CNL-19-031, Request to Expedite NRC Review of the Application to Revise the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Units 1 and 2 Technical Specifications to Adopt TSTF-266-A, Revision 3, Eliminate the Remote Shutdown System Table of Instrumentation and Controls(WBN

Request to Expedite NRC Review of the Application to Revise the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Units 1 and 2 Technical Specifications to Adopt TSTF-266-A, Revision 3, Eliminate the Remote Shutdown System Table of Instrumentation and Controls(WBN-T

ML19064A380
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	03/04/2019
From:	Henderson E Tennessee Valley Authority
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
CNL-19-031, EPID L-2018-LLA-0209
Download: ML19064A380 (3)

Text

Tennessee Valley Authority, 1101 Market Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402 CNL-19-031 March 4, 2019 10 CFR 50.90 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-90 and NPF-96 NRC Docket Nos. 50-390 and 50-391

Subject:

Request to Expedite NRC Review of the Application to Revise the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Units 1 and 2 Technical Specifications to Adopt TSTF-266-A, Revision 3, Eliminate the Remote Shutdown System Table of Instrumentation and Controls (WBN-TS-18-02)

(EPID L-2018-LLA-0209)

References:

1. TVA Letter to NRC, CNL-18-092. Application to Revise the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Units 1 and 2 Technical Specifications to Adopt TSTF-266-A, Revision 3, Eliminate the Remote Shutdown System Table of Instrumentation and Controls (WBN-TS-18-02), dated August 1, 2018 (ML18213A120)

2. NRC Electronic Mail to TVA, Acceptance review for Watts Bar - Adopt TSTF-266-A, Revision 3 (EPID No. L-2018-LLA-0209), dated September 4, 2018 (ML18248A025)

3. Federal Register Notice 84FR3510 dated February 12, 2019

4. NRC letter to TVA, Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 2- Issuance of Amendment Regarding Application to Allow Inoperable Reactor Coolant System Loop 3 Temperature Indication for Operating Cycle 2 (EPID L-2018-LLA-0003), dated January 25, 2018 (ML180228106)

In Reference 1, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) submitted a request for an amendment to Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-90 and NPF-96 for the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (WBN)

Units 1 and 2, respectively, for Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval. The proposed amendment revises the WBN Units 1 and 2 Technical Specifications (TS) to adopt Technical Specification Task Force (TSTF) Traveler 266-A, Revision 3, Eliminate the Remote Shutdown System Table of Instrumentation and Controls. TSTF-266-A relocates WBN Units 1 and 2 TS Table 3.3.4-1, Remote Shutdown System Instrumentation and Controls, to the TS Bases, where changes can be administered under the provisions of TS 5.6, TS Bases Control Program.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission CNL-19-031 Page 2 March 4, 2019 Reference 1 was accepted by the NRC in Reference 2 and published in the Federal Register Notice in Reference 3. In Reference 1, TVA requested NRC approval of the license amendment request (LAR) by August 1, 2019. However, due to extenuating circumstances at WBN Unit 2, as discussed below, TVA is hereby requesting an NRC expedited review and approval of Reference 1 by March 18, 2019, and that implementation of Reference 1 be effective by March 24, 2019, to avoid an unnecessary operational transient to initiate a plant shutdown.

At 0440 Eastern Standard Time (EST) on February 23, 2019, while performing Surveillance Instruction (SI) SI 2-SI-0-4, Monthly Surveillances, TVA declared temperature indicator (TI) 2-TI-68-43C, Reactor Coolant Loop 3 Hot Leg Temperature Indicator, in the auxiliary control room (ACR) inoperable due to the TI reading low. The instrument panel for this indicator is located inside the reactor building polar crane wall, which is not accessible during plant operation. WBN Unit 2 is scheduled to start the Cycle 2 refueling outage (U2R2) in April 2019, at which time 2-TI-68-43C will be repaired or replaced and the cause of the failure will be assessed in accordance with the TVA Corrective Action Program.

WBN Unit 2 TS Table 3.3.4-1, Function 4a, requires at least one RCS hot leg temperature indication function per loop to be operable. With one or more required Functions inoperable, WBN Unit 2 TS 3.3.4, Remote Shutdown System, Condition A, requires the inoperable Function to be restored to operable status within 30 days. The 30-day completion time for Condition A of TS 3.3.4 expires on March 25, 2019, at 0440 EST. After that expiration, TS 3.3.4, Condition B requires the plant to be in Mode 3 within 6 hours6.944444e-5 days <br />0.00167 hours <br />9.920635e-6 weeks <br />2.283e-6 months <br /> and Mode 4 in 12 hours1.388889e-4 days <br />0.00333 hours <br />1.984127e-5 weeks <br />4.566e-6 months <br />.

A similar failure of 2-TI-68-43C occurred on December 30, 2017, which necessitated the submittal and NRC approval of an exigent LAR (Reference 4). Reference 4 modified WBN Unit 2 TS Table 3.3.4-1 to add a Note that allowed 2-TI-68-43C to be inoperable for the remainder of the WBN Unit Cycle 2 unless WBN Unit 2 entered Mode 3 or 4 prior to U2R2.

Subsequently, as part of a WBN Unit 2 forced outage, the modifier for 2-TI-68-43C was replaced and tested satisfactorily on April 13, 2018. Therefore, the current Note to WBN Unit 2 TS Table 3.3.4-1 is no longer applicable.

NRC approval of Reference 1 will eliminate the need for an exigent LAR by relocating WBN Units 1 and 2 TS Table 3.3.4-1 to the TS Bases and creating new WBN Units 1 and 2 TS Bases Table B.3.3.4-1, Remote Shutdown System Instrumentation and Controls. TVA will then perform the necessary technical evaluation to support a revision to WBN Unit 2 TS Bases Table B.3.3.4-1, in accordance with the provisions of TS 5.6, TS Bases Control Program, to permit continued operation of WBN Unit 2 until U2R2 with the inoperable 2-TI-68-43C.

As previously noted, TVA is hereby requesting an NRC expedited review and approval of Reference 1 by March 18, 2019, in order to permit continued operation of WBN Unit 2 until U2R2 with the inoperable 2-TI-68-43C. The requested date of March 18, 2019, is to allow TVA sufficient time to both implement NRC approval of Reference 1 and to process the additional change to the new WBN Unit 2 TS Bases Table B.3.3.4-1.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission CNL-19-031 Page 3 March 4, 2019 There are no new regulatory commitments in this submittal. Please address any questions regarding this request to Michael A. Brown at 423-751-3275.

I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on this 4th day of March 2019.

~~

E. K. Henderson Director, Nuclear Regulatory Affairs cc:

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region II Administrator NRC Senior Resident Inspector, Watts Bar Nuclear Plant NRC Project Manager, Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Director, Division of Radiological Health - Tennessee State Department of Environment and Conservation