Underground Piping and Tank

Integrity Initiative 

Implementation Report to NSI

January, 2012

Jim Riley

April 4, 2012
Overall Implementation Statu

104 104 104 104 104 104 102

0 0

89

65

98 102 104 101 104 104 

0 0

62

91

102 103 101 104 104 

00000000000

000 0 0 2000000

6080

100120

Responses

Status as of January 1, 2012 (left bar in each pair is status from 6 mont

15

2 1 0 3 0 0

2040

Milestone
Overall Implementation Statu

 As of the end of January 2012, all plants have 

first four milestones. 

– Two plants (one utility) had not met the UPT Proc

and oversight milestone as of December 31, 201milestone caused by an administrative problem thresulted in the procedures not being approved un

January 2012 The utility has processed a justifiJanuary, 2012. The utility has processed

a justifi

deviation on this issue.

 Positive or stable trends are indicated on each 

milestone 

 One deviation to the Initiative was reported in 

2012 (see above)

 All plants currently report that they are on sche

future milestones
Operating Experience
Operating Experience

 Reported in EPIX as of January, 2012 Totals for past years change as reports 

continue

 Too early to trend Legend

– Significant leaks

• Exceed NRC or EPA limits, • Reportable under the Ground Water Protection • Result in a system or component being out of s

– Adverse inspection findings require repairs within o
Operating Experience

 Plants characteriz

differently; especisystems are “run 

 The majority of bu

underground pipinis occurring on low 

 Relative percentage of events in “run to failure” systems has 

over time as compared to the percentage in the other catego

in January 2012 versus 58% in July 2011 and 60% in Janua

 About 20% of the piping degradation has been on piping tha

related, or contains radioactive or environmentally sensitive 

to failure” systems 
Operating Experience

 The major reported failure causes was “other”. This category inclu

that do not have a reported cause. Use of this categorization (esse

default) makes an evaluation of failure trends difficult. 

 Efforts are underway to encourage more detailed cause determina

is having some effect; 53% of the causes were listed as “Other” in 
Program Performance

 Findings from INPO plant evaluations that h

been associated with Buried Piping Program

(“AFIs Tagged as Er04a”)

 Indicates an increasing trend as the program

were first implemented and a decreasing tresince the beginning of 2008
NDE Technology

 Revision to the “Buried Pipe NDE Reference Gu

(1022930) issued in December 2011

 Assessing and developing NDE technologies to 

more accurate and rapid volumetric examinationthe exterior pipe surface 

 Develop g in a technology p toerform a volumetric 

examination through coatings

 Facilitating inspection technology transfer from o

industries into nuclear power 

– Internal inspection technologies present additiona

challenges due to access and retrieval difficulties 

 Enhancing guided wave applications
Overall Observations

 No major new observations on leakage trends 

Initiative implementation this period

– Utilities are implementing the UPTI as scheduled

 Utility Buried Piping Programs are in place and 

improving

 Important to keep the focus on development o

improved inspection improved inspection technology

 Coordination of the Underground Piping and T

Integrity and Ground Water Protection Initiativ

– Workshop on September 7 and 8, 2011 in Denve– NEI 11-07 issued in December 2011 (Coordinatio

Enhanced Inspection and Environmental MonitorInitiatives (Ground Water Protection Initiative and Underground Piping and Tanks Integrity Initiative