ML042610283

Request for Additional Information for the Review of the Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, License Renewal Application (AMP_XI.M33)

ML042610283
Person / Time
Site:	Point Beach
Issue date:	09/16/2004
From:	Morgan M NRC/NRR/DRIP/RLEP
To:	Koehl D Nuclear Management Co
Morgan M, NRR/NRC/DRIP/RLEP, 415-2232
References
TAC MC2099, TAC MC2100
Download: ML042610283 (6)

Text

September 16, 2004 Mr. Dennis L. Koehl Site Vice President Nuclear Management Company, LLC 6610 Nuclear Road Point Beach Nuclear Plant Two Rivers, WI 54241

SUBJECT:

REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE REVIEW OF THE POINT BEACH NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (TAC NOS. MC2099 AND MC2100)

Dear Mr. Koehl:

By letter dated February 25, 2004, Nuclear Management Company, LLC (NMC) submitted an application pursuant to 10 CFR Part 54, to renew the operating licenses for Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, for review by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

The NRC staff is reviewing the information contained in the license renewal application (LRA) and has identified, in the enclosure, areas where additional information is needed to complete the review. Specifically, the enclosed request for additional information (RAI) are from Aging Management Program XI.M33, Selective Leaching of Material.

This RAI, in a draft format, have been provided to Mr. Jim Knorr of your staff on September 1, 2004. The NRC staff has discussed draft versions of this RAI, via a telephone conference call, to provide clarifications to the NMC staff on September 2, 2004. Your response to this RAI is requested within 30 days from the date of this letter. Mr. Knorr has agreed to this request. If needed, the NRC staff is willing to meet or discuss with NMC again prior to the submittal of the applicants response to provide clarifications to the staffs RAI.

If you have any questions, please contact me at 301-415-2232 or e-mail mjm2@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/ Samson Lee for Michael J. Morgan, Project Manager License Renewal Section A License Renewal and Environmental Impacts Program Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-266 and 50-301

Enclosure:

As stated cc w/encl: See next page

September 16, 2004 Mr. Dennis L. Koehl Site Vice President Nuclear Management Company, LLC 6610 Nuclear Road Point Beach Nuclear Plant Two Rivers, WI 54241

SUBJECT:

REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE REVIEW OF THE POINT BEACH NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (TAC NOS. MC2099 AND MC2100)

Dear Mr. Koehl:

By letter dated February 25, 2004, Nuclear Management Company, LLC (NMC) submitted an application pursuant to 10 CFR Part 54, to renew the operating licenses for Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, for review by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

The NRC staff is reviewing the information contained in the license renewal application (LRA) and has identified, in the enclosure, areas where additional information is needed to complete the review. Specifically, the enclosed request for additional information (RAI) are from Aging Management Program XI.M33, Selective Leaching of Material.

This RAI, in a draft format, have been provided to Mr. Jim Knorr of your staff on September 1, 2004. The NRC staff has discussed draft versions of this RAI, via a telephone conference call, to provide clarifications to the NMC staff on September 2, 2004. Your response to this RAI is requested within 30 days from the date of this letter. Mr. Knorr has agreed to this request. If needed, the NRC staff is willing to meet or discuss with NMC again prior to the submittal of the applicants response to provide clarifications to the staffs RAI.

If you have any questions, please contact me at 301-415-2232 or e-mail mjm2@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/ Samson Lee for Michael J. Morgan, Project Manager License Renewal Section A License Renewal and Environmental Impacts Program Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-266 and 50-301

Enclosure:

As stated cc w/encl: See next page DISTRIBUTION: See next page ADAMS Accession no.: ML042610283 Document Name: C:\\ORPCheckout\\FileNET\\ML042610283.wpd OFFICE PM:RLEP SE:RLEP LA:RLEP SC:RLEP NAME MMorgan (SLee for)

MHeath YEdmonds SLee DATE 9/16/04 9/15/04 9/15/04 9/16/04 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

DISTRIBUTION: Dated: September 16, 2004 Accession No.: ML042610283 HARD COPY RLEP RF M. Morgan (PM)

M. Heath E-MAIL:

RidsNrrDrip RidsNrrDe G. Bagchi K. Manoly W. Bateman J. Calvo R. Jenkins P. Shemanski J. Fair RidsNrrDssa RidsNrrDipm D. Thatcher R. Pettis G. Galletti C. Li M. Itzkowitz (RidsOgcMailCenter)

R. Weisman M. Mayfield A. Murphy S. Smith (srs3)

S. Duraiswamy Y. L. (Renee) Li RLEP Staff L. Kozak, RIII J. Strasma, RIII A. Vegel, RIII H. Chernoff W. Ruland C. Marco L. Raghavan T. Mensah OPA

Enclosure REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION POINT BEACH NUCLEAR PLANT (PBNP), UNITS 1 & 2 LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION RAI B.2.1.13-1:

NUREG-1801 (GALL Report) Aging Management Program (AMP) XI.M33, Selective Leaching of Material, program Element 4. Detection of Aging Effects established the following criteria:

The one-time visual inspection and hardness measurement includes close examination of a select set of components to determine whether selective leaching has occurred and whether the resulting loss of strength and/or material will affect the intended functions of these components during the period of extended operation. Selective leaching generally does not cause changes in dimensions and is difficult to detect. However, in certain brasses it causes plug-type dezincification, which can be detected by visual inspection.

One acceptable procedure is to visually inspect the susceptible components closely and conduct Brinell Hardness testing on the inside surfaces of the selected set of components to determine if selective leaching has occurred. If it is occurring, an engineering evaluation is initiated to determine acceptability of the affected components for further service.

The Point Beach LRA Section B.2.1.13, One-Time Inspection Program, is used to manage the selective leaching aging mechanism and is cited as being consistent with GALL Report AMP XI.M33, with exceptions. The LRA identifies the following exception to GALL Report AMP XI.M33:

This element includes exceptions to the corresponding NUREG-1801,Section XI.M33, Selective Leaching of Materials aging management program element.

Section XI.M33 of NUREG-1801 states that hardness measurements are performed on a select set of components. The internal surfaces of susceptible components may not be accessible for hardness measurements due to the size of the component. Therefore, only visual inspections are required by the program. Hardness measurements may be performed in accessible locations to confirm the absence of selective leaching and determine material properties which can be used in component functionality assessments.

The NRC project team conducted discussions concerning this exception with PBNP personnel during its site visits. The project team has further evaluated this exception and is unable to reconcile how leaching of cast iron and brass would be effectively managed using only visual inspection; that is without performance of hardness testing on the inside surfaces of the selected set of components. The inability to reconcile this exception is predicated on XI.M33, which indicates that visual inspections are generally unable to detect leaching. However, the project team acknowledges that components with limited accessibility may be one factor in choosing the selected set of components upon which the hardness tests are to be performed.

The PBNP exception indicates that hardness measurements may be performed, which therefore makes hardness testing optional. This is an important consideration in the project teams evaluation of this exception.

PBNP is requested to provide additional information that demonstrates that visual inspection alone will guarantee detection of leaching in cast iron and brass materials. Otherwise please indicate whether or not the Nuclear Management Company will be perform a one-time visual inspection and hardness measurement on select set of components, of each material type, to determine whether selective leaching has occurred and whether the resulting loss of strength and/or material will affect the intended functions of these components during the period of extended operation.

Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 cc:

Jonathan Rogoff, Esq.

Vice President, Counsel & Secretary Nuclear Management Company, LLC 700 First Street Hudson, WI 54016 Mr. Frederick D. Kuester President and Chief Executive Officer We Generation 231 West Michigan Street Milwaukee, WI 53201 James Connolly Manager, Regulatory Affairs Point Beach Nuclear Plant Nuclear Management Company, LLC 6610 Nuclear Road Two Rivers, WI 54241 Mr. Ken Duveneck Town Chairman Town of Two Creeks 13017 State Highway 42 Mishicot, WI 54228 Chairman Public Service Commission of Wisconsin P.O. Box 7854 Madison, WI 53707-7854 Regional Administrator, Region III U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 801 Warrenville Road Lisle, IL 60532-4351 Resident Inspectors Office U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 6612 Nuclear Road Two Rivers, WI 54241 Roger A. Newton 3623 Nagawicka Shores Drive Hartland, WI 53029 Mr. Jeffrey Kitsembel Electric Division Public Service Commission of Wisconsin P.O. Box 7854 Madison, WI 53707-7854 David Weaver Nuclear Asset Manager Wisconsin Electric Power Company 231 West Michigan Street Milwaukee, WI 53201 John Paul Cowan Executive Vice President & Chief Nuclear Officer Nuclear Management Company, LLC 700 First Street Hudson, WI 54016 Douglas E. Cooper Senior Vice President - Group Operations Palisades Nuclear Plant Nuclear Management Company, LLC 27780 Blue Star Memorial Highway Covert, MI 49043 Fred Emerson Nuclear Energy Institute 1776 I Street, NW., Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006-3708 James E. Knorr License Renewal Project Nuclear Management Company, LLC 6610 Nuclear Road Point Beach Nuclear Plant Two Rivers, WI 54241