ML20199H287
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o UNITED STATES g
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION o
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i WASMNGTON, D. C. 20665 o,
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N 1 9 1985 4
MEMORANDUM FOR:
Vincent S. Noonan, Director Comanche Peak Project FROM:
Chet Poslusny, Program Coordinator Comanche Peak Project l
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SUBJECT:
FEEDBACK INTERVIEW 0F WITNESSES A-50 and A-51 i
On January 9, 1985, allegers A-50 and A-51 attended a meeting with members T
of the Comanche Peak Technical Review Team (TRT) at the Granbury Inn,
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b Granbury, Texas. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the TRT evaluation and conclusions regarding allegations in the mechanical / piping, welding quality assurance / quality control, and miscellaneous area:;.
On January 10, 1985, the NRC Technical Review Team toured the Comanche Peak site with allegers A-50 and A-51. The following individuals accompanied the allegers: Shannon Phillips, John Zudans, Bob Masterson, J. Cummins, and Ernest Thompson. The tour was taped and later transcribed. The purpose of the tour was to locate and identify specific hardware items referred to in previous testimony, especially during the 1-9-85 feedback interview.
l The allegers, at the end of the tour, seemed satisfied with the meeting and i
tour. However, they requested a future tour be scheduled so more hardware sites, involved in allegations, could be visited. They thought the second tour would serve to clarify many existing allegations and provide the opportunity to discuss additional allegations.
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The following is a sumary of each allegation and allegers' comments on each. Information gained during the site tour on 1-10-85 is discussed in each sumary also.
1.
AQC-10 -- This allegation refers to an incident where a cone-shaped I
segment of concrete in a floor surface dropped out during removal of a Hilti bolt. It was repaired in an unauthorized manner.
The TRT concluded that the structural integrity of the slab would be
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maintained under its design loads, assuming no strength contribution from the repaired hole. However, the lack of procedural and inspection control of the repair is a problem. No NCR was located which documented the problem and its repair.
The alleger stated that four Hilti bolt holes on the same hanger had been l
drilled and filled, which was not documented. This requires further study by TRT. The location of the incident was visited during the tour on January 10, 1985, but the repair was not visible.
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2 The alleger's main concern was that repairs were routinely made without authorization or documentation in violation of procedures.
2.
AW-35 and AH-7 -- These allegations refer to a piece of magnetized scrap I-beam that was used in a hanger installation. The magnetized iron allegedly caused arc blow (AW-35) and use of scrap material violates quality assurance requirements for tracability of material (AH-7).
The TRT concluded that the use of scrap material could not be substantiated without locating it in the field. During the January 10, 1985, site tour, the hanger workmanship was visually inspected L
and found acceptable. The allegation of improper material control could not be substantiated because the hanger was class 5, which does not require material control.
3.
AW-54 -- The allegation is that weave welding, prohibited by procedure, was used to weld pipe supports rather than stringer bead techniques.
The TRT concluded that weave welding up to four times the electrode diameter is considered equivalent to stringer bead welding and is allowed by Brown and Root welding procedures. These procedures are more stringent than the code requires. Also, random field inspection of unground hanger welds showed no excess weaving. The metallurgical effect of weave welding (higher weld temperatures) is minimal on hanger steel materials. The allegation could not be substantiated.
A technical discussion ensued on the metallurgical aspects of weave welding, downhill welding, interpass temperatures, preheat temperatures, and impact properties, but failed to resolve the alleger's concerns. The alleger also argued that the Gibbs and Hill or TUGC0 engineers, in evaluating NCR's, many times determine that the tolerances allowed by drawing or procedure are too tight and simply ignore violations or disposition NCR's "uses as is" rather than change the drawing or procedure. The welder or inspector is then faced with two sets of orders: verbally to violate the procedure and in writing to confom. Pressure to meet schedules encourages the fonner.
4.
AW-56 -- The allegation was that welders did not keep their rod cans j
plugged in during the day to keep their welding rods warm. The TRT i
metallurgical evaluation indicates that ignoring the requirement to keep the cans plugged in does not induce appreciable weld quality problems.
Field checks by the TRT during the 1-10-85 site tour did not disclose violation of this rule.
During the site tour on 1-10-85, one unplugged rod can was found, and the welder was questioned. By procedure, the maximum allowable time to leave the can unplugged is four hours. Four hours had not been exceeded at that time.
3 The allegers' strongest concern is that weld rod control procedure violations existed, and that procedure requirements were not uniformly enforced.
5.
AW-53 -- This allegation is that defective welds were made on pipe whip restraints and hangers. Most of the discussion concerned weld rod control, especially the use of unauthorized weld rods. Again, the allegers prime concern was that procedure violations were routine.
6.
Ap-5 -- This allegation relates to a pipe gouge which was repaired v
without proper authorization or documentation. The TRT found that
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the repair had been performed and documented according to procedures.
The firing of Alleger A-51 was discussed by the allegers. He alleged he was fired for refusing to illegally and improperly repair such a pipe gouge. TUGC0 indicated that the alleger was fired twice for excessive absenteeism. OI is investigating the circumstances relating to the alleger's termination.
7.
AQW-14, AW-49, AW-51, and AW-55 -- These allegations describe the use of illegal plug welds to fill mislocated holes in hanger bases.
1 The TRT determined that repair welds could be made in accordance with procedures, that illegal plug welds would be difficult to detect and that the illegal plug welds would be an indication of inadequate inspection. The allegers state that the holes they filled were not done according to procedure and were never inspected by QA, but were really just capped at both ends and ground flush.
8.
AW-48 -- The allegation is that a QC trainee was improperly using liquid penetrant. Further discussion with the alleger identified the trainee as a non-QA employee (millwright or boilermaker) who was dye-penetrant checking the canal liner seam welds. TRT could not substantiate the allegation. The allegers' prime concern was that the person doing the dye checking was not trained and not qualified and that the inspector signed off the inspection sheet without observing or checking the inspection.
9.
AB-6 -- The allegation is that a QC inspector was improperly 1.
instructed to sign off on torqueing of Hilti bolts without authorization. The TRT randomly reviewed 20 hanger packages and could not substantiate the allegation.
4 Alleger A-50 states that the torque seal was not controlled by QA (it was available to construction) and that the sign off of the inspection sheet gave the appearance that some inspector had used the torque seal after witnessing the torqueing and had forgotten to sign off the inspection sheet.
- 10. AQH-2 -- The allegation is that A-50 was instructed to buy off on a hanger or be fired. The TRT team could not substantiate the allegation. After further discussion and field inspection of the hanger during the plant tour on 1-10-85, the TRT still could not substantiate this allegation.
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- 11. AH-4 -- The allegation is that a welder was instructed to weld a leg on a hanger which was not authorized by the drawing. The TRT substantiated that the hanger was later scrapped and replaced because of the undocumented weld, but concluded that an NCR should have been written to document this work.
Alleger A-50 stated that this type of violation was routine.
- 12. AQW-11 and AQW-16 --The allegation is that vendor welds on the diesel generator skids were inspected by an unqualified individual.
During the discussion, alleger A-50 stated that she had great difficulty reading drawings and had repeatedly complained to her supervisor that she was not qualified to read drawings. The TRT verified that she was certified for the type of inspection required.
- 13. AQE--6 --The allegation is that electrical inspectors were directed to not follow procedures. The TRT investigation showed that the procedure for postconstruction and walk down inspections had undergone eighteen revisions, which could confuse the inspectors, but the allegation could not be substantiated.
- 14. AQ-38 and AQ-39 -- These allegations were not discussed at the meeting. The TRT resolutions, reported in NUREG-0797, Supp. 11, and were not complete at the time of the meeting.
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- 15. AM-17 -- This allegation was not discussed at the feedback interview or the site tour on 1-10-85. The TRT's resolution is covered in NUREG-0797, Supp. 8.
Alleger A-50 mentioned at the end of the site tour that she would like to return to the site to see the missile barrier doors and check the documentation.
Chet Poslusny, Program Coordinator Comanche Peak Project cc:
D. Eisenhut B. Hayes J. Youngblood k-L. Shao J. Calvos M. Kline Docket Files 50-445/446 l
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- 15. AM-17 -- This allegation was not discussed at the feedback interview or the site tour on 1-10-85. The TRT's resolution is covered in NUREG-0797, Supp. 8.
Alleger A-50 mentioned at the end of the site tour that she would like to return to the site to see the missile barrier doors and check the documentation.
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Chet Poslusny, Program Coordinator Comanche Peak Pro,1ect cc:
D. Eisenhut B. Hayes J. Youngblood L. Shao J. Calvos M. Kline Docket Files 50-445/446 4
0FC :CPP()J/
- CPP NAME :CPoslusny
- VSNoonan DATE : / i/85
- / 85
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7-/f FFICIAL RECORD COPY 0
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