ML20196E280

Discusses Closeout of TAC MA1607 Re Cross Potential for common-cause High Pressure Injection Pump Failure

ML20196E280
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	11/30/1998
From:	Colburn T NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
References
TAC-MA1607, NUDOCS 9812030082
Download: ML20196E280 (2)

Text

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MEMORANDUM TO: File FROM: Timothy G. Colbum, Senior Project Manager Project Directorate 1-3 Division of Reactor Projects - t/il h(U l

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation '

SUBJECT:

THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT NO.1 (TMl-1) HPI l

CROSS-CONNECT ISSUE (TAC NO. MA1607) l i

This TAC number was originally opened to respond to a senior resident inspector (SRI) question regarding a generic NRC safety evaluation (SE) dated November 14,1997. The SE evaluated the potential for common-cause high pressure injection (HPI) pump failure at B&W plants and was in response to the May 1997 Oconee event which damaged two of three HPI pumps. The reason for the common-cause pump damage was, in part, the lack of separation in the Oconee 1 HPl system. The B&W Owner's Group had provided the NRC with information that no other

! B&W plants operated with HPl suctions cross-connected. The staff then issued its SE closing l this issue in November 1997. During the 12R refueling outage (fall 1997) TMI-1 cross-connected )

l its HPl pump suctions in order to respond to concems documented in LERs97-003, Rev. O dated

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March 26,1997, and 97-003, Rev.1 dated September 29,1997. The licensee performed a '

review pursuant to 10 CFR 50.59, and included a discussion of the events related to the Oconee failures as iho licensee believed they affected this proposed action. The licensee concluded that no unrevie .J safety question (USQ) existed and proceeded with the change.

The licensee then had opportunity to review the staffs August 1997 SE and noted that as a l result of changes they made undar 10 CFR 50.59 to cross-connect the HPl suctions, that the v l statement made that no other B&W plants ran with HPl suctions cross-connected was  ;

inaccurate. The licensee then contacted the senior resident inspector (SRI) and asked if this posed a problem and the SRI then contacted the project manager who posed the question to the technical staff and asked if this new information changed the findings in the August 1997 SE with '

l respect to TMI. During the course of the staffs review, the SRI treated this issue as an open item in his inspection report. The licensee provided additionalinformation to the staff regarding (fl19 l staff concems by letter dated July 17,1998. The staff provided its safety evaluation documenting its concems that the licensee's change constituted a USQ by memo dated August 25,1998, from T. Collins, Chief, Reactor Systems Branch, to C. Thomas, Director, Project Directorate 1-3.

During this time, the Region was conducting a followup inspection to the 1996/1997 Architect Engineering inspection (inspection report 50-289/96-201). The Region identified an additional concem that could be identified as a USQ related to the licensee's modification. During telephone conversations with the Region, the NRC headquarters technical and projects staffs t and Office of Enforcement agreed that the technical staff's concems should be included in the I

inspection report scope and related notice of violation (NOV) and forwarded to the licensee. This was done with the issuance of inspection report 50-289/98-06 and NOV on October 15,1998.

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Any further followup by the technical staff is anticipated to be in response to a Region i TIA related to the licensee's response (if such a TIA were requested) or to a licensee request for amendment to resolve the 10 CFR 50.59 violation cited in the NOV. On this bas:s I am closing TAC No. MA1607. If a TIA is issued or amendment requested as stated above, a new TAC will be issued.

Docket No. 50-269 i

DISTRIBUTION:

A Docket Filet CThomas TClark TCollins PEselgroth PDI-3 Reading

• TColburn CJackson EWeiss PUBLIC i l

. DOCUMENT NAME: G:\COLBURN\MA1607.mtf To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box: "C" = Copy without attachment / enclosure "E"

= Copy with attachment / enclosure "N" = No copy OFFICE PDI-3/PM _ l PDI-3/LA PDb3/q M SRXB ~ l__

NAME TColburn F TClark gJ)udVaf/ TCollinilh DATE 11/36t98 1165#98 1W.498 11/rf98 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY b \

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