ML021080620

NRC Staff follow-up of Steam Generator Tube Inspection Activities During Recent Refueling Outages

ML021080620
Person / Time
Site:	Prairie Island
Issue date:	04/22/2002
From:	Kim T NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD3
To:	Nazar M Nuclear Management Co
References
TAC MB1305, TAC MB4012
Download: ML021080620 (3)

Text

April 22, 2002 Mr. Mano Nazar Site Vice President Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant Nuclear Management Company, LLC 1717 Wakonade Drive East Welch, MN 55089

SUBJECT:

PRAIRIE ISLAND NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 -

NRC STAFF FOLLOW-UP OF STEAM GENERATOR TUBE INSPECTION ACTIVITIES DURING RECENT REFUELING OUTAGES (TAC NOS. MB1305 AND MB4012)

Dear Mr. Nazar:

As you are aware, the NRC staff has been following up on your recent steam generator tube inspections performed at the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant (PINGP), Units 1 and 2.

The staffs review efforts to date in this area are documented in a meeting summary dated May 24, 2001, (ADAMS Accession No. ML011500483) and also in a letter dated April 12, 2002, (ADAMS Accession No. ML021050465). As noted in these documents, the NRC staff raised a concern regarding the procedures for addressing noise in the eddy current test data in the U-bend region of low row tubes and expressed an interest in better understanding the licensees methodology for ensuring flaw detection in the U-bend region of low row tubes with high eddy current noise levels. As a result, a site visit has been arranged for our key technical staff by members of your staff for a more detailed discussion of the criteria and the methodology for detecting flaws in data with high noise levels relative to the detection of all potentially significant flaws. The site visit is planned for April 30 - May 1, 2002, and the NRC staff members will include Emmett Murphy (Senior Materials Engineer) and myself, as well as Caius Dodd (NRC Consultant).

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact me at (301) 415-1392.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Tae Kim, Senior Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate III Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-282 and 50-306 cc: See next page

ML011500483) and also in a letter dated April 12, 2002, (ADAMS Accession No. ML021050465). As noted in these documents, the NRC staff raised a concern regarding the procedures for addressing noise in the eddy current test data in the U-bend region of low row tubes and expressed an interest in better understanding the licensees methodology for ensuring flaw detection in the U-bend region of low row tubes with high eddy current noise levels. As a result, a site visit has been arranged for our key technical staff by members of your staff for a more detailed discussion of the criteria and the methodology for detecting flaws in data with high noise levels relative to the detection of all potentially significant flaws. The site visit is planned for April 30 - May 1, 2002, and the NRC staff members will include Emmett Murphy (Senior Materials Engineer) and myself, as well as Caius Dodd (NRC Consultant).

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact me at (301) 415-1392.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Tae Kim, Senior Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate III Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-282 and 50-306 cc: See next page DISTRIBUTION PUBLIC TKim BBateman ALund PDIII-1 Reading OGC EMurphy KKarwoski ACRS RLanksbury, RIII JJacobson, RIII MHolmberg, RIII RBouling ADAMS Accession No.: ML021080620 OFFICE PDIII-1/PM PDIII-1/LA EMCB/SC PDIII-1/SC NAME TKim RBouling ALund LRaghavan DATE 04/22/02 04/22/02 04/22/02 04/22/02 Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2 cc:

J. E. Silberg, Esquire Tribal Council Shaw, Pittman, Potts and Trowbridge Prairie Island Indian Community 2300 N Street, N. W. ATTN: Environmental Department Washington, DC 20037 5636 Sturgeon Lake Road Welch, MN 55089 Site Licensing Manager Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant Mr. Roy A. Anderson Nuclear Management Company, LLC Executive Vice President and 1717 Wakonade Drive East Chief Nuclear Officer Welch, MN 55089 Nuclear Management Company, LLC 700 First Street Adonis A. Neblett Hudson, WI 54016 Assistant Attorney General Office of the Attorney General Nuclear Asset Manager 455 Minnesota Street Xcel Energy, Inc.

Suite 900 414 Nicollet Mall St. Paul, MN 55101-2127 Minneapolis, MN 55401 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Resident Inspectors Office 1719 Wakonade Drive East Welch, MN 55089-9642 Regional Administrator, Region III U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 801 Warrenville Road Lisle, IL 60532-4351 Administrator Goodhue County Courthouse Box 408 Red Wing, MN 55066-0408 Commissioner Minnesota Department of Commerce 121 Seventh Place East Suite 200 St. Paul, MN 55101-2145 March 2002