ML032330494

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Summary of 06/12/03 Telephone Conference Status of Bottom-Mounted Instrumentation Penetration Leakage Issue
ML032330494
Person / Time
Site: South Texas STP Nuclear Operating Company icon.png
Issue date: 08/21/2003
From: Thadani M
NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD4
To:
Thadani M, NRR/DLPM, 415-1476
References
TAC MB8435
Download: ML032330494 (9)


Text

August 21, 2003 LICENSEE: STP Nuclear Operating Company FACILITY: South Texas Project, Unit 1

SUBJECT:

SUMMARY

OF U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION HEADQUARTERS AND REGION IV STAFF AND STP NUCLEAR OPERATING COMPANY STAFF TELEPHONE CONFERENCE ON JUNE 12, 2003, REGARDING SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNIT 1, BOTTOM-MOUNTED INSTRUMENTATION PENETRATION LEAKAGE ISSUE; STATUS OF ACTIVITIES (TAC NO. MB8435)

On June 12, 2003, the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Headquarters and Region IV staff held a telephone conference with STP Nuclear Operating Company staff, the licensee for South Texas Project, Unit 1. The conference call was a continuation of the ongoing discussions and was a follow up of the licensees activities following the discovery of an apparent leakage at the interface of reactor vessel bottom-mounted instrumentation (BMI) penetrations 1 and 46. Enclosure 1 is a list of participants. Enclosure 2 is the telephone conference agenda.

At this phone call, the licensee summarized its activities related to Helium pressure tests, boat sample collection, and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (Code) relief requests pending NRC staff reviews. The licensee stated that Dominion Engineering was the contractor performing its fatigue analyses for planned new welds, old J-groove welds, and residual stresses.

Helium Pressure Tests Helium pressure tests were performed on leaking BMI penetrations 1 and 46. Tests at a pressure of 100 psig did not show any leakage bubbles. When the pressure was increased to 150 psig, bubbles were seen escaping from penetration 1 at a rate of about 1 bubble per second at the J-groove adjacent to the tube wall and 1/4-inch from a grinding mark.

Boat Samples The licensee discussed the structural integrity considerations of excavation of the boat samples obtained at other plant sites. At North Anna a penetration from the upper head was repaired after removal of a boat sample. At Oconee, a boat sample was taken from the remnant of the tube. D. C. Cook is a precedent, where a boat sample was removed and the tube was left unrepaired. The licensee will continue with its structural integrity analysis and, depending upon the results, may limit the size of the boat samples that can be left unrepaired.

Status of Code Relief Requests The licensee will request a Code relief pursuant to Section 50.55a(a)(3)(i) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, to permit removal of boat samples using electrical discharge machining in accordance with ASME Code Section XI, 1998 Edition through 2000 Addenda, which will demonstrate that removal of 1/16-inch material from a thermally processed area as specified in Code Section XI, 1989 Edition, no Addenda, is not necessary. The licensee stated that it will have a draft ready today.

Status of Repair Activities The licensee has installed guide structures in the vessel, installed scaffolding, installed mechanical plugs, drained guide tubes, and will cut guide tubes from penetrations 1 and 46.

Schedular Items A public meeting is scheduled for July 28, 2003. A reverse confirmatory action letter (CAL) followup letter will describe what the licensee did, and will include an assessment of why it is okay to restart. The root cause report will follow the reverse CAL followup.

/RA/

Mohan C. Thadani, Senior Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate IV Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-498

Enclosures:

As stated cc w/enclosures: See next page

ML032330494 **via e-mail NRR-106 OFFICE PDIV-1/PM PDIV-1/LA RIV* PDIV-1/SC*

NAME MThadani:sab MMcAllister WJohnson** Rgramm DATE 8/21/03 8/21/03 08/21/03 08/20/03 LIST OF PARTICIPANTS June 12, 2003 Licensees Participants Ed Halpin Plant Manager Louis Peter Manager, Operations Support Steve Thomas Manager, Plant Design Mark McBurnett Manager of Quality and Licensing Alex Kent Manager, Testing/Programs Harry Murray BMI Project Manager Scott Query Project Manager Wayne Harrison Licensing Engineer Ed Conway Public Information Alan Mikes Public Information NRC Participants Headquarters Region IV Robert Gramm Dwight Chamberlain Mohan Thadani William Johnson Carol Moyer Michael Runyan Mark Hartzman Gail Good William Reckley Steve Bloom Jack Foster Matthew Mitchell Enclosure 1

TELEPHONE CONFERENCE AGENDA June 12, 2003

1. Desired outcomes & agenda McBurnett
2. Overall status of Unit 1 Peter
3. Deliverables Gramm
4. Results of additional testing Thomas
5. Status of repair activities Murray
6. Schedule for next call or other communications McBurnett and feedback on call Enclosure 2

South Texas Project, Unit 1 cc:

Mr. Cornelius F. OKeefe A. H. Gutterman, Esq.

Senior Resident Inspector Morgan, Lewis & Bockius U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW P. O. Box 910 Washington, DC 20004 Bay City, TX 77414 Mr. T. J. Jordan, Vice President A. Ramirez/C. M. Canady Engineering & Technical Services City of Austin STP Nuclear Operating Company Electric Utility Department P. O. Box 289 721 Barton Springs Road Wadsworth, TX 77483 Austin, TX 78704 S. M. Head, Manager, Licensing Mr. L. K. Blaylock Nuclear Quality & Licensing Department Mr. W. C. Gunst STP Nuclear Operating Company City Public Service Board P. O. Box 289, Mail Code: N5014 P. O. Box 1771 Wadsworth, TX 77483 San Antonio, TX 78296 Environmental and Natural Resources Mr. C. A. Johnson/A. C. Bakken Policy Director AEP Texas Central Company P. O. Box 12428 P. O. Box 289 Austin, TX 78711-3189 Mail Code: N5022 Wadsworth, TX 77483 Jon C. Wood Matthews & Branscomb INPO 112 East Pecan, Suite 1100 Records Center San Antonio, TX 78205 700 Galleria Parkway Atlanta, GA 30339-3064 Arthur C. Tate, Director Division of Compliance & Inspection Regional Administrator, Region IV Bureau of Radiation Control U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Texas Department of Health 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 1100 West 49th Street Arlington, TX 76011 Austin, TX 78756 D. G. Tees/R. L. Balcom Brian Almon Texas Genco, LP Public Utility Commission P. O. Box 1700 William B. Travis Building Houston, TX 77251 P. O. Box 13326 1701 North Congress Avenue Judge, Matagorda County Austin, TX 78701-3326 Matagorda County Courthouse 1700 Seventh Street Bay City, TX 77414

South Texas Project, Unit 1 cc:

Susan M. Jablonski Office of Permitting, Remediation and Registration Texas Commission on Environmental Quality MC-122 P.O. Box 13087 Austin, TX 78711-3087 Mr. Terry Parks, Chief Inspector Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Boiler Division P. O. Box 12157 Austin, TX 78711 Mr. Ted Enos 4200 South Hulen Suite 630 Ft. Worth, Texas 76109 Mr. James J. Sheppard President and Chief Executive Officer STP Nuclear Operating Company South Texas Project Electric Generating Station P. O. Box 289 Wadsworth, TX 77483