Junk Plant Hope Creek: Paul Krohn and Safety Related "SW Pump Discharge Isolation Valves"

Updated 2/24

The NRC says now, the three valves are in the normal reverse orientation direction and the offending one is in the non-reverse orientation. All four valves after this 2016 refueling outage will be in the reverse engineering direction. The NRC is convinced all the valves will meet their intended safety function with all the new engineering evaluations. The NRC says they gave Hope Creek much value added with sw discharge valve CDBI inspection results. The NRC was always concerned with the level of engineering detail over these valves.   

The NRC seems to be saying prior to 2013 with all of the valves in the normal reverse orientation…they were always operable. I have questions on that. Looking in the reverse mirror might indicate that, but what proof did they have in 2012?

I asked when these SW discharge valves with reverse orientation were installed. They didn’t know for sure. Where they installed on new construction or did they put them in post construction…could you give me the date? Did the NRC give permission with the reverse orientation? They said it would have to go past their boss.      

Updated 2/24

Talk to NRC today about this.


Update 11:44

Cowan, Grace <Grace.Cowan@nrc.gov> Mr. Mulligan, I received your e-mail, and forwarded it to Paul. He’s working in HQs until June, so I wasn’t sure if he was in the office today or not. Sincerely, Sincerely, Grace Grace Cowan US NRC-Region I Division of Reactor Safety 610-337-5070

To: Michael Mulligan

Today at 11:44 AMMr. Mulligan,  I received your e-mail, and forwarded it to Paul.  He’s working in HQs until June, so I wasn’t sure if he was in the office today or not.  Sincerely,  Sincerely,Grace  Grace Cowan

I had a hard time finding NRC's Chief Mr. Krohn today. He is a region I official. He is temporally assigned to duties in Washington. Ms. Cowan seems to be a secretary of some NRC group in Washington. She gave me her e-mail address and told me to write a note to Paul...she'd pass the message along to him.  

Engineering Branch 2 Chief: Paul Krohn

'Hope Creek and Chief Paul Krohn'

From Michael Mulligan <steamshovel2002@yahoo.com>

To: grace.cowan@nrc.gov

Today at 11:26 AM

 

grace.cowan@nrc.gov

paul krohn

Mr. Krohn,

I am a safety advocate. I had recent issues with Hope Creek’s SRV setpoint lift inaccuracies and my issues were placed on the docket. We are watching Hope Creek very carefully. You signed off on the below IR.

Entry on my blog:

“Junk Plant Hope Creek: PSEG's Frivolous Denial Of NRC Non Sited Violation”

http://steamshovel2002.blogspot.com/2016/02/junk-plant-hope-creek-frivolous-psegs.html

 

My friends and I were debating this issue this morning. We think this issue deserves a much higher violation level. 

So why wasn’t Hope Creek required to ask NRC permission to put all the safety related “sw pump discharge isolation valves (4 of them)” in the “intentionally reverse direction”?  Why didn’t they fulfill the requirements of 50:59? Why wasn’t this in the inspection report? Why wasn't the public immediately informed of this licensing deviation through a safety evaluation?  

We feel if Hope Creek was required to ask NRC permission, they would have taken the easy way out and then put in the proper quality valves for the intended duty. They would have properly fixed these leaking valves when the symptoms first was seen?  It’s pretty pathetic the NRC didn’t immediately flip this 2013 event up into a regular inspection report.  

We think collectively Hope Creek and the NRC has systemic “Normalization of Deviance” on steroids big time???

I believe I have spoken to you in the past and you are one of the good guys. Did we talk about the structure of the CDBIs? The public meeting? Do I remember it right, with all the nuke guys bitching about how useless the CDBIs were, and a diversion from safety?   

Could we have a discussion just about this particular issue?

I never have any confidentiality or anonymity needs what-so-ever.

Mike Mulligan

Hinsdale, NH

16032094206

Hope Creek Generating Station - Component Design Bases Inspection Report 05000354/2015007

Description. 1 EAHV-2198C is the 'C' SW pump discharge isolation valve. The valve is a 28- inch Weir Tricentric butterfly valve with a SMB-1/HBC-4 (60-1) Limitorque motor operator. The valve has an active safety function in the open position to provide normal SW flow to the safetyrelated safety auxiliaries cooling system (SACS) heat exchangers (HXs) and non-1 E reactor auxiliaries cooling system (RAGS) HXs, and emergency SW flow to other systems. PSEG had originally intentionally installed all four 1 EAHV-2198 valves in the reverse flow direction to permit the downstream header pressure to seat the valve tighter to minimize seat leakage during SW pump and strainer on-line maintenance.