Morning Report for February 14, 2000
Headquarters Daily Report
FEBRUARY 14, 2000
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REPORT NEGATIVE NO INPUT
ATTACHED INPUT RECEIVED RECEIVED
HEADQUARTERS X
REGION I X
REGION II X
REGION III X
REGION IV X
PRIORITY ATTENTION REQUIRED MORNING REPORT - REGION III FEB. 14, 2000
Licensee/Facility: Notification:
Firstenergy Nuclear Operating Co. MR Number: 3-00-0009
Perry 1 Date: 02/14/00
Perry,Ohio
Dockets: 50-440
BWR/GE-6
Subject: PERRY OPERATORS IDENTIFY AND SUPPRESS SECOND MINOR FUEL DEFECT
Discussion:
On January 31, 2000, plant operators identified a slight increase in an
offgas system post-treatment radiation monitor strip chart recorder.
Subsequent chemistry analyses and discussion with General Electric
indicated that a small fuel defect was the most likely cause for the
increase in the radiation monitor value. The radioactive material
detected in the offgas system was less than 1 percent of that allowed by
the Perry Technical Specifications. The licensee commenced testing to
identify the location of the fuel defect on February 11, 2000. On
February 14, 2000, the minor defect location was identified and the flux
in the area of the defect was suppressed by inserting a control rod. A
previous defect had been identified and suppressed on January 16, 2000,
as discussed in Morning Report Numbers 3-00- 0001 and 3-00-0002.
Regional Action:
Resident Inspectors are following this issue.
Contact: CHRISTINE LIPA (440)259-3610
DARELL ROBERTS (630)829-9705
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REGION IV MORNING REPORT PAGE 2 FEBRUARY 14, 2000
Licensee/Facility: Notification:
Union Electric Co. MR Number: 4-00-0009
Callaway 1 Date: 02/14/00
Fulton,Missouri Telephone from Resident Inspector
Dockets: 50-483
PWR/W-4-LP
Subject: AUTOMATIC REACTOR TRIP ON LOSS OF REACTOR COOLANT SYSTEM FLOW
Reportable Event Number: 36685
Discussion:
On February 13, 2000, at approximately 7:34 a.m., the reactor at Callaway
Plant, located near Fulton, Missouri, tripped due to low reactor coolant
system flow. For the 12 minutes immediately prior to the reactor trip,
the site had experienced fluctuations in offsite voltage. These
fluctuations caused reactor coolant Pump B to trip on a current phase
imbalance and resulted in the reactor tripping on low reactor coolant
system flow. Immediately following the reactor tirp, the remaining three
reactor coolant pumps also tripped on a current phase imbalance. Without
forced reactor coolant flow, the reactor was cooled by natural
circulation. The initiating cause of this event was a downed 161 kV
power line in southeast Missouri, which was experiencing severe
thunderstorms. Breakers designed to isolate the downed line did not open.
This caused repeated high currents until a 345 kV/161 kV transformer,
that provided the interface with the AMEREN UE electrical grid, failed.
The affected power line, breakers, and transformer were owned and
serviced by another (non-nuclear) utility. Following the trip, plant
equipment responded properly.
After determining the cause of the reactor trip and verifying that the
AMEREN UE grid was fully isolated from the faulted grid in southeast
Missouri, the licensee commenced a reactor startup. The reactor was taken
critical at 9:10 p.m. on February 13. The main turbine was synchronized
to the electric grid at 5:18 a.m. on February 14. The plant is currently
at 23 percent power. Power is being increased at 3 percent per hour.
Regional Action:
The resident inspectors will continue to monitor licensee actions.
Contact: Vince Gaddy (573)676-3181
Bill Johnson (817)860-8148
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