ML020980566
| ML020980566 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palo Verde  |
| Issue date: | 04/11/2002 |
| From: | Donohew J NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD4 |
| To: | Overbeck G Arizona Public Service Co |
| References | |
| IEB-02-001, TAC MB2647, TAC MB2648, TAC MB2649 | |
| Download: ML020980566 (4) | |
Text
April 11, 2002 Mr. Gregg R. Overbeck Senior Vice President, Nuclear Arizona Public Service Company P. O. Box 52034 Phoenix, AZ 85072-2034
SUBJECT:
BULLETIN 2001-01, CIRCUMFERENTIAL CRACKING OF REACTOR PRESSURE VESSEL HEAD PENETRATION NOZZLES, RESPONSE FOR PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNITS 1, 2, AND 3 (TAC NOS. MB2647, MB2648, AND MB2649)
Dear Mr. Overbeck:
On August 3, 2001, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff issued Bulletin 2001-01, Circumferential Cracking of Reactor Pressure Vessel Head Penetration Nozzles, to the industry requesting that addressees provide information related to the structural integrity of the reactor pressure vessel head penetration (VHP) nozzles for their respective facilities, including the extent of VHP nozzle leakage and cracking that has been found to date, the inspections and repairs that have been undertaken to satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, and the basis for concluding that their plans for future inspections will ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements at their respective pressurized water reactor plants. You were requested to respond to Items 1 and 4 of the Bulletin within 30 days of its issuance.
You provided your response for Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3, in the letters dated September 4 and December 6, 2001, and January 29 and March 15, 2002. The letter of January 29, 2002, was in response to our request for clarification that was documented in our letter of November 5, 2001. The letter of March 15, 2002, revised the earlier responses to the bulletin in that the 100 percent inspection of the VHPs, and the reactor head vent nozzle, will be performed using either an effective visual examination, an under the head surface and/or volumetric examination using a combination of eddy current, liquid penetrant, and ultrasonic examination techniques as necessary.
The NRC staff finds that you have provided the requested information and there is reasonable assurance that the public health and safety will be maintained. Your proposed inspection scope and schedule described in your responses, which included the description of your plan to examine all or 100 percent of the VHPs at your facility during the next scheduled outage, were integral to the NRC staffs finding. It is the NRC staffs expectation that you will submit a revised response to the Bulletin if you make any substantive changes to the schedule and/or scope of future inspections for the units. If warranted by such changes, the NRC staff will re-evaluate this issue for the units.
Gregg R. Overbeck Addressees are reminded that Item 5 of the Bulletin requested the following information within 30 days after plant restart following the next refueling outage for each of the three units:
- a.
a description of the extent of VHP nozzle leakage and cracking detected at your plant, including the number, location, size, and nature of each crack detected;
- b.
if cracking is identified, a description of the inspections (type, scope, qualification requirements, and acceptance criteria), repairs, and other corrective actions you have taken to satisfy applicable regulatory requirements. This information is requested only if there are any changes from prior information submitted in accordance with this bulletin.
If you have any questions or comments concerning this issue, please contact me via telephone at (301) 415-1307.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Jack Donohew, Senior Project Manager, Section 2 Project Directorate IV Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. STN 50-528, STN 50-529, and STN 50-530 cc: See next page
Gregg R. Overbeck Addressees are reminded that Item 5 of the Bulletin requested the following information within 30 days after plant restart following the next refueling outage for each of the three units:
- a.
a description of the extent of VHP nozzle leakage and cracking detected at your plant, including the number, location, size, and nature of each crack detected;
- b.
if cracking is identified, a description of the inspections (type, scope, qualification requirements, and acceptance criteria), repairs, and other corrective actions you have taken to satisfy applicable regulatory requirements. This information is requested only if there are any changes from prior information submitted in accordance with this bulletin.
If you have any questions or comments concerning this issue, please contact me via telephone Sincerely,
/RA/
Jack Donohew, Senior Project Manager, Section 2 Project Directorate IV Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. STN 50-528, STN 50-529, and STN 50-530 cc: See next page DISTRIBUTION PUBLIC PDIV-2 reading RidsNrrDlpmLpdiv (L. Barnett)
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BWetzel AHiser ACCESSION NO: ML020980566 OFFICE PDIV-2/PM PDIV-1/LA EMCB/SC PDIV-2/SC NAME JDonohew:as MMcAllister SCoffin WReckley for:
SDembek DATE 4/9/2002 4/9/02 4/10/02 4/11/02 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
March 2002 Palo Verde Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 cc:
Mr. Steve Olea Arizona Corporation Commission 1200 W. Washington Street Phoenix, AZ 85007 Douglas Kent Porter Senior Counsel Southern California Edison Company Law Department, Generation Resources P.O. Box 800 Rosemead, CA 91770 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P. O. Box 40 Buckeye, AZ 85326 Regional Administrator, Region IV U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Harris Tower & Pavillion 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011-8064 Chairman Maricopa County Board of Supervisors 301 W. Jefferson, 10th Floor Phoenix, AZ 85003 Mr. Aubrey V. Godwin, Director Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency 4814 South 40 Street Phoenix, AZ 85040 Mr. Craig K. Seaman, Director Regulatory Affairs/Nuclear Assurance Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station P.O. Box 52034 Phoenix, AZ 85072-2034 Mr. Hector R. Puente Vice President, Power Generation El Paso Electric Company 2702 N. Third Street, Suite 3040 Phoenix, AZ 85004 Mr. David Summers Public Service Company of New Mexico 414 Silver SW, #1206 Albuquerque, NM 87102 Mr. Jarlath Curran Southern California Edison Company 5000 Pacific Coast Hwy Bldg DIN San Clemente, CA 92672 Mr. Robert Henry Salt River Project 6504 East Thomas Road Scottsdale, AZ 85251 Terry Bassham, Esq.
General Counsel El Paso Electric Company 123 W. Mills El Paso, TX 79901 Mr. John Schumann Los Angeles Department of Water & Power Southern California Public Power Authority P.O. Box 51111, Room 1255-C Los Angeles, CA 90051-0100