ML17284A704

NPDES Noncompliance Notification:On 980617,WNP-2 Discharged Approx 16,200 Gallons of Water Which May Have Contained Radioactive Matl.Caused by Break in Fire Main.Terminated Discharge to Outfall 002 Immediately

ML17284A704
Person / Time
Site:	Columbia
Issue date:	06/29/1998
From:	Fiksdal A WASHINGTON, STATE OF
To:	Boynton S NRC
References
NUDOCS 9807280334
Download: ML17284A704 (8)

Text

CATEGORY 1 REGULAT Y INFORMATION DISTRIBUTIOh SYSTEM (RI )

ACCESSION NBR:9807280334 DOC.DATE: 98/06/29 NOTARIZED: NO DOCKET FACIL:50-397 WPPSS Nuclear Project, Unit 2, Washington Public Powe 05000397 AUTH. NAME AUTHOR AFFILIATION FIKSDAL,A.J. Washington, State of RECIW . NAME RECIPIENT AFFILIATION BOYNTON,S. NRC - No Detailed Affiliation Given

SUBJECT:

NPDES noncompliance notification:on 980617,WNP-2 discharged approx 16,200 gallons of water which may have contained radioactive matl.Caused by break in fire main. Terminated discharge to outfall 002 immediately.

DISTRIBUTION CODE: IE23D COPIES RECEIVED:LTR ENCL SIZE:

TITLE: Environmental Event Report (per Tech Specs)

E NOTES:

ID RECIPIENT CODE/NAME PD4-2 PD COPIES LTTR ENCL 1 1

'D RECIPIENT CODE/NAME POSLUSNY,C COPIES LTTR ENCL 1 1 INTERNAL: ACRS 1 '

1 CENTER 01 1 1 OGC/HDS3 1 RGN4 1 1 EXTERNAL: NOAC 1 1 NRC PDR D

N NOTE TO ALL "RIDS" RECIPIENTS:

PLEASE HELP US TO REDUCE WASTE. TO HAVE YOUR NAME OR ORGANIZATION REMOVED FROM DZSTRIBUTION LISTS OR REDUCE THE NUMBER OF COPIES RECEZVED BY YOU OR YOUR ORGANIZATION, CONTACT THE DOCUMENT CONTROL DESK (DCD) ON EXTENSION 415-2083 TOTAL NUMBER OF COPIES REQUIRED: LTTR 8 ENCL 8

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0 STATE OF WASHINCTON ENERCY FACILITY SITE EVALUATION COUNCIL Id'une PO Bor 43172 o Olympia, Washington 98504-3172 29, 1998 Mr. Scott Boynton Senior Resident Inspector WNP-2 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission PO Box 69 Richland, WA 99352-0069

Subject:

Notice of Incident and Request for Assurance of Compliance for WNP-2 Discharge Incident

Dear Mr. Boynton:

During its special meeting of June 25, 1998, the Council authorized the issuance of the enclosed Notice of Incident and Request for Assurance of Compliance (NOI) in response to an apparent violation of the WNP-2 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. On June 17, 1998, potentially contaminated water was discharged to the Storm Drain Pond, permitted as discharge point Outfall 002. The NPDES permit does not authorize radioactive discharges to Outfall 002. The NOI was issued pursuant to the enforcement authority of the Council under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) Chapter 80.50 and the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) Chapters 463-38 and 463-54.

The Council's rules specify a thirty-day response period to the NOI to allow the Supply System to review the incident in more detail and provide additional information on the cause of the incident and, most importantly, to present assurances that appropriate measures are in place to prevent a recurrence. The Council, in cooperation with the state Departments of Health and Ecology, will review the information provided by the Supply System in the assurance of compliance and incident report and will determine iffurther action is necessary.

Ifyou have any questions, please contact Mike Mills, Council staff, at (360) 956-2151.

Sincerely, Allen J. Fiksdal EFSEC Manager i/,

AJF/MM/jk Q-L4-22 Enclosure 9807280334 980629 PDR 'ADQCK 05000397 8 PDR (360) 956-2000 Telefax (360) 956-2158 TDD (360) 956-2218

I l BE<FORE< THE< STATE< OI< WASHINGTON ENERGY FACILITYSITE EVALUATIONCOUNCIL In the Matter of Compliance by the Washington Public Power Supply System NOTICE OF INCIDENT Nuclear Project No. 2 (WNP-2) with the Site and

'ertification Agreement and National Pollutant REQUEST FOR ASSURANCE< OF Discharge Elimination System Permit COMPLIANCE I. Allegations Allen J. Fiksdal alleges as follows:

1. He is the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (Council) manager.

2.. The Washington Public. Power Supply System (Supply System) Nuclear Project No. 2 .

(WNP-2) holds National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit No. WA-002515-1, issued by the Council, and has held this permit at all times material hereto.

3. On Wednesday, June 17, 1998, WNP-2 discharged approximately 16,200 gallons of water into Outfall 002. This discharge may have contained radioactive material. Outfall 002 - the Storm Drain Pond - is an approved discharge point for wastewater under the plant's NPDES permit. The permit does not authorize radioactive discharges to Outfall 002, with the specific exception of tritium.

4. This discharge occurred in response to a break in a fire main that released at least 125,000 gallons of water into a stairwell and into a portion of the basement of the Reactor Building.

The water in the basement was potentially contaminated apd pumped into a collection area for subsequent processing.

The water in the stairwell was sampled and showed no detectable activity over the Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program Lower Limits of Detection (REMP LLDs).

Based on this result, the Supply System began to pump water from the stairwell into Outfall 002. A sample was taken from the discharge hose while the discharge was in progress. This second sample showed the possibility of Cobalt 60 activity; Cobalt 60 is a radionuclide that should not be present in the fire protection system. Based on this result, the Supply System used good judgment and terminated the discharge to Outfall 002 immediately. Over the one hour twenty minute period of discharge, a small but unquantified amount of Cobalt 60 may have been discharged to Outfall 002.

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II. Notice of Incident and Rcqucst for Assurance of Compliance I

Based on the foregoing allegations and as provided by law, the Council hereby issues this Notice of Incident and Request for Assurance of Compliance, to be served on the Supply System..

1. The authority for enforcement of compliance with NPDES permits and for the assessment of penalties is vested in the Council by RCW 80.50.040 and 80.50.150 and elaborated in WAC 463-54-070.

2. The above allegations give the Council probable cause to believe that a violation of NPDES Permit No. WA-002515-1 may have occurred. First, the low level Cobalt 60 contamination observed in one of the stairwell grab samples indicates that Cobalt 60 was discharged to the storm drain; this is the basis of the Council's notice. The permit does not authorize radioactive discharges to Outfall 002.

Second, Section S1.F contemplates the discharge of water from routine operation and testing of the fire protection system to Outfall 002. This was not a situation of routine operation and testing.

3. Because the Council is unaware of any substantial danger caused to.humans or the environment and because the Supply System acted promptly with regard to release to the environment, the Council will not assess a penalty for the alleged violation at this time.

The Supply System's actions in conducting repeated samplings and analyses of stairwell water to verify the water was below REMP LLDs demonstrated their intent not to discharge contaminated water to the storm drain.

4. The violation alleged in this notice could have affected public health, safety, welfare, and the environment. Questions remain regarding the Supply System's handling of the event. The Supply System shall, within 30 days of the date of service, provide the Council with (i) a detailed report of the incident, including a set of data showing discharge sample results, sediment analysis results, discharge volume, and results of a recount of the second line-sample (the sample that showed Cobalt 60) to REMP LLD levels.

(ii) a table showing REMP LLDs for commonly expected activation and fission products; (iii) assurance that it complied with all terms of NPDES Permit No. WA-002515-1, including a careful explanation of why the Supply System believes there was no radioactive discharge to Outfall 002, in light of test results showing Cobalt 60 activity; and (iv) assurance that appropriate measures have been taken to preclude unauthorized discharges in the future, including assurance that Supply System staff understand the conditions of the NPDES permit.

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5. The Council will review the assurance of compliance and consider whether to close this matter by resolution or to take further actions as it determines necessary.

Dated this ~ day of June 1998.

'ASHINGTO STATE ENERGY FACILITY T EVALUATIONCOUNCIL C. Ro ert Wallis, Acting Chair Allen J. Fiks al, EFSEC Manager Q-active-projects-wnp-npdcsnoi2.doc

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