Headquarters Daily Report MARCH 27, 1996 *************************************************************************** REPORT NEGATIVE NO INPUT ATTACHED INPUT RECEIVED RECEIVED HEADQUARTERS û REGION I û REGION II û REGION III û REGION IV û PRIORITY ATTENTION REQUIRED MORNING REPORT - HEADQUARTERS MARCH 27, 1996 MR Number: H-96-0023 NRR DAILY REPORT ITEM GENERIC COMMUNICATIONS Information Notice 96-18, "COMPLIANCE WITH 10 CFR PART 20 FOR AIRBORNE THORIUM," was issued on March 25, 1996. This notice was issued to all fuel cycle and material licensees authorized to possess and use thorium in unsealed form to alert them to recent inspection findings of programmatic weaknesses in an unexpectedly high number of facilities. Weaknesses were found in monitoring programs for worker intakes and in ALARA programs. Contacts: Sheri Arredondo, RI Sami Sherbini, NMSS (610) 337-5342 (301) 415-7902 _ REGION I MORNING REPORT PAGE 2 MARCH 27, 1996 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Public Service Electric & Gas Co. MR Number: 1-96-0027 Hope Creek 1 Date: 03/26/96 Hancocks Bridge,New Jersey SRI PC Dockets: 50-354 BWR/GE-4 Subject: HOPE CREEK RESTART Discussion: At 12:19 p.m. on March 25, 1996, the Hope Creek station synchronized the main generator to the grid, ending refueling outage number 6. The outage had commenced on November 10, 1995, and included refueling activities and many modifications/repairs to plant systems to support improved operations. The unit is holding at about 25 percent power to conduct low power operational testing, as well as to complete a maintenance activity on one of the main turbine combined-intercept valves, which failed its response testing. The Hope Creek unit had experienced a number of problems each causing minor delays during the attempts to restart since March 14. These problems included: a failure to demonstrate the operability of control rods that had been maintained during the outage; a test failure of the high pressure safety injection system, coincident with a failure to timely demonstrate the automatic depressurization system operability that led to a power reduction on March 21 (the reactor was maintained critical but low RCS pressure was achieved, placing the plant in a condition where no high pressure ECCS systems were necessary); subsequently, on March 21, operators experienced difficulty in normal control rod insertion due to apparent electronic problems associated with the Rod Sequence Control System and the Reactor Manual Control System; and, more recently, on March 25, difficulties were encountered including both a high turbine vibration apparently resulting from repairs to the turbine gland seal packing during the outage, and operators having to secure one of four service water pumps due to apparent silt clogging the pump strainer. Except for the service water pump problem from March 25, all of the above issues have been corrected. The licensee has determined that the area immediately in front of the service water structure needs to have the silt dredged in order to prevent similar problems. The licensee normally conducts this activity twice a year, normally during the fall and spring. Such dredging has not been done since the fall of 1995. Regional Action: Routine resident follow up. Contact: Larry Nicholson (610)337-5128 Robert Summers (609)935-3850 _ REGION I MORNING REPORT PAGE 3 MARCH 27, 1996 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. MR Number: 1-96-0028 Vermont Yankee 1 Date: 03/26/96 Vernon,Vermont RI/PC Dockets: 50-271 BWR/GE-4 Subject: RECIRCULATION PUMP TRIP DUE TO MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL ERROR Discussion: On 3/26 at 11:41 a.m., while operating at 100 percent reactor power, the B recirculation pump tripped. Operators appropriately responded to the recirculation pump trip and stabilized the unit at approximately 50 percent power. The operating recirculation pump was manually ramped back and control rods were manually inserted to exit the Buffer Region of the Core Operating Limits Report Figure 2.4-1 (power-to-flow map). No core flow instabilities were observed and no reactor protection system challenges occurred. The cause of the recirculation pump trip was determined to have been personnel error. Station electricians were performing a scheduled calibration of the T-7-1A transformer local ammeter (B phase) when they mistakenly left the associated circuit overcurrent trip relays (51B and 50B) un-bypassed. Upon inserting the test current to the ammeter, the overcurrent relays tripped causing the transformer supply breaker to trip and de-energizing Bus 7. The de-energization of Bus 7 removed the B recirculation motor-generator set lubricating oil pump from service which, in turn, caused the recirculation pump trip. All reactor systems and balance of plant systems responded as designed. Bus 7 was re-energized at 11:55 a.m. with the assistance of plant electricians and the power-to-flow Buffer Region was exited at 12:17 p.m. The B recirculation pump was returned to service at 1:56 p.m. and power ascension commenced. At 7:27 p.m., the unit was at 100 percent power. Regional Action: Routine resident staff follow-up. Contact: William Cook (315)342-4907 Richard Conte (610)337-5183 _ REGION II MORNING REPORT PAGE 4 MARCH 27, 1996 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Agreement State Licensee MR Number: 2-96-0024 Stottler Starmer & Associates, Inc. Date: 03/26/96 Cape Canaveral,Florida by State of Florida License No: FL-825-2 Subject: RECOVERY OF FOUR STOLEN PORTABLE GAUGES Discussion: On March 26, 1996, a representative of the State of Florida advised the Headquarters Duty Officer that four portable guages stolen from the licensee on March 11, 1996, have been recovered. The gauges were identified as Troxler Model 3440, containing sealed sources with approximately 40 millicuries of americium-241/beryllium and 8 millicuries of cesium-137. Subsequent to the theft, the State advised local law enforcement officials and issued a press release. The four gauges were found at mile marker 117 along the berm of the road on Interstate 95 in St. Lucie county. State Health Department officials have determined that the gauges have not been damaged, are still in the original shipping containers, and no spread of contamination occurred as verified by radiation surveys and leak testing the sources. The State currently has possession of the gauges; however, the licensee has been notified, and is expected to take possession of the guages today, March 27, 1996. This information updates the information provided in PNO-II-96-015 dated March 11, 1996, which documented the theft of these materials. Regional Action: Information only. Contact: Robert Trojanowski (404)331-5597 _