Headquarters Daily report JUNE 29, 1994 *************************************************************************** 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 - HEADQUARTERS JUNE 27, 1994 MR Number: H-94-0061 NRR DAILY REPORT ITEM GENERIC COMMUNICATIONS BRANCH/EVENTS ASSESSMENT BRANCH DIVISION OF OPERATING REACTOR SUPPORT OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION Subject: N/A NRC Information Notice 94-48, "Snubber Lubricant Degradation in High- Temperature Environments," will be issued June 30, 1994. The NRC is alerting addressees to the possible degradation of the lubricant used in mechanical snubbers manufactured by Pacific Scientific (PSA) when the snubber is used in a high-temperature environment. Technical contacts: Floyd S. Cantrell, RII (404) 331-5534 Arnold J. H. Lee, NRR (301) 504-2758 PRIORITY ATTENTION REQUIRED MORNING REPORT - REGION II JUNE 27, 1994 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Tennessee Valley Authority MR Number: 2-94-0053 Watts Bar 1 Date: 06/27/94 Spring City,Tennessee Dockets: 50-390 PWR/W-4-LP Subject: TVA ANNOUNCED THAT A COMPLETION PLAN HAD BEEN FINISHED FOR WATTS BAR UNIT 1 Reportable Event Number: N/A Discussion: On June 24, TVA announced that a completion plan had been finished for Watts Bar Unit 1. The plan targets March 1995 for fuel load, while describing the schedule to meet this date to be aggressive, but achievable. TVA also stated that the TVA Board had been briefed and had committed to funding implementation of the plan. Highlights of the plan provided by TVA discuss several milestones that need to be met prior to fuel load. Specific milestones addressed included the containment building integrated leak rate test, the NRC SALP, and the Watts Bar Unit 1 construction permit extension request. Regional Action: None Contact: Paul Fredrickson (404)331-5649 PRIORITY ATTENTION REQUIRED MORNING REPORT - REGION IV JUNE 27, 1994 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Washington Public Power Supply System MR Number: 4-94-0059 Washington Nuclear 2 Date: 06/23/94 Richland,Washington Senior Resident Inspector Dockets: 50-397 BWR/GE-5 Subject: WPPSS EXECUTIVE BOARD ELECTS OFFICERS Reportable Event Number: N/A Discussion: On June 23, 1994, the WPPSS Executive Board met to elect Board officers to serve for 1-year terms. Carl M. Halvorson, Executive Board Chairman since December 1992 will remain in that position. Paul Nolan, a Tacoma, Washington, attorney and retired director of the City of Tacoma's utility division, will remain as vice-chairman, a position he has held since 1982. Donald Carter, a new member of the Executive Board, was elected Board secretary. Vera Claussen, a Grant County Public Utility District Commissioner was reelected as assistant secretary of the Board. Ms. Claussen has been a member of the Board since 1986 and also serves on the Supply System's Board of Directors. Also at the meeting, Executive Board member Ray Foleen submitted his resignation, effective at the end of this month. The Executive Board serves as the policy making body for the Supply System and normally consists of 11 members. Five members are elected from among the 13-member Supply System Board of Directors, and six are selected from outside the Supply System, three by the governor of Washington state and three by the Supply System's Board of Directors. Regional Action: For information only. Contact: D. Kirsch (510)975-0290 R. Barr (509)377-2627 D. Corporandy (510)975-0319 PRIORITY ATTENTION REQUIRED MORNING REPORT - REGION I JUNE 27, 1994 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. MR Number: 1-94-0071 Nine Mile Point 2 Date: 06/27/94 Lycoming,New York SRI PC Dockets: 50-410 BWR/GE-5 Subject: ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE Reportable Event Number: N/A Discussion: John Mueller, Plant Manager at Nine Mile Point Unit 2, resigned his position to accept the Site Manager position at Cooper Nuclear Station for the Nebraska Public Power District. Kim Dahlberg succeeds Mr. Mueller as the Unit 2 Plant Manager, effective June 30, 1994. Mr. Dahlberg was previously the Unit 1 Plant Manager and recently participated in the Niagara Mohawk Executive Development Program. Regional Action: None. Contact: Larry Nicholson (610)337-5128 PRIORITY ATTENTION REQUIRED MORNING REPORT - REGION I JUNE 28, 1994 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Maine Yankee Atomic Power Co. MR Number: 1-94-0072 Maine Yankee 1 Date: 06/28/94 Wiscasset,Maine 6/23 SRI TELECON Dockets: 50-309 PWR/CE Subject: POWER REDUCTION TO LESS THAN 2% DUE TO CHLORIDE INTRUSION IN THE STEAM GENERATORS Reportable Event Number: N/A Discussion: On June 19, 1994, a service water leak developed in the non-nuclear safety portion of the related discharge piping. This leak caused the service water sump in the turbine building to overflow, and salt water to enter the adjacent condensate sump. The service water piping leak was stopped with a temporary repair, and both sumps were pumped dry. During this period, condensate pump P-27B was being overhauled, and its drain and vent valves were opened. The overflow of salt water into the condensate sump resulted in salt water entering the condensate pump via the open drain line. However, the licensee had not recognized the intrusion of salt water into the pump prior to returning it to service on June 22. Early on June 23, a chemistry sample of the steam generators indicated a chloride concentration of 2764 ppb in steam generator 2. Operators initiated maximum blowdown in an attempt to reduce the chloride concentration. Condensate pump 27B was isolated after a condensate sample indicated high chlorides (about 31,000 ppb) in the hotwells. A power reduction at a rate of 20% per hour was commenced at 3:50 AM on June 23. At 9:22 AM, the unit was placed in hot standby (below 2% power). The plant continued cleanup activities in all steam generators to reduce the chloride levels below the EPRI guidelines. Station administrative controls require that chloride levels be at less than 100 ppb at or below 30% power and below 20 ppb at power levels above 30%. On June 28, after the chloride levels were reduced to below 100 ppb, the plant increased power to 10% and the main generator was synchronized to the grid at 7:25 AM. Cleanup activities continue and the plant will remain below 30% power until the chloride levels in the steam generator are reduced to below 20 ppb. Maine Yankee is continuing their investigation of the chloride intrusion into the steam generators. Regional Action: The resident inspectors are monitoring the power escalation and cleanup activities and the licensee's followup actions. Contact: Jimi Yerokun (207)882-7519 William Lazarus (610)337-5231 PRIORITY ATTENTION REQUIRED MORNING REPORT - REGION IV JUNE 28, 1994 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Wolf Creek Nuclear Oper. Corp. MR Number: 4-94-0060 Wolf Creek 1 Date: 06/28/94 Burlington,Kansas Resident Inspector Dockets: 50-482 PWR/W-4-LP Subject: LICENSEE MEETING WITH THE RESIDENT INSPECTOR Reportable Event Number: N/A Discussion: On June 27, 1994, Westinghouse advised the licensee of a design problem with new fuel that Wolf Creek has received. In response to core periphery flow vibration causing fuel failures at Beaver Valley and Salem, Westinghouse redesigned the fuel assembly by rotating some of the grid straps 90 degrees thus reorienting the mixing vanes. Individuals on the AP-600 advanced reactor program recently requested Westinghouse to perform some additional DNB studies. These studies revealed that this rotation of the grid straps affected flow enough to impart as much as a 16.5 percent DNB penalty. This fuel is currently in use at Millstone Unit 3 and at two Korean nuclear units. The following four sites are currently receiving this newly designed fuel in preparation for future refuelings: Wolf Creek, D.C. Cook, Braidwood, and Byron. Options for the receipt of the new fuel include shipping it back to Westinghouse for rework and use of the fuel in conjunction with a reanalysis and possible derate of the unit. Regional Action: The resident inspector and Regional staff will monitor licensee actions. Contact: Melanie Miller (817)860-8127 PRIORITY ATTENTION REQUIRED MORNING REPORT - REGION I JUNE 29, 1994 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Pennsylvania Power & Light Co. MR Number: 1-94-0073 Susquehanna 2 Date: 06/28/94 Allentown,Pennsylvania SRI PC Dockets: 50-388 BWR/GE-4 Subject: EXCESSIVE VIBRATION DUE TO ELEVATED REACTOR RECIRCULATION PUMP SPEEDS Reportable Event Number: N/A Discussion: On June 21, at 1:30 p.m., operators raised Unit 2 reactor recirculation (RR) flow to 108 million pounds/hr for power uprate testing. On June 22, between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., while performing feedwater (FW) system tuneups, operators observed vibration in the containment instrument gas (CIG) piping outside containment. Subsequent engineering walkdowns noted the vibration appeared to be coming from the primary containment structure. The suppression pool (SP) hatch covers were also vibrating. At that time, the licensee attributed the excessive containment, reactor building, and piping vibration to the elevated RR pump speed. Thus, the licensee developed a plan to lower RR pump speed while monitoring for any additional vibrations. At 2:30 a.m., June 23, RR pump speeds were lowered. When both pumps' speeds were at 1515 rpm, vibration and noise levels returned to normal. Additional licensee investigation indicated that an RR proximity probe indicated that vibration began at 9:30 a.m., June 22, which correlated well with operator identification of excessive Unit 2 reactor building noise level. The licensee attributed this excessive vibration to "vane passing phenomena" that corresponds to a unique harmonic associated with RR pump speeds between 1570 to 1580 rpm. This phenomena is a result of pressure pulses that occur when the pump impeller vanes pass from an open position to a closed position with respect the pump stationary assembly. During this event, the five vane impellers generated a vane passing frequency of approximately 131 Hz. Measurements of the SP hatch covers confirmed vibration frequency of 131 Hz. Thus, the licensee restricted pump operation to no more than 1515 rpm. The licensee is continuing to evaluate the effects of the excessive vibration on plant components. Licensee review of industry experience noted a similar problem at Hope Creek (HC) in 1987. In this case, excessive vibration caused two leaks to develop on RR flow instruments that were subsequently repaired. In addition, two vent line failures were attributed to this excessive vibration. This phenomena occurred at HC whenever flow exceeded 104.5 Mlbm/hr. Currently, Hope Creek limits the likelihood of this by monitoring for excessive vibration during end of cycle coast down periods, and, if detected, flow is reduced. Regional Action: NRC Region I is augmenting resident followup with specialist inspector support to review this condition. NRR was informed of the event and is evaluating generic implications. Contact: John White (610)337-5114 PRIORITY ATTENTION REQUIRED MORNING REPORT - REGION IV JUNE 29, 1994 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Gulf States Utilities Co. MR Number: 4-94-0061 River Bend 1 Date: 06/28/94 St Francisville,Louisiana Resident Inspector Dockets: 50-458 BWR/GE-6 Subject: DRYWELL WALKDOWN Reportable Event Number: N/A Discussion: On June 27, 1994, the resident inspectors performed a walkdown of the drywell. The walkdown was performed after the licensee notified the resident inspectors that the final walkdown by the plant staff had been completed. During the walkdown, the resident inspectors noted unattended material inside the drywell. The material consisted of items such as a large poly bag, pens, paper, and other similiar items. The licensee, in response to the material found by the resident inspectors, stated that an additional walkdown would be performed to ensure that all unattended material was removed from the drywell prior to final closure. The licensee has had a poor performance record with maintaining the areas adjacent to the suppression pool free of unattended material. During the current refueling outage, divers inspected the suppression pool and found a large number of items. Included in the items was a large poly bag that covered approximately 14 percent of the suppression pool RHR suction strainer. This specific observation did not affect the operability of the RHR system since up to 50 percent of the strainer can be covered before operability is affected. Regional Action: The resident inspectors will continue to monitor implementation of the licensee's programs to ensure that material taken inside primary containment is properly controlled. Contact: P. H. Harrell (817)860-8250