ML022060266
| ML022060266 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | FitzPatrick  |
| Issue date: | 08/13/2002 |
| From: | Vissing G NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD1 |
| To: | Kansler M Entergy Nuclear Operations |
| Vissing G, NRR/DLPM, 415-1441 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML022270299 | List: |
| References | |
| TAC MB3333 | |
| Download: ML022060266 (13) | |
Text
August 13, 2002 Mr. Michael Kansler Sr. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601
SUBJECT:
JAMES A. FITZPATRICK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT - AMENDMENT RE:
CHANGES TO THE TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION LEAKAGE LIMIT FOR THE MAIN STEAM ISOLATION VALVES FROM AN INDIVIDUAL TO AN AGGREGATE LIMIT (TAC NO. MB3333)
Dear Mr. Kansler:
The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 275 to Facility Operating License No. DPR-59 for the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant. The amendment consists of changes to the Technical Specifications in response to your application transmitted by letter dated November 2, 2001, as supplemented by letters dated January 9 and July 10, 2002. The amendment changes the Current Technical Specifications and the Improved Technical Specifications Main Steam Isolation Valve Leakage Surveillance Requirement. The licensee will also make conforming changes to Bases and the Primary Containment Leakage Rate Testing Program.
A copy of the related Safety Evaluation is enclosed. A Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commissions next regular biweekly Federal Register notice.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Guy S. Vissing, Sr. Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate I Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-333
Enclosures:
- 1. Amendment No. 275 to DPR-59
- 2. Safety Evaluation cc w/encls: See next page
August 13, 2002 Mr. Michael Kansler Sr. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601
SUBJECT:
JAMES A. FITZPATRICK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT - AMENDMENT RE:
CHANGES TO THE TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION LEAKAGE LIMIT FOR THE MAIN STEAM ISOLATION VALVES FROM AN INDIVIDUAL TO AN AGGREGATE LIMIT (TAC NO. MB3333)
Dear Mr. Kansler:
The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 275 to Facility Operating License No. DPR-59 for the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant. The amendment consists of changes to the Technical Specifications in response to your application transmitted by letter dated November 2, 2001, as supplemented by letters dated January 9 and July 10, 2002. The amendment changes the Current Technical Specifications and the Improved Technical Specifications Main Steam Isolation Valve Leakage Surveillance Requirement. The licensee will also make conforming changes to Bases and the Primary Containment Leakage Rate Testing Program.
A copy of the related Safety Evaluation is enclosed. A Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commissions next regular biweekly Federal Register notice.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Guy S. Vissing, Sr. Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate I Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-333
Enclosures:
- 1. Amendment No. 275 to DPR-59
- 2. Safety Evaluation cc w/encls: See next page Package: ML022270299 TSs: ML022260643
- SE provided 6/4/02, no major changes made.
Accession Number: ML022060266
- See previous concerrence OFFICE PDI-1\\PM PDI-1\\LA OGC**
PDI-1\\SC DSSA\\SPLB\\SC*
NAME GVissing SLittle RWeisman RLaufer SWeerakkody DATE 8/12/02 8/12/02 8/2/02 8/12/02 6/4/02 Official Record Copy
DATED: August 13, 2002 AMENDMENT NO. 275 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-59 FITZPATRICK PUBLIC PDI-1 R/F RLaufer OGC GHill (2)
WBeckner ACRS BPlatchek, RI SRichards GVissing SLittle TClark RGoel cc: Plant Service list
ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC.
DOCKET NO. 50-333 JAMES A. FITZPATRICK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 275 License No. DPR-59 1.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:
A.
The application for amendment by Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (the licensee) dated November 2, 2001, as supplemented by letters dated January 9 and July 10, 2002, complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act) and the Commissions rules and regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I; B.
The facility will operate in conformity with the application, the provisions of the Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission; C.
There is reasonable assurance (i) that the activities authorized by this amendment can be conducted without endangering the health and safety of the public, and (ii) that such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commissions regulations; D.
The issuance of this amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public; and E.
The issuance of this amendment is in accordance with 10 CFR Part 51 of the Commissions regulations and all applicable requirements have been satisfied.
2.
Accordingly, the license is amended by changes to the Technical Specifications as indicated in the attachment to this license amendment, and paragraph 2.C.(2) of Facility Operating License No. DPR-59 is hereby amended to read as follows:
(2)
Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications contained in Appendices A and B, as revised through Amendment No. 275, are hereby incorporated in the license. The licensee shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications.
3.
This license amendment is effective as of the date of its issuance and shall be implemented within 30 days.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
/RA/
Richard J. Laufer, Chief, Section 1 Project Directorate I Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Attachment:
Changes to the Technical Specifications Date of Issuance: August 13, 2002
ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 275 FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-59 DOCKET NO. 50-333 Replace the following pages of the Appendix A Current Technical Specifications with the attached revised pages and the following pages of the Appendix A Improved Technical Specifications with the attached revised pages. The revised pages are identified by amendment number and contain marginal lines indicating the areas of change.
For the Current Technical Specifications Remove Pages Insert Pages 166 166 194 194 For the Improved Technical Specifications Remove Page Insert Page 3.6.1.3-9 3.6.1.3-9
SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO. 275 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-59 ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC.
JAMES A. FITZPATRICK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT DOCKET NO. 50-333
1.0 INTRODUCTION
By letter dated November 2, 2001, as supplemented January 9 and July 10, 2002, Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (the licensee) submitted a request for changes to the James A.
FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant Technical Specifications (TSs). The licensees proposal would revise the Current Technical Specification (CTS) Surveillance Requirement (SR), 4.7.A.2.b, the CTS 6.20, Primary Containment Leakage Rate Testing Program (PCLRTP) and Improved Technical Specification (ITS) SR 3.6.1.3.10 (the PCLRTP was moved to the Technical Requirements Manual in the process of converting the TS from the CTS to the ITS).
Specifically, this change would establish a total leakage rate limit for the sum of the four main steam isolation lines of 46 standard cubic feet per hour (scfh), that is equal to four times the current individual main steam isolation valve (MSIV) leakage rate limit of 11.5 scfh.
The January 9 and July 10, 2002, letters provided clarifying information that was within the scope of the original application and did not change the staff's initial proposed no significant hazards consideration determination as published in the Federal Register. The January 9 supplement also corrected the original application date from November 2, 2000, to November 2, 2001.
2.0 REGULATORY EVALUATION
Compliance with Appendix J of Title 10, Part 50, of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) provides assurance that leakage through the primary containment, including those systems and components that penetrate the primary containment, does not exceed the allowable leakage rate values specified in the plant TSs and their bases. The allowable leakage rate is determined so that the leakage assumed in the plant safety analyses is not exceeded.
The FitzPatrick primary containment system (BWR Mark I) consists of a drywell, which encloses the reactor vessel and recirculation pumps, a pressure suppression chambers which stores a large amount of water, a connecting vent system between the drywell and the suppression chamber, and isolation valves. The four main steam lines that penetrate the primary containment boundary each have two 24-inch diameter isolation valves installed in series for a total of eight valves. Appendix J requires that periodic Type C local leakage rate testing be performed upon the MSIVs to verify that any leakage past them would be less than the allowable limit. Type C leak rate testing of the MSIVs is performed in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J (as modified by approved exemptions). Appendix J requires that the combined leakage of all containment penetrations and valves that are subject to Type B and C testing shall be less than 0.6 times the maximum allowable containment leak rate (La ). For FitzPatrick, La is 1.5% of the containment air weight per day at the calculated peak containment internal pressure (Pa ) for a design-basis loss-of-coolant accident. Pa is 45 psig for FitzPatrick. The MSIVs are tested at a lower test pressure (Pt ) of 25 psig in accordance with a previous exemption. Boiling-water reactor (BWR) plants generally have additional leakage limits placed specifically on the MSIVs, in recognition of their large size and historical tendency to leak excessively. In the case of FitzPatrick, the current leakage limit is 11.5 scfh per valve.
The Boiling Water Reactor Owners Group (BWROG) has issued a topical report on MSIV leakage limits, NEDC-31858P, Revision 2, BWROG Report for increasing MSIV Leakage Rate Limits and Elimination of Leakage Control Systems, dated September 1993. In their report, the BWROG states that MSIV leakage could increase in excess of 200 scfh per valve without reducing the valves ability to perform its safety function.
In a safety evaluation (SE) dated March 3, 1999, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff accepted the report for direct reference in future individual plant submittals on the MSIV leakage issue, subject to certain conditions. In the SE, the NRC staff concurred with the conclusion stated above.
Based on the foregoing FitzPatricks current 11.5 scfh leakage limit does not provide indication that a valves safety capability is reduced. As set forth below, the 11.5 scfh limit often causes unnecessary maintenance on the valves simply to maintain the low leakage rate. The use of the proposed combined steam line leakage rate would reduce unnecessary repair of the isolation valves and worker radiation exposure while still maintaining the equivalent maximum leak rate.
The licensees proposed TS change is similar to changes approved by the NRC staff for a number of BWR plants, including TS changes approved for Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant on April 3, 1996, and Dresden Nuclear Power Station, Units 2 and 3, on October 1, 1999.
3.0 TECHNICAL EVALUATION
The effect of the proposed amendment would be to allow any single main steam line to have a maximum leakage rate of up to 46 scfh when tested at 25 psig (i.e., four times greater than the current individual main steam line leakage limit), provided that the sum of the leakage for all four main steam lines is also less than or equal to 46 scfh. The aggregate main steam line leakage limit in the proposed CTS SR 4.7.A.2.b and ITS SR 3.6.1.3.10 is in accordance with the leakage rate assumptions made in the plant safety analysis, which forms the basis for this TS limit.
As discussed in Section 2.0 of this SE, the measured leakage rates of the main steam lines are included in the total leakage rate calculated for all penetrations whose leakage is measured by Type B and Type C local leakage rate tests. The FitzPatrick TS Bases state that the total leakage rate for all Type B and C tested penetrations is required to be less than 0.6 La.
Therefore, the proposed revision to CTS SR 4.7.A.2.b and ITS SR 3.6.1.3.10 would not affect the total leakage rate through containment valves and penetrations which are subject to periodic Type B and Type C testing in accordance with Appendix J.
The removal of main steam isolation valve individual leakage limits may slightly increase the expected value of the actual aggregate main steam line leakage, due to the current low liklihood that all eight main steam isolation valves would simultaneously be leaking at or near their limiting individual rate. However, such an increase would not be significant. In addition, since the time that individual MSIVs leakage limits were introduced into the FitzPatrick TS, the NRC staff has re-examined its position on the suitability of these individual limits. As indicated in Section 2.0 of this SE, the NRC staff has granted TS changes for a number of BWR plants to permit the replacement of individual MSIVs leakage limits with aggregate limits.
The staffs SEs for these TS changes: (1) cited the fact that individual main steam leakage limits are not needed in order to comply with plant safety analyses or Appendix J requirements for Type B and Type C testing, and (2) documented the NRC staffs conclusion that the disadvantages such as increased maintenance and higher worker radiation exposure associated with maintaining relatively low individual main steam leakages are not justified by any additional conservatism the individual limits might provide. Recognizing this, the NRC staff has determined, that individual leakage rate limits for main steam lines or valves need not be specified, considering that an aggregate main steam line leakage limit would satisfy the basis for the TS requirement.
Based on the above, the NRC staff has concluded that the aggregate limit for main steam line leakage proposed by the licensee in CTS TS SR 4.7.A.2.b and ITS SR 3.6.1.3.10, and CTS TS 6.20, PCLRTP: (1) would not exceed the leakage rate assumed for the main steam lines in the plant safety analysis, and (2) would be in accordance with the leakage testing requirements of Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50. The margin of safety is not affected by the proposed change because the postulated radiation doses remain the same. Therefore, the staff finds the proposed change to the FitzPatrick TS to be acceptable.
4.0 STATE CONSULTATION
In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the New York State official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendment. The State official had no comments.
5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
The amendment changes a requirement with respect to installation or use of a facility component located within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20 and changes surveillance requirements. The NRC staff has determined that the amendment involves no significant increase in the amounts, and no significant change in the types, of any effluents that may be released offsite, and that there is no significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure. The Commission has previously issued a proposed finding that the amendment involves no significant hazards consideration, and there has been no public comment on such finding (67 FR 2923). Accordingly, the amendment meets the eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b) no environmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared in connection with the issuance of the amendment.
6.0 CONCLUSION
The Commission has concluded, based on the considerations discussed above that (1) there is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by operation in the proposed manner, (2) such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commissions regulations, and (3) the issuance of the amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.
Principal Contributor: R. Goel Date: August 13, 2002
FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant cc:
Mr. Jerry Yelverton Chief Executive Officer Entergy Operations 1340 Echelon Parkway Jackson, MS 39213 Mr. Theodore H. Sullivan Vice President Operations Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant P.O. Box 110 Lycoming, NY 13093 Mr. Dan Pace Vice President, Engineering Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. John Kelly Director - Licensing Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. George Tasick Licensing Manager Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant P.O. Box 110 Lycoming, NY 13093 Resident Inspectors Office U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 136 Lycoming, NY 13093 Mr. Harry P. Salmon, Jr.
Director of Oversight Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Ms. Charlene D. Faison Licensing Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Supervisor Town of Scriba Route 8, Box 382 Oswego, NY 13126 Charles Donaldson, Esquire Assistant Attorney General New York Department of Law 120 Broadway New York, NY 10271 Regional Administrator, Region I U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 Oswego County Administrator Jack Tierney 46 East Bridge Street Oswego, New York 13126 Mr. William M. Flynn, President New York State Energy, Research, and Development Authority Corporate Plaza West 286 Washington Avenue Extension Albany, NY 12203-6399 Mr. Arthur Zaremba, Licensing Manager Director, Safety Assurance Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant P.O. Box 110 Lycoming, NY 13093 Mr. Paul Eddy Electric Division New York State Dept. of Public Service 3 Empire State Plaza, 10th Floor Albany, NY 12223
FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant cc:
Michael J. Colomb General Manager Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant P.O. Box 110 Lycoming, NY 13093 Mr. James Knubel Vice President, Operations Support Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. John M. Fulton Assistant General Counsel Entergy Nuclear Generation Co.
Pilgrim Station 600 Rocky Hill Road Plymouth, MA 02360 Mr. J. Spath, Program Director New York State Energy, Research, and Development Authority Corporate Plaza West 286 Washington Avenue Extension Albany, NY 12203-6399 Mr. Ronald Schwartz SRC Consultant 64 Walnut Drive Spring Lake Heights, NJ 07762 Mr. Ronald J. Toole SRC Consultant Toole Insight 605 West Horner Street Ebensburg, PA 15931 Mr. Charles W. Hehl SRC Consultant Charles Hehl, Inc.
1486 Matthew Lane Pottstown, PA 19465 Mr. Tim Judson Organizer Citizens Awareness Network 140 Bassett St.
Syracuse, NY 13210 Deborah Katz Executive Director Citizens Awareness Network P.O. Box 83 Shelburne Falls, MA 01370 Shawn McConnell NYPIRG Project Coordinator 13 Hewitt Union SUNY Oswego Oswego, NY 13126 Tom Dellwo Oswego NYPIRG Environmental Project Leader 13 Hewitt Union SUNY Owego Oswego, NY 13126