ML051640453
| ML051640453 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Catawba  |
| Issue date: | 07/19/2005 |
| From: | Sean Peters NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD2 |
| To: | Barron H Duke Energy Corp |
| Peters S, NRR/DLPM, 415-1842 | |
| References | |
| BL-03-002, TAC MC0529 | |
| Download: ML051640453 (5) | |
Text
July 19, 2005 Mr. Henry B. Barron Group Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Duke Energy Corporation 526 South Church Street P.O. Box 1006 Charlotte, NC 28201-1006
SUBJECT:
CATAWBA NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 2 - RESPONSE TO NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BULLETIN 2003-02, LEAKAGE FROM REACTOR PRESSURE VESSEL LOWER HEAD PENETRATIONS AND REACTOR COOLANT PRESSURE BOUNDARY INTEGRITY (TAC NO. MC0529)
Dear Mr. Barron:
On August 21, 2003, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued NRC Bulletin 2003-02, Leakage from Reactor Pressure Vessel Lower Head Penetrations and Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Integrity, to the industry. This bulletin informed addressees that current methods of inspecting the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) lower heads may need to be supplemented with bare-metal visual inspections in order to detect reactor coolant pressure boundary leakage. The bulletin also requested for these addressees to provide the NRC with information related to inspections that have been performed to verify the integrity of the RPV lower head penetrations.
The bulletin requested that addressees provide a description of the RPV lower head penetration inspection program that would be implemented at their respective plants during the next and subsequent refueling outages. This description was to include the extent of the inspection, the inspection methods to be used, the qualification standards for the inspection methods, the process used to resolve the source of findings of boric acid deposits or corrosion, the inspection documentation to be generated, and the basis for concluding that their plant satisfied applicable regulatory requirements related to the structural and leakage integrity of the RPV lower head penetrations.
By letter dated September 18, 2003, Duke Energy Corporation (Duke) provided its response to this request for the fall 2004 refueling outage at Catawba Nuclear Station (Catawba), Unit 2. In its response, Duke committed to performing a bare-metal visual inspection of the RPV lower head, including 360-degrees around 100 percent of the RPV lower head penetrations. Duke stated that the information obtained from the inspection findings at Catawba, Units 1 and 2 and industry developments on the RPV lower head penetrations will be used to determine the type of examinations that will be performed during future refueling outages, beyond the fall 2004 refueling outage. The NRC staff notes that there are a number of ongoing industry and NRC staff activities related to developing criteria for RPV lower head penetration inspections. The NRC staff expects that the criteria for these inspections will involve periodic bare-metal visual examinations or their equivalent.
H. B. Barron The bulletin also requested that addressees provide a summary of the RPV lower head penetration inspection that was performed at their plants, the extent of the inspection and the methods used, a description of the as-found condition of the lower head, any findings of relevant indications of through-wall leakage, and a summary of the disposition of any findings of boric acid deposits and any corrective actions taken as a result of indications found.
By letter dated December 16, 2004, Duke provided a summary of its inspection results at Catawba, Unit 2. Duke reported it had performed a bare-metal visual inspection of the RPV lower head, including 360-degrees around 100 percent of the RPV lower head penetrations.
Duke did not observe any evidence of RPV lower head penetration leakage or RPV lower head wastage. In addition, Duke performed ultrasonic examinations of all 58 RPV lower head penetrations and eddy current examinations on 56 of the 58 penetrations. Equipment problems prevented inspection of the remaining two nozzles. These examinations did not identify any indications.
Based on its review of Dukes responses to NRC Bulletin 2003-02, the NRC staff finds that Duke has met the reporting requirements of the bulletin for Catawba, Unit 2. Accordingly, TAC No. MC0529 is closed for Catawba, Unit 2.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Sean Peters, Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate II Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-414 cc: See next page
ML051640453 NRR-106 OFFICE PDII-1/PM PDII-1/LA LPM EMCB PDII-1/SC NAME SPeters CHawes SMonarque ESullivan EMarinos DATE 07/12/05 07/12/05 07/12/05 07/13/05 07/19/05
Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 & 2 Page 1 of 2 cc:
Mr. Lee Keller, Manager Regulatory Compliance Duke Energy Corporation 4800 Concord Road York, South Carolina 29745 Ms. Lisa F. Vaughn Duke Energy Corporation Mail Code - PB05E 422 South Church Street P.O. Box 1244 Charlotte, North Carolina 28201-1244 Ms. Anne Cottingham, Esquire Winston and Strawn 1400 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 North Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number 1 1427 Meadowwood Boulevard P.O. Box 29513 Raleigh, North Carolina 27626 County Manager of York County York County Courthouse York, South Carolina 29745 Piedmont Municipal Power Agency 121 Village Drive Greer, South Carolina 29651 Ms. Karen E. Long Assistant Attorney General North Carolina Department of Justice P.O. Box 629 Raleigh, North Carolina 27602 NCEM REP Program Manager 4713 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-4713 North Carolina Electric Membership Corp.
P.O. Box 27306 Raleigh, North Carolina 27611 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 4830 Concord Road York, South Carolina 29745 Mr. Henry Porter, Assistant Director Division of Waste Management Bureau of Land and Waste Management Dept. of Health and Environmental Control 2600 Bull Street Columbia, South Carolina 29201-1708 Mr. R.L. Gill, Jr., Manager Nuclear Regulatory Issues and Industry Affairs Duke Energy Corporation 526 South Church Street Mail Stop EC05P Charlotte, North Carolina 28202 Saluda River Electric P.O. Box 929 Laurens, South Carolina 29360 Mr. Peter R. Harden, IV, Vice President Customer Relations and Sales Westinghouse Electric Company 6000 Fairview Road 12th Floor Charlotte, North Carolina 28210 Ms. Mary Olson Director of the Southeast Office Nuclear Information and Resource Service 729 Haywood Road, 1-A P.O. Box 7586 Asheville, North Carolina 28802
Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 & 2 Page 2 of 2 cc:
Mr. T. Richard Puryear Owners Group (NCEMC)
Duke Energy Corporation 4800 Concord Road York, South Carolina 29745 Mr. Richard M. Fry, Director Division of Radiation Protection NC Dept. of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources 3825 Barrett Drive Raleigh, North Carolina 27609-7721 Mr. Henry Barron Group Vice President, Nuclear Generation and Chief Nuclear Officer P.O. Box 1006-EC07H Charlotte, NC 28201-1006 Diane Curran Harmon, Curran, Spielbergy &
Eisenberg, LLP 1726 M Street, NW Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036