PNO-III-84-103A, on 841129,handle on 1 of 18 Final Bundles in 1F-300 rail-mounted Spent Fuel Cask Discovered Bent. Caused by Incorrect Seating of Lid.All Fuel Elements Will Be Fully Seated in Cask Basket Before Lid Installed

PNO-III-84-103A:on 841129,handle on 1 of 18 Final Bundles in 1F-300 rail-mounted Spent Fuel Cask Discovered Bent. Caused by Incorrect Seating of Lid.All Fuel Elements Will Be Fully Seated in Cask Basket Before Lid Installed

ML20140D565
Person / Time
Site:	Monticello, 07001308
Issue date:	12/11/1984
From:	Boyd D, Paperiello C NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:
References
PNO-III-84-103A, NUDOCS 8412180567
Download: ML20140D565 (1)

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PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-III 103A Data December 11, 1984 l

This prelizinary notification c:nstitut s EARLY n:tica of ev:nts of POSSIBLE safety or ' )

public interest significance. The information is as initially received without veri-fication or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by the staff on this date.

Facility: General Electric Morris Operation Licenne Emergency Classification:

Morris, IL Notification of an Unusual Event License No. SNM-2500 Alert Site Area Emergency Northern States Power General Emergency Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant

~

Not Applicable Docket No. 50-263

Subject:

DIST0RTED HANDLE ON SHIPPED SPENT FUEL-BUNDLE - UPDATE

[' On November 29, 1984, Region III (Chicago) was informed by General Electric that the handle on one of 18 fuel bundles in an IF-300 rail-mounted spent fuel cask shipped from the Monticello plant was discovered distorted upon unloading at the GE Morris Facility. The licensee and Region III have investigated the cause of this problem.

Underwater examination and a review of video tapes of the damaged fuel element verified that the element had not been fully seated in the shipping cask basket when the cask lid was installed, thus resulting in the bent fuel element handle. The exact nature of how the fuel element " hung up" is not known, but there were fresh scrape marks on the underside of one edge of the fuel element upper tie plate (immediately below the handle) and corresponding scrape marks on the cask lid.

, The corrective actions were directed at assuring that all fuel elements are fully seated

/ in the cask basket before the cask lid is installed. This was accomplished by adding a specific step in the cask loading procedure which requires management verification that, with the use of an underwater camera, the top of each bundle upper tie plate is at or below the top surface of the cask basket.

The Senior Resident Inspector at this site has observed the loading of a fuel shipping cask using the modified procedure and concurs that adherence to the procedure will assure that all fuel elements are correctly seated in the cask basket.

Region III has been following this event since learning of the damage to the handle on one fuel element on 11/28/84. A Region III hold was placed on further loading of the shipping cask until the matter was properly resolved. That hold has now been removed.

This information is current as of Noon on December 11, 1984. '

The States of Minn pota and Wisconsin are being notified.

Contact:

D. C. d FTS 388-5546 C. 1 S 388-5517 8412g0567841211

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