Part 21 Report - 1995-219

GENERAL ELECTRIC               29535 11-01-95 OTH
LICENSEE: GENERAL ELECTRIC                   
SITE: .GENERAL ELECTRIC              .        EN NUMBER:29535
DOCKET:                                  EVENT DATE: 11-01-95
RX TYPE:                                 EVENT TIME: 00:00
VENDORS:                                NOTIFY DATE: 11-01-95
EMERGENCY CLASS: N/A  REGION: 4 STATE: CA      TIME: 09:22
OPS OFFICER: JOSEPH SEBROSKY          
10 CFR SECTION: CCCC  21.21               UNSPECIFIED PARAGRAPH

GENERAL ELECTRIC IS ISSUING A PART 21 REPORT DUE TO IMPROPER     
VALVE PACKING MATERIAL USED IN VALVES THAT WERE SUPPLIED TO THE  
PILGRIM NUCLEAR POWER PLANT.                                     
                                                                 
GE NUCLEAR ENERGY (GE-NE) BOUGHT (FROM RING-O VALVE SpA OF ITALY)
AND PROVIDED (TO THE BOSTON EDISON COMPANY PILGRIM PLANT) FOUR   
GATE VALVES INTENDED FOR SAFETY-RELATED APPLICATIONS (TWO IN THE 
HPCI SYSTEM AND TWO IN THE RWCU SYSTEM).  AS PART OF THE VALVE   
DELIVERY IMPROPER VALVE PACKING BUSHINGS WERE SUPPLIED WHICH     
CONTAINED BABBITT, A LEAD BEARING ALLOY WHICH IS KNOWN TO CAUSE  
EMBRITTLEMENT IN STAINLESS STEEL.  THIS DID NOT MEET THE GE-NE   
VALVE SPECIFICATION.                                             
                                                                 
THE IMPROPER MATERIAL WAS IDENTIFIED DURING THE INSTALLATION     
PERIOD, AND THE BUSHINGS WERE REPLACED WITH BUSHINGS CONTAINING  
AN ACCEPTABLE MATERIAL. THE VALVES WERE NOT YET PLACED INTO      
NUCLEAR SERVICE AT THE TIME OF DISCOVERY. GE-NE HAS EVALUATED THE
SAFETY SIGNIFICANCE OF THE IMPROPER BUSHING MATERIAL IN ALL FOUR 
VALVES AND HAS CONCLUDED THAT FOR THE VALVES IN THE HPCI SYSTEM, 
A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN DID NOT EXIST.  HOWEVER GE-NE       
ENGINEERING HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONCLUSIVELY RULE OUT THE       
POSSIBILITY THAT THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF HAVING THIS       
MATERIAL IN THE RWCU SYSTEM WOULD NOT RESULT IN A SUBSTANTIAL    
SAFETY CONCERN AND HAS, THEREFORE, ELECTED TO REPORT THIS UNDER  
10 CFR PART 21.  GE-NE HAS NOT SUPPLIED THIS VALVE TO ANY OTHER  
NUCLEAR POWER PLANT TO DATE.