ML20234E250
| ML20234E250 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Waterford  |
| Issue date: | 09/15/1987 |
| From: | Chaney H, Murray B NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20234E236 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-382-87-15, NUDOCS 8709220323 | |
| Download: ML20234E250 (10) | |
See also: IR 05000382/1987015
Text
-
.
APPENDIX
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
REGION IV
NRC Inspection Report:
50-382/87-15
License:
Docket:
50-382
Licensee: Louisiana Power & Light Company (LP&L)
317 Baronne Street
New Orleans, Louisiana
70160
Facility Name:
Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 3 (Wat-3)
s
Inspection At:
Taft, St. Charles Parish, Louisiana (Wat-3 Site)
Inspection Conducted: August 17-21, 1987
Inspector:
///N
H. E. Chaney, Radiatiorf Specialist
Dtite /
OFacilitiesRadiologicalProtectionSection
Approved:
M
/ k
B."Murray, Chief ~, Faci
ies Radiological
Dpe /
Protection Section
Inspection Summary
Inspection Conducted August 17-21, 1987 (Report 50-382/87-15)
Areas Inspected:
Routine, unannounced inspection of the liquid and gaseous
radioactive waste programs.
Results: Within the areas inspected, no violations or deviations were
identified. One unresolved item (control of radioactive contamination, see
paragraph 3) was identified.
l
8709220323 870918
ADOCK 05000382
0
-
,
2
I
i
DETAILS
1.
Persons Contacted
LP&L
- R.P.Barkhurst,VicePresident, Nuclear (SiteDirector)
- S. Alleman, Assistant Plant Manager
- N. S. Carns, Plant Manager
- W. T. LaBonte, Radiation Protection Superintendent
- P. N. Backes, Nuclear Quality Assurance Manager
- T. F. Gerrets, Acting Nuclear Services Manager
- A. S. Lockhart, Nuclear Operations Support and Assessment Manager
- J. M. O'Hern, Technical Support Training Superintendent
- H. C. Lesan, Engineering Technician, Nuclear
- J. A. Ridgel, Assistant Radiation Protection Superintendent
- G. E. Wuller, Operational Licenting Supervisor
- D. A. Rothrock, Operational Licensing Engineer
P. Kelley, Health Physics (HP) Technician Supervisor
D. Hoel, HP Supervisor
R. Kenning, Engineering Technician, Nuclear
B. Goldman, ALARA Supervisor / Coordinator
P. V. Prasankumar, Technical Support Superintendent
T. O. Gray, Operations Quality Assurance (QA) Supervisor
J. E. Howard, Technical Specification Surveillance Coordinator
T. Payne, Instrument and Controls (I&C) Superintendent
R. J. Matherne, I&C Supervisor
C. L. Boudreaux, Maintenance Training Supervisor
H. C. Waldrop, Nuclear Auxiliary Operator
J. Comeaux, Nuclear Plant Operator
R. P. Lee, QA Auditor
K. P. Boudreaux, Health Physics Technician
R. M. Lunn, I&C Technician
W. H. Currey, I&C Technician
R. Allen, Senior Engineer, Chemistry
R. Seidl, I&C Design Supervising Engineer
Others
- T. R. Staker, Resident Inspector, NRC
- M. E. Skow, inspector, NRC
S. T. Clark, HP Consultant, NUMANC0
4
l
G. V. Policastro, HP Consultant, IRM
I
j
- Denotes those attending the exit interview held on August 21, 1987.
)
l
l
_ _ _ _ _ _ - _ -
_ _ - _ _ - - _ _ _- _ _ _ __
_______-__ _ - __
,
3-
2.
Open Items Identified During This Inspection
An open item is a matter that requires further review and evaluation by
the NRC inspector. Open items are used to document, track, and ensure
~
e
adequate followup on matter of concern to the NRC inspector. The
folicwing open items were identified:
!
Open Item
Title
See Paragraph
382/8715-01
Radiation Monitoring System
5
382/8715-02
Radiation Monitoring System Training
6
382/8'il5-03'
Liquid and Gaseous Effluent Release
7
Record Storage
382/8715-04
Radiation Protection Personnel Fire
8
I
Drill Support
382/8715-05
Waste Gas Holdup System Explosive
9
Gas Monitoring System
i
3.
Unresolved Item
An unresolved item is a matter about which more information is required to
l
ascertain whether it is an acceptable item, a deviation, or a violation.
l
The following unresolved item was identified:
l
Unresolved
i
l
Item No.
Title
See Paragraph
1
l
382/8715-06
Radioactive Contamination Control
10
(
and Procedural Compliance
4
Program Areas Inspected
-
The following program areas were inspected.
Unless otherwise noted, the
inspection was completed and revealed no violations, deviations,
!
unresolved items, or open items. Notations after a specific inspection
item are used to identify the following:
I = item not inspected or only
partially inspected; V = violation; D = deviation; U = unresolved item;
and 0 = open item.
Procedure
Program Area and Inspection Requirements
83722
Organization and Management Controls (Radwaste)
l
02.01 - Organization
I
02.02 - Staffing
02.04 - Identification and Correction of Weaknesses
02.05 - Audits and Appraisals - 0 (see paragraph 7)
i
_ _ _ - - _ - _ - _ _ _ _ - _ _ _
- _ _ _
_ - _ _ - _ - .
..
a
4
1
83522
Organization and Management Controls (Radwaste)
02.01 - Organization, Responsibilities, and Authorities
02.02 - Staffing
02.03 - Identification and Correction of Weaknesses
02.04 - Audits and Appraisals
02.05 - Communication to Employees
02.06 - Documentation and Implementation
83723
TrainingandQualifications(Radwaste)
02.01 - Adequacy of Training - 0 (see paragraph 6)
02.02 - Employee Knowledge - 1
02.03 - Transportatiori/Radwaste Training - 1
02.04 - Qualification Requirements
02.05 - New Employees
02.06 - INP0 Accreditation
02.07 - Audits and. Appraisals
02.08 - Training Not Covered by INP0 - I
83523
TrainingandQualifications(Radwaste)
02.01 - Training and Qualifications Program
02.02 - Education and Experience
02,03 - Adequacy and Quality of Training
<
84723
Liquid Radioactive Wastes
02.01 - Audits and Appraisals
02.02 - Program Changes
l
02.03 - Effluents
02.04 - Instrumentation
02.05 - Reactor Coolant and Secondary Water
84523
Liquid Radioactive Waste
02.01 - Construction and Installation of Liquid Waste System
-I
02.02 - Liquid Leakage, Overflow, and Spillage
02.03 - Sampling
02.04
Preoperational Test Program - I
i
l
02.05
Completion of Preoperational Test Program - I
02.06 - Installation,(Calibration, and Testing of Process
Monitors - 0 see paragraph 5)
02.07 - Procedures
84724
_Gpseous Radioactive Wastes
02.01 - Audits and Appraisals
I
02.02 - Program Changes
!
02.03 - Effluents
'
.___ ____ __ _ _ _ a
_-
_ _ _ _ - -
..
,
5
02.04 - Instrumentation
~02.05 - Air Cleaning Systems - I
02.06 - Programs, Plans, and Procedures
84524
Gaseous Radioactive Waste
'02.01 - Construction and Installation of Gaseous Waste
System - I
02.02 - Sampling
02.03 - Preoperational Test Program - I-
02.04 - Completion of Preoperational Test Program - I.
02.05 - Installation, Calibration, and Testing of Process
Monitors - 0 (see paragraph 5)
02.06 - Procedures
90713
Review of Periodic and Special Reports
02.01 - Report Content
j
02.02 - Verify Test Results
02.03 - Ascertain Adequacy of Corrective Actions - 0 (see
paragraph 9)
02.04 - Determine Classification of Report Contents
02.05 - Document Review and Closeout - U (see paragraph 10)
83726
Control of Radioactive Materials and Contamination, Surveys,
and Monitoring
02.01 - Audits and Appraisals
j
02.02 - Changes
02.03 - Surveys and Monitoring - 0 (see paragraph 8)
02.04 - Radioactive Materials ard Contamination Controls
5.
Process and Effluent Monitoring System
The licensee's radiation monitoring system (RMS) for radioactive
liquid /gasevus process, effluent, accident monitors has experienced a
large amount of downtime.
The RMS is a General Atomics (GA) computer
based system comprised of both GA and Nuclear Measurement
Corporation (NMC) instruments.
These monitors involve both Technical
Specification (TS) required monitors and non-TS monitors.
The NRC
inspector determined that the licensee had a backlog of maintenance and
calibrations actions for several non-TS monitors due to priority being
given to the maintenance and calibration of TS monitors.
The NRC inspector observed maintenance operations on selected RMS
moniters, interviewed personnel, and inspected training programs and
qualification records.
The licensee's RMS problems appear to be due to a
combination of system design, component operation, and component
environmental qualification.
These aforementioned factors have required
continuous maintenance work on the RMS T,o maintain its operability.
The
NRC inspector determined that the licensee had apparently complied with
- _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - - _ _
- _ - _ _
___
_____ __-____ _____ _ _ _ _ _
I
.
c
- .
1
.
6
all TS required action items concerning the monitors addressed in the TS
when.they were determined to be out-of-service.
The NRC inspector.noted during reviews of the licensee's Plan of the Day
meeting reports that approximately six to as many as eighi, TS required
effluent and reactor accident monitors were declared out-of-service on
August-18-21, 1987, due to maintenance problems.
On August 21, 1987,
I
neither the liquid or the gaseous effluent monitors were' operational due
l
to component problems.
l
l
The NRC inspector determined that the licensee's I&C group which is
responsible for maintaining the RMS had undergone a reduction-in-force.
This reduction of I&C technicians appeared to contribute to the
maintenance backlog problem.
At the exit interview on August 21, 1987,
the licensee committed to the NRC inspector to provide at least three
additional RMS qualified I&C technicians for RMS associated work.
i
I
'he licensee had determined, prior to this inspection, that they could
obtain better reliability in the RMS by replacing the five, high
maintenance, NMC monitors (gaseoas, liquid, and boron waste management
systems, steam generator blowdown system, ana the chemical and volume
control system) with similar GA components.
Replacement of the NMC
components will be completed during the second cycle refueling outage.
]
The NRC inspector discussed the need to review equipment performance
J
trends and correlate the data with I&C technician observed and perceived
J
field problems with the RMS.
l
This~is considered an open item pending licensee completion of I&C
staffing and review of RMS equipment performance trends (382/8715-01).
-
I
6,
Training
The NRC inspector inspected the licenree's training programs for Nuclear
Auxiliary Operators, I&C technicians, and radiation protection pcrsonnel
regarding radioactive effluent controls, effluent sampling, RMS operation,
,
maintenance, cali.bration, effluent discharge procedures, and plant system
l
training.
Even though the licensee's training program for radiation personnel
address RMS operations, the NRC inspector determined that Lesson
Plans H040-022-00 and H040-021-00, dated September 1986, contained
incorrect system descriptions and an incorrect lesson plan title.
The NRC
inspector also determined that the performance based qualification
,
sign-off logs (No. 3 and 4) for senior radiation protection personnel did
j
not adequately address the performance aspects necessary for assignment of
'
duties involvina effluent sampling, counting room operations, or RMS
!
operation.
This is considered an open item pending licensee completion of
l
personnel training and revision of lesson plans and qualification sign-off
logs (382/8715-02).
i
%
v
. . . .
i
7
L
l'
}
7.
-Record Storage
~
The NRC inspector reviewed licensee audits of the radioactive effluent
controls and determined that, among other findings, audit SA-87-013.1,
dated June 1987, identified deficiencies in the licensee's plant wide
j
protection provided official records (Quality Notice QA-87-084).
During the review of radioactive effluent discharge records, the NRC
inspector noted that the licensee maintained effluent discharge records
required by TS 6.10.3 in a. temporary storage area in the health physics
office area pending transfer to the permanent plant storage area.
These
records were not being provided adequate fire protection during-interim
storage in the health physic's office.
The records were comprised of 1986
liquid and gaseous effluent discharge documents.
The NRC inspector
,
determined that the licensee had develcped a procedure-(HP-1-173, " Records
l
Preparation, Collection and Storage") that would provide appropriate
'
instruction.s on transmitting and storage of effluent records.
In a
July 22, 1987, memorandum to the QA Department, the Radiation Protection
Superintendent stated that the aforementioned procedure would be
implemented when the 1-hour, fire rated, lockable file cabinets were
'
received.
As of this inspection, the file cabinets had not been received
onsite.
The licensee committed to the NRC inspector during the exit
interview on August 21, 1987, that alternate protective storage for the
effluent discharge documents would be provided pending arrival of the fire
rated file cabinett.
This is considered an open item pending licensee
completion of actions to provide proper record storage for health physics
records and other appropriate plant records.
(382/8715-03)
8.
F_ ire Drill
The NRC inspector observed a fire drill involving the Radwaste Compaction
Building.
The NRC inspector discussed the following observations with
licensee representatives following the drill and at the exit meeting on
August 21.
Scenario:
A hydraulic fluid fed fire is burning within the sheet metal radwaste
compacting building.
Several plastic bags of compacted trash were
supposedly burning.
The building, located outside of the power block,
normally houses only low level radioactivity waste.
From the prompter's
description of the fire inside the building, the NRC inspector determined
that the building's thin sheet metal wall or roof would have been
breached.
Observations:
a.
The responding radiation protection technicians relied on the rescits
of a week old radiation survey of the building in lieu of providing
fire fighters with portable radiation monitoring instruments other
than pocket dosimeters.
External radiation surveys of the building
_ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ - _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ -
1
-
8
J
would have been appropriate due to the. compactor's location near a
]
thin sheet metal wall and relative small-size of the building.
'
i
b.~
Responders did not anticipate the need to isolate fire fighting water
)
runoff from the storm drain system or the need to sample runoff for
]
radioactivity.
q
1
'
c.
Radiation protection personnel failed to assess down wind airborne
radioactivity levels or the need to temporarily evacuate personnel
from those areas until surveys had been completed.
d.
The fire brigade's hand-held 2-cell flash lights appeared to be
inappropriate for use in a small building containing burning plastics
which generate' dark sooty smoke.
High intensity lighting would seem
to be more appropriate.
e.
The NRC inspector noted that radiation protection personnel kept
returning to other work areas to obtain equipment and supplies.
The
NRL inspector discussed the need for prestaged kits to support fire
fighting operations outside of the power block.
9.
Waste Gas Holdup System Hydrogen and Oxygen Monitoring System
During a review of the licensee's submitted Semiannual Radioactive
Effluent Release Reports for the yeare 1985 and 1986, the NRC inspector
noted that the licensee had been routinely reporting that the TS 3.3.3.11
required Waste Gas Holdup System Explosive Gas Monitoring
System (WGS/EGMS) has been inoperable.
This condition has existed since
March 1985 following initial plant startup.
Based on reviews of reports and interviews with knowledgeable licensee
i
personnel, the NRC inspector determined that the WGS/EGMS has suffered
from poor initial system design, poor installation, and failure of vendor
supplied replacement equipment.
The licensee is currently meeting
l
TS 3.3.3.11 actions statements by sampling the Waste Gas Holdup System at
4-hour intervals and analyzing the samples onsite.
The licensee's latest
endeavor to make the WGS/EGMS operational is a complete replacement of the
rnalyzing equipment, using a different equipment vendor, and modifying
(Station Modification 818) the inplant sampling facilities so that
hydrogen and oxygen sampling safety parameters can be met.
The WGS/EGMS
modifications are scheduled to be completed during the second refueling
i
outage.
This is considered an op-en item pending licensee completion of the
modifications to the WGS/EGMS.
(382/8715-05)
l
l
10.
Followup on Licensee Event Reporting (LER)
'
l
(Closed) LER 382/87-003:
Technician Wore Contaminated Clothing Offsite
Due to Failure to Follow Procedures - The event the LER describes occurred
on January 21-22, 1987, and was discussed in HRC Inspection
l
l
Io_
- _ _ _ - _
_
-_
,
,
, . . .
'
.
.
Report' 50-382/87-08.
The licensee has completed an investigation of the
l
event.
Based on a review of the licensee's final report and subsequent QA
.
'
i
audits and surveillance (QS-87-007 and'SA-87-024.1, respectively), it
appears that the licensee's corrective actions have not been effective in
L
correcting the problem.
This concern is considered an Unresolved Item
pending further NRC review to determine the effectiveness of the
licensee's corrective actions concerning the problems identified in
LER 87-003 and the subsequent investigation (382/8715-06),
i
(Closed) LER 382/G7-011:
Eff?uent Radiation Monitor Setpoint Higher Than
Required Due to Personnel Error - The event the LER describes occurred on
March 30,.1987, and involved the Gaseous Waste Management Effluent
P.adiation Monitor (PRM-IRE-0648).
The licensee discovered that'the alarm
setpoint for this monitor was set by a factor.10 above the required
setpoint.
This condition had existed since startup of the plant and was
caused by an engineer that calculated the setpoint not taking into,
consideration certain interfacing system parameters and data conversion
factors.
The licensee has hired a consultant to review the entire
'
Radiation Monitoring System data base and basis for setpoints on all
monitors.
The licensee's short and long term corrective actions appear to
be sufficient to prevent a recurrence of the problem.
(Closed) LER 382/87-15: Control Room Emergency Ventilation Actuation Due
,
to Radiation Monitoring Spike - The event the LER describes occurred on
May 18, 1987, and involved the Control Room Outside Air Intake (CRCAI)
radiation monitor.
The licensee determined that this recurring problem
was caused by two types of unwanted current flow (electrical noise)
factors (multiple ground connections in detector circuits, and current
induction in detector cables due to the energizing and deenergizing of
either of two large inductive relays) which caused detector spiking.
The
licensee has installed nylon shoulders and flat washers on detector mounts
to isolate grounding electrical noise, and R-C filters for suppression of
high frequency noise generated by the relays.
The licensee's actions
aFpear to have effectively reduced the spurious actuations of this
emergency system due to the aforementioned sources.
(Closed) Special Report 382/87-002:
High Range Gas Monitor Inoperable
Greater than 7 Days - This Special Report describes the licensee's actions
when the Fuel Handling Building Emergency Exhaust High Range Gas Monitor
(PRM-IRE-3032) was declared inoperablo due to a faulty display module.
Tne monitor was out of commission for greater than 7 days due to a lack of
qualified onsite spare display modules, and a delay in obtaining a
replacement display module from the vendor.
The licensee established
compensatory measures per TS 3.3.3.1 Action Statement 27 and station
Procedure EP-2-050, "Off-Site Dose Assessment (Manual)."
11.
Exit Interview
The NRC inspector met with the NRC resident inspector and licensee
representatives denoted in paragraph 1 on August 21, 1987, and summarized
the scope and findings of the inspection as presented in this report.
The
}
_
-_- __ -__ . - - _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ -
_ _ _ - -
.
. ...
10:
licensee committed to the following regarding the Radiation Monitoring
System concerns:
is
a.
Increase the number of I&C technicians involved with RMS maintenance
and calibration to reduce the maintenance backlog.
b.
Assign a dedicated engineer to managed and coordinate RMS activities.
!
-
- - - - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
____ _
__ _