Event Notification Report for December 16, 1999
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
Event Reports For
12/15/1999 - 12/16/1999
** EVENT NUMBERS **
36460 36513 36514 36515
!!!!!!!!! THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED. THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED !!!!!!!
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|Power Reactor |Event Number: 36460 |
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| FACILITY: BRUNSWICK REGION: 2 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 11/24/1999|
| UNIT: [] [2] [] STATE: NC |NOTIFICATION TIME: 13:59[EST]|
| RXTYPE: [1] GE-4,[2] GE-4 |EVENT DATE: 11/24/1999|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME: 12:32[EST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: DAVID JENKINS |LAST UPDATE DATE: 12/15/1999|
| HQ OPS OFFICER: JOHN MacKINNON +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: N/A |LEN WERT R2 |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|AIND 50.72(b)(2)(iii)(D) ACCIDENT MITIGATION | |
|NLCO TECH SPEC LCO A/S | |
| | |
| | |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR| INIT RX MODE |CURR PWR| CURR RX MODE |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
| | |
|2 N Y 100 Power Operation |100 Power Operation |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| REACTOR CORE ISOLATION COOLING (RCIC) TURBINE TRIPPED ON HIGH EXHAUST |
| PRESSURE DURING POST-MAINTENANCE TESTING. |
| |
| While rolling the turbine during post-maintenance testing of RCIC system for |
| Unit 2, the turbine tripped on high exhaust pressure. The turbine trip is |
| caused by either one of two instruments sensing a high turbine exhaust |
| pressure (nominally 45 psi). Turbine exhaust pressure was not noted to be |
| abnormally high on the control room instrumentation during this evolution. |
| The licensee entered Technical Specification 3.7, which requires that the |
| licensee return the RCIC system to service within 14 days or to shut down |
| the unit. All emergency core cooling systems are fully operable. |
| Maintenance and engineering personnel are investigating this problem with |
| initial focus on the pressure sensing instrumentation. |
| |
| The NRC resident inspector was notified of this event by the licensee. |
| |
| *************** UPDATE AT 0918 ON 12/15/99 FROM CHARLES ELBERFELD TO LEIGH |
| TROCINE *************** |
| |
| The licensee is retracting this event notification. The following text is a |
| portion of a facsimile received from the licensee: |
| |
| "On November 24, 1999, at 0918 hours, the Reactor Core Isolation Cooling |
| (RCIC) system was declared inoperable for scheduled maintenance/testing, |
| which was to include static and dynamic testing of two RCIC system |
| motor-operated valves as well as quarterly system operability surveillance |
| testing required by the plant's technical specifications. The RCIC turbine |
| was started and subsequently secured three times during the |
| maintenance/testing evolution." |
| |
| "At approximately 1232 hours, the RCIC turbine was started again, and this |
| time the RCIC turbine high exhaust pressure annunciator came in accompanied |
| by a RCIC turbine trip. The RCIC system was considered to be inoperable for |
| reasons that originated from other than maintenance or testing. Based on |
| the information available at the time, the condition was assessed as |
| reportable in accordance with 10 CFR 50.72(b)(2)(iii), and on November 24, |
| 1999, at 1359 hours, notification was made to the NRC (Event No. 36460)." |
| |
| "This notification was made because RCIC, being a single train system, did |
| not operate properly during maintenance testing of the system. At the time |
| the notification was made, the cause of the malfunction had not been |
| determined. To meet the 4-hour report time limit, the conservative decision |
| was made to report the event." |
| |
| "Subsequently, it has been determined that the malfunction of the RCIC |
| system was due to a condition which was introduced by the |
| maintenance/testing activities. After the RCIC system had been started and |
| operated in a test mode numerous times, a RCIC turbine exhaust line check |
| valve began to bind to the point that, during the turbine start, the valve |
| binding resulted in a pressure spike in the exhaust line of sufficient |
| magnitude to cause a RCIC turbine trip. This condition was corrected and |
| post-maintenance testing completed satisfactorily. The RCIC system was |
| declared operable, and LCO A2-99-2468 was cancelled at 1639 on November 29, |
| 1999." |
| |
| "Based on the sequence, this event is not reportable in accordance with 10 |
| CFR 50.72 or 50.73. NUREG-1022, Revision 1, provides clarification of the |
| reporting requirements contained within 10 CFR 50.72 and 50.73. |
| Specifically, in discussions associated with events that alone could prevent |
| fulfillment of a safety function, NUREG-1022, Revision 1, Section 3.3.3, |
| provides the following example of a condition that is not reportable under |
| these criteria: |
| |
| removal of a system or part of a system from service as part of a planned |
| evolution for maintenance or |
| surveillance testing when done in accordance with an approved procedure and |
| the plant's [technical |
| specifications] (unless a condition is discovered that could have prevented |
| the system from performing its |
| function)" |
| |
| "In this case, RCIC was properly removed from service for planned |
| maintenance/testing under LCO A2-99-2468 and was not returned to service |
| until operability was restored. The intent of the qualifying statement in |
| NUREG- 1022 (i.e., unless a condition is discovered that could have |
| prevented the system from performing its function) is to ensure that |
| pre-existing operability concerns that are discovered during maintenance |
| activities are reported. It is not intended to require reporting of |
| conditions, introduced by the maintenance/testing activity, that are |
| identified and corrected prior to returning the system to service. This is |
| supported by Example 14 for this section of NUREG-1022. Example 14 deals |
| with a two-train system in which the wrong lubricant is placed in [one] pump |
| during maintenance activities. NUREG-1022 states that this condition would |
| not be reportable if testing would clearly identify the error. This example |
| is similar to the RCIC inoperability in that testing identified the problem |
| prior to returning the system to service." |
| |
| "Carolina Power & Light Company has determined that this event does not meet |
| the 10 CFR 50.72 or 10 CFR 50.73 reporting criteria, and the notification |
| for Event Number 36460 is retracted." |
| |
| "Supporting information:" |
| |
| "10 CFR 50.72(b)(2) Four-hour reports. If not reported under paragraphs (a) |
| or (b)(1) of this section, the licensee shall notify the NRC as soon as |
| practical and in all cases, within four hours of the occurrence of any of |
| the following: (iii) any event or condition that alone could have prevented |
| the fulfillment of the safety function of structures or systems that are |
| needed to: (A) shut down the reactor and maintain it in a safe shutdown |
| condition, (B) remove residual heat, (C) control the release of radioactive |
| material, or (D) mitigate the consequences of an accident." |
| |
| "10 CFR 50.73(a)(2) The licensee shall report: (v) Any event or condition |
| that alone could have prevented the fulfillment of the safety function of |
| structures or systems that are needed to: (A) shut down the reactor and |
| maintain it in a safe shutdown condition, (B) remove residual heat, (C) |
| control the release of radioactive material, or (D) mitigate the |
| consequences of an accident." |
| |
| The licensee notified the NRC resident inspector. The NRC operations |
| officer notified the R2DO (Boland). |
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+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|General Information or Other |Event Number: 36513 |
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| REP ORG: WISCONSIN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY |NOTIFICATION DATE: 12/15/1999|
|LICENSEE: K-RAY |NOTIFICATION TIME: 17:54[EST]|
| CITY: KENOSHA REGION: 3 |EVENT DATE: 12/15/1999|
| COUNTY: STATE: WI |EVENT TIME: [CST]|
|LICENSE#: 48-16729-01 AGREEMENT: N |LAST UPDATE DATE: 12/15/1999|
| DOCKET: |+----------------------------+
| |PERSON ORGANIZATION |
| |GARY SHEAR R3 |
| |KEIN RAMSEY (FAX) NMSS |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: KJELL JOHANSEN | |
| HQ OPS OFFICER: FANGIE JONES | |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: N/A | |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|CDEG 21.21(c)(3)(i) DEFECTS/NONCOMPLIANCE | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| K-RAY 706P SOURCE HOLDER DEVELOPED CRACK |
| |
| The licensee discovered a crack, about 2-3 inches in length, in the K-Ray |
| 706P source holder, possibly in a weld. The gauge, containing a 10-mCi |
| Cs-137 source, is in a radioactive labeled room under a coal pipe at the |
| Pleasant Prairie Plant, and it has been wrapped with plastic and labeled |
| with radioactive stickers. K-Ray has been notified and will replace the |
| gauge before the end of the year. A 30-day written report will follow. |
| |
| (Call the NRC operations officer for a contact telephone number.) |
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|Research Reactor |Event Number: 36514 |
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| FACILITY: UNIV OF MICHIGAN |NOTIFICATION DATE: 12/15/1999|
| RXTYPE: 2000 KW POOL |NOTIFICATION TIME: 21:56[EST]|
| COMMENTS: |EVENT DATE: 12/14/1999|
| |EVENT TIME: [EST]|
| |LAST UPDATE DATE: 12/15/1999|
| CITY: ANN ARBOR REGION: 3 +-----------------------------+
| COUNTY: WASHTENAW STATE: MI |PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|LICENSE#: R-28 AGREEMENT: N |GARY SHEAR R3 |
| DOCKET: 05000002 |THEODORE MICHAELS NRR |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: CHRISTOPHER BECKER | |
| HQ OPS OFFICER: FANGIE JONES | |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: N/A | |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|NLTR LICENSEE 24 HR REPORT | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION VIOLATION - 24 HOUR REPORT |
| |
| "This is the report on a violation of Technical Specification 3.2.1. Due to |
| the incorrect connection of the high voltage to the compensated voltage |
| connection of a compensated wide range ion chamber, the Log N Channel |
| required in Table 3.1, Required Safety Channels, was inoperable during the |
| reactor startup on 14 December 1999. Review of the power level indication |
| from the other nuclear instrumentation channels shows that no limiting |
| safety system settings were approached during the reactor startup. |
| |
| "Indications from the operable nuclear instruments and temperature system |
| indicate that no limiting safety system settings were approached. |
| Determination of the response of the period portion of the Log N system |
| compared to the periods derived from other properly responding nuclear |
| instrument channels indicates that the period circuit was measuring periods |
| of similar magnitude and that the 30-second period for reactor control rod |
| withdrawal inhibit was not challenged." |
| |
| There were three root causes identified: (1) The Log N circuit and the |
| linear level circuit are both compensated ion chambers. However, the bridge |
| connections are opposite, and the operators used the linear connections to |
| make up the Log N connections. (2) The operators knew or should have known |
| that an abnormal reading of the Log N circuit was possible after |
| maintenance, and (3) the reactor startup procedure specifies that operators |
| are to "Hold" power at 500 kW to perform the checks, but it has become |
| acceptable to slowly move through the 500 kW point and record the reading. |
| Also, the calorimetric procedure specifies that after a 1 MW calorimetric, |
| the Log N channel should indicate 40-100% (it indicated 25%). |
| |
| The reactor was shut down from full power (2 MW) and will not be restarted |
| for sustained operation until an operational review of this reportable |
| occurrence and other non-reportable events is made and presented to the |
| Safety Review Committee (SRC). An outside review of recent operations is |
| being sought and is hoped to be completed prior to requesting permission |
| from the Director and the SRC for sustained operation. |
| |
| The following other measures are planned: Labeling of the cable connections |
| for all the nuclear instrument detectors will be reviewed and improved; |
| possible design changes to make the connectors have different |
| configurations. Operational training will be given on procedures, and |
| practical performances will be evaluated. |
| |
| The licensee notified the NRC Project Manager (Theodore Michaels) and NRC |
| Inspector (Thomas Dragoun). |
| |
| (Call the NRC operations officer for a contact telephone number.) |
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|Power Reactor |Event Number: 36515 |
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+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: TURKEY POINT REGION: 2 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 12/16/1999|
| UNIT: [3] [] [] STATE: FL |NOTIFICATION TIME: 01:01[EST]|
| RXTYPE: [3] W-3-LP,[4] W-3-LP |EVENT DATE: 12/15/1999|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME: 23:25[EST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: WILSON |LAST UPDATE DATE: 12/16/1999|
| HQ OPS OFFICER: LEIGH TROCINE +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: N/A |ANN BOLAND R2 |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|APRE 50.72(b)(2)(vi) OFFSITE NOTIFICATION | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR| INIT RX MODE |CURR PWR| CURR RX MODE |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|3 N Y 100 Power Operation |100 Power Operation |
| | |
| | |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
EVENT TEXT
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| OFFSITE NOTIFICATION REGARDING A BUNKER-C OIL SPILL AT THE FOSSIL UNITS |
| |
| The following text is a portion of a facsimile received from the licensee: |
| |
| "Units 1 and 2 (fossil) are notifying [the Department of Environmental |
| Resource Management (DERM)] of [a] Bunker-C oil spill on [a] permeable |
| surface. [It is] estimated that 100 - 150 gallons of bunker C [are] |
| contained by an earth/rock berm around the fuel tank." |
| |
| The licensee notified the NRC resident inspector. |
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