ML17251A821

Responds to Violations Noted in Insp Rept 50-244/86-15 on 860811-15.Failure to List Fe-55 on Shipping Manifests Severity Level V or Inspector Followup Item.Finding Re Lack of QC Insp Procedure for 10CFR61.65 Invalid

ML17251A821
Person / Time
Site:	Ginna
Issue date:	10/08/1986
From:	KOBER R W ROCHESTER GAS & ELECTRIC CORP.
To:	MURLEY T E NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
References
NUDOCS 8610210084
Download: ML17251A821 (10)

See also: IR 05000244/1986015

Text

j.TOILSlsJCROCHESTERGASANDELECTRICCORPORATION~89EASTAVENUE,ROCHESTER,N.Y.14649-0001TCLC><ONEA~cicoocv<e5462700October8,1986Dr.ThomasE.Murley,RegionalAdministratorU.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommissionRegionI631ParkAvenueKingofPrussia,Pennsylvania19406Subject:I&EInspectionReportNo.86-15NoticeofViolationsR.E.GinnaNuclearPowerPlantDocketNo.50-244DearDr.Murley:InspectionReport86-15,whichcoveredradioactivewasteshipmentsfromGinnastatedinpart:"AsaresultoftheinspectionconductedonAugust11-15,1986,andinaccordancewiththeNRCEnforcementPolicy(10CFR2,AppendixC),thefollowingviolationswereidentified:A.B.10CFR20.311(b),"TransferforDisposalandManifests",requires,inpart,thatthemanifestaccompanyingradio-activewasteshipmentsindicateascompletelyaspracticabletheradionuclideidentityandquantity,andthetotal.radioactivityoftheshipment.49CFR172.203(d),"AdditionalDescriptionRequirements",alsorequiresthatthenameofeachradionuclideintheradioactivematerialmustbeincludedontheshippingpapers."Contrarytotheabove,duringtheperiodJanuary,1983-June,1985,thelicenseefailedtoidentifytheradionuclideIron-55,itsactivity,andbytheomissionofIron-55,thetotalradioactivityonthemanifestsfortheradioactivewasteshipmentsmadeduringthestatedperiod.TechnicalSpecification6.8,"Procedures,"requiresthatproceduresbeestablished,implemented,andmaintain-ed.ProcedureNo.A-1001,"InspectionandSurveillanceActivities,"developedpursuanttotheabove,requires,in

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Page2of5part,thatqualityrequirementsobtainedfromregulatoryrequirementsshallbeincludedinQualityControlInspectionprocedures.10CFR20.311(d)(3),TransferforDisposalandMani-fests,"requiresthelicenseetoconductaqualitycontrolprogramtoassurecompliancewith10CFR61.56,"WasteCharacteristics."Contrarytotheabove,theregulatoryrequirementsrequiredby10CFR61.56arenotincludedinanyQualityControlInspectionprocedures.AQualityControlInspectionprocedurehasnotbeendeveloped,andimplemented,forthedewateringprocesstoassurecompliancewith10CFR61.56."RG&E'sresponsetothesefindingsispresentedbelow.RG&EagreeswithfindingAasstatedinthatwedidnotincludeIron-55onourshippingmanifests.Inearly1985,webecameawarethatIron-55wasbeingdiscoveredinwasteshipmentsfromotherutilities.AninvestigationofouranalyticalresultsfromoureffluentmonitoringprogramalongwithconfirminganalysisfromScienceApplicationsInc.(SAI),whoperformedtheanalysisrequiredby10CFR61for,Ginna,indicatedIron-55wasindeedpresentinnp'to~7-8.inourwastestreams.Fromthatpointintime,webeganincludingthisisotopeonourshippingmanifests."TheLowLevelWasteLicensingBranchTechnicalPositiononRadioactiveWasteClassification"issuedonMayll,1983,statesthatfor10CFR20.311requirements,significantquanti-tiesisdefinedasgreaterthan7uCi/cc.TheIron-55wasonly5.8uCi/ccfortheshimentinuestionandinanyofourshipmentssince1985,wehavenotexceededtsvalue.Adefinitionof49CFR172.203wasprovidedtousbytheinspectorduringinspection86-15intheformofaletterfromThomasJ.Charlton,Chief,StandardsDivision,OfficeofHazardousMaterialsRegulation,MaterialsTransportationBureauoftheU.S.Dept.ofTransportation,toMr.PeterT.TuiteofWasteManagementGroupInc..Thisclarificationdefinesthecutoffpointforlistingradionuclidesontheshippingmanifestandindicates"anyradionuclidewhoseactivitycompriseslessthan14ofthetotalactivitywithinthepackagemaybeomitted"fromtheshippingmanifest.SinceJuly,1985,.wehavebeenincompliancewiththisinterpretation.SAIwhoperformsbothourwastestreamandenvironmentalanalysishasconfirmedourcompliancewiththisposition.

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EPage3of5RG6EbelievesthatanoticeofviolationshouldnotbeissuedfortheinspectionreportfindingbecauseoftheNRCpolicytoencourageandsupportlicenseeinitiativesforself-identificationandcorrectionofproblems.10CFR2,AppendixCnotesthatNRCgenerallywillnotissueanoticeofviolationforafindingthatmeetsallofthefollowingtests:(1)"Itwasidentifiedbythelicensee".WeidentifiedthemanifestomissioninJuly,1985.(2)"ItfitsseveritylevelIVorV".Inyourreport,youhaveidentifiedthisasalevelIVviolation.(3)"Itwasreportedifrequired".Wedonotbelievethiswasreportablesincethewasteclassificationwouldnotchangebecausetheotherisotopeswhicharefoundinourwastestreamhavemuchgreaterbiologicalsignificanceandthereforedeterminetheclassification.Infact,10CFR61doesnotrequireanalysisforIron-55,sinceitwasdeemedtobeoflesssignificantconcerntothepublic.(4)"Itwasorwillbecorrected,includingmeasurestopreventrecurrencewithinareasonabletime".Thiswascorrectedinmid-1985andweperiodicallycheckwiththecontractorperformingourwastestreamanalysistoensuretherearenootherisotopeswhichwouldexceed1%ofthetotalactivityandthusneedtobeincorporatedontheshippingmanifest.(5)"Itwasnotaviolationthatcouldreasonablybeexpectedtohavebeenpreventedbythelicensee'correct'iveactionforapreviousviolation".Therewasnopreviousviolationwhichwouldhaveledustocorrectthisdeficiencysooner.Ifthenoticeofviolationdoesstand,itwouldseemthatthecriteriastatedin10CFRPart2,SupplementV,wouldplacethisviolationtheseveritylevelVratherthanIV.ForthistobeconsideredalevelIVviolation,oneofthefollowingcriteriawouldhavetobemet:2~"PackageselectionorpreparationrequirementswhichdonotresultinapackageintegrityorsurfacecontaminationorexternalradiationlevelsinexcessofNRCrequirements.Otherviolationsthathavemorethanminorsafetyorenvironmentalsignificance."Criteria(1)obviouslydoesnotapply.Criteria(2)alsodoesnotseemtoapply.Fortheretohavebeenanysafety

Page4of5significance,thisincidentwouldhavetoleadtoimpropercategorizingorlabeling.Thiswasnotthecase.Iron-55hasbeenidentifiedbytheNRCin10CFR61tobeaninsignificantenvironmentalconcern,sinceitisnotarequiredanalysisisotope.Iron-55presentsasignificantlysmallerradiotoxicityproblemthanCo-60,makingitaminorenvironmentalproblem.Therefore,whileIron-55wasnotlisteduntilmid-1985aspartoftheisotopiclibrary,wefeelthatthisdidnotpresentasignificantproblemandshouldbenomorethanaseveritylevelVviolationorthefindingshouldbenotedonlyasainspectorfollowitem.RG&EdoesnotagreethatfindingBisvalidforthefollowingreasons:2~QualityControlpersonnelinvolvedinradioactivewasteshipmentsarequalifiedtoperformQCactivitiesbythecompletionofthesametrainingcoursesprovidedtotheHealthPhysicspersonnel,responsiblefortheactualshipment.QCInspectorsarefamiliarwithallrequirementsforshippingradioactivewaste.ANSIN-18.7,indicatesthatproceduresshouldbewritteninamannercommensuratewiththequalificationsofthe.personnelperformingtheprocedure.Theproceduresusedtoperformthesetasksprovideadequateguidanceforqualifiedpersonneltoperformthesetaskscompetently.ThereferencedQualityControlInspectionProcedureintheinspectionreportwasQCIP-21.2,ShippingPackageHN-100Series2)2Ag3gand3AInspectionforShipmentg.ThisQCIPisusedtoverifyproperhandlingofthecaskduringtheloadingandunloadingofthecaskfromthetransporttruck.RadioactiveDischargeprocedureRD-10.12,Handling,LoadingandUnloadingoftheHittmanNuclearHN~OTransportCaskSeries3,istheprocedureusedtocontroltheactualloadingofthecaskwithradioactivewaste.Thequalitycontrolinvolvementintheimplementationofthisprocedureisvia"surveillance"oftheprocedureandprocesses.ProcedureRD-10.12requiresnotificationofQCforassignmentofinspectionpersonnelpriortostartingthejobaswellasQCattendanceatameetingpriortostartingthejobandaverificationbyQCofaproperCertificateofComplianceforthecasktobeusedpriortostartingthejob.TheprocedurealsorequiresaQCreviewatthecompletionofthejob.Basedontheseitems,QCisinvolvedandperformssurveillancefromthebeginningtotheendofthejob.WefeelthisisadequateQCinvolvementintheimplementationofRD-10.12andnochangestoQCIP-21.2oranyotherQCIPassociatedwithradioactive

3~Page5of5wasteshipmentsiswarranted.WhileitistruethatGinnaAdministrativeProcedureA-1001,"InspectionandSurveillanceActivities"requiresinpartthatqualityrequirementsobtainedfromregulatoryrequirementsshallbeincludedinQualityControlInspectionProcedures,(QCIP'),italsostatesthatthesequalityrequirementsareobtainedfromprocedures,drawings,specifications,codesandstandards.Animportantprocessinpreparingradioactivewasteshipmentsisdewateringtheshippingcontainer.TheHittmanCaskprocedure~HN-100Series3whichwasusedfortheshipmentinspected,assuresadequatefinaldewateringbyrunningthedewateringpumpfora1hourtimeperiod.TheHittmanprocessofusingthe"runtime"ofapumpasthemethodforremovingwaterwasselectedbasedonaseriesofqualificationtestsrunbyHittman.Asstatedabove,sinceQCsurveil-lanceisusedtoverify-properimplementationoftheRDprocedure,QCSurveillanceReport85-0577waswrittenwhichindicatedandverifiedthatthepumpwasrunforl-l/2hoursduringthefinaldewateringprocess.Insummary,RG&Edoesnotfeeltheviolationisjustifiedandrequeststhattheviolationberemovedfromtherecord.Vtrulyyours,RoerW.KoberSubscribedandsworntomeonthis8thdaofctoer,1986.LYNNLHAUCKNotaryPuQcintheStstrroINeerYoritMONROECOUNIYComissionExpiresNov.30,19'