater than 14 Days.Zones Were Taken OOS to Prevent False Alarms During Hot Work Activities.Established Fire Patrols

ML20198S148
Person / Time
Site:	LaSalle
Issue date:	01/21/1998
From:	Dacimo F COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NUDOCS 9801260086
Download: ML20198S148 (3)

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January 21,1998 United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attention: Document Control Desk Washington, D.C. 2055E

Subject:

Special Report on Fire Detection and Fire Barriers LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2 Facility Operating License NPF-11 and NPF-18 NRC Docket Nos. 50-373 and 50-374 This Special Report is submitted in accordance with LaSalle County Unit 1 and 2 Operating Licenses, NPF-11 and NPF-18 respectively, Appendix A, and

. Technical Specifications 3.3.7.9,3.7.6, and 6.6.C.

Technical Specification 3.3.7.9 requires, as a minimum, the fire detection instrumentation for each fire detection zone of Unit 1 and Unit 2 shown in Table 3.3.7.9-1 shall be OPERABLE whenever the equipment protceted by the fire detection instrument is required to be OPERABLE, and requires the restoration of the instruments to OPERABLE status within 14 days of being declared inoperable.

Technical Specification 3.7.6 requires all fire rated assemblies, including walls, floor / ceilings, cable tray enclosures and other fire barriers separating safety-related fire areas or separating portions of redundant systems important to safe shutdown within a fire area, and all sealing devices in the fire rated \

assembiy penetrations (fire doors, fire windows, fire dampers, cable and \ g piping penetration seals and ventilation seals) shall be OPERABLE at all times, and requires the restoration of the assembly to an OPERABLE status

- within seven days of being declared inoperable.

The inoperability of the fire detection instruments and fire rated assembly b discussed below was planned in support of scheduled outage maintenance activities.

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During the period of December 22,1997 through January 20,1998, Fire

. De'tection Zones 1-16,1-16P,122P,1-31,2 36, and 2-37, had been out of service for a period greater than 14 days. Fire Detection Zones 1 16 and 1-16P were taken out of service on December 8,1997, to prevent false alarms during hot work activities (i.e., welding, cutting, and grinding) on the Primary Containment Chillers. Detection Zones 1-16 and 1-16P are located on elevations 740',749',761', and 777'in Unit 1 Primary Containmer.t. Fire Detection Zones 2 36 and 2 37 were taken out of service on January 3,1998, to prevent false alarms during hot work activities on the drain lines associated with the Reactor Building Closed Cooling Water Heat Exchangers. Detection Zones 2 36 and 2-37 are located on elevation 786' of the Unit 2 Reactor Building. Fire Detection Zone 122P was taken out-of service on January 5,1998, to prevent false alarms during hot work activities on the Containment Monitoring System. Detection Zone 1-22P is located on elevation 710' of the Unit 1 Reactor Building. Fire Detection Zone 1-31 was taken out-of-service on Januarv 6,1998, to prevent false alarms during hot work activities on the Reactor Core isolation Cooling System. Detection Zone 1-31 is located on elevation 673'in the Unit 1 Reactor Building. Alarms caused by hot work activities have the potential to distract and desensitize workers to valid fire alarms. Fire watch patrols were established in accordance with Action Statement 1' of Technical Specification 3.3.7.9 to inspect the affected areas while the fi e detection instruments are inoperable.

The fire watch patrols, along with the additional fire protection measures provided when hot work activities are in progress, ensure detection capability is available while the detectors are inoperable. The fire detection instruments will be returned to an operable status upon completion of the work in the affected areas. All work is schaduled to be completed prior to the respective Unit startup.

On December 30,1997, the fire barrier separating the 78S' and 815' elevations of the Auxiliary Building was inoperable for a period greater than seven days. The fire barrier was declared inoperable due to the amount of structural steel fire proofing that has been removed to support modifications on the Control Room (VC) and Auxiliary Electric Equipment Room (VE) ventilation systems. A fire watch patrol was established in accordance with Action Statement 'a' of Technical Specification 3.7.6 to inspect the affected areas while the barrier is inoperable. The fire watch patrol minimizes the potential for fire to spread beyond the affected barrier while the barrier is inoperable. The fire watch patrol will remain in place until the affected barrier is retumed to an OPERABLE status. Modifications to the VC and VE Ventilation Systems are scheduled to be completed prior to Unit 1 startup.

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. .lf tpere are any questions or comments concoming this letter, please refer thern to Perry Barnes, Regulatory Assurance Supervisor, at (815) 357-6761, extension 2383.

Respectfully, Fred Dacimo Site Vice President LaSalle County Station ec: A. B. Beach, NRC Region lll Administrator ,

M. P. Huber, NRC Senior Resident inspector - LaSalle D. M. Skay, Project Manager - NRR - LaSalle F. Niziolek, Office of Nuclear Facility Safety - IDNS H. B. Clayton, Enforcement and Investigation Officer - Region 111

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