Headquarters Daily Report APRIL 01, 1997 *************************************************************************** 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 APRIL 1, 1997 MR Number: H-97-0036 NRR DAILY REPORT ITEM GENERIC COMMUNICATIONS NRC Generic Letter 97-01, "Degradation of Control Rod Drive Mechanism Nozzle and Other Vessel Closure Head Penetrations," dated April 1, 1997. The NRC is issuing this generic letter to (1) request addressees to describe their program for ensuring the timely inspection of PWR control rod drive mechanism and other vessel closure head penetrations and (2) require that all addressees provide to the NRC a written response to the requested information. Technical contacts: Keith R. Wichman, NRR (301) 415-2757 James Medoff, NRR (301) 415-2715 _ REGION II MORNING REPORT PAGE 2 APRIL 1, 1997 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Carolina Power & Light Co. MR Number: 2-97-0021 Harris 1 Date: 04/01/97 Raleigh,North Carolina Dockets: 50-400 PWR/W-3-LP Subject: EXCESS BORON DILUTION EVENT Discussion: On Saturday March 29, 1997, at approximately 5:16 a.m. the Control Room Reactor Operator placed the Boron Thermal Regeneration System in service and initiated a manual boron dilution which he had planned to last for two minutes in order to raise average Reactor Coolant System (RCS) temperature. The Reactor Operator requested and was granted permission from the Unit Senior Control Operator prior to beginning the dilution. The operator did not use a timer. After initiating the dilution, the operator became distracted. Approximately thirty minutes later, the operator noticed that reactor power was 100.3 percent on nuclear instrumentation, he promptly terminated the dilution, and informed shift personnel of his error. Control Rods were driven in to reduce reactor power and turbine power was reduced to match. The dilution happened near shift change which occurs at 6:00 a.m. and both the offgoing and oncoming shifts evaluated the event as non-reportable due to the fact that the dilution was "not uncontrollable." The last RCS sample taken on March 28, 1997, at 12:05 p.m. was 71 ppm boron. The boron concentration after the event was 65 ppm. The licensee performed a flux map and at approximately 1:30 p.m. the completed flux map indicated that core parameters were satisfactory. Regional Action: The Resident Inspector responded to the site and verified that reactor power had been returned to 100 percent indicated (by nuclear instrumentation) and that technical specification action statements had been satisfied. The resident inspectors are continuing to evaluate this event and the licensees action following the event. Contact: M. SHYMLOCK (404)331-5535 _ REGION III MORNING REPORT PAGE 3 APRIL 1, 1997 Licensee/Facility: Notification: MR Number: 3-97-0057 Longview Inspection, Inc. Date: 02/26/97 Brookfield,Wisconsin TELEPHONE CALL TO NRC OPERATIONS Dockets: 03012825 License No: 48-17480-01 Subject: UPDATE ON POSSIBLE 240-510 REM WHOLE BODY EXPOSURE Discussion: On February 26, 1997, the licensee reported that a radiographer's whole body thermoluminscent dosimeter (TLD) showed a dose range of 240-510 rem (2.4-5.1 sieverts (Sv)) for the month of January 1997. An onsite inspection was conducted by Region III on February 27, 1997, and no violations were identified. The licensee agreed to have the radiographer's blood tested by Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for analysis of chromosome aberrations. Preliminary results from ORISE indicate that the cytogenetic findings are not consistent with a whole body exposure of 240- 510 rem. Therefore, the individual's dosimeter reading does not accurately reflect the radiation exposure that the individual received. This event was documented in Preliminary Notification No. PNO-III-97-013 issued on February 27, 1997. Regional Action: None Contact: DARREL WEIDEMAN (630)829-9808 JOHN MADERA (630)829-9834 _ REGION III MORNING REPORT PAGE 4 APRIL 1, 1997 Licensee/Facility: Notification: MR Number: 3-97-0058 Wci Steel, Inc. Date: 03/26/97 Warren,Ohio TELEPHONE CALL TO REGION III Dockets: 03030740 License No: 34-25956-01 Subject: UPDATE ON POSSIBLE COBALT-60 CONTAMINATED STEEL PRODUCTS Discussion: On March 26, 1997, Region I notified Region III that a truck delivering scrap steel to Bethlehem Steel Technology in Steelton, PA set off the plant's radiation detectors on March 25, 1997. It was believed that the steel (125,000 tons) originated from WCI Steel in Warren, Ohio; however, during the period it was manufactured on February 1, 1997, the steel was transferred and/or processed by three other companies before it reached Bethlehem Steel. Two radiation specialists were dispatched to WCI Steel in Warren, Ohio on March 26-27, 1997, to determine the origin of the cobalt-60 contamination in the steel products. WCI Steel is authorized to possess and use cobalt-60 sealed sources in its blast furnace for determining wear on its refractory brick and nine other nuclear gauges for determining coke moisture and level indication during steel manufacturing. The inspectors determined that all 48 cobalt-60 sealed sources in the blast furnace were accounted for at the time the steel was manufactured on February 1, 1997 and currently the remaining nine nuclear gauges located through out the facility were accounted for at the time of this inspection. The results of this inspection were transmitted to U.S. EPA for followup in accordance with the NRC/EPA Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The origin of the cobalt-60 contamination could not be determined to be associated with licensed activities. This event was documented in Preliminary Notification No. PNO-III-97-029 issued on March 27, 1997. Regional Action: NMSS, Region I, EPA Regions III and V have been notified. Contact: DARREL WEIDEMAN (630)829-9808 JOHN MADERA (630)829-9834 _ REGION IV MORNING REPORT PAGE 5 APRIL 1, 1997 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Southern California Edison & San MR Number: 4-97-0035 Diego Gas & Electric Co. Date: 04/01/97 San Onofre 2 Resident Inspectors Notified NRC San Clemente,California Dockets: 50-361 PWR/CE Subject: UNIT 2 RESTART FOLLOWING CYCLE 9 REFUELING OUTAGE Discussion: San Onofre Unit 2 connected to the grid at 12:40 a.m. (PST) on April 1, 1997, following completion of its 122-day Cycle 9 refueling outage. The outage was originally scheduled to last 70 days, and included steam generator chemical cleaning and significant main turbine inspections and modifications. However, several extensions to the outage were necessary due to a series of problems. The steam generator tube inspection program was expanded in response to a number of unexpected axial indications found at various tube support and midspan locations. Additionally, a number of tubes were plugged including several with top-of-tubesheet indications. Once the outage scope was completed, the recovery from the outage included several challenges and required the licensee to conduct four separate cooldowns. First, after heating up to Mode 4, a steam generator plug installed during a previous refueling outage was identified. To effect repairs, the plant was cooled down on February 19, 1997. Then, following the plug repairs and heatup to Mode 4 on March 2, 1997, the licensee identified pressure boundary leakage caused by Inconel-600 cracking of a pressurizer water-space temperature instrument nozzle. This required a cooldown to Mode 5. Following repair of the instrument nozzle, while in Mode 3 on March 19, 1997, a packing leakoff plug on a shutdown cooling isolation valve failed. This resulted in minor reactor coolant leakage into containment and another return to Mode 5 for repairs. Following the valve plug repair, on March 22, 1997, while in Mode 4, the licensee identified leakage from the diaphragm of a steam generator primary manway cover. This required another return to Mode 5 for repairs. The licensee finally completed heatup on March 28, 1997, and criticality was achieved on March 29, 1997. Mode 1 was entered on March 31, 1997. San Onofre Unit 3 is operating at full power, and is scheduled to shutdown for its Cycle 9 refueling outage on April 12, 1997. Regional Action: The resident inspectors are monitoring the licensee's power ascension. REGION IV MORNING REPORT PAGE 6 APRIL 1, 1997 MR Number: 4-97-0035 (cont.) Contact: D. Corporandy (510)975-0319 J. Sloan (714)492-2641 _ REGION IV MORNING REPORT PAGE 6 APRIL 1, 1997 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Arizona Public Service Co. MR Number: 4-97-0034 Palo Verde 3 Date: 03/31/97 Wintersburg,Arizona Senior Resident Inspector Dockets: 50-530 PWR/CE80 Subject: UNIT 3 RESTART FOLLOWING REFUELING OUTAGE 7 Discussion: At 11:20 a.m. (MST), on March 31, 1997, the licensee completed the sixth refueling outage for Unit 3, when the main turbine generator was connected to the grid. The outage began on February 22, and continued for 37 days. Major work included: (1) steam generator eddy current testing and subsequent tube plugging; (2) the completion of steam generator modification, including the addition of holes in the shroud, designed to increase the recirculation ratio and decrease the onset of free span axial steam generator tube cracking; and (3) motor operated valve pressure locking prevention modifications in response to NRC Generic Letter 95-07. At 12:58 a.m., on March 31, the licensee made an initial attempt to connect to the grid. However, shortly after the generator output breaker was closed, the generator and main turbine tripped on reverse power. Operators had not assured that turbine load was increased to greater than 30 MW within 30 seconds following connecting to the grid. Plant systems responded appropriately to stabilize the unit at 11 percent power. The licensee plans power ascension testing at plateaus of 20 percent and 70 percent power and anticipates achieving full power on April 4, 1997. Regional Action: The resident inspectors are monitoring the licensee's power ascension. Contact: D. Corporandy (510)975-0319 K. Johnston (602)386-3638 _