ML030030631
| ML030030631 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | North Anna  |
| Issue date: | 01/03/2003 |
| From: | Stephen Monarque NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD2 |
| To: | Christian D Virginia Electric & Power Co (VEPCO) |
| Monarque S, NRR/DLPM, 415-1544 | |
| References | |
| BL-02-002, TAC MB5903, TAC MB5904 | |
| Download: ML030030631 (5) | |
Text
January 3, 2003 Mr. David A. Christian Senior Vice President - Nuclear Virginia Electric and Power Company 5000 Dominion Blvd.
Glen Allen, Virginia 23060
SUBJECT:
NORTH ANNA POWER STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 - RESPONSE TO NRC BULLETIN 2002-02, REACTOR PRESSURE VESSEL HEAD AND VESSEL HEAD PENETRATION NOZZLE INSPECTION PROGRAMS (TAC NOS.
MB5903 AND MB5904)
Dear Mr. Christian:
On August 9, 2002, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Bulletin 2002-02, Reactor Pressure Vessel Head and Vessel Head Penetration Nozzle Inspection Programs.
The Bulletin requested addressees provide information related to their reactor pressure vessel (RPV) head and vessel head penetration (VHP) nozzle inspection programs for their respective facilities, including a summary discussion of inspection program plans to supplement their required visual inspections with non-visual nondestructive examination (NDE) methods, or justification for reliance on visual examinations as the primary method to detect degradation.
Addressees were requested to respond to Item (1) of the Bulletin within 30 days of its issuance, or within 15 days of its issuance, to provide an alternative course of action, including the basis for acceptability of the proposed action.
By letter dated September 12, 2002, Virginia Electric and Power Company provided a response to Item (1) of the Bulletin, indicating its plans to perform RPV head and VHP nozzle inspections at North Anna Power Station, Units 1 and 2. Your response also indicated that North Anna Power Station, Units 1 and 2, are in the category of plants considered to have high susceptibility to RPV head and VHP cracking, based on a susceptibility ranking of greater than 12 effective degradation years. In a supplemental letter dated October 18, 2002, you addressed the impact of the North Anna, Unit 2, inspection findings on your North Anna, Unit 1, inspection plans provided in response to Item (1) of the Bulletin.
The NRC staff has reviewed your response to Item (1) of the Bulletin as supplemented by letter dated October 18, 2002, in which you committed to perform bare metal visual examination of the RPV head; volumetric NDE of the VHP nozzles (with the exception of four thermocouple instrumentation nozzles); and surface NDE of the J-groove welds and associated butter layer, during the fall 2002 refueling outage for North Anna, Unit 2. In addition, you committed to perform this same combination of inspections during the next North Anna, Unit 1, refueling outage. The NRC staff finds this combination of NDE methods is sufficient to demonstrate compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and provides reasonable assurance of adequate protection of the public health and safety, if implemented properly with qualified and demonstrated equipment, personnel, and procedures.
In the response to Item (1) of the Bulletin, you specified that a best effort examination will be performed where potential limitations may restrict the area of coverage for the visual or volumetric NDE. You are requested to notify the NRC staff of any limitations that preclude examination of 100 percent of each VHP prior to completion of the inspection to ensure the adequacy of the examination. Additionally, you stated that the inspection plans for North Anna, Unit 1, may change based on the fall 2002 inspection results at North Anna, Unit 2, information obtained from other fall 2002 industry inspections, improvements gained in the industrys understanding of examination technology and crack growth rate, or NRC acceptance of the Electric Power Research Institute Materials Reliability Program (MRP) inspection program. You are requested to notify the NRC staff in writing of any changes to the upcoming North Anna, Unit 1, inspection plans 30 days prior to implementation.
The NRC staff also notes that your response to Item (1) did not address the frequency of non-visual examinations to be performed during future refueling outages. Also, your justification for reliance on visual examinations refers to the MRP inspection plan for pressurized-water reactor RPV upper head penetrations. The NRC staff has not completed its review of the MRP inspection plan and, as such, has not made a determination on the adequacy of the program for ensuring applicable regulatory requirements are met. You are requested to provide a summary description of your future inspection plans for each unit no later than 90 days prior to the fall 2004 and spring 2004 refueling outages for North Anna, Units 1 and 2, respectively. The NRC staffs assessment of your justification and the adequacy of your long-term inspection program plans will be determined upon completion of the staffs review of your proposed long-term inspection plan and the MRP proposed inspection plan.
Please note that as stated in Item (2) of the Bulletin, you are to report to the Commission your inspection scope and results within 30 days after plant restart following the inspection of the North Anna, Unit 1, RPV head and VHP nozzles.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, I may be reached at (301) 415-1544.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Stephen R. Monarque, Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate II Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-338 and 50-339 cc: See next page
OFFICE LA:PDII/S2 PM:PDII/S1 DLPM/LPM EMCB/SC SC/PDII/S1 NAME BClayton for EDunnington SMonarque TTate TChan*
JNakoski DATE 01/03/03 01/02/03 01/03/03 01/02/03 01/03/03
Mr. David A. Christian North Anna Power Station Virginia Electric and Power Company Units 1 and 2 cc:
Mr. C. Lee Lintecum County Administrator Louisa County P. O. Box 160 Louisa, Virginia 23093 Ms. Lillian M. Cuocco, Esq.
Senior Nuclear Counsel Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc.
Millstone Power Station Building 475, 5 th floor Rope Ferry Road Rt. 156 Waterford, Connecticut 06385 Dr. W. T. Lough Virginia State Corporation Commission Division of Energy Regulation P. O. Box 1197 Richmond, Virginia 23209 Old Dominion Electric Cooperative 4201 Dominion Blvd.
Glen Allen, Virginia 23060 Mr. Stephen P. Sarver, Director Nuclear Licensing & Operations Support Virginia Electric Power Company Innsbrook Technical Center 5000 Dominion Blvd.
Glen Allen, Virginia 23060-6711 Office of the Attorney General Commonwealth of Virginia 900 East Main Street Richmond, Virginia 23219 Senior Resident Inspector North Anna Power Station U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1024 Haley Drive Mineral, Virginia 23117 Mr. David A. Heacock Site Vice President North Anna Power Station P. O. Box 402 Mineral, Virginia 23117-0402 Mr. Richard H. Blount, II Site Vice President Surry Power Station Virginia Electric and Power Company 5570 Hog Island Road Surry, Virginia 23883-0315 Mr. Robert B. Strobe, M.D., M.P.H.
State Health Commissioner Office of the Commissioner Virginia Department of Health P. O. Box 2448 Richmond, Virginia 23218 Mr. William R. Matthews Vice President-Nuclear Operations Virginia Electric and Power Company Innsbrook Technical Center 5000 Dominion Boulevard Glen Allen, Virginia 23060-6711