PNO-IV-87-010, on 870317,plant Experienced Failure of Circulating Water Pump Pedestal Casing.Piece of Pedestal Casing Blown Out by Water Pressure Rendering Pump Inoperable.Licensee Assessing Damage & Cause of Event

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PNO-IV-87-010:on 870317,plant Experienced Failure of Circulating Water Pump Pedestal Casing.Piece of Pedestal Casing Blown Out by Water Pressure Rendering Pump Inoperable.Licensee Assessing Damage & Cause of Event
ML20207S842
Person / Time
Site: South Texas STP Nuclear Operating Company icon.png
Issue date: 03/18/1987
From: Constable G
NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
To:
References
PNO-IV-87-010, PNO-IV-87-10, NUDOCS 8703200321
Download: ML20207S842 (1)


flarch 18, 1987 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE -- PNO-IV-87-10 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 IV staff on this date.

FACILITY: South Texas Project Licensee Emergency Classification:

Bay City, Texas Notification of Unusual Event Houston Lighting & Power Co. Alert DN: 50-498 Site Area Emergency General Emergency

_X Not Applicable

SUBJECT:

MAIN CIRCULATING WATER PUNP FAILURE AT 10:30 p.m. (CST), March 17,1987, Unit 1 of the South Texas Project experienced a failure of a Circulating Water Pump pedestal casing. This pump is one of four which provides cooling water from the main cooling reservoir to cool and condense the steam exiting the turbine that drives the main electrical generator.

Each of the four pumps for each unit is designed to pump over 200,000 gallons of cooling water per minute through the condenser. They are not classed as safety related. A piece of the pedestal casing about 7 feet by 3 feet was blown out by water pressure rendering the pump inoperative. The plant had been cooled down f rom hot functional testing (HFT) in preparation for the containment integrated leak rate test (ILRT). The licensee is assessing the damage and cause of this event. Nonessential cooling water pumps were flooded. This failure could delay ILRT if some of the flooded pumps are not restored to service by March 20, 1987.

The licensee has issued a press release and will respond to news media inquiries. Region IV does not plan to issue a press release.

The state of Texas has been informed.

The Senior Resident Inspector received notification of this occurrence by telephone from the licensee at 12:50 a.m. (CST) on March 18, 1987. Region IV has informed IE and NRR. This information has been confirmed with a licensee representative.

CONTACT: G. L. Constable (FTS 728-8151).

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