PNO-II-86-090, on 861203,leak of About 50,000 Gallons Water from Spent Fuel Pools Discovered.Leak Detection Annunciator Failed to Alarm & Spent Fuel Pool Levels Dropped About 5 Ft. Leak Caused by Loss of Air to Inflatable Seals

PNO-II-86-090:on 861203,leak of About 50,000 Gallons Water from Spent Fuel Pools Discovered.Leak Detection Annunciator Failed to Alarm & Spent Fuel Pool Levels Dropped About 5 Ft. Leak Caused by Loss of Air to Inflatable Seals

ML20211L539
Person / Time
Site:	Hatch
Issue date:	12/04/1986
From:	Brownlee V, Croteau R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
To:
References
PNO-II-86-090, PNO-II-86-90, TAC-64455, TAC-64456, NUDOCS 8612160079
Download: ML20211L539 (2)

__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

December 4, 1986 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE PN0-II-86-90 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or public interest. significance. The information is as initially received without verifi-cation or~ evaldation, and is basically all that is known by the Region II staff an this dats.

FACILITY: Georgia Power Company Licensee Emergency Classification:

Hatch Units 1 and 2 Notification of Unusual Event Docket Nos. 50-321/366 Alert Baxley, Georgia Site Area Emergency General Emergency X Not Applicable

SUBJECT:

AIT DISPATCHED TO INVESTIGATE LEAK FROM SPENT FUEL P0OLS Region II has dispatched an Augmented Inspection Team (AIT) to the Hatch site to investigate the leak of about 50,000 gallons of water from the Hatch Units 1 and 2 spent fuel pools.

Georgia Power discovered the leak at 10:02 p.m. (EST) yesterday, when it was found that water had spilled into an outside area between the Unit 1 and Unit 2 reactor buildings.

Hatch Unit 1 is operating at 100 percent power; Hatch Unit 2 has completed a refueling outage, but is in cold shutdown.

An fuiediate investigation by Georgia Power disclosed that the leak detection annunciator failed to alarm and that the spent fuel pool levels had dropped about five feet. The pools are built so that they cannot be completely drained and the fuel uncovered. Although the pool levels dropped by five feet, the levels did not go below the technical specification limits.

Of the approximately 50,000 gallons of water which leaked, between 5,000 and 10,000 gallons wera released through the storm drain system to a swampy area within the owner-controlled property. Plant personnel are building dikes and taking other steps to contain this water.

Georgia Power believes no contaminated water has entered the nearby Altamaha River.

Georgia Power also believes that leak may have been caused by a loss of air to inflatable seals in the transfer canal flexible-joint seismic area. A valve which regulates air supply to these seals was found shut. Georgia Power is still investigating why the valve was shut and why the leak detection annunciator failed to alarm.

Coolant sample analysis by Georgia Power indicates that 1.26 times the maximum permissible concentrations of the following isotopes were released: cesium-134, cesium-137, zinc-65 and manganese-54.

Tha AIT is composed of a section chief from the Division of Reactor Projects, resident inspectors, and a specialist in both radiological effluents and chemistry, and environmental effects.

Media interest has occurred. Georgia Power has issued a press release, and Region II is responding to inquiries.

Th3 State of Georgia has been informed and has dispatched a person to take environmental samples.

8612160079 e61204 PDR PNO-II-86-090 I&E ( /

0 f'DR ((P/ .EE 39

Georgia Power informco tha NRC incid:nt responso canter of this occurrence by telephone at

'1:35 a.m. today. This information is current as of 2:30 p.m.

Contact:

R. Croteau, 242-4668 V. L. Brownlee, 242-5563 DISTRIBUTION:

H. Street MNBB Phillips E/W Willste MAIL:

Chairman Zech EDT NRR TF NMSS XDRIUMB Comm. Roberts PA OIA RES D0T: Trans Only Comm. Asselstine MPA AE0D Applicable State Comm. Bernthal ELD Comm. Carr- Air Rights INP03.M SECY SP NSAC ACRS R Regions:

Licensee: 35/

$36 '

/ /

(ReactorLicensees)

Applicable Resident Site _3,'3/

_ _ _-________-__ - _