The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is in the process of rescinding or revising guidance and policies posted on this webpage in accordance with Executive Order 14151 Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, and Executive Order 14168 Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government. In the interim, any previously issued diversity, equity, inclusion, or gender-related guidance on this webpage should be considered rescinded that is inconsistent with these Executive Orders.

Event Notification Report for July 25, 2000

                    U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
                              Operations Center

                              Event Reports For
                           07/24/2000 - 07/25/2000

                              ** EVENT NUMBERS **

37152  37163  37184  

!!!!!!!!! THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED. THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED  !!!!!!!
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   37152       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: LIMERICK                 REGION:  1  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 07/08/2000|
|    UNIT:  [] [2] []                 STATE:  PA |NOTIFICATION TIME: 08:33[EDT]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] GE-4,[2] GE-4                    |EVENT DATE:        07/08/2000|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        04:40[EDT]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  GREG SOSSON                  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  07/24/2000|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  DOUG WEAVER                  +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |STEVEN DENNIS        R1      |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|AUNA 50.72(b)(1)(ii)(A)  UNANALYZED COND OP     |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR|   INIT RX MODE  |CURR PWR|  CURR RX MODE   |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|                                                   |                          |
|2     N          Y       100      Power Operation  |52       Power Operation  |
|                                                   |                          |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| UNANALYZED CONDITION                                                         |
|                                                                              |
| At 04:40 the Unit 2 #4 Main Turbine control valve closed.  No testing or     |
| maintenance was in progress at the time of the valve closure.  Plant         |
| Operating procedures specify that the MCPR thermal limit is not analyzed for |
| this condition. The appropriate technical specification action is being      |
| entered to reduce power to below 25% power within 6 hours.  Reactor power is |
| currently 52% and being reduced.                                             |
|                                                                              |
| At 07:47 it was determined that an unanalyzed condition exists on Unit 2     |
| that has the potential to compromise plant safety based on the above         |
| condition.                                                                   |
|                                                                              |
| The cause of the control valve failure is not determined at this time.  At   |
| the time of the control valve closure, reactor power and pressure remained   |
| stable with one main turbine bypass valve opening approximately 40%. Power   |
| was immediately reduced to 95% in accordance with plant procedures.  The     |
| bypass valve closed.                                                         |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee notified the NRC resident inspector.                            |
|                                                                              |
| * * * RETRACTED AT 1341 EDT ON 7/24/00 BY STAN GAMBLE TO FANGIE JONES * * *  |
|                                                                              |
| "This is a retraction of a notification made on 07/08/00 at 08:33 hours,     |
| (event #37152). This event was reported as an unanalyzed condition under     |
| requirement 10CFR50.72(b)(1)(ii)(A).                                         |
|                                                                              |
| "Unit 2 Main Turbine control valve (TCV) failed closed at 100% power. The    |
| Technical Specification MCPR thermal limit is not analyzed for extended      |
| operation with one TCV in the closed position. Power was reduced to less     |
| than 25% within the TS AOT.                                                  |
|                                                                              |
| "The basis for this retraction is that the effect of the closed TCV has been |
| evaluated by PECO Energy engineering with the following results. The TCV     |
| slow closure resulted in a mild pressure transient that did not challenge    |
| the MCPR Safety Limit. This phase was bounded by the limiting MCPR event of  |
| load reject without bypass.                                                  |
|                                                                              |
| "The load drop to 25% power was uncomplicated and completed within four (4)  |
| hours and twenty (20) minutes. The leading MFLCPR value for this period was  |
| 0.961. This complied with the MCPR TS AOT of six (6) hours. This period was  |
| of short duration and bounded by the existing Design Bases Accidents.        |
|                                                                              |
| "The MCPR TS LCO is not applicable to operation at less than 25% power. This |
| period of operation is also considered analyzed.                             |
|                                                                              |
| "Since all phases of the transient and reduced power operation are           |
| explicitly analyzed or bounded by existing analysis, this event is           |
| considered analyzed. In addition, this event did not significantly           |
| compromise plant safety.                                                     |
| An unanalyzed condition that significantly compromises plant safety did not  |
| occur. Therefore, this event is not reportable per the guidance of           |
| NUREG-1022, Rev 1."                                                          |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.  The NRC Operations        |
| Officer notified the R1DO (Mohamed Shanbaky)                                 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

!!!!!!!!! THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED. THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED  !!!!!!!
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   37163       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: LASALLE                  REGION:  3  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 07/11/2000|
|    UNIT:  [1] [] []                 STATE:  IL |NOTIFICATION TIME: 21:40[EDT]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] GE-5,[2] GE-5                    |EVENT DATE:        07/11/2000|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        19:50[CDT]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  RUSSELL BENNETT              |LAST UPDATE DATE:  07/24/2000|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  BOB STRANSKY                 +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |BRUCE JORGENSEN      R3      |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|AOUT 50.72(b)(1)(ii)(B)  OUTSIDE DESIGN BASIS   |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR|   INIT RX MODE  |CURR PWR|  CURR RX MODE   |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|1     N          Y       100      Power Operation  |100      Power Operation  |
|                                                   |                          |
|                                                   |                          |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| UNIT OUTSIDE DESIGN BASIS DUE TO 10 CFR PART 50, APPENDIX R ISSUE            |
|                                                                              |
| "At approximately 1610 on 7/11/2000, it was identified by plant walkdown     |
| that in electrical switchgear Bus 142Y (1AP06B) cubicle 4 (for the Unit 1 B  |
| Residual Heat Removal pump) that an unsealed borehole of approximately three |
| (3) inches in diameter existed. This borehole is located in the floor        |
| separating the Unit 1 Division 2 Switchgear room from the Unit 1 Division 1  |
| switchgear room. The borehole is located in a three (3) hour rated fire      |
| barrier that is required by Administrative Technical Requirement 3/4.7.6     |
| (Fire Rated Assemblies). This has been considered an event that is outside   |
| the design basis due to required design basis protective features for safe   |
| shutdown trains as described in 10 CFR 50, Appendix R and Final Safety       |
| Analysis Report [being] lacking. Compensatory measures (fire watches) have   |
| been established per Administrative Technical Specifications and plans for   |
| repairs are in progress."                                                    |
|                                                                              |
| The NRC resident inspector has been notified of this event by the licensee.  |
|                                                                              |
| * * * UPDATE 1155 7/12/00 FROM ROCKY HASTY TAKEN BY BOB STRANSKY * * *       |
|                                                                              |
| "Additionally, on 7/7/2000, another unsealed borehole of 2.75 inches in      |
| diameter was identified in non-safety Switchgear bus 152 (1AP02B) cubicle 4. |
| Both boreholes are located in the floor separating the Unit 1 Division 1     |
| switchgear room from the Unit 1 Division 2 Switchgear room. Both boreholes   |
| are in a three (3) hour rated fire barrier that is required by               |
| Administrative Technical Requirement 3/4.7.6 (Fire Rated Assemblies). This   |
| has been considered an event that is outside the design basis due to         |
| required design basis protective features for safe shutdown trains as        |
| described in 10 CFR 50, Appendix R and Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR)   |
| [being] lacking."                                                            |
|                                                                              |
| The NRC resident inspector has been informed of this update. Notified R3DO   |
| (Jorgensen).                                                                 |
|                                                                              |
| * * * RETRACTED ON 7/24/00 AT 1617 EDT BY JOHN REIS  TO FANGIE JONES * * *   |
|                                                                              |
| "...The preliminary evaluation could not determine whether or not the two    |
| unsealed penetrations in the three-hour fire barrier between the Unit 1      |
| Division 1 switchgear room and the Unit 1 Division 2 switchgear room would   |
| cause failure of both electrical divisions during a fire in either division  |
| switchgear room. Should such a fire cause division failure in both           |
| switchgear rooms, the station would be outside the safe shutdown analysis    |
| performed to meet 10 CFR 50, Appendix R as described in the LaSalle County   |
| Station Updated Final Safety Analysis Report. The NRC event number was       |
| 37163.                                                                       |
|                                                                              |
| "The investigation has determined that LaSalle County Station Unit 1 was     |
| operating within the plant design basis while operating Unit 1 with two      |
| unsealed openings in the fire barrier assembly separating the Division 1 and |
| Division 2 Switchgear Rooms.                                                 |
|                                                                              |
| "A fire evaluation has been performed that concludes that Unit 1 could have  |
| been safely shutdown following a design basis fire in either Switchgear Room |
| based on the fire loading in the rooms, the design of the switchgear, the    |
| type of electrical cables, fire detection and the fire brigade. Therefore,   |
| LaSalle County Station was operating within plant design basis when          |
| operating Unit 1 with the condition described above. Extent of condition     |
| evaluation/walkdowns have not identified any 10 CFR 50 Appendix R            |
| deficiencies. Unit 2 remains unaffected.                                     |
|                                                                              |
| "Therefore it has been determined that this event is not reportable to the   |
| NRC, and this event notification is being                                    |
| retracted."                                                                  |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.  The NRC Operations        |
| Officer notified the R3DO (Michael Parker).                                  |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   37184       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: BROWNS FERRY             REGION:  2  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 07/24/2000|
|    UNIT:  [] [2] [3]                STATE:  AL |NOTIFICATION TIME: 15:20[EDT]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] GE-4,[2] GE-4,[3] GE-4           |EVENT DATE:        07/24/2000|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        13:22[CDT]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  RAYMOND SWAFFORD             |LAST UPDATE DATE:  07/24/2000|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  FANGIE JONES                 +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |BRIAN BONSER         R2      |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|ACNC 50.72(b)(1)(ii)(C)  COND OUTSIDE EOPS      |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR|   INIT RX MODE  |CURR PWR|  CURR RX MODE   |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|                                                   |                          |
|2     N          Y       100      Power Operation  |100      Power Operation  |
|3     N          Y       100      Power Operation  |100      Power Operation  |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| APPENDIX R REVIEW DISCOVERED A CONDITION OF NONCOMPLIANCE WITH THE SAFE      |
| SHUTDOWN CAPABILITIES OF THE RHR SYSTEM                                      |
|                                                                              |
| "On 7/24/2000 at approximately 1322 CST, a review of the Appendix R Safe     |
| Shutdown Program revealed that a condition of noncompliance with 10CFR50 App |
| R Criteria III L.2 existed for Units 2 and 3, for availability of the        |
| minimum flow valves for the RHR Pumps. The BFN Appendix R program assumes    |
| the Residual Heat Removal (RHR) minimum flow valves are open following the   |
| initiation of RHR and remain open until vessel injection is initiated.       |
| Contrary to this assumption, the cables to the valves have not been verified |
| to be protected from the effects of a fire. Consequently the valves could    |
| spuriously close and dead head the pump for an extended period of time.      |
|                                                                              |
| "This condition is being reported lAW 10 CFR 50.72.b.1.ii(c) as a 1 hour     |
| report as '... a condition not covered by the plant's operating and          |
| emergency procedures.''                                                      |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee is conducting an investigation and posting fire watches in the  |
| mean time.                                                                   |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.                            |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+


Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, March 25, 2021