ML042600444

Issuance of License Amendment 248 Re. Relocation of Stability Protection Settings to the Core Operating Limits Report

ML042600444
Person / Time
Site:	Oyster Creek
Issue date:	10/04/2004
From:	Tam P NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD1
To:	Crane C AmerGen Energy Co
References
TAC MC2217
Download: ML042600444 (9)

Text

October 4, 2004 Mr. Christopher M. Crane President and Chief Nuclear Officer AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555

SUBJECT:

OYSTER CREEK NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT RE: RELOCATION OF STABILITY PROTECTION SETTINGS TO THE CORE OPERATING LIMIT REPORT (TAC NO. MC2217)

Dear Mr. Crane:

The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 248 to Facility Operating License No. DPR-16 for the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, in response to your application dated February 27, 2004, as supplemented by letter dated August 11, 2004.

The amendment revised the Technical Specifications, relocating the average power range monitor flux scram setting and rod block setting to the Core Operating Limits Report.

A copy of the related Safety Evaluation is also enclosed. Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commissions biweekly Federal Register notice.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Peter S. Tam, Senior Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate I Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-219

Enclosures:

1. Amendment No. 248 to DPR-16

2. Safety Evaluation cc w/encls: See next page

Mr. Christopher M. Crane President and Chief Nuclear Officer AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555

SUBJECT:

OYSTER CREEK NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT RE: RELOCATION OF STABILITY PROTECTION SETTINGS TO THE CORE OPERATING LIMIT REPORT (TAC NO. MC2217)

Dear Mr. Crane:

The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 248 to Facility Operating License No. DPR-16 for the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, in response to your application dated February 27, 2004, as supplemented by letter dated August 11, 2004.

The amendment revised the Technical Specifications, relocating the average power range monitor flux scram setting and rod block setting to the Core Operating Limits Report.

A copy of the related Safety Evaluation is also enclosed. Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commissions biweekly Federal Register notice.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Peter S. Tam, Senior Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate I Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-219

Enclosures:

1. Amendment No. 248 to DPR-16

2. Safety Evaluation cc w/encls: See next page DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC OGC CHolden PD1-1 R/F GHill (2) RLaufer WBeckner PTam SLittle ACRS PEselgroth, RI THuang Accession Number: ML042600444 OFFICE PD1-1/PM PD1-1/LA SRXB/ SC OGC IROB PDI-1/SC NAME PTam SLittle FAkstulewicz* MWoods TBoyce RLaufer DATE 9/16/04 9/16/04 8/31/04 9/28/04 9/30/04 10/1/04

• SE transmitted by memo of 8/31/04.

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

AMERGEN ENERGY COMPANY, LLC DOCKET NO. 50-219 OYSTER CREEK NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 248 License No. DPR-16

1. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:

A. The application for amendment by AmerGen Energy Company, LLC, et al., (the licensee), dated February 27, 2004, as supplemented by letter on August 11, 2004, 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-16 is hereby amended to read as follows:

(2) Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications contained in Appendices A and B, as revised through Amendment No. 248, are hereby incorporated in the license. AmerGen Energy Company, LLC, shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications.

3. This license amendment is effective as of the date of issuance and shall be implemented within 60 days of issuance.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 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: October 4, 2004

ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 248 FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-16 DOCKET NO. 50-219 Replace the following pages of Appendix A, Technical Specifications, with the attached revised pages as indicated. The revised pages are identified by amendment number and contain marginal lines indicating the areas of change.

Remove Insert 2.3-1 2.3-1 2.3-2 2.3-2 2.3-4 2.3-4 6-14 6-14

-- 6-14a 6-15 6-15

SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO. 248 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-16 AMERGEN ENERGY COMPANY, LCC OYSTER CREEK NUCLEAR GENERATING STATIO (OCNGS)

DOCKET NO. 50-219

1.0 INTRODUCTION

By letter dated February 27, 2004 (Accession No. ML040650311), as supplemented by letter dated August 11, 2004 (ML042300425), AmerGen Energy Company, LLC (the licensee),

submitted a request for changes to the OCNGS Technical Specifications (TSs). The licensee proposed to relocate the average power range monitor flux scram setting and rod block setting from the TSs to the Core Operating Limits Report (COLR).

The supplement dated August 11, 2004, provided additional information that clarified the application, did not expand the scope of the application as originally noticed, and did not change the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staffs original proposed no significant hazards consideration determination as published in the Federal Register on April 13, 2004 (69 FR 19563).

2.0 REGULATORY EVALUATION

The licensee identified the applicable regulatory requirements in Section 4.0 of its February 27, 2004, application. The regulatory requirements that the NRC staff considered in its review of application are 10 CFR 50.36, Technical specifications, which provides the regulatory requirements for the content required in a licensees TSs. Specifically, 10 CFR 50.36 requires that the TSs will include surveillance requirements to assure that the limiting conditions for operation will be met.

The licensee cited 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix A, General Design Criterion (GDC) 10, which requires that the reactor core and associated coolant, control, and protection systems be designed with appropriate margin to assure that specified acceptable fuel design limits are not exceeded during any condition of normal operation, including the effects of anticipated occurrences. The licensee also cited GDC 12, which requires that the reactor core and associated coolant, control, and protection systems be designed to assure that power oscillations which can result in conditions exceeding specified acceptable fuel design limits are not possible or can be reliably and readily detected and suppressed.

The NRC staff had previously approved a licensee request to implement the Boiling Water Reactor Owners Group (BWROG) Option II solution for long-term reactor stability problems (see Amendment No. 235, dated October 18, 2002, Accession No. ML022910365). The licensee cited NRC Generic Letter (GL) 88-16, which provides guidance regarding relocating cycle-specific parameters to certain formal reports. Accordingly, the licensee proposed to relocate the Option II stability protection settings from the TSs to the COLR.

3.0 TECHNICAL EVALUATION

The NRC staff reviewed the licensees analysis supporting the proposed amendment. The NRC staffs evaluation is set forth below.

3.1 TS 2.3.A, Neutron Flux, Scram The licensee proposed to relocate the average power range monitor (APRM) flux scram setting, for recirculation flow less than or equal to 27.5x106 lb/hr (equivalent to 45% of maximum core flow), to the COLR.

The licensees analysis in the August 11, 2004, letter indicates that the APRM flux scram setting for protection against reactor instability is cycle-specific, and the current value for Fuel Cycle 20 was calculated using an NRC-approved methodology. The licensees justification meets the guidance stated in GL 88-16, and the NRC staff found the proposed change acceptable.

3.2 TS 2.3.B, Neutron Flux, Control Rod Block The licensee proposed to relocate neutron flux, control rod block setting, for recirculation flow less than or equal to 27.5x106 lb/hr, to the COLR.

The licensees analysis in the August 11, 2004, letter indicates that the control rod block setting for protection against reactor instability is cycle-specific, and the current value for Fuel Cycle 20 was calculated using an NRC-approved methodology. The licensees justification meets the guidance stated in GL 88-16, and the NRC staff found the proposed change acceptable.

3.3 TS 6.9.1.f, Core Operating Limits Report The licensee proposed to add to the contents of the COLR stability protection setting requirements, referencing TS 2.3.A.1 and TS 2.3.B. This change is acceptable because it reflects the relocation of the subject limits to the COLR.

The licensee also proposed to add one plant-specific Topical Report, NEDC-33065P, Rev. 0, Application of Stability Long-Term Solution Option II for Oyster Creek, April 2002.

NEDC-33065P, Rev. 0, was previously reviewed and approved by the NRC staff (see Amendment No. 235, dated October 18, 2002).

3.4 TS 2.3, Limiting Safety System Setting - Bases The licensee proposed to correct a spelling error on page 2.3-4, changing the word neuron to neutron in the second paragraph. This correction is purely administrative and acceptable.

4.0 STATE CONSULTATION

In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the New Jersey 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 use of a facility component located within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20. 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 (69 FR 19563). 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 Commission's 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: T. Huang Date: October 4, 2004

Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station cc:

Chief Operating Officer Regional Administrator, Region I AmerGen Energy Company, LLC U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 4300 Winfield Road 475 Allendale Road Warrenville, IL 60555 King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415 Senior Vice President - Nuclear Services Mayor of Lacey Township AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 818 West Lacey Road 4300 Winfield Road Forked River, NJ 08731 Warrenville, IL 60555 Senior Resident Inspector Site Vice President - Oyster Creek U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Generating Station P.O. Box 445 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC Forked River, NJ 08731 P.O. Box 388 Forked River, NJ 08731 Director - Licensing and Regulatory Affairs AmerGen Energy Company, LLC Vice President - Mid-Atlantic 200 Exelon Way, KSA 3-E Operations Kennett Square, PA 19348 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way, KSA 3-N Manager Licensing - Oyster Creek Kennett Square, PA 19348 Exelon Generation Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way, KSA 3-E John E. Matthews, Esquire Kennett Square, PA 19348 Morgan, Lewis, & Bockius LLP 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Oyster Creek Generating Station Plant Washington, DC 20004 Manager AmerGen Energy Company, LLC Kent Tosch, Chief P.O. Box 388 New Jersey Department of Forked River, NJ 08731 Environmental Protection Bureau of Nuclear Engineering Regulatory Assurance Manager CN 415 Oyster Creek Trenton, NJ 08625 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC P.O. Box 388 Vice President - Licensing and Forked River, NJ 08731 Regulatory Affairs AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Vice President - Operations Support AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555

Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 2301 Market Street, S23-1 Philadelphia, PA 19101 Pete Eselgroth, Region I U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415 Correspondence Control Desk AmerGen Energy Company, LLC P.O. Box 160 Kennett Square, PA 19348