Headquarters Daily Report JULY 29, 1998 *************************************************************************** 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 JULY 29, 1998 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Part 21 Database MR Number: H-98-0114 Entek Ird Date: 07/29/98 Subject: PART 21 - OVERVALUED ACCURACY RATIO FOR VIBRATION TRANSDUCER CALIBRATION Discussion: VENDOR: Entek IRD PT21 FILE NO: 98-49-0 DATE OF DOCUMENT: 06/09/98 ACCESSION NUMBER: SOURCE DOCUMENT: EN 34371 REVIEWER: PECB, V. Hodge NEW ISSUE: Entek IRD International Corporation, is a supplier of calibration services traceable to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) calibration for portable vibration measurement equipment. Its predecessor firm, IRD Mechanalysis, Inc., reported plus/minus 5 percent transducer accuracy with a 4:1 accuracy ratio (comparison of the transducer accuracy to the shaker system accuracy of plus/minus 1.25 percent). To establish traceability, vibration transducers are shaken on equipment that is calibrated using a NIST-calibrated transducer with an accuracy of plus/minus 1 percent. During an audit, it was determined that the accuracy ratio should be determined from the root-sum-square of the combined NIST accuracy and shaker system accuracy, or plus/minus 1.6 percent. Thus the accuracy ratio on the IRD Mechanalysis certificates should be 3.125:1 instead of 4:1. The company is advising licensees to evaluate the effect of this difference. _ HEADQUARTERS MORNING REPORT PAGE 2 JULY 29, 1998 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Part 21 Database MR Number: H-98-0115 Westinghouse Date: 07/29/98 Subject: PART 21 - MANUFACTURING DEFECTS IN ICE CONDENSER BASKET COMPONENTS Discussion: VENDOR: Westinghouse PT21 FILE NO: 98-50-0 DATE OF DOCUMENT: 06/23/98 ACCESSION NUMBER: SOURCE DOCUMENT: EN 34427 REVIEWER: PECB, R. Benedict NEW ISSUE: The Cook licensee reports missing or defective welds on the bottom crossbar and grids of the ice condenser baskets. This condition is not analyzed. The licensee considers this condition reportable under 10 CFR Part 21 because it represents manufacturing defect more than damage. _ HEADQUARTERS MORNING REPORT PAGE 3 JULY 29, 1998 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Part 21 Database MR Number: H-98-0116 Velan Date: 07/29/98 Subject: PART 21 - DISCREPANCY IN VALVE WEIGHTS Discussion: VENDOR: Velan PT21 FILE NO: 98-52-0 DATE OF DOCUMENT: 06/24/98 ACCESSION NUMBER: 9806300526 SOURCE DOCUMENT: LER 50-410/98-14 REVIEWER: PECB, C. Petrone NEW ISSUE: The Nine Mile Pt Unit 2 licensee reports differences between actual valve weights and weights shown on engineering drawings. The licensee attributes the cause to failure of the vendor to provide accurate valve weights. The licensee revised the pertinent valve drawings and calculations. _ HEADQUARTERS MORNING REPORT PAGE 4 JULY 29, 1998 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Part 21 Database MR Number: H-98-0117 Ge Date: 07/29/98 Subject: PART 21- PRELIMINARY INDICATION THAT INITIAL CONDITIONS IN TRANSIENT ANALYSIS ARE NOT THE MOST SEVERE Discussion: VENDOR: GE PT21 FILE NO: 98-48-0 DATE OF DOCUMENT: 03/12/98 ACCESSION NUMBER: 9803190268 SOURCE DOCUMENT: LER 50-373/98-03 REVIEWER: PECB, E. Goodwin NEW ISSUE: The LaSalle 1 licensee reports that General Electric (GE) informed them that their updated final safety analysis report Chapter 15 analysis for "Abnormal Startup of an Idle Reactor Recirculation Pump" is not bounding. Preliminary results for a revised flow control valve (FCV) position at recirculation pump upshift indicate that the current transient initial conditions are not the most severe. In addition, using the LaSalle currently approved setpoint of 15 percent FCV position and the most limiting initial conditions, the thermal limits acceptance criteria are not met. At the plant, no plant safety, procedural, or technical specification conditions have been violated. This problem is being investigated by GE through the 10 CFR Part 21 process. The licensee will establish bounding conditions before restarting either unit. _ HEADQUARTERS MORNING REPORT PAGE 5 JULY 29, 1998 MR Number: H-98-0118 NRR DAILY REPORT ITEM GENERIC COMMUNICATIONS Subject: ADMINISTRATIVE LETTER 98-04 NRC ADMINISTRATIVE LETTER 98-04: AVAILABILITY OF COMMON-CAUSE FAILURE DATABASE, dated July 30, 1998 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is issuing this administrative letter to notify nuclear power reactor licensees of the availability of a common-cause failure (CCF) database, CCF analysis software, and associated technical reports. Contact: Dale M. Rasmuson, AEOD 301-415-7571 Email: dmr@nrc.gov _ HEADQUARTERS MORNING REPORT PAGE 6 JULY 29, 1998 MR Number: H-98-0119 NRR DAILY REPORT ITEM GENERIC COMMUNICATIONS Subject: ADMINISTRATIVE LETTER AND INFORMATION NOTICES ISSUED NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 98-28: DEVELOPMENT OF SYSTEMATIC SAMPLE PLAN FOR OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATIONS dated July 31, 1998 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is issuing this Information Notice to alert addressees to concerns that NRC found while conducting its licensed operator examination program. Technical contacts: George M. Usova, NRR Melvyn, L. Leach, RIII 301-415-1064 630-829-9705 E-Mail: gmu@nrc.gov E-Mail: mni@nrc.gov Richard J. Conte, RI John L. Pellet, RIV 610-337-5183 817-860-8159 E-Mail: rjc@nrc.gov E-Mail: jlp@nrc.gov Thomas A. Peebles, RII 404-562-4638 E-Mail: tap@nrc.gov NRC ADMINISTRATIVE LETTER 98-05: AVAILABILITY OF SUMMARIES IN ELECTRONIC FORMAT OF TECHNICAL REPORTS BY THE OFFICE FOR ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF OPERATIONAL DATA dated August 3, 1998 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is issuing this administrative letter to inform addressees of the availability on the Internet of summaries of technical reports produced by the Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data (AEOD). Contact: D. Hickman, AEOD 301-415-6829 E-mail: deh2@nrc.gov NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 98-29: PREDICTED INCREASE IN FUEL ROD CLADDING OXIDATION Dated August 3, 1998 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is issuing this information notice to inform addressees of recent Westinghouse experience with one of its reactor fuel designs which has exhibited higher than expected rates of oxidation of zircalloy cladding at high burnups. Technical contacts: Kulin Desai, NRR Frank Orr, NRR 301-415-2835 301-415-1815 E-Mail: kdd@nrc.gov E-Mail: fro@nrc.gov Edward Goodwin, NRR HEADQUARTERS MORNING REPORT PAGE 7 JULY 29, 1998 MR Number: H-98-0119 (cont.) 301-415-1154 E-Mail: efg@nrc.gov _