CNL-21-086, Withdrawal of Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Unit 2, Request for Alternative, 21-ISI-2, Alternative Inspection for Upper Head Injection J-groove Welds (EPID L-021-LLR-0059)

Withdrawal of Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Unit 2, Request for Alternative, 21-ISI-2, Alternative Inspection for Upper Head Injection J-groove Welds (EPID L-021-LLR-0059)

ML21287A197
Person / Time
Site:	Sequoyah
Issue date:	10/14/2021
From:	Polickoski J Tennessee Valley Authority
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
CNL-21-086
Download: ML21287A197 (2)

Text

1101 Market Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402 CNL-21-086 October 14, 2021 10 CFR 50.55a ATTN: Document Control Desk U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Unit 2 Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-79 NRC Docket No. 50-328

Subject:

Withdrawal of Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Unit 2, Request for Alternative, 21-ISI-2, Alternative Inspection for Upper Head Injection J-groove Welds (EPID L-021-LLR-0059)

Reference:

TVA Letter to NRC, CNL-21-076, Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Unit 2, Request for Alternative, 21-ISI-2, Alternative Inspection for Upper Head Injection J-groove Welds, dated September 3, 2021 (ML21246A169)

In the Reference document, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) submitted for the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant (SQN), Unit 2 a request for alternative (RFA) 21-ISI-2 from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code,Section XI, Code Case N-729-6. The RFA relates specifically to the fall 2021 outage inspection of SQN Unit 2 upper head injection (UHI) J-groove welds in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.55a, Codes and standards, paragraph (z)(2). Since TVAs submittal of the Reference document, the situation necessitating the request for alternative no longer exists, and TVA requests to withdraw the RFA submitted in the Reference document.

Because of updated requirements in the current version of Code Case N-729-6 and because of the larger diameter of the SQN Unit 2 UHI reactor vessel closure head penetrations, a new inspection procedure had to be developed and a new technique qualification test specimen had to be constructed. Supply chain issues and complexities in the design impacted fabrication schedules for the specimen and increased the risk of unavailability for the fall 2021 Unit 2 outage. Additionally, the alternative surface examination of the welds would have involved significant radiation exposure for personnel involved. For these reasons, TVA submitted the referenced RFA.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission CNL-21-086 Page 2 October 14, 2021 Fabrication of the qualification test specimen has since been completed and the procedures and examiners have been qualified using the test specimen as of September 23, 2021. Therefore, inspections of the reactor vessel closure head upper head injection penetrations in the fall 2021 SQN Unit 2 outage will comply with the requirements of ASME Code Case N-729-6 as required by 10 CFR 50.55a, and the RFA submitted in the Reference document is no longer needed.

There are no new regulatory commitments contained in this letter. If you have any questions regarding this submittal, please contact Kimberly D. Hulvey, Senior Manager, Fleet Licensing at 423-751-3275.

Respectfully, for James T. Polickoski Director, Nuclear Regulatory Affairs cc:

NRC Regional Administrator - Region II NRC Senior Resident Inspector - Sequoyah Nuclear Plant NRC Project Manager - Sequoyah Nuclear Plant