IR 05000348/1999005

Insp Repts 50-348/99-05 & 50-364/99-05 on 990627-0807.No Violations Noted.Major Areas Inspected:Operations, Maintenance,Engineering & Plant Support

ML20212C014
Person / Time
Site:	Farley
Issue date:	09/02/1999
From:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
To:
Shared Package
ML20212C012	List: IR 05000348/1999005 ML20212C007
References
50-348-99-05, 50-364-99-05, NUDOCS 9909210092
Download: ML20212C014 (7)

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s U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION 11 Docket Nos.: 50-348 and 50-364 License Nos.: NPF-2 and NPF-8 Report Nos.: 50-348/99-05 and 50-364/99-05 Licensee: Southern Nuclear Operating Company, In !

Facility: Farley Nuclear Plaiit, Units 1 and 2

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Location: 7388 N. State Highway 95 Columbia, AL 36319 I

Dates: June 27 to August 7,1999 l l

Inspectors: T. P. Johnson, Senior Resident Inspector i R. K. Caldwell, Resident inspector J. H. Bartley, Resident inspector i Approved by: Pierce H. Skinner, Chief Reactor Projects Branch 2 Division of Reactor Projects

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Farley Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 2 NRC Inspection Report 50-348/99-05 and 50-364/99-05 This integrated inspection to assure public health and safety included aspects of licensee operations, maintenance, engineering, and plant support. The report covers a six-week period of resident inspectio Operations e The licensee demonstrated appropriate actions in responding to increased ambient air temperatures (Section 01.3).

Maintenance e Work control issues during 1C diesel generator maintenance substantially

contributed to unnecessary D/G unavailability. (Section M1.2).

Enaineerina e The Maintenance Rule Periodic Assessment Committee / Expert Panel was functioning adequately and improvements recommended by the self assessment were being implemented (Section E1.1).

Plant Suocort

• Proper radiological control practices were demonstrated during a Contamination Drill and the drill effectively evaluated the ability of personnel to respond (Section j R5.1).

e The Emergency Drill adequately demonstrated the licensee's ability to conduct emergency planning (Section PS.1). )

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REPORT DETAILS Summary of Plant Status Unit 1 operated at or near full power for the inspection perio Unit 2 operated at or near full power for the inspection period except for July 3 when power was reduced to 95% to test the main condenser steam dump syste l. Operations 01 Conduct of Operations 0 Routine Observations of Control Room Operations (71707 and 40500)

The inspectors observed licensed control room operators and non-licensed operator performance during the period. Overall performance was determined to be professional during both steady state conditions and power changes. Operator attentiveness to annunciator alarms and response to changing plant conditions were promp .2 Unit 2 Load Reduction for Steam Dump Testina (71707)

Based on observations following an earlier Unit 1 trip, the licensee concluded that the steam dump system did not respond as expected. Occurrence Report (OR) 1-99-299 was written to document the problem. On July 3, the licensee reduced Unit 2 to 95%

power to test the main condenser steam dump system. After appropriate repairs were made, the main condenser steam dump system functioned properl The inspectors observed portions of the power changes and repairs, and discussed this issue with licensee personnel. The inspectors did not identify any concerns associated with this activit .3 Ambient AirTemoeratures(71707)

During the inspection period, site area ambient air temperatures exceeded 100*F. The inspectors reviewed licensee actions to ensure safe unit operation which included temperature monitoring of service water, circulating water, the ultimate heat sink, containment, and equipment rooms. The inspectors verified that the Technical Specifi-cation temperature limits for the containment and the ultimate heat sink were not exceeded. The inspectors concluded that the licensee demonstrated appropriate actions in responding to increased ambient air temperature :

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O2 Operational Status of Facilities and Equipment 02.1 General Tours and Insoections of Safety Systems (71707)

General tours of safety-related areas were performed by the inspectors to observe the physical condition of plant equipment and structures, and to verify that safety systems were properly maintained and aligned. The inspectors verified the operability of selected, risk-significant systems and equipment. These systems included the nuclear instrumentation systems and the emergency power systems. These systems were verified to be properly aligned and maintained. The inspectors verified that selected tagouts were implemented in accordance with procedural requirement . Maintenance M1 ' Conduct of Maintenance M1.1 General Comments (61726 and 62707)

The inspectors witnessed or reviewed portions of the selected maintenance and surveillance test activities in progress. This included the Unit 2 power range N-41 and auxi!iary building roof replacement. For those maintenance and surveillance activities observed or reviewed, the inspectors determined that the activities were conducted in a satisfactory manner and that the work was properly performe M1.2 1C Diesel Generator (D/G)18-Month Maintenance (62707)

The inspectors observed portions of a scheduled 5-day maintenance outage for the 1C i D/G. During this outage, the inspectors noted that poor work controls contributed to !

several problems which delayed the D/G return to service. Examples of poor work control included improper disassembly sequence that resulted in unexplained misalign- j ment of the 1C D/G timing, applying a gasket sealant to both sides of the gasket that I

contributed to jacket water leakage, and misadjustment of the mechanical governor to the fuel rack linkage. The licensee opened OR 1-99-358 to document the improper disassembly sequenc In order to return the 1C D/G to service before the 10-day Limiting Condition for Operation (LCO) expired, the Shift Supervisor stopped all work to assess the scope of the problems and confirm that the necessary corrective actions were being taken. On the last day of the LCO, the D/G was successfully tested and returned to operable statu Although the 1C D/G was returned to service within the TS allowable outage time, the inspectors concluded these work control issues substantially contributed to unnecessary D/G unavailabilit .

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111. Enaineerina E1 Conduct of Engineering E Maintenance Rule (MR) Periodic Assessment Committee / Expert Panel (PAC /EP)

Meetinas (37551)

The inspector observed the licensee's MR PAC /EP meetings on July 29 and August At these meetings the licensee reviewed the status of 10CFR50.65 section (a)(1)

categorized systems. Additionally, the panel reviewed a proposed revision to the MR implementation procedure and the recent MR program self assessment recommenda-tions. The inspector observed that the (a)(1) system status reviews were comprehen-sive and the panel asked probing questions. The inspector did note that written evaluations to declassify (a)(1) systems were not available to the panel member However, written evaluations would be available to members for future meetings as a way to meet the MR documentation requirements. The inspector concluded the MR PAC /EP meeting was adequately functioning and improvements recommended by the self assessment were being implemente E1.2 Steam Generator Replacement Project (SGRP) Manaaement Oraanization and Staffina (50001)

The inspectors reviewed the licensee's plans and implementation of the SGRP organi-zation, staffing, lines of authority, and responsibilities. The SGRP was staffed with both site and corporate personnel. Approximately one-half of the assigned SGRP personnel have extensive on-site experience. Existing plant procedures and processes, including control of contractors, will be used for the SGRP. The licensee considers using existing plant procedures will eliminate the need for new procedures. Clear lines of communica-tions and responsibility were established between the SGRP and the plant. The inspectors concluded that the SGRP organization and staffing were adequate to implement steam generator replacement activitie IV. Plant Support R2 Status of Radiological Protection Facilities and Equipment R Radioloaically Controlled Area (RCA) Tour (71750)

During tours of the RCA, the inspectors observed that overall cleanliness of the RCA remained good. Plant personnel observed working in the RCA generally demonstrated

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appropriate knowledge and application of radiological control practices. In addition, health physics technicians generally provided positive control and support of work activities in the RC l

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R5 Staff Training and Qualification in Radiological Protection & Control R Unit 2 Contamination Control Drill (71750)

On June 30, the licensee conducted a contamination control drill that consisted of a simulated spill and contaminated person in the Unit 2 counting room. The inspector observed the drill from the control room and the counting room. The inspector con- 1 ciuded that proper radiological control practices were demonstrated and the drill effectively evaluated the ability of personnel to respon P1 Conduct of Emergency Plan Activities P Emeroencv Drill (71750)

On July 28, the licensee conducted an emergency drill. The Technical Support Center (TSC) was staffed promptly and site accountability was completed satisfactorily. The drill scenario was challenging and provided the participants with several radiological and environmental conditions. The licensee conservatively recommended protective measures to the state agencies. The Operations Support Center (OSC) and TSC demonstrated good coordination and communication in reentry planning and status reporting. The TSC and OSC drill critiques were comprehensive. The inspectors concluded the participants demonstrated that the licensee's emergency response capability for this drill was satisfactor S1 Conduct of Security and Safeguard Activities S Routine Observations of Plant Security Measures (71750)

The inspectors verified certain portions of the site security plan were being properly implemented. Disabled vital area doors were properly manned and controlled. Security personnel activities observed during the inspection period met procedural requirement Site security systems were adequate to ensure physical protection of the plan I V. Manaaement Meetinas  !

X1 Exit Meeting Summary The inspectors presented the inspection results to members of licensee management at the conclusion of the inspection on August 11,1999. The licensee acknowledged the findings presente The inspectors asked the licensee whether any materials examined during the inspection should be considered proprietary. No proprietary information was identifie l

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Partial List of Persons Contacted Licensee R. V. Badham, Safety Audit Engineering Review Supervisor R. M. Coleman, Outage and Modification Manager C. D. Collins, Operations Manager K. C. Dyar, Security Manager S. Fulmer, Plant Training and Emergency Preparadness Manager J. S. Gates, Administration Manager D. E. Grissette, Assistant General Manager - Operations J. R. Johnson, Maintenance Manager R. R. Martin, Engineering Support Manager C. D. Nesbitt, Assistant General Manager - Plant Support L. M. Stinson, Plant General Manager j G. S. Waymire, Technical Manager l Other licensee employees contacted included construction craftsmen, engineers, techn:cians, operators, mechanics, and electrician List of inspection Procedures (IP) Used

IP 37551 - Onsite Engineering

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IP 40500: Effectiveness of Licensee Controls in Identifying, Resolving, and Prevent

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Problems IP 50001: Steam Generator Replacement inspection IP 61726: Surveillance Observations IP 62707: Maintenance Observations IP 71707: Plant Operation IP 71750: Plant Support Activities