ML20244B467

Forwards Plant bi-weekly Status Rept for Period 890325-0407. NRC Restart Staff in Place & Onsite,Monitoring Licensee Activities on Extended Shift Basis During Power Ascension Testing Program Through 25% Power Plateau

ML20244B467
Person / Time
Site:	Pilgrim
Issue date:	04/12/1989
From:	Blough A NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:	Wiggins J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
References
NUDOCS 8904190213
Download: ML20244B467 (8)

Text

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l APR 121989 Docket No.-50-293 MEMORANDUM FOR: James T. Wiggins, Chief Reactor Projects Branch No. 3 Division of Reactor Projects FROM: A. Randy Blough, Chief Reactor Projects Section No. 3B Division of Reactor Projects

SUBJECT:

PILGRIM STATUS REPORT FOR THE PERIOD MARCH 25 - APRIL 7, 1989 Enclosed 'is the Filgrim bi-weekly status report from the NRC Resident Office -

at Pilgrim. The NRC Restart Staff is in place and was on-site monitoring licensee activities on an extended shift basis during power ascension testing and following completion. of the licensee's power ascension testing program up through the 25% power plateau.

Mr. William T. Russell, Region I, Regional Administrator, was on site on April 3,1989, to attend the NRC Restart Assessment Panel Meeting and to receive a presentation from licensee management on the results of the Power Ascension' Program to date.

The Pilgrim bi-weekly status report is intended to provide NRC management and the public with an overview of plant activities and NRC restart inspection activities. Subsequent inspection reports will address many of these topics in more detail.

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Original Sigred by A. Randy Blough A. Randy Blough, Chief Reactor Projects Section No. 3B Enclosure- i As stated l

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'MemorandumLfor James!T.LWiggins'. '2 m APR 121989:

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H R. Bird, Senior Vice President..- Nuclear-L. Gustin, Vi.ce President - Corporate Relation's K. Highfill,. Station Di'ector E R. Anderson, Plant-Manager

. J.' Keyes, Licensing; Division . Manager E. Robins'on, Nuclear Information~ Manager R. Swanson, Nuclear Engineering' Department Manager-The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy

.The-Honorable Edward J. Markey-The Honorable Edward P. Kirby EThe. Honorable Peter V. Forman Chairman, Board ofl Selectmen, Plymouth Chairman,.' Board of Selectmen,. Carver

- Chairman, Board of. Selectmen, Duxbury 4 Chairman, Board of Selectmen, Marshfield-Chairman, Board of Selectmen, Kingston

- Chairman, Board of Selectmen, Bridgewater Mayor, City of Taunton.

Plymouth Civil. Defense Director.

P.. Agnes, Assistant Secretary of Public Safety, Commonwealth of. Massachusetts M. Ernst, Committee on Energy, Commonwealth of Massachusetts S. Pollard, Massachusetts' Secretary of Energy Resources B. McIntyre, Chairman, Department of Public Utilities

~ M. Johnson, Chairman, Duxbury Nuclear Committee R. Shimshak, MASSPIRG R.Boulay, Director, Massachusetts Civil Defense Agency and Office of Emergency Preparedness

- M. Conyngham, Legislative. Assistant M.~Jeka,. Legislative Assistant K. Anderson, Legislative Assistant Public Document Room (PDR).

Local _Public Document Room.(LPDR)

Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)

NRC Resident Inspector Commonwealth of Massachusetts (2) f 0FFICIAL RECORD COPY PILGRIM STATUS 3/25-4/7/89 - 0002.0.0 04/10/89

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J.1 Taylor, EDO p.' B. Clayton,.EDO-

T. Murle,, NRR

, F. fliraglia, NRR l '

J. Partlow, NRR

3. Varga, NRR~

. B. : Boger, NRR' J.' Roe, NPR K. Perkins, NRR .

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.R. Wessman,-NRR D. Mcdonald,~NRR E. .Trottier, NRR L.iWhitney,.NRR P. Bo'hnert,'

e ACRS W. Russell, RI W. Kane, RI

-T. Martin,-RI-M. Knapp, RI.

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J 'Durr, RI.

.R. Blough, RI' J. Lyash,-RI

.M. Kohl, RI:

+ J. Johnson, RI E. McCabe, RI.

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N. Blumberg,~RI R. Conte, RI M. Evans, RI R. Bellamy, RI W. Lazarus, RI M. J. DiDonato, RI (2)

M. Miller, RI K.' Abraham,-RI (2)  !

C. Warren, SRI - Pilgrim T. Kim, RI - Pi'igrim l C. Carpenter, RI - Pilgrim j

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ENCLOSURE Pilgrim Status Report for the Period March 24 - April 7, 1989 I 1.0 Plant Status.

As of 8:00 a.m. , on April 7,'1989, the reactor was operating at approxi-mately 24% power with the turbine generator synchronized to the grid.

2.0 Power Ascension Test Program Status The licensee completed the Power Ascension Test Program through the 25%

power plateau on April 3, 1989. Testing completed during this report period included the high pressure coolant injection (HPCI) and the reactor core isolation cooling (RCIC) system cold quick start tests.

Prior to continuation of the power ascension program to the 50% power plateau, the licensee must obtain the NRC Region I Regional Administra-tor's agreement. The Power Ascension Program includes NRC approval points at 5%, 25%, 50% and 75% of full power and both a licensee written report and NRC review after completion of testing at full power. The NRC Restart Assessment Panel recommends to the Regional Administrator when the plant l is ready to proceed beyond each approval point.

Contingent upon NRC release for operation up to 50% power, the licensee will continue implementation of their approved test program. The follow-ing testing activities are scheduled for this next phase: reactor engi-neering tests, and shutdown from outside the control room test including the hot standby demonstration and the shutdown cooling demonstration.

3.0 Facilities Operations Summary As reported in the last Pilgrim Status Report (March 11-24,1989), the plant was operating at approximately 24% power at the beginning of this report period.

On March 31 and April 3,1989, the licensee successfully completed the HPCI and RCIC system cold quick start tests, therefore completing the j planned testing activities for the 25% power plateau. On April 3,1989, '

the licensee formally requested NRC approval to proceed with power ascen-sion from 25% to 50% power. The plant continued to operate at approxi-mately 24% power throughout the report period while awaiting NRC agreement to proceed.

Throughout the period, the licensee continued to conduct routine surveillance along with preventive and corrective maintenance.

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4 l Enclosure. 2.

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'4.0 Items of Special Interest

.NRC Restart Assessment Panel-Meeting An NRC; Restart Assessment Panel ' Meeting was held on April 3,1989, at Pilgrim Station. NRC management from Region I;and Headquarters were on-site 'for the meeting and additional' Region'I' and Headquarters ' staff par-ticipated via - teleconference. TheLassessment panel received a ' presenta '

' tion from the licensee on.their assessment of the results of the 5% to'25%

Power Ascension Program. The Restart Panel; also as'sessed the licensee's performance during Power' Ascension Test Program activities through 25%

power and reviewed plant readiness to proceed up .to 50% power. The NRC -

Restart Assessment Panel meets periodically to coordinate planning and execution' of NRC inspection and licensing activities related to Pilgrim.

The Panel is chaired. by Mr. Samuel J. Collins, Deputy Director, Division -

of Reactor Projects, Region I.

Institute of Nuclear Power Operations Site Visit The Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) is-an organization com-posed of, and supported by, electric utilities' utilizing nuclear power for

- the generation of electrical energy. -INPO assists utilities in improving programs and performance at their nuclear facilities. During the week of March 27,1989, an INP0 operations evaluation team was on' site at Pilgrim for a routine inspection visit, covering the areas. of plant operations and chemistry. The licensee characterized the results of this visit as

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favorable.

Unannounced Emergency Response Facility Augmentation Exercise On March 29, 1989, the licensee conducted an unannounced. emergency response ~ facility augmentation exercise. The primary objective of the exercise was to determine the activation times for the Technical Support Center (TSC), ' Operations -Support Center (OSC), and Emergency ' Operations Facility (EOF). No significant problems were identified by the 1.icensee.

5.0 Emergency Notification System (ENS) Reports High Pressure Coolant Injection System Valve Failure On March 24, 1989, the high pressure coolant injection (HPCI) system failed a monthly surveillance test when the HPCI turbine steam admission

. valve failed to open on demand. The licensee subsequently repaired the valve and returned the HPCI system to operable status within the outage time allowed by Technical Specifications, 0FFICIAL RECORD COPY PILGRIM STATUS 3/25-4/7/89 - 0006.0.0 1 04/11/89 '

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- Encl o~sure 3 d

a Breach'of Secondary Containment-On Ap ril ' 1, 1989, and again on Apri.l 4,1989, an inadvertent breach of -

secondary containment' occurred when both the inner and z outer ~ reactor building access doors were opened simultaneously ~ for about 3 seconds, due

- to an interlock failure. The licensee has taken corrective action to pre-vent reoccurrence 'and to repair. the ma. functioning door. interlock. _The1 licensee is investigating the root cause of the repeat failure.

Detailed NRC review. of the events described above will be documented in Inspection Report.No.-50-293/89-05.

6.0 Pilgrim Restart Staff Activities The Pilgrim restart staff discontinued around-the-clock shift coverage on March 24, .1989,. at 10:00 p.m., consistent with reduced testing activity.

The restart staff was maintained on extended shift coverage throughout the report period. - Additional personnel from NRC Region I, NRC Region II, and

-an NRC contractor.were onsite during portions of the period to augment the resident inspection staff.

An NRC-developed inspection plan addressing the 5-25's power plateau and.

the primary functional areas of operations, maintenance, surveillance, and

- startup testing continued -to be implemented. The inspection plan assessed operator performance, organizational interfaces, adherence to procedures

.and technical specification compliance. Inspections in the areas - of radiological protection and training were also performed.

The Pilgrim Restart Staff continued to evaluate the performance cf licen-see. personnel and the plant to independently assess whether the licensee was ready to proceed to the 50's power NRC approval point.

Contact with the press and public continued throughout the period. The NRC Restart Manager has been handling inquiries from the press and the public with the assistance of the Region I Public Affairs Officer.

Pilgrim Restart Staff Composition During Period The Pilgrim Restart Staff on-site was comprised of the following personnel during the period.

C. Warren, Senior Resident Insoector and Restart Manager T. Kim, Resident Inspector M. Evans, Acting Resident Inspector G. Bryan, NRC Contractor A. Howe, Senior Operations Engineer N. Conicella, Operations Engineer T. Dragoun, Senior Radiation Specialist R. Starkey, Senior Operations Engineer, RII 0FFICIAL RECORD COPY PILGRIM STATUS 3/25-4/7/89 - 0007.0.0 04/10/89

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Enclosure 4 Also on site on April 3, 1989, were Mr. William Russell, Regional Administrator, and the Restart Assessment Panel members:

Mr. Samael Collins, Deputy Director, Division of Reactor Projects; Mr. Jarres Wiggins, Chief, Reactor Projects Branch No. 3; Mr. Randy Blough, Chief, Reactor Projects Section No. 3B; Mr. Jacque Durr, Chief, Engineering Branch; Dr. Ronald Bellamy, Chief, Facilities Radiological Safety and Safeguards Branch, and Mr. Daniel Mcdonald, Licensing Project Manager.

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