ML021900223
| ML021900223 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Cooper  |
| Issue date: | 07/11/2002 |
| From: | Ruland W NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD4 |
| To: | Denise Wilson Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) |
| Thadani M, NRR/DLPM, 415-1476 | |
| References | |
| TAC MB2896, TAC MB5123 | |
| Download: ML021900223 (5) | |
Text
July 11, 2002 Mr. David L. Wilson Vice President of Nuclear Energy Nebraska Public Power District P. O. Box 98 Brownville, NE 68321
SUBJECT:
COOPER NUCLEAR STATION (CNS) - REQUEST FOR EMERGENCY PROCESSING OF PROPOSED LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUESTS FOR EMERGENCY CORE COOLING SYSTEM (ECCS) PUMP NET POSITIVE SUCTION HEAD (NPSH) REQUIREMENTS AND ULTIMATE HEAT SINK (UHS)
AND REACTOR EQUIPMENT COOLING (REC) WATER TEMPERATURE REQUIREMENTS (TAC NOS. MB2896 AND MB5123)
Dear Mr. Wilson:
This is in response to your letter dated July 3, 2002, in which you requested emergency processing of two license amendment requests submitted on July 30, 2001, and May 20, 2002, by the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD). By letter dated July 30, 2001, you requested an amendment for the ECCS pump NPSH requirements and by letter dated May 20, 2002, you requested an amendment for the UHS and REC water temperature requirements.
In your letter of July 3, 2002, you provided the following rationale for your request for emergency processing of your two license amendment requests. You stated that the current situation at CNS satisfies the criteria for an emergency as outlined in Regulation 50.91(a)(5) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) in that CNS Technical Specifications (TSs) 3.7.2 and 3.7.3 require a hot shutdown of the plant in 12 hours1.388889e-4 days <br />0.00333 hours <br />1.984127e-5 weeks <br />4.566e-6 months <br /> and cold shutdown of the plant in 36 hours4.166667e-4 days <br />0.01 hours <br />5.952381e-5 weeks <br />1.3698e-5 months <br /> in the event the temperature of the Missouri River, the UHS for CNS, exceeds the TS temperature limit (90F) or REC water temperature exceeds TS limit (95°F). You stated that this emergency situation is caused by environmental factors beyond the control of NPPD.
During the evening of June 30, 2002, the temperature of the Missouri River exceeded 85F.
You indicated that taking the uncertainty of the permanent instrumentation into account, the plant staff must begin to take action at 87F to place the plant in shutdown. You concluded that the combination of natural phenomena and the standard regulatory process (30-day public comment period for the NPSH amendment) could result in an unwarranted plant shutdown.
The regulation 10 CFR 50.91(a)(5) requires licensees to "explain why this emergency situation occurred and why it could not avoid this situation." Your letter of July 3, 2002, did not address why the emergency could not be avoided. Therefore, the NRC staff determined not to act on your request pursuant to 10 CFR 50.91(a)(5), as requested in your letter. However, the staff has also determined that for safe continued operation of CNS, the licensee and the Commission must act quickly, and the time does not permit the Commission to wait for the 30 days of comment period for prior public comment. Therefore, the staff is processing the two amendments concerned on an exigent basis outlined in 10 CFR 50.91(a)(6).
David L. Wilson If you have any questions, please contact Mohan Thadani at (301) 415-1476 or Robert Gramm at (301) 415-1302.
Sincerely,
/RA by Robert A. Gramm for/
William H. Ruland, Director Project Directorate IV Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-298 cc: See next page
David L. Wilson If you have any questions, please contact Mohan Thadani at (301) 415-1476 or Robert Gramm at (301) 415-1302.
Sincerely,
/RA by Robert A. Gramm for/
William H. Ruland, Director Project Directorate IV Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-298 cc: See next page DISTRIBUTION PUBLIC RidsOgcRp PDIV-1 RF RidsAcrsAcnwMailCenter RidsNrrDlpmLpdiv (WRuland)
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RidsNrrLAMMcAllister JTatum Accession Number: ML021900223 OFFICE PDIV-1/PM PDVI-1/LA PDIV-1/SC NAME MThadani MMcAllister RGramm DATE 7/11/02 7/11/02 7/11/02 OFFICE Region IV PDIV/PD NAME KBrockman per Nadir RGramm for WRuland DATE 7/10/02 7/11/02 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
July 2002 Cooper Nuclear Station cc:
Mr. William R. Mayben President and Chief Executive Officer Nebraska Public Power District 1414 15th Street Columbus, NE 68601 Mr. Michael T. Coyle Site Vice President Nebraska Public Power District P. O. Box 98 Brownville, NE 68321 Mr. John R. McPhail, General Counsel Nebraska Public Power District P. O. Box 499 Columbus, NE 68602-0499 D. F. Kunsemiller, Risk and Regulatory Affairs Manager Nebraska Public Power District P. O. Box 98 Brownville, NE 68321 Dr. William D. Leech Manager-Nuclear MidAmerican Energy 907 Walnut Street P. O. Box 657 Des Moines, IA 50303-0657 Mr. Ron Stoddard Lincoln Electric System 1040 O Street P. O. Box 80869 Lincoln, NE 68501-0869 Mr. Michael J. Linder, Director Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality P. O. Box 98922 Lincoln, NE 68509-8922 Chairman Nemaha County Board of Commissioners Nemaha County Courthouse 1824 N Street Auburn, NE 68305 Ms. Cheryl K. Rogers, Program Manager Nebraska Health & Human Services System Division of Public Health Assurance Consumer Services Section 301 Centennial Mall, South P. O. Box 95007 Lincoln, NE 68509-5007 Mr. Ronald A. Kucera, Director of Intergovernmental Cooperation Department of Natural Resources P.O. Box 176 Jefferson City, MO 65102 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P. O. Box 218 Brownville, NE 68321 Regional Administrator, Region IV U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 1000 Arlington, TX 76011 Jerry Uhlmann, Director State Emergency Management Agency P. O. Box 116 Jefferson City, MO 65101 Chief, Radiation Control Program, RCP Kansas Department of Health and Environment Bureau of Air and Radiation 1000 SW Jackson Suite 310 Topeka, KS 66612-1366 July 2002 Mr. Daniel K. McGhee Bureau of Radiological Health Iowa Department of Public Health 401 SW 7th Street Suite D Des Moines, IA 50309