ML20235E898

Forwards Safety Insp Rept 50-029/87-07 on 870511-29 & Notice of Violation.Actions to Be Taken to Improve Insp Program Listed

ML20235E898
Person / Time
Site:	Yankee Rowe
Issue date:	09/16/1987
From:	Johnston W NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:	Heider L YANKEE ATOMIC ELECTRIC CO.
Shared Package
ML20235E901	List: ML20235E898 ML20235E904 ML20235E911
References
NUDOCS 8709280312
Download: ML20235E898 (3)

See also: IR 05000029/1987007

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Dock &g>No. T 50-29 License No. DPR-3

Yankee Atomic Electric Company

ATTN: Mr. L. H. Heider

Vice President of Operations

1671 Worcester Road

Framingham, Massachusetts 01701

Gentlemen:

Subject: Inspection No. 50-29/87-07

This letter refers to the routine safety inspection conduce ed by

Ms. A. J. Lodewyk of this office on May 11-29, 1987 at Yankee Nuclear Power

Station and in the NRC Region I office. Ms. Lodewyk discussed the inspection

findings with Mr. N. St.Laurent and other members of your staff at the con-

clusion of the onsite inspection, and during subsequent telephone discussions

between members of your staff and NRC regional and headquarters personnel.

This inspection focused on cycle XIX refueling outage activities regarding the j

facility steam generator surveillance inspection program. Areas examined  !

during this inspection are described in the NRC Region I Inspection Report

enclosed with this letter. They included an on-site inspection of the steam

generator surveillance and maintenance programs; in-office review of related

Licensee Event Reports, proposed Technical Specifications, and surveillance

test data; and, several conference calls regarding inspection results with

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licensee corporate and site representatives. Based on our conversations, it '

is our understanding that you plan to take the following actions to improve

your inspection program.

1. Develop and/or utilize inspection techniques with better capability to

characterize the nature and size (axial and circumferential directions) 1

of the flaws being found in the Yankee Rowe S/Gs. For example, follow-up 1

inspections of degraded and defective tubes with a rotating pancake probe

and/or examination of tube specimens removed in the field.

2. Propose a Technical Specification change to address issues such as full

length tube inspection and sample sizes (see Staff Recommendations in NRC

Generic Letter 85-02).

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3. Develop an inspection technique or plan to assure the tight radius U-bend

tubes receive complete inspection coverage. Also, consider entry from

both sides of a steam generator to ensure that tubes in rows 1-6 can be

inspected with full sized probes on both the hot and cold leg sides (also

see item 8 below).

4. Update ECT manipulator and other steam generator inspection and mainte- i

nance equipment to reduce radiation exposures during inspection consistent

with ALARA goals (e.g., obtain a modified SM-10 manipulator to fit YNPS

S/G-and consider use of temporary, lead shields for S/G manways which

permit passage of ECT equipment reference September 1986 INP0 report

titled "Swedish Experience in Reducing Occupational Radiation Exposure"). j

5. Increase involvement of experienced ECT personnel (i.e., Engineering /ISI

staff) in assuring quality of the spam generator inspection program.

6. Ensure at least a secondary analysis will be completed for future ECT

data (reference EPRI guidelines for S/G inspections). Also, consider

(a) providing independent agency analyses or 3rd party review of data

and (b) perform onsite testing and qualification of analysts prior to

l performing outage activities.

7. In reports to the commission, trend future data and attempt to quantify

the type and location of indications. Trends will include rates of

degradation, changes in types, and increases / decreases in total number (s) j

of affected tubes.

8. Review and implement (as appropriate for YNPS) the EPRI Guidelines for

Steam Generator Inspections and consider an inspection of all four S/Gs

at each inspection outage per the EPRI guidelines.

We request that you inform us if our understanding of your planned actions are

correct and provide us with a description of your plans in this area. Members 1

of my staff will be available to discuss these issues and in particular proposed  !

revised steam generator surveillance technical specifications at a mutually l

convenient time.

Based on the results of this inspection, it appears that one of your activities

regarding plugging of defective steam generator tubes was not conducted in full

compliance with NRC requirements, as set forth in the Notice of Violation,

enclosed herewith as Appendix A. This violation has been categorized by se-

verity level in accordance with the " General Statement of Policy and Procedure l

for NRC Enforcement Actions," 10 CFR Part 2, Appendix C (Enforcement Policy). >

You are required to respond to this letter and in preparing your response, you

should follow the instructions in Appendix A.  ;

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Yankee Atomic Electric Company 3

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The responses directed by this letter and the accompanying Notice are not

subject to the clearance procedures of the Dffice of Management and Budget I

as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, PL 06-511.

Your cooperation with us in this matter is appreciated.

Sincerely,

Originni signed By1

Jacque P., D'arr

William V. Johnston, Acting Director

Division of Reactor Safety

Enclosures:

1. Appendix A, Notice of Violation

2. NRC Region I Inspection Report No. 50-29/87-07

cc w/encis: I

N. N. St. Laurent, Plant Superintendent -

J. E. Tribble, President

G. J. Papanic, Jr., Senior Project Engineer - Licensing i

Public Document Room (PDR) l

Local Public Document Room (LPDR)

Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)

NRC Resident Inspector

Commonwealth of Massachusetts (2)

bcc w/encls:

Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)

Management Assistant, DRMA (w/o encl)

DRP Section Chief

M. McBride, f,1, Pilgrim j

W. Raymond, SRI, Vermont Yankee i

M. Fairtile, LPM, NRR  !

Robert J. Bores, DRSS

C. Y. Cheng, NRR  ;

C. McCracken, NRR i

M. Shanbaky, DRSS  !

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