RBG-24898, Responds to NRC Re Violations Noted in Insp Rept 50-458/86-27.Corrective Actions:Splice Will Be Encl in Accordance W/Intent of Electrical Spec 248.000 Via Mod Request 86-1752

Responds to NRC Re Violations Noted in Insp Rept 50-458/86-27.Corrective Actions:Splice Will Be Encl in Accordance W/Intent of Electrical Spec 248.000 Via Mod Request 86-1752

ML20215E064
Person / Time
Site:	River Bend
Issue date:	12/01/1986
From:	William Cahill GULF STATES UTILITIES CO.
To:	Martin R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
References
RBG-24898, NUDOCS 8612170218
Download: ML20215E064 (6)

Text

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'# -1 GULF STATES RavfR BENO STATION UTILITIES COMPANY POST OFFICE BOX 220 BG ST FRANCISVILLE. LCUISJANA 70775 AREA CODE 504 635 6094 346 8651 December 1, 1986 RBG- 24898 File Nos. G9.5, G15.4.1 Mr. Robert D. Martin, Regional Administrator '

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission -

Region IV 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 1000

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I Arlington, TX 76011

Dear Mr. Martin:

DEC 91986 di ~ River Bend Station - Unit 1. i  ; Refer to: Region IV Docket No. 50-458/ Report 86-27 This letter responds to the Notice of Violations contained in NRC Inspection Report No. 50-458/86-27. The inspection was performed by Messrs. D. D. Chamberlain, W. B. Jones and W. R. Bennett during the period August 1 through September 15, 1986 of activities authorized by NRC Operating License NPF-47 for River Bend Station. Gulf States Utilities Company's (GSU) response to Notice of Violation 8627-01, " Failure to Meet Electrical Specification Requirements", 8627-02, " Failure to Follow a Surveillance Test Package", are provided in the enclosed attachment. This completes GSU's response to the Notice of Violations. Sincerely,

                                                                                    #    af W. J. Cahill, Jr.

Senior Vice President I River Bend Nuclear Group r[ WJC/G H/K / / /je Attachments i h [ / ft:v6 %

n * ' UNITED STATES OF AMI2ICA NUCLEAR EEGUIATORY CGetISSION STATE OF IAUISIAEA 5 PARISE OF WEST FELICIANA 5 In the Matter of 5 Docket Nos. 50-458 GULF STATES UTILITIES COMPANY $ (River Bend Station, Unit 1) AFFIDAVIT i W. J. Cahill, Jr., being duly sworn, states that he is a Senior Vice President of Gulf States Utilities Company; that he is authorized on the part of said Company to sign and file with the Nuclear Regulatory Consnission the documents attached heretos and that all such documents 1 1 are true and correct to the best cf his knowledge, information and belief. A W. J Cahill, Jr. [ Subscribed and sworn to before me, a Notary Public in and for the State and Parish above named, this /4f day of [ ce n /.4d, 19fd.

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1., /' i ./ '( ><L 'd /

                                          '/Joan W. Middlebrooks Notary Public in and for West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana My Commission is for Life.

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I P, ATTACHMENT 1 RESPONSE TO NOTICE OF VIOLATION 50-458/8627-01 LEVEL IV REFERENCE Notice of. Violation - J. E. Gagliardo letter to W.'J. Cahill, Jr. dated-October.24, 1986

               ' FAILURE TO MEET ELECTRICAL' SPECIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
               . REASON FOR THE VIOLATION lDuring. a . Battery: System .Walkdown, it was noted by the. Nuclear Regulatory Commission' (NRC) Senior Resident Inspector (SRI) that the- positive leads to the Division III Batteries contained splices ,which were not made 'in a pull box.             This is     a inonconformance to Stone & Webster. Engineering Corporation (SWEC)

Electrical Specification 248.000. In addition, the SRI expressed concerns about the cable training and support. These splices were made by the construction forces during the implementation of a design-change initiated by Engineering and Design Coordination Report (E&DCR) P22099. This design change required cable, 1CSHNOK601, a three (3) conductor number two (#2)

              ' cable, -be    terminated .with all three conductors to the positive
               -battery post and a new cable, ICSHNOK608, be installed to the negative battery post. The previous design was for 1CSHNOK601 to be terminated at the battery, lE22*S001 BAT, with one conductor at the positive post, one conductor.at the negative post and one conductor spared._ The design change:did not specify a splice to
               .be 'made at the battery. The installation Specification 248.000 allows splicing.of cable as long as the splices are in junction boxes, pull boxes,      in conduit fittings in conduit with single circuits or within' equipment enclosures.

There -were no nonconformances identified during this } modification, therefore, it is presumed that one of the following j . occurred:

1) The construction forces interpreted the specification

requirements to consider the battery room as an enclosure for the batteries (i.e., an equipment enclosure), or

2) The construction forces overlooked the restrictions for making splices in this case, j -The Quality Control inspector for this installation and the

. craftsman are no longer employed at River Bend Station. GSU's l  : conclusion upon investigating this condition is that the root cause is indeterminate. I

a- 1 ATTACHMENT 1 (cont'd)' CORRECTIVE STEPS WHICH HAVE BEEN TAKEN-AND THE RESULTS ACHIEVED Condition Report (CR) 86-1383 was initiated to provide investigation and corrective action for this problem. Stone &. Webster Engineering's evaluation has shown that the Division III Battery cable splice was not in conformance with Specification 248.000. The splice will be enclosed in accordance with the intent of Electrical Specification 248.000 via Modification Request (MR) 86-1752. This MR also addresses cable training and supports. Further inspections were performed by the Design System Engineer on Divisions I and II battery connections and no similar nonconformances to Specification 248.000 were found. An independent review and reinspection of the Quality Control Inspector's work was previously performed by GSU Quality

   -Assurance          (QA)  Department in September,           1985. This review revealed no problemc with the inspector's performance.                       An informal walkdown of selected electrical equipment enclosures conducted during October and November, 1985 by GSU QA Department did     not         identify    any     similar       Electrical  Specificatio'.

nonconformances. The GSU QA Department coordinated an additional walkdown of areas that contain safety-related power cables in free air. No additional cable splice violations were found. Based on -the above mentioned reviews and walkdowns, it has been concluded that the subject of concern is an isolated case. CORRECTIVE STEPS WHICH WILL BE TAKEN TO AVOID FURTHER VIOLATIONS No further corrective action is necessary. DATE WHEN FULL COMPLIANCE WILL BE ACHIEVED With the closure of CR 86-1383 and the implementation of MR 86-1752, full compliance will be achieved during the first quarter of 1987. l

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• ATTACHMENT 2 RESPONSE TO NOTICE OF VIOLATION 50-458/8627-02 LEVEL IV REFERENCE Notice of Violation - J. E. Gagliardo letter to W. J. Cahill, Jr.

dated October 24, 1986. FAILURE-TO FOLLOW A SURVEILLANCE TEST PACKAGE REASON FOR THE VIOLATION When performing Surveillance Test Procedure (STP)-203-1102,

     " Battery   Weekly   Surveillance Test        for   1E22*S001 BAT",   the procedure requires the technician to obtain and record the pilot cell numbers using the previous performance of STP-203-1320, "lE22*S001 BAT Quarterly Surveillance Test". The pilot cells are defined as the cells having the lowest specific gravities.           When obtaining the pilot cell numbers following the performance of the quarterly test on August 12,            1986,    maintenance    personnel inadvertently recorded the cell number having the lowest specific gravity (cell #37) and the cell with the third lowest specific gravity    (cell   #52). This personnel oversight resulted in a deviation of the procedural requirements of STP-203-1102.

CORRECTIVE STEPS WHICH HAVE BEEN TAKEN AND THE RESULTS ACHIEVED Immediately upon discovering the error of identifying the incorrect pilot cell number, a conservative approach was taken and the batteries were removed from service. STP-203-1102 was rerun on September 12, 1986 with satisfactory results. Following the performance of STP-203-1102 on September 12, 1986, the data recorded by the procedure since the last performance of STP-203-1320 (Quarterly Test) , was reviewed to ensure compliance with River Bend Technical Specifications and IEEE 450-1975. The review concluded that the data recorded met the intent of IEEE 450-1975 and was within the limits specified by the Technical Specifications. While performing the history review of the data recorded during the performances of STP-203-1102, it was discovered that STP-203-1102 performed on August 18, 1986 also failed to identify the correct pilot cell numbers. This was caused by personnel not having available the latest performance of STP-203-1302 (Quarterly Test) when obtaining the pilot cell numbers. CORRECTIVE STEPS WHICH WILL BE TAKEN TO AVOID FURTHER VIOLATIONS Temporary Change Notices (TCNs) 86-1416, 86-1417, 86-1418 and 86-1419 have been issued against procedures STP-305-1100,

ATTACHMENT 2 (cont'd.)

STP-305-1101, STP-203-1102 and PMP-1036 respectively 'to require independent _ verification for ensuring that the cells with the lowest. specific gravities are used as pilot cells.

To ensure the latest Quarterly Battery Test is available when obtaining pilot cell numbers, the Electrical Maintenance Supervisor will maintain the latest Quarterly Battery Test on

    -file until the next performance of the test. Upon completion of
   -the next scheduled quarterly battery test the results of the previous quarterly test will be transmitted to the Permanent Plant File (PPF).

DATE FULL COMPLIANCE WILL-BE ACHIEVED The affected procedures have been revised.

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