ML18040A251

Responds to NRC 970116 Ltr Re Violations Noted in Insp Repts 50-220/96-12 & 50-410/96-12.Corrective Actions:Nmp2 Welds Involved in Violation Were Examined Prior to Startup from Refueling Outage During Which Deficiency Was Identified

ML18040A251
Person / Time
Site:	Nine Mile Point
Issue date:	02/18/1997
From:	SYLVIA B R NIAGARA MOHAWK POWER CORP.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NMP1L-1183, NUDOCS 9702260230
Download: ML18040A251 (10)

See also: IR 05000220/1996012

Text

UA.'J:P'(908.XJ.REGULATORYINFORMATIONDISTRIBUTIONSYSTEM(RIDS)ACCESSXONNPR:9702260230DOC.DATE:97/02/18NOTARIZED:NODOCKETCIL:50220NineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit1,NiagaraPowe0500022050-410NineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit2,NiagaraMoha'05000410AUTH.NAMEAUTHORAFFILIATIONSYLVIA,B.R.NiagaraMohawkPowerCorp.RECIP.NAMERECIPIENTAFFILIATIONDocumentControlBranch(DocumentControlDesk)

SUBJECT: RespondstoNRC970116ltrreviolationsnotedininsprepts50-220/96-12650-410/96-12.Correctiveactions:NMP2weldsinvolvedinviolationwereexaminedpriortostartupfromrefuelingoutageduringwhichdeficiencywasidentified.DISTRIBUTIONCODE:IEOIDCOPIESRECEIVED:LTRQENCLtiSIZE:TITLE:General(50Dkt)-InspRept/NoticeofViolationResponseNOTES:RECIPIENTIDCODE/NAMEPD1-1PDINTERNAL:ACRSAEODTTCICECENTEff7HHFBNRR/DRPM/PERBOEDIRRGN1FILE01EXTERNAL:LITCOBRYCEsJHNRCPDRCOPIESLTTRENCL11221111111111111111RECIPIENTIDCODE/NAMEHOOD,DAEOD/SPD/RABDEDRONRR/DISP/PIPB'RR/DRPM/PECBNUDOCS-ABSTRACTOGC/HDS3NOACNUDOCSFULLTEXTCOPIESLTTRENCL1111111.11111111111NOTETOALL"RIDS"RECIPIENTS:PLEASEHELPUSTOREDUCEWASTE!CONTACTTHEDOCUMENTCONTROLDESK,ROOMOWFN5D-5(EXT.415-2083)TOELIMINATEYOURNAMEFROMDISTRIBUTIONLISTSFORDOCUMENTSYOUDON'TNEED!TOTALNUMBEROFCOPIESREQUIRED:LTTR.20ENCL20 0

NIAGARAMOHAWKCENERATIONBUSINESSCROUPB.RALPHSYLVIAExecutiveVicePresidentGenerationBusinessGroupChiefNudearOfficer300ERIEBOULEVARDWEST,SYRACUSE,NEWYORi<13202/TELEPHONE(315)4284983Pebruary18,1997NMP1L1183U.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommissionAttn:DocumentControlDeskWashington,DC20555RE:NineMilePointUnit1DocketNo.50-220NineMilePointUnit2DocketNo.50-410Subject:ReplytoaNoticeofVioEationBatedJanuary16,1997Gentlemen:TlusletterrespondstotheNoticeofViolationdatedJanuary16,1997regardingthefailuretoinspectcertainweldsatbothNineMlePointUnit1(NMP1)andUnit2(Nlit4P2).TheattachmenttothisletteraddressesthespecificitemsrequiredbytheNoticeofViolation.MuchoftheinformationprovidedintheattachmentisasummaryofinformationalreadyprovidedtotheNRCintheNMP1LicenseEventReport(LER)96-08,Supplement1,andtheNMP2LER96-12,Supplement1;bothofwhichweresubmittedonJanuary17,1997.

Sincerely,B.RalphSylviaChiefNuclearOfficerBRS/AFZ/kapAttachments~Sf'7g;~xc:Mr.H.J.Miller,RegionalAdministrator,RegionIMr.B.S.Norris,SeniorResidentInspectorMr.S.S.Bajwa,ActingDirector,ProjectDirectorateI-1,NRRMr.D.S.Hood,SeniorProjectManager,NRRRecordsManagement97022602309702i8PDRADOCK050002208PDR~gGIr

NiagaraMohawkPowerCorporationNineMilePointUnits1andUnit2DocketNos.50-220and50-410DPRM/NPF<9REMYTONOTICEOFVIOLATIONDATEDJANUARY16,1997ASCONTAINS<3)ININSH<KTION%UNSORT50-220/96-13AND50410/96-13DuringanNRCinspectionconductedfromOctober20throughNovember30,1996,aviolationofNRCrequirementswasidentified.InaccordancewiththeNRC"GeneralStatementofPolicyandProcedureforNRCEnforcementActions"(EnforcementPolicy),NUREG-1600,theviolationislistedbelow:TheUnit1TechnicalSpecification,Section4.2.6.a.2,requiresinserviceinspection(ISI)ofpipingidentifiedinGenericLetter88-01.-TheUnit2TechnicalSpecification,Section4.0.5.f.,requires,thattheinserviceinspectionprogramforpipingidentifiedinGenericLetter88-01beperformedinaccordancewiththestaffpositiononschedules,methods,personnelandsampleexpansion.GenericLetter88-01,"NRCPositiononIGSCCPntergranularStressCorrosionCracking]inBWRP3oilingWaterReactor]AusteniticStainlessSteelPiping.Table1,"SummaryofInspectionSchedulesforBWRPipingWeldments,"statesthatCategoryDweldsaretobeinspectedeverytworefuelingcycles.Inaddition,theNRCsafetyevaluation,datedJune24,1991,forNMPC'sresponsetoGenericLetter88-01,statesthatUnit1hadanaugmentedISIprogramtoinspectsixofthethirtyweldsbetweenthepumpsorvalvesandtherecirculationsystempipingeachrefuelingoutage.Contrarytotheabove,NMPCfailedtoadequatelyimplementtheUnit1andUnit2ISIprogramforpipingidentifiedinGenericLetter88-01,asevidencedbythefollowing:OnorbeforeNovember5,1996,Unit1failedtoperformrequiredinspectionsoffiveCategoryDcorespray(CS)systemweldsattherequiredfrequency.OneCSweldwasnotinspectedduringrefuelingoutages(RFO)11andRFO12,andfourCSweldswerenotinspectedduringeitherRFO12orRFO13.Inaddition,onorbeforeNovember5,1996,Unit1failedtoperformrequiredinspectionsofeitherreactorrecirculationsystem(RCS)weldsattherequiredfrequency.OneRCSweldwasnotinspectedduringRFO11,fourRCSweldswerenotinspectedduringRFO12,andthreeRCSweldswerenotinspectedduringRFO1 OnorbeforeOctober30,1996,Unit2failedtoperformrequiredinspectionsonsixteenCategoryDweldsinthereactorwatercleanup(RWCU)system.NoneofthesixteenweldswereinspectedduringeitherRFO2orRFO3,andonlyfourofthesixteenweldswereinspectedduringRFO4.ThisisaSeverityLevelIVviolation(Supplement1).NiagaraMohawkadmitstotheviolation.ForUnit1,thespecificweldsandschedulingrequirementswereupdatedasdescribedinLicenseeEventReport(LER)96-08,Supplement1,andtheyareslightlydifferentthanthoseidentifiedintheNoticeofViolation.Thecauseoftheviolationwasdeterminedtobeinadequatechangemanagement.Specifically,forNineMilePointUnit1(NMP1),weldsrequiringaugmentedinspectionforIntergranularStressCorrosionCracking(IGSCC),asoriginallysubmittedtotheNRCintheGenericLetter88-01response,werenotproperlyidentifiedintheInserviceInspection(ISI)Program.ForNineMilePointUnit2(NMP2)pertinentinformationwasnottransmittedtotheISIProgramManager,andasaresult,weldsrequiringaugmentedinspectionforIGSCCwerenotproperlyidentifiedintheISI,Program.TheNMP1rootcauseinvestigationdeterminedthat,priorto1992,theGenericLetter8841commitmentsweremaintainedinadatabaseseparatefromtheISIProgramPlan.In1992,thisdatawasmanuallytransferredintotheISIProgramPlan.DuringthistransfersomeweldswerenotidentifiedasrequiringGenericLetter88-01inspectionsand/orwerenotscheduledforinspection.TheNhP2rootcauseinvestigationdeterminedthatinalettertotheNRConFebruary13,1992,NiagaraMohawkindicatedthattheISIprogramhadalreadybeenrevisedtochangethecategoryof16weldsfromAtoD.This1etterwasincorrectinthatthechangeshadnotyetbeenincorporated,becausepertinentinformationwasnottransmittedtotheISIProgramManager.Contributingtotheeventatbothunitswasinadequatemanagerialmethodsandoversight.InasmuchasNiagaraMohawkidentifiedthesedeficienciesatUnit1on9/26/96andatUnit2on10/30/96,LicenseeEventReports(LERs)9648and96-12weresubmittedforeachunit,respectively.TheoriginalLERsweresubmittedon10/25/96and12/2/96,andsupplementalreportsweresubmittedforeachunitonJanuary17,1997.Moredetailedinformationrelatedtothecircumstancesandcausesareprovidedinthesedocuments.Thecorrectiveactionstakenatbothunitsincludedcompletionoftherequiredweldexaininations.Specifically,atNMP1theweldsinvolvedinthisviolationwereexaminedduringaforcedoutageinNovember1996.AtNMP2theweldsinvolvedinthisviolationwere

examihedpriortostartupfromtherefuelingoutage(RFOS)duringwhichthedeficiencywasidentified.Theseexaminationsdidnotidentifyanyreportableorrejectableindicationinanyofthewelds.Moreinformationrelatedtothecircumstancesoftheviolationandthecorrectiveactionstakenareprovided.inNMP1LicenseeEventReport(LER)96-08Supplement1andNhIP2LER96-12Supplement1.TheactionsbeingtakentopreventrecurrenceincludeupdatingandcorrectingtheISIProgramsforbothunits.Theseactionsarecurrentlyunderway,andatNMP1someadditionalprogramdiscrelencieshavebeenidentified,noneofwhich,todate,representnon-compliancewithregulatoryrequirementsalthoughactionsmayberequiredtoensureimplementingdocumentationisconsistent.Inaddition,thecurrentISIProgrammanagementmethodsandlevelofoversightwillbeevaluatedrelativetotaskrequirements,andappropriatechangeswillbemade,asrequired.TheunitizedmanagementoftheISIprogramsisbeingreconsideredalongwithstaffingsizeoftheISIprogramgroup.TheEngineeringBranchManagershavebeenassignedthistaskwhichisscheduledforcompletiononMay15,1997.Furthermore,sincetheperiodwhenthecauseoftheviolationoccurred,thecommitmentmanagementandcorrespondencereviewprocesseshavebeenenhancedtoclarifytheresponsibilitiesandrequirementsforidentifyingcorrespondencereviewersandregulatorycommitments.MoreinformationrelatedtothecircumstancesoftheviolationandthecorrectiveactionstaRentopreventrecurrenceareprovidedinNMP1LicenseeEventReport(LER)96-08Supplement1andNMP2LER96-12Supplementl.Fullcomplianceatbothunitswasachievedwhentherequiredweldswerevolumetricallyexamined.ForUnit1,thiswasachievedonNovember12,1996.ForUnit2thiswasachievedonOctober31,1996.