ML051020132

License Amendment 197, Extends the Validity of the Reactor Pressure Vessel Pressure-temperature Limit Curves from May 1, 2005, to May 1, 2006

ML051020132
Person / Time
Site:	Susquehanna
Issue date:	04/25/2005
From:	Richard Guzman NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD1
To:	Shriver B Susquehanna
Guzman R, NRR/DLPM 415-1030
References
TAC MC4534
Download: ML051020132 (10)

Text

April 25, 2005 Mr. Bryce L. Shriver President-PPL Generation and Chief Nuclear Officer PPL Susquehanna, LLC Two North Ninth Street, GENTW15 Allentown, PA 18101-1179

SUBJECT:

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNIT 2 - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT REGARDING CHANGES TO REACTOR PRESSURE VESSEL PRESSURE-TEMPERATURE LIMITS (TAC NO. MC4534)

Dear Mr. Shriver:

The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 197 to Facility Operating License No. NPF-22 for the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Unit 2. This amendment consists of changes to the Technical Specifications in response to your application dated September 22, 2004.

This amendment extends the validity of the reactor pressure vessel pressure-temperature limit curves from May 1, 2005, to May 1, 2006.

A copy of our safety evaluation is also enclosed. The Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's Biweekly Federal Register Notice.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Richard V. Guzman, Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate I Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-388

Enclosures:

1. Amendment No. 197 to License No. NPF-22

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

April 25, 2005 Mr. Bryce L. Shriver President-PPL Generation and Chief Nuclear Officer PPL Susquehanna, LLC Two North Ninth Street, GENTW15 Allentown, PA 18101-1179

SUBJECT:

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNIT 2 - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT REGARDING CHANGES TO REACTOR PRESSURE VESSEL PRESSURE-TEMPERATURE LIMITS (TAC NO. MC4534)

Dear Mr. Shriver:

The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 197 to Facility Operating License No. NPF-22 for the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Unit 2. This amendment consists of changes to the Technical Specifications in response to your application dated September 22, 2004.

This amendment extends the validity of the reactor pressure vessel pressure-temperature limit curves from May 1, 2005, to May 1, 2006.

A copy of our safety evaluation is also enclosed. The Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's Biweekly Federal Register Notice.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Richard V. Guzman, Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate I Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-388

Enclosures:

1. Amendment No. 197 to License No. NPF-22

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

PUBLIC PDI-1 RF RLaufer RGuzman MOBrien OGC ACRS GHill(2) TBoyce LLois YHsii MShanbaky, RI DLPM DPR

• SE provided. No major changes made.

Accession No.: ML051020132 Package No.: ML TSs: ML OFFICE PDI-1/PM PDI-2/LA SRXB

• OGC PDI-1/SC NAME RGuzman MO'Brien JUhle KKannler RLaufer DATE 4/22/05 4/22/05 11/9/04 4/18/05 4/22/05 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 cc:

Britt T. McKinney Michael H. Crowthers Vice President - Nuclear Site Operations Supervising Engineer PPL Susquehanna, LLC Nuclear Regulatory Affairs 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSB3 PPL Susquehanna, LLC Berwick, PA 18603-0467 Two North Ninth Street, GENPL4 Allentown, PA 18101-1179 Robert A. Saccone General Manager - Nuclear Operations Dale F. Roth PPL Susquehanna, LLC Manager - Quality Assurance 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSB3 PPL Susquehanna, LLC Berwick, PA 18603-0467 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSB2 Berwick, PA 18603-0467 Aloysius J. Wrape, III General Manager - Performance Luis A. Ramos Improvement and Oversight Community Relations Manager, PPL Susquehanna, LLC Susquehanna Two North Ninth Street, GENPL4 PPL Susquehanna, LLC Allentown, PA 18101-1179 634 Salem Blvd., SSO Berwick, PA 18603-0467 Terry L. Harpster General Manager - Plant Support Bryan A. Snapp, Esq PPL Susquehanna, LLC Assoc. General Counsel 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSA4 PPL Services Corporation Berwick, PA 18603-0467 Two North Ninth Street, GENTW3 Allentown, PA 18101-1179 Gregory F. Ruppert General Manager - Nuclear Engineering Supervisor - Document Control Services PPL Susquehanna, LLC PPL Susquehanna, LLC 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSB3 Two North Ninth Street, GENPL4 Berwick, PA 18603-0467 Allentown, PA 18101-1179 Rocco R. Sgarro Richard W. Osborne Manager - Nuclear Regulatory Affairs Allegheny Electric Cooperative, Inc.

PPL Susquehanna, LLC 212 Locust Street Two North Ninth Street, GENPL4 P.O. Box 1266 Allentown, PA 18101-1179 Harrisburg, PA 17108-1266 Walter E. Morrissey Director - Bureau of Radiation Protection Supervising Engineer Pennsylvania Department of Nuclear Regulatory Affairs Environmental Protection PPL Susquehanna, LLC P.O. Box 8469 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSA4 Harrisburg, PA 17105-8469 Berwick, PA 18603-0467

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 cc:

Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 35, NUCSA4 Berwick, PA 18603-0035 Regional Administrator, Region 1 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 Board of Supervisors Salem Township P.O. Box 405 Berwick, PA 18603-0035 Dr. Judith Johnsrud National Energy Committee Sierra Club 443 Orlando Avenue State College, PA 16803

PPL SUSQUEHANNA, LLC ALLEGHENY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.

DOCKET NO. 50-388 SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNIT 2 AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 197 License No. NPF-22

1. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission or the NRC) having found that:

A. The application for the amendment filed by PPL Susquehanna, LLC, dated September 22, 2004, complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's 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 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 Commission's regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I; 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 Commission's 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 the Facility Operating License No. NPF-22 is hereby amended to read as follows:

(2) Technical Specifications and Environmental Protection Plan The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A, as revised through Amendment No. 197 and the Environmental Protection Plan contained in Appendix B, are hereby incorporated in the license. PPL Susquehanna, LLC shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications and the Environmental Protection Plan.

3. This license amendment is effective as of its date of issuance and shall be implemented within 30 days.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

/RA/

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: April 25, 2005

ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 197 FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-22 DOCKET NO. 50-388 Replace the following pages of the Appendix A Technical Specifications with the attached revised pages. The revised pages are identified by amendment number and contain marginal lines indicating the areas of change.

REMOVE INSERT TS/3.4-30 TS/3.4-30 TS/3.4-30a TS/3.4-30a TS/3.4-30b TS/3.4-30b

SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO. 197 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-22 PPL SUSQUEHANNA, LLC ALLEGHENY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNIT 2 DOCKET NO. 50-388

1.0 INTRODUCTION

By application dated September 22, 2004 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML042720427), PPL Susquehanna, LLC, (PPL, the licensee),

requested changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) for Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Unit 2 (SSES-2). The proposed changes extend the validity of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) pressure-temperature (P-T) limit curves from May 1, 2005, to May 1, 2006.

2.0 REGULATORY EVALUATION

2.1 Regulatory Requirements The regulatory requirements and guidance which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff considered in its review of the application are as follows:

1. Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) establishes the fundamental regulatory requirements with respect to fluid systems at nuclear power plants.

Specifically, General Design Criterion 31, Fracture prevention of reactor coolant pressure boundary, in Appendix A to Part 50, General Design Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants, states, in part, that the reactor coolant pressure boundary shall be designed with sufficient margin to assure that when stressed under operating, maintenance, testing, and postulated accident conditions (1) the boundary behaves in a nonbrittle manner, and (2) the probability of rapidly propagating fracture is minimized.

2. Section 50.60, Acceptance criteria for fracture prevention measures for lightwater nuclear power reactors for normal operation, requires that the pressure and temperature limits as well as the associated vessel surveillance program are consistent with 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix G, Fracture Toughness Requirements, and 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix H, Reactor Vessel Material Surveillance Program Requirements.

3. Regulatory Guide 1.190, Calculational and Dosimetry Methods for Determining Pressure Vessel Neutron Fluence, provides the calculations and measurement procedures that are acceptable to the NRC for determining pressure vessel fluence.

3.0 TECHNICAL EVALUATION

3.1 PPLs Proposed Change PPL proposed to revise the SSES-2 TSs for RPV P-T curves. The current end of validity or expiration date of the curves is May 1, 2005. The proposed change extends the expiration date until May 1, 2006, for SSES-2 TS Figures 3.4.10-1, 3.4.10-2, and 3.4.10-3.

3.2 NRC Evaluation The NRC staff has reviewed the justification for the proposed revision. Based on results of the review, the NRC staff concludes that extending the expiration date of the SSES-2 P-T curves for an additional year to May 1, 2006, is acceptable.

The basis for the approval of the current P-T curves is the conservatism in the estimated vessel irradiation at the end of life and the irradiation at the end of the proposed extension of the P-T curves. NRC staff experience has shown that deviations in vessel fluence calculations not performed with an approved methodology is on the order of +/- 40%. For the current P-T curves approved in Amendments Nos. 200 and 174 dated February 2, 2002, for SSES-1 and 2, respectively (ADAMS Accession No. ML013520605), the NRC staff estimated that the accumulated vessel irradiation exposure (including the power uprate) will be 17.648 effective full power years (EFPYs) in May 2005. PPLs September 22, 2004, application estimates that the additional exposure for the additional year will be 0.987 for a total of 18.635 EFPYs (including the power uprate) to May 1, 2006.

Considering that the current P-T curve vessel fluence was estimated for 32 EFPYs, the margin of conservatism is over 40%; therefore, this compensates the NRC staffs estimated margin of possible methodology error. Therefore, the proposed extension of the P-T curves is acceptable.

In summary, the NRC staff finds that the proposed extension of the range of validity for the SSES-2 P-T curves in Figures 3.4.10-1, 3.4.10-2, and 3.4.10-3 is acceptable because there is sufficient margin in the present P-T curves for the proposed interim period of operation.

4.0 STATE CONSULTATION

In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the Pennsylvania 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 installation or 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 70721). 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: L. Lois Date: April 25, 2005