PNO-I-99-003, on 990114,NY Power Authority Declared Unusual Event at Plant Due to Fire at Onsite Hydrogen Storage Facility.No Attempt Made to Isolate Hydrogen Supply to Fire for Personnel Safety Reasons.Region I Responded to Event

PNO-I-99-003:on 990114,NY Power Authority Declared Unusual Event at Plant Due to Fire at Onsite Hydrogen Storage Facility.No Attempt Made to Isolate Hydrogen Supply to Fire for Personnel Safety Reasons.Region I Responded to Event

ML20199E206
Person / Time
Site:	FitzPatrick
Issue date:	01/15/1999
From:	Rogge J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:
References
PNO-I-99-003, PNO-I-99-3, NUDOCS 9901200348
Download: ML20199E206 (3)

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~. DCS No.- 050333990115 Date: January 15.1999 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE PN1-99-003 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance. The information is as initially received without verification or evaluation. and is basically all that is known by the Region I staff on this date.

Facility: Licensee Emergency Classification:

New York Power Authority X Notification of Unusual Event FitzPatrick Alert Lycoming. New York Site Area Emergency General Emergency Not Applicable Docket No.: 50-333 License No.- DPR-29 Event No.: 35262 Event Location Code: POW l

SUBJECT:

NOTIFICATION OF AN UNUSUAL EVENT DUE TO A FIRE AT AN ONSITE HYDROGEN STORAGE FACILITY At 1:13 p.m. on Thursday, January 14,1999, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) declared an unusual event at the FitzPatrick Nuclear Plant due to a fire at an onsite hydrogen storage facility. At j the time of the event, the plant was at 100 percent power and remained at full power for the duration of the event. The hydrogen storage facility contained 30 large cylinders storing compressed hydrogen gas as well as a bank of cylinders installed on a truck trailer parked adjacent to, and

< disconnected from, the facility. This hydrogen facility supplies hydrc, gen for addition to the reactor i coolant system to control water chemistry as well as to cool the main turbine generator. The facility l

, is located inside the protected area approximately 150 feet north of the 115 kV switchyard and 250 l feet west of the emergency diesel generator building.

In response to the fire, NYPA's fire brigade, two local fire departments and a fire brigade from the i nearby Alcan Aluminum Production Facility responded to the site. As a precaution, the FitzPatrick i Administration Building Annex, located approximately 500 feet from the hydrogen storage facility, )

was evacuated. To ensure the safety of the fire fighters, who sprayed water on the fire from a location in close proximity to the 115 kV switchyard, NYPA deenergized these two offsite power lines end entered the Technical Specification LCO on this equipment. FitzPatrick subsequently started the tcur emergency diesel generators and ran them unloaded as required by the TSs. At 2:05 p.m., fire

, officials declared the fire under control; however, water continued to be sprayed on the storage l fccility until the entire contents of the hydrogen cylinders were depleted. No attempt was made to  ;

inlate the hydrogen supply to the fire for personnel safety reasons.

FitzPatrick exited the NOUE at 9:05 p.m. after declaring that the fire was out and there was no possibility of a reflash. At that time, the hydrogen cylinders were determined to be empty and were 2 isolated. FitzPatrick then restored its normal offsite electricallineup.

Niagara Mohawk, owner and operator of the adjacent Nine Mile Point Station, also declared an unusual event at 1:47 p.m. due to its proximity to the FitzPatrick facility. Niagara Mohawk secured from its NOUE at 9:25 p.m..

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NRC R gion I r::spond:d to this cv:nt by staffing its incidsnt respons3 c:ntar, ent: ring a monitoring j mode, and establishing communications with the f acility and the HQ Operations Center. NYPA has 1 begun a root cause evaluation of this event with the assistance of outside consultants. The NRC will '

r view NYPA's findings and corrective actions regarding this event as well as the plant equipment lineup changes made during this event. ]<

The State of New York was notified of the event. NYPA, Niagara Mohawk and the NRC issued press r: leases regarding this event; substantial public and media interest in this event have occurred.

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Contact:

John Rogge (610) 337-5146 l

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EDO OE OSP NRR SECY Regional Offices RI Resident Office Licensee:

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• • General list for seren0 PNs by FAX Rrgion I Form' 83 (Rsv. July 14,.1997) 1 l

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