ML050110210
| ML050110210 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png |
| Issue date: | 01/19/2005 |
| From: | Richard Ennis NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD1 |
| To: | Kansler M Entergy Nuclear Operations |
| Ennis R, NRR/DLPM, 415-1420 | |
| References | |
| TAC MC0959 | |
| Download: ML050110210 (6) | |
Text
January 19, 2005 Mr. Michael Kansler President Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - RELIEF REQUEST B-5 (TAC NO. MC0959)
Dear Mr. Kansler:
By letter dated October 1, 2003, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC and Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. submitted relief request B-5 for Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station. Your submittal requests relief for some weld examinations where the required essentially 100%
examination coverage is impractical due to physical obstructions and limitations imposed by design, geometry, and materials of construction of the subject components.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff is reviewing your submittal and has determined that additional information is required to complete the review. The specific information requested is addressed in the enclosure.
We request that the additional information be provided by April 30, 2005. The response timeframe was discussed with Ms. Ronda Daflucas of your staff on December 21, 2004. If circumstances result in the need to revise your response date, or if you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-1420.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Richard B. Ennis, Senior Project Manager, Section 2 Project Directorate I Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-271
Enclosure:
Request for Additional Information cc w/encl: See next page
January 19, 2005 Mr. Michael Kansler President Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - RELIEF REQUEST B-5 (TAC NO. MC0959)
Dear Mr. Kansler:
By letter dated October 1, 2003, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC and Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. submitted relief request B-5 for Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station. Your submittal requests relief for some weld examinations where the required essentially 100%
examination coverage is impractical due to physical obstructions and limitations imposed by design, geometry, and materials of construction of the subject components.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff is reviewing your submittal and has determined that additional information is required to complete the review. The specific information requested is addressed in the enclosure.
We request that the additional information be provided by April 30, 2005. The response timeframe was discussed with Ms. Ronda Daflucas of your staff on December 21, 2004. If circumstances result in the need to revise your response date, or if you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-1420.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Richard B. Ennis, Senior Project Manager, Section 2 Project Directorate I Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-271
Enclosure:
Request for Additional Information cc w/encl: See next page DISTRIBUTION PUBLIC DRoberts AKeim PDI-2 Reading REnnis TChan VBucci, OIG BPoole JBoska ACCESSION NO.: ML050110210 OFFICE PDI-2/PM PDI-2/PM PDI-2/LA PDI-2/SC NAME JBoska REnnis CRaynor DRoberts DATE 1/18/05 1/18/05 1/18/05 1/18/05 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:
Regional Administrator, Region I U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415 Mr. David R. Lewis Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge 2300 N Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20037-1128 Ms. Christine S. Salembier, Commissioner Vermont Department of Public Service 112 State Street Montpelier, VT 05620-2601 Mr. Michael H. Dworkin, Chairman Public Service Board State of Vermont 112 State Street Montpelier, VT 05620-2701 Chairman, Board of Selectmen Town of Vernon P.O. Box 116 Vernon, VT 05354-0116 Operating Experience Coordinator Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station 320 Governor Hunt Road Vernon, VT 05354 G. Dana Bisbee, Esq.
Deputy Attorney General 33 Capitol Street Concord, NH 03301-6937 Chief, Safety Unit Office of the Attorney General One Ashburton Place, 19th Floor Boston, MA 02108 Ms. Deborah B. Katz Box 83 Shelburne Falls, MA 01370 Ms. Carla A. White, RRPT, CHP Radiological Health Vermont Department of Health P.O. Box 70, Drawer #43 108 Cherry Street Burlington, VT 05402-0070 Mr. James M. DeVincentis Manager, Licensing Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station P.O. Box 0500 185 Old Ferry Road Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500 Resident Inspector Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 176 Vernon, VT 05354 Director, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency ATTN: James Muckerheide 400 Worcester Rd.
Framingham, MA 01702-5399 Jonathan M. Block, Esq.
Main Street P.O. Box 566 Putney, VT 05346-0566 Mr. John F. McCann Director, Nuclear Safety Assurance Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. Gary J. Taylor Chief Executive Officer Entergy Operations 1340 Echelon Parkway Jackson, MS 39213
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:
Mr. John T. Herron Sr. VP and Chief Operating Officer Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. Danny L. Pace Vice President, Engineering Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. Brian OGrady Vice President, Operations Support Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. Michael J. Colomb Director of Oversight Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. John M. Fulton Assistant General Counsel Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. Jay K. Thayer Site Vice President Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station P.O. Box 0500 185 Old Ferry Road Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500 Mr. Kenneth L. Graesser 38832 N. Ashley Drive Lake Villa, IL 60046 Mr. James Sniezek 5486 Nithsdale Drive Salisbury, MD 21801 Mr. Ronald Toole 1282 Valley of Lakes Box R-10 Hazelton, PA 18202 Ms. Stacey M. Lousteau Treasury Department Entergy Services, Inc.
639 Loyola Avenue New Orleans, LA 70113 Mr. Raymond Shadis New England Coalition Post Office Box 98 Edgecomb, ME 04556 Mr. James P. Matteau Executive Director Windham Regional Commission 139 Main Street, Suite 505 Brattleboro, VT 05301 Mr. William K. Sherman Vermont Department of Public Service 112 State Street Drawer 20 Montpelier, VT 05620-2601
Enclosure REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELATED TO RELIEF REQUEST B-5 VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION DOCKET NO. 50-271 By letter dated October 1, 2003, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC and Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Entergy or the licensee) submitted relief request B-5 for Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VYNPS). The licensee's submittal identifies 49 welds for which the licensee requested relief pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR)
Section 50.55a(g)(5)(iii) on the basis that the required "essentially 100%" coverage examination is impractical due to physical obstructions and limitations imposed by design, geometry, and materials of construction of the subject components. Most of the welds are associated with reactor vessel nozzles.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is reviewing your submittal and has determined that additional information is required to complete the review. The specific information requested is addressed below.
Entergy has requested relief in accordance with 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(5)(iii), based upon the argument that the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME Code) examinations are impractical at VYNPS. However, the licensee must present adequate information to support a determination that the required examinations are impractical (not simply inconvenient) to perform to the extent required by the ASME Code. This information should include drawings, or other physical descriptions, of the component examination areas, showing examination coverage(s), weld cross-sections, etc., necessary to support the request.
In addition, the licensee should submit argument(s) as to why the use of other methods would not reasonably increase the examination coverage(s).
For example, in Table RR-B-5 of the licensee's submittal (Attachment 2, pages 5 and 6 of 9),
the limitation for many reactor pressure vessel nozzle-to-vessel welds simply states that the reduced volumetric coverage (ranging from 42% to 65%) is due to Nozzle, radius blend, and weld configuration. This does not provide an adequate description of the physical limitation, or indicate whether other techniques such as different interrogation angles could have practically increased the coverage.
Similar issues exist with the remainder of all of the components listed in Table RR-B-5. No drawings have been provided by the licensee to determine the extent of actual scanning limitations. The licensee should provide the following information:
1.
Provide a technical basis for each component listed in Table RR-B-5 describing in detail the examination limitation, and discuss whether other examinations may be used to increase or supplement the limited examinations. The technical basis should include a cross-sectional sketch of the weld indicating ultrasonic coverage(s) and details of the weld and base metal materials. The technical basis should confirm, where applicable, that the examinations that were performed were qualified under Appendix VIII of Section XI.
2.
Indicate what degradation mechanism(s) is most likely to occur in this weld and a basis for whether the achieved examination coverage could reasonably be expected to detect this degradation.