Event Notification Report for December 30, 1999

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN TROXLER GAUGE

The following text is a portion of a facsimile received from the Texas Department of Health:

"Troxler Model 3411-B, Serial # 10518, stolen December 30, 1999, between 4 and 4:30 p.m. along with a company pickup truck (1995, White Isuzu Pup with markings Terra-Mar, Inc. on both doors, License Plate # SL9314). Reported by Texas Licensee: Terra-Mar, Inc., 2402 Gravel Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76118-6935. Gauge includes two radioactive sources: 1) Am-241:Be, 40 millicuries, Serial # 46-1940; and 2) C-137, 8.4 millicuries, Serial # 40-7844. Completed work Thursday and departed worksite at Carlswell Naval Reserve Base, Texas Army National Guard, Fuel Hanger site and departed. Truck and operator have not been seen since. Suspected by firm that the primary theft was for the vehicle for the holiday weekend. A new operator /technician is the primary suspect in the theft of both the gauge and vehicle. Neither truck nor gauge have been located. The theft has been reported to Fort Worth Police Department (Report # 00006249) and the Texas Department of Public Safety. A copy of the report is not yet available."

(Call the NRC Operations Center for a contact telephone number and address.)

*** UPDATE ON 01/04/00 AT 1705 ET FROM JAMES OGDEN TAKEN BY MACKINNON ***

The Troxler Model 3411-B, Serial # 10518, stolen December 30, 1999, from Fort Worth, Texas , has been recovered today (January 4, 2000) and appears to be intact. The gauge is currently being leak tested by the licensee.

NRC R4DO (Chuck Cain) and NMSS EO ( John Hickey) notified.

REACTOR TRIP FROM MODE TWO

"Plant Vogtle Unit 2 was in a reactor startup following repair of a Feedwater Heater. During withdrawal of Control Bank B to 85 steps, Control Bank B rod B6 became misaligned from its bank by Digital Rod position indication System (DRPI) indication and the demand step counters. The Rod Control System Malfunction abnormal operating procedure was entered and the reactor was manually tripped at 0456 hours EST due to a misalignment of greater than 12 steps between DRPI and the demand step counters. All rods inserted as expected during the trip and no other anomalies were noted. The reactor is currently stable in Mode 3."

The licensee informed the NRC resident inspector.

- Unit 1 and 2 valves have the potential to experience pressure locking under post-LOCA conditions -

Motor operated valves ICM-305 and ICM-306, for both units, have been identified as having the potential to experience pressure locking under post-LOCA conditions. These valves are the ECCS suction valves from the recirculation sump that are opened to supply water to the Residual Heat Removal (RHR) pump suction, which in turn supplies flow to the suction of the safety injection and charging pumps. Calculations performed during a review of Generic Letter 95-07 determined that the valve operators are potentially incapable of opening the valves under pressure locking conditions, which result from the post LOCA temperature rise.

Additionally, Units 1 and 2 IMO-330 and IMO-331, the RHR to upper containment spray shutoff valves, have been determined to experience the same post-LOCA pressure locking problem. These valves provide isolation of RHR flow to the upper containment spray headers, and are opened during the recirculation phase of an accident if upper spray is needed.

Design changes are being developed to modify the valves to eliminate the potential for pressure locking.

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

- TS REQUIRED PLANT SHUTDOWN DUE TO 23 GPD REACTOR EQUIPMENT COOLING SYSTEM LEAK -

AT 1600 CST ON 12/30/99, THE LICENSEE DECLARED THE REACTOR EQUIPMENT COOLING (REC) SYSTEM INOPERABLE DUE TO THE REC SYSTEM LEAK RATE BEING APPROXIMATELY 3 INCHES OF SURGE TANK LEVEL PER DAY (APPROXIMATELY 23 GALLONS PER DAY). THIS LEAK RATE DOES NOT ALLOW THE REC SYSTEM TO REMAIN OPERABLE 30 DAYS POST-LOCA AS REQUIRED BY THE UFSAR, SECTION X-6, PAGE X-6-8. TECH SPEC LCO 3.7.3, CONDITION B, REQUIRES THE PLANT TO BE IN MODE 3 IN 12 HOURS AND MODE 4 IN 36 HOURS.

ONE OF TWO EDGs (#2 EDG) AND THE 'B' SERVICE WATER BOOSTER PUMP ARE INOPERABLE.

THE LICENSEE INFORMED THE NRC RESIDENT INSPECTOR.

- AUTO REACTOR TRIP FROM 100% POWER FOR UNKNOWN REASONS -

AT 1821 ON 12/30/99, UNIT 2 AUTO TRIPPED FROM 100% POWER FOR UNKNOWN REASONS CAUSING A MAIN TURBINE TRIP. THE MAIN FEEDWATER SYSTEM ISOLATED AND THE AUXILIARY FEEDWATER SYSTEM AUTOSTARTED. ALL CONTROL RODS INSERTED COMPLETELY. STEAM IS BEING DUMPED TO THE MAIN CONDENSER. INTERMEDIATE RANGE MONITOR N-35 APPEARED UNDERCOMPENSATED, REQUIRING A MANUAL RESET OF THE SOURCE RANGES.

UNIT 2 IS STABLE IN MODE 3 (HOT STANDBY).

THE LICENSEE IS INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE OF THE TRIP.

THE LICENSEE INFORMED THE NRC RESIDENT INSPECTOR.

* * * UPDATE AT 1616 ON 01/02/00 BY GARY HAMILTON TO JOLLIFFE * * *

THE CAUSE OF THE REACTOR TRIP WAS A MAIN TURBINE TRIP ABOVE THE P-9 PERMISSIVE INTERLOCK (WITH REACTOR POWER BELOW 50% POWER, THE REACTOR REMAINS AT POWER IF THE MAIN TURBINE TRIPS). THE MAIN TURBINE TRIPPED DUE TO TWO WIRES SHORTING TOGETHER ON AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR OF THE ELECTRIC TRIP SOLENOID VALVE IN THE MAIN TURBINE CONTROL CIRCUITRY.

THE LICENSEE NOTIFIED THE NRC RESIDENT INSPECTOR.

THE NRC OPERATIONS OFFICER NOTIFIED THE R2DO CHRIS CHRISTENSEN.

NOTE: THIS EVENT IS A CONTINUATION OF EVENT #35790. (Refer the event #36018 and event #36605 for similar events at Portsmouth.)

At 1130 CST on 12/30/99, the Plant Shift Superintendent (PSS) was notified that during walkdowns of the high pressure fire water (HPFW) system in C-337, a total of thirteen corroded sprinkler heads were discovered in System B-2. The system was declared inoperable, and actions were taken as required by the technical safety requirement (TSR). The PSS determined that an update to this event report is required.

The NRC resident inspector has been notified of this event by Paducah personnel.

* * * UPDATE AT 2233 EST ON 1/12/00 FROM ERIC WALKER TO S. SANDIN * * *

At 0910 CST on 1/12/00 the PSS was notified that during walk downs of the HPFW systems in C-337, two adjacent corroded heads were discovered on system B-10. Per Engineering Notice C-822-99-047, Rev. 2, the criteria necessary for system operability was not being met. The system was declared inoperable, and actions were taken as required by the TSR. The PSS determined that an update to this event report is required.

It has been determined that this event is reportable under 10CFR76.120(c)(2) as an event in which equipment is disabled or fails to function as designed.

The NRC resident inspector has been notified of this event by Paducah personnel. The NRC operations officer notified the R3DO (Clayton) and NMSS EO (Haughney).

*** UPDATE ON 1/21/00 @ 2306 FROM UNDERWOOD TO GOULD ***

At 1100 CST on 1/21/00, the PSS was notified that during walk downs of the HPFW systems in C-337, thirteen corroded heads were discovered on system D-3. This system was previously inspected on 6/24/99. In addition, at 1640 CST on 1/21/00, the PSS was notified that during walk downs of the HPFW systems in C-331, three adjacent corroded heads were discovered on system 12. This system was previously inspected by Fire Services personnel on 4/10/99. Per Engineering Notice C-822-99-047, Rev. 2, the criteria necessary for system operability was not being met. The systems were declared inoperable and actions were taken as required by the TSR. The PSS determined that an update to this event report is required.

The NRC resident inspector has been notified of this event by Paducah personnel. The R3DO (Hills) was notified by the NRC operations officer.

* * * UPDATE AT 1549 ON 1/27/00 FROM WHITE TAKEN BY STRANSKY * * *

At 1500 [CST] on 1/26/00, the PSS was notified that during walk downs of the HPFW systems in C-337, eight corroded heads were discovered on system D-12. This system was previously inspected on 8/28/99. Per Engineering Notice C-822-99-047, Rev. 2, the criteria necessary for system operability was not being met. The systems were declared inoperable, and actions were taken as required by the TSR. The PSS determined that an update to this event report is required.

The NRC resident inspector has been notified of this event by Paducah personnel. The NRC operations officer notified the R3DO (Phillips).

* * * UPDATE AT 1457 ON 1/28/00 FROM UNDERWOOD TAKEN BY STRANSKY * * *

At 1820 [CST] on 1/27/00, the PSS was notified that during walk downs of the HPFW systems in C-333, twenty-nine corroded heads were discovered on system B-1. This system was previously inspected on 8/22/99. Per Engineering Notice C-822-99-047, Rev. 2, the criteria necessary for system operability was not being met. The system was declared inoperable, and actions were taken as required by the TSR. The PSS determined that an update to this event report is required.

The NRC resident inspector has been notified of this event by Paducah personnel. The NRC operations officer notified the R3DO (Phillips).