Headquarters Daily report MARCH 24, 1995 *************************************************************************** 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 I MARCH 24, 1995 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Duquesne Light Co. MR Number: 1-95-0041 Beaver Valley 2 Date: 03/24/95 Shippingport,Pennsylvania SRI PC Dockets: 50-412 PWR/W-3-LP Subject: FIFTH REFUELING OUTAGE BEGINS Reportable Event Number: N/A Discussion: Beaver Valley Unit 2 will start a controlled shutdown at 7:00 p.m., Friday, March 24, 1995, to begin its fifth refueling outage. Major activities include: complete core offload; 100 percent eddy current inspections for each steam generator; reactor coolant pump 1B seal inspection/replacement; low pressure turbine Number 1 inspection; main unit transformer overhaul; and motor operated valve inspections and testing. The outage is scheduled to last 45 days with a projected generator synchronization on May 8, 1995. Regional Action: The resident inspectors are on site monitoring licensee activities. Contact: William Lazarus (610)337-5231 PRIORITY ATTENTION REQUIRED MORNING REPORT - REGION I MARCH 24, 1995 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Maine Yankee Atomic Power Co. MR Number: 1-95-0040 Maine Yankee 1 Date: 03/22/95 Wiscasset,Maine TELEPHONE Dockets: 50-309 PWR/CE Subject: STATUS OF STEAM GENERATOR TUBE INSPECTIONS Reportable Event Number: 28558 Discussion: Maine Yankee has completed initial eddy current testing (ECT) of all three steam generators using the motorized rotating pancake coil (MRPC) and bobbin coil probes. Results of the MRPC inspections indicate 356 tubes with inside diameter (ID) circumferential cracks which will be plugged in addition to 80 other pluggable indications detected by bobbin coil. As a result of those inspections the licensee also identified 822 other tubes with indications which they have classified as possible ID circumferential cracks. In an attempt to further characterize the possible indications in those tubes the licensee has been experimenting with a plus point probe. On a sample of 10 tubes with known circumferential cracks the probe confirmed the cracks. On a sample of 40 tubes with possible circumferential cracks, the probe indicated 31 circumferential cracks. A dye penetrant test (PT) on five of the tubes confirmed the cracks on four of five with the 5th considered questionable. To further test the validity of the plus point probe results, the facility tested a sample of 100 tubes with no detectable defects by MRPC. Of this sample 51 showed "circumferential crack-like" indications. PT on four of these confirmed the indications. At this point the licensee is unable to characterize the depth of the cracks using this probe and are attempting to develop a method to do that. They are also proceeding with plans to pull a number of tubes over the weekend for detailed examination. Maine Yankee plans to use the plus point probe to inspect all tubes which they previously classified with possible circumferential cracks. In addition, they plan to use the plus point probe to re-inspect a representative sample of tubes in the hot legs of all steam generators which previously showed no detectable defects. Regional Action: The resident inspector is continuing to follow the licensee's testing and analysis. The region is coordinating NRC response to this issue with NRR and receives status reports from the licensee several times per week. Contact: Bill Lazarus (610)337-5231 PRIORITY ATTENTION REQUIRED MORNING REPORT - REGION II MARCH 24, 1995 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Duke Power Co. MR Number: 2-95-0036 Catawba 1 Date: 03/24/95 York,South Carolina Dockets: 50-413 PWR/W-4-LP Subject: CATAWBA UNIT 1 STOPS LOW POWER PHYSICS TESTING TO REVIEW REACTIVITY EXCURSION Reportable Event Number: N/A Discussion: During the performance of Catawba Unit 1 zero power physics testing on March 23, 1995, a positive reactivity excursion occurred which caused a reactor power increase from approximately 9x10E-8 amps intermediate range (less than the point of adding heat) to approximately 3.5 percent power range. The excursion, which occurred during control rod bank worth measurement by rod bank swap, was detected/curtailed by the reactor operator. (Note: automatic protection during low power physics testing is afforded via the 25% intermediate and power range reactor trips.) The reactor was subsequently stabilized in the intermediate range and testing was halted for approximately seven hours while the licensee investigated the event. Testing was resumed once the following actions were implemented: (1) licensee management briefed the control room operators and reactor test personnel on the expectations for monitoring reactivity and all available indications of core response during testing; (2) a maximum limit of 10 steps of bank movement at any time was established; and (3) the reactor test coordinator was dedicated to monitor reactivity using an analog strip chart in lieu of the digital reactivity indicator which had previously masked the problem when over-ranged, by wrapping around to the negative side indication when shutdown bank B was withdrawn in a core area of high differential worth. Regional Action: The resident inspectors responded to the control room upon notification of the event and verified that appropriate corrective actions were taken prior to resuming the test. Contact: R. CARROLL (404)331-5543