ML041170026

Request for Additional Information, Spent Fuel Assembly Storage

ML041170026
Person / Time
Site:	Mcguire, McGuire
Issue date:	04/21/2004
From:	James Shea NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD2
To:	Gordon Peterson Duke Energy Corp
SHea J, 415-1388, NRR/DLPM
References
TAC MC0945, TAC MC0946
Download: ML041170026 (4)

Text

April 21, 2004 Mr. G. R. Peterson, Vice President McGuire Nuclear Station Duke Energy Corporation 12700 Hagers Ferry Road Huntersville, NC 28078

SUBJECT:

MCGUIRE NUCLEAR STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS CONCERNING SPENT FUEL ASSEMBLY STORAGE (TAC NOS. MC0945 AND MC0946)

Dear Mr. Peterson:

By letter dated September 29, 2003, you submitted a request for amendments to the Technical Specifications for McGuire Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, concerning spent fuel assembly storage. Enclosed is a request for additional information (RAI) related to the Boral neutron poison material that we need to continue our review. Mr. Norman Simms of your staff has indicated that the response to this RAI will be provided within 45 days of the date of this letter.

If you have any further questions on this matter, please call me at (301) 415-1388.

Sincerely,

/RA/

James J. Shea, Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate II Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-369 and 50-370

Enclosure:

As stated

ML041170026 NRR-088 OFFICE PDII-1/PM PDII-1/LA PDII-1/SC NAME JShea CHawes JNakoski DATE 4/20/04 4/19/04 4/21/04 REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELATED TO SPENT FUEL ASSEMBLY STORAGE - SEPTEMBER 29, 2003, AMENDMENT REQUEST MCGUIRE NUCLEAR STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2

1. The NRC staff notes that the defined Region 1 of the spent fuel pool was reracked without prior NRC approval utilizing a Boral neutron poison material. Therefore, the NRC staff requests a discussion of the procedures and tests used to ensure that the Boral panels in the racks have the minimum Boron-10 (B-10) loading assumed in the analyses.

2. Recently, incidents of Boral blistering have been reported and the impact on the expected performance of this material is not yet known. Therefore, the NRC staff requests the licensee to implement a technical specification (TS) Boral coupon surveillance program to ensure consistent material performance assumed in its analyses. This program should monitor the physical and chemical properties of Boral over time and include the following:

C description of the coupons used (e.g., from the same lot as the panels);

C technique for measuring the initial B-10 content of the coupons; C frequency and its justification C tests to be performed on coupons (e.g., weight measurement, measurement of dimensions (length, width and thickness), and B-10 content).

In addition, please inform the NRC staff in writing if the coupons reveal a change in material performance from that assumed in the analyses.

Enclosure

McGuire Nuclear Station cc:

Ms. Lisa F. Vaughn Ms. Karen E. Long Duke Energy Corporation Assistant Attorney General Mail Code - PB06E North Carolina Department of Justice 422 South Church Street P. O. Box 629 P.O. Box 1244 Raleigh, North Carolina 27602 Charlotte, North Carolina 28201-1244 Mr. R. L. Gill, Jr.

County Manager of Manager - Nuclear Regulatory Issues Mecklenburg County and Industry Affairs 720 East Fourth Street Duke Energy Corporation Charlotte, North Carolina 28202 526 South Church Street Mail Stop EC05P Mr. C. Jeffrey Thomas Charlotte, North Carolina 28202 Regulatory Compliance Manager Duke Energy Corporation NCEM REP Program Manager McGuire Nuclear Site 4713 Mail Service Center 12700 Hagers Ferry Road Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-4713 Huntersville, North Carolina 28078 Mr. Richard M. Fry, Director Anne Cottingham, Esquire Division of Radiation Protection Winston and Strawn North Carolina Department of 1400 L Street, NW. Environment, Health and Natural Washington, DC 20005 Resources 3825 Barrett Drive Senior Resident Inspector Raleigh, North Carolina 27609-7721 c/o U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 12700 Hagers Ferry Road Mr. T. Richard Puryear Huntersville, North Carolina 28078 Owners Group (NCEMC)

Duke Energy Corporation Dr. John M. Barry 4800 Concord Road Mecklenburg County York, South Carolina 29745 Department of Environmental Protection 700 N. Tryon Street Charlotte, North Carolina 28202 Mr. Peter R. Harden, IV VP-Customer Relations and Sales Westinghouse Electric Company 6000 Fairview Road, 12th Floor Charlotte, North Carolina 28210