ML032930215
| ML032930215 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Catawba  |
| Issue date: | 10/20/2003 |
| From: | Sean Peters NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD2 |
| To: | Gordon Peterson Duke Power Co |
| Peters, S, NRR/DLPM/301-415-1842 | |
| References | |
| TAC MC1021 | |
| Download: ML032930215 (7) | |
Text
October 20, 2003 Gary R. Peterson Vice President Catawba Nuclear Station Duke Power CN01VP / 4800 Concord Rd.
York, SC 29745
SUBJECT:
CATAWBA NUCLEAR STATION UNIT 1 - PUBLIC NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE (TAC NO. MC1021)
Dear Mr. Peterson:
The enclosed announcement was forwarded to the Charlotte Observer and The Herald newspapers for publication. This announcement relates to your application dated October 15, 2003, for amendment to Facility Operating License No. NPF-35. The proposed amendment would modify the Technical Specifications to allow the continued operation of Catawba Unit 1 with only one fully operable train of the Containment Spray System until midnight on November 9, 2003.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Sean Peters, Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate II Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-413
Enclosure:
Public Notice cc w/encl: See next page
PUBLIC NOTICE NRC STAFF PROPOSES TO AMEND OPERATING LICENSE AT THE CATAWBA NUCLEAR STATION UNIT 1 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has received an application dated October 15, 2003, from Duke Energy Corporation, for an exigent amendment to the operating license for the Catawba Nuclear Station Unit 1, located in York County, South Carolina, approximately 6 miles north of Rock Hill, South Carolina.
The proposed amendment would modify the Technical Specifications to allow the continued operation of Catawba Unit 1 with only one fully operable train of the Containment Spray System until midnight on November 9, 2003. However, the amendment would also require the other train of the Containment Spray System to be capable of performing its accident mitigation function under nonseismic conditions. Presently, the Train 1B Containment Spray System heat exchanger is not fully operable because of tube support baffle plate degradation. This degradation has led to the inability of the heat exchanger to maintain seismic qualification. Aside from the seismic qualification issue, Duke Energy Corporation has determined that the heat exchanger is fully functional and is capable of performing its accident mitigation function. Duke Energy Corporation plans to replace this heat exchanger during its next scheduled refueling outage.
The licensee requested that the NRC issue this amendment on an exigent basis because the condition was not created by their failure to take timely action. The licensee discovered the degradation on October 6, 2003, when installing inspection ports on the shell side of the heat exchanger. Catawba Unit 1 is currently operating under a Notice of Enforcement Discretion that was verbally granted by the NRC on October 8, 2003. This notice will expire on October 22, 2003 at 9:25 p.m.
The licensee and the NRC staff have evaluated this proposed change with regard to the determination of whether or not a significant hazards consideration is involved. Operation of Catawba Nuclear Station Unit 1 in accordance with the proposed amendment will not involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated.
The probability will not increase because the Containment Spray System is not considered accident-initiating equipment and because no physical changes are being made to the plant that would impact accident probabilities. Furthermore, the amendment will not significantly increase the consequences of an accident because it does not significantly impact the availability or reliability of the Containment Spray System trains.
The proposed amendment will not create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any previously analyzed because no changes are being made to the plant that will introduce any new accident causal mechanisms.
The proposed amendment will not involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety because the 1B Containment Spray System heat exchanger will remain capable of performing its accident mitigation function during nonseismic events.
Following an initial review of this application, the requested amendment has been evaluated against the standards in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 50.92 and the NRC staff has made a proposed (preliminary) determination that the requested amendment involves no significant hazards considerations. The changes do not significantly increase the probability or consequences of any accident previously considered, nor create the possibility of an accident of a different kind, nor significantly decrease any margin of safety.
If the proposed determination that the requested license amendment involves no significant hazards consideration becomes final, the NRC staff will issue the amendments without first offering an opportunity for a public hearing. An opportunity for a hearing will be published in the Federal Register at a later date and any hearing request will not delay the effective date of the amendment.
If the staff decides in its final determination that the amendment does involve a significant hazards consideration, a notice of opportunity for a prior hearing will be published in the Federal Register and, if a hearing is granted, it will be held before the amendment is issued.
Comments on the proposed determination of no significant hazards consideration may be (1) telephoned to John Nakoski, Chief, Section 1, Project Directorate II, by collect call to (301) 415-1068 or by facsimile to (301) 415-1222; (2) e-mailed to jan1@nrc.gov; or (3) submitted in writing to the Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. All comments received by close of business on October 21, 2003, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Federal workdays will be considered in reaching a final determination. A copy of the application may be examined electronically through the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room link at the NRC Web site http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html and at the Commissions Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.
October 20, 2003 Gary R. Peterson Vice President Catawba Nuclear Station Duke Power CN01VP / 4800 Concord Rd.
York, SC 29745
SUBJECT:
CATAWBA NUCLEAR STATION UNIT 1 - PUBLIC NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE (TAC NO. MC1021)
Dear Mr. Peterson:
The enclosed announcement was forwarded to the Charlotte Observer and The Herald newspapers for publication. This announcement relates to your application dated October 15, 2003, for amendment to Facility Operating License No. NPF-35. The proposed amendment would modify the Technical Specifications to allow the continued operation of Catawba Unit 1 with only one fully operable train of the Containment Spray System until midnight on November 9, 2003.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Sean Peters, Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate II Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-413
Enclosure:
Public Notice cc w/encl: See next page DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC CHawes PDII-1 R/F Speters GHill (4)
RHaag,RII CGratton EHackett JNakoski RMartin G:/PD II-1/Catawba/Exigent Local Proposed.wpd ADAMS ACCESSION NO: ML032930215 OFFICE PDII-1/PM PDII-1/LA PDII-1/SC NAME SPeters EDunnington for CHawes CGratton for JNakoski DATE 10/17/2003 10/17/2003 10/17/2003 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
Catawba Nuclear Station cc:
Mr. Gary Gilbert Regulatory Compliance Manager Duke Energy Corporation 4800 Concord Road York, South Carolina 29745 Ms. Lisa F. Vaughn Duke Energy Corporation Mail Code - PB05E 422 South Church Street P.O. Box 1244 Charlotte, North Carolina 28201-1244 Anne Cottingham, Esquire Winston and Strawn 1400 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 North Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number 1 1427 Meadowwood Boulevard P. O. Box 29513 Raleigh, North Carolina 27626 County Manager of York County York County Courthouse York, South Carolina 29745 Piedmont Municipal Power Agency 121 Village Drive Greer, South Carolina 29651 Ms. Karen E. Long Assistant Attorney General North Carolina Department of Justice P. O. Box 629 Raleigh, North Carolina 27602 NCEM REP Program Manager 4713 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-4713 Mr. T. Richard Puryear North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation P. O. Box 27306 Raleigh, North Carolina 27611 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 4830 Concord Road York, South Carolina 29745 Henry Porter, Assistant Director Division of Waste Management Bureau of Land and Waste Management Department of Health and Environmental Control 2600 Bull Street Columbia, South Carolina 29201-1708 Mr. C. Jeffrey Thomas Manager - Nuclear Regulatory Licensing Duke Energy Corporation 526 South Church Street Charlotte, North Carolina 28201-1006 Saluda River Electric P. O. Box 929 Laurens, South Carolina 29360 Mr. Peter R. Harden, IV VP-Customer Relations and Sales Westinghouse Electric Company 6000 Fairview Road 12th Floor Charlotte, North Carolina 28210
Catawba Nuclear Station cc:
Owners Group (NCEMC)
Duke Energy Corporation 4800 Concord Road York, South Carolina 29745 Richard M. Fry, Director Division of Radiation Protection North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources 3825 Barrett Drive Raleigh, North Carolina 27609-7721