ML051740097

License Amendment, Revised Action for Scram Discharge Volume Vent and Drain Valves (TAC Nos. MC4425 and MC4426)

ML051740097
Person / Time
Site:	Susquehanna
Issue date:	07/26/2005
From:	Richard Guzman NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD1
To:	Mckinney B Susquehanna
Guzman R, NRR/DLPM 415-1030
References
TAC MC4425, TAC MC4426
Download: ML051740097 (14)

Text

July 26, 2005 Mr. Britt T. McKinney Sr. Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer PPL Susquehanna, LLC 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSB3 Berwick, PA 18603-0647

SUBJECT:

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT RE: REVISED ACTION FOR SCRAM DISCHARGE VOLUME VENT AND DRAIN VALVES (TAC NOS. MC4425 AND MC4426)

Dear Mr. McKinney:

The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 222 to Facility Operating License No. NPF-14 and Amendment No. 199 to Facility Operating License No. NPF-22 for the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station (SSES), Units 1 and 2. These amendments consist of changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) in response to your application dated September 8, 2004.

The amendments revise TS 3.1.8, "Scram Discharge Volume (SDV) Vent and Drain Valves," for the condition of having one or more SDV vent or drain lines with one or both valves inoperable.

A notice of availability for this TS improvement using the consolidated line-item improvement process was published in the Federal Register on April 15, 2003 (68 FR 18294).

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 Nos. 50-387 and 50-388

Enclosures:

1. Amendment No. 222 to License No. NPF-14

2. Amendment No. 199 to License No. NPF-22

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

July 26, 2005 Mr. Britt T. McKinney Sr. Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer PPL Susquehanna, LLC 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSB3 Berwick, PA 18603-0647

SUBJECT:

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT RE: REVISED ACTION FOR SCRAM DISCHARGE VOLUME VENT AND DRAIN VALVES (TAC NOS. MC4425 AND MC4426)

Dear Mr. McKinney:

The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 222 to Facility Operating License No. NPF-14 and Amendment No. 199 to Facility Operating License No. NPF-22 for the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station (SSES), Units 1 and 2. These amendments consist of changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) in response to your application dated September 8, 2004.

The amendments revise TS 3.1.8, "Scram Discharge Volume (SDV) Vent and Drain Valves," for the condition of having one or more SDV vent or drain lines with one or both valves inoperable.

A notice of availability for this TS improvement using the consolidated line-item improvement process was published in the Federal Register on April 15, 2003 (68 FR 18294).

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 Nos. 50-387 and 50-388

Enclosures:

1. Amendment No. 222 to License No. NPF-14

2. Amendment No. 199 to License No. NPF-22

3. Safety Evaluation cc w/encls: See next page DISTRIBUTION PUBLIC PDI-1 RF RLaufer RGuzman MOBrien OGC ACRS GHill(4) TBoyce MShanbaky WReckley DLPM DPR ADAMS Accession Number: ML051740097 OFFICE CLIIP LPM PDI-1/PM PDI-2/LA PDI-1/SC NAME WReckley RGuzman MO'Brien RLaufer DATE 6/17/05 7/12/05 7/22/05 7/25/05 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 cc:

Robert A. Saccone Steven M. Cook Vice President - Nuclear Operations Manager - Quality Assurance PPL Susquehanna, LLC PPL Susquehanna, LLC 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSB3 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSB2 Berwick, PA 18603-0467 Berwick, PA 18603-0467 Aloysius J. Wrape, III Luis A. Ramos General Manager - Performance Community Relations Manager, Improvement and Oversight Susquehanna PPL Susquehanna, LLC PPL Susquehanna, LLC Two North Ninth Street, GENPL4 634 Salem Blvd., SSO Allentown, PA 18101-1179 Berwick, PA 18603-0467 Terry L. Harpster Bryan A. Snapp, Esq General Manager - Plant Support Assoc. General Counsel PPL Susquehanna, LLC PPL Services Corporation 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSA4 Two North Ninth Street, GENTW3 Berwick, PA 18603-0467 Allentown, PA 18101-1179 Richard D. Pagodin Supervisor - Document Control Services General Manager - Nuclear Engineering PPL Susquehanna, LLC (Acting) Two North Ninth Street, GENPL4 PPL Susquehanna, LLC Allentown, PA 18101-1179 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSB3 Berwick, PA 18603-0467 Richard W. Osborne Allegheny Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Rocco R. Sgarro 212 Locust Street Manager - Nuclear Regulatory Affairs P.O. Box 1266 PPL Susquehanna, LLC Harrisburg, PA 17108-1266 Two North Ninth Street, GENPL4 Allentown, PA 18101-1179 Director - Bureau of Radiation Protection Pennsylvania Department of Walter E. Morrissey Environmental Protection Supervising Engineer P.O. Box 8469 Nuclear Regulatory Affairs Harrisburg, PA 17105-8469 PPL Susquehanna, LLC 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSA4 Senior Resident Inspector Berwick, PA 18603-0467 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 35, NUCSA4 Michael H. Crowthers Berwick, PA 18603-0035 Supervising Engineer Nuclear Regulatory Affairs Regional Administrator, Region 1 PPL Susquehanna, LLC U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Two North Ninth Street, GENPL4 475 Allendale Road Allentown, PA 18101-1179 King of Prussia, PA 19406

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 cc:

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. 50-387 SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNIT 1 AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 222 License No. NPF-14

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 8, 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-14 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. 222 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 60 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: July 26, 2005

ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 222 FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-14 DOCKET NO. 50-387 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 / TOC-1 TS / TOC-1 TS / 3.1-25 TS / 3.1-25

PPL SUSQUEHANNA, LLC ALLEGHENY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.

DOCKET NO. 50-388 SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNIT 2 AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 199 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 the PPL Susquehanna, LLC, dated September 8, 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. 199 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 60 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: July 26, 2005

ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 199 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 / TOC-1 TS / TOC-1 TS / 3.1-25 TS / 3.1-25

SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO. 222 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-14 AND AMENDMENT NO. 199 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-22 PPL SUSQUEHANNA, LLC ALLEGHENY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-387 AND 388

1.0 INTRODUCTION

By application dated September 8, 2004 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System, Accession No. ML042590557), PPL Susquehanna, LLC (the licensee), requested changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) for Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 (SSES-1and 2). The requested changes would revise the required action within TS 3.1.8, "Scram Discharge Volume (SDV) Vent and Drain Valves," for the condition of having one or more SDV vent or drain lines with one or both valves inoperable. These changes are based on TSs Task Force (TSTF) change traveler TSTF-404 (Revision 0) that has been approved generically for the Boiling Water Reactor/6 (BWR) Standard Technical Specifications (STS),

NUREG-1434, Revision 2. A notice announcing the availability of this proposed TS change using the consolidated line-item improvement process (CLIIP) was published in the Federal Register on April 15, 2003 (68 FR 18294).

2.0 REGULATORY EVALUATION

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations and review standards such as Appendix A, "General Design Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants," to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Part 50, include specific requirements for reactor protection and reactivity control systems. The reactor protection systems for BWRs use a hydraulic system to insert control rods into the reactor core. During an actuation of the reactor protection system (a scram), water is exhausted from the control rod drive mechanisms to the SDVs. Proper maintenance and operation of the SDVs in terms of instrumentation and limiting water volumes are essential for assuring the reliability of the reactor protection system (see NRC Bulletin 80-17, "Failure of Control Rods to Insert During a Scram at a BWR," related Orders to specific facilities, and information provided in plant final safety analysis reports and TS Bases). Maintaining the SDVs to ensure that accumulated water does not hamper or slow the insertion of control rods requires vent and drain valves. The vent and drain valves isolate during a scram to limit the amount of coolant discharged so that adequate core cooling is maintained and offsite doses remain within regulatory limits.

Specific regulatory requirements for SDV vent and drain valves are defined in TS 3.1.8. The existing Limiting Condition for Operation, 3.1.8, requires that each SDV vent and drain valve be operable and open. The operability of all SDV vent and drain valves ensures that the SDV vent and drain valves will close during a scram to contain reactor water discharged to the SDV piping. Since the vent and drain lines are provided with two valves in series, the single failure of one valve in the open position will not impair the isolation function of the system. Additionally, the valves are required to open on scram reset and during plant operation to control the amount of water accumulating in the SDV. If one or more SDV vent and drain lines have a single valve that is inoperable, the existing required action is to restore the valves to operable status within 7 days. If an inoperable valve is not restored to operable status, a plant shutdown to MODE 3 is required within 12 hours1.388889e-4 days <br />0.00333 hours <br />1.984127e-5 weeks <br />4.566e-6 months <br />. If one or more SDV vent or drain lines have both valves inoperable or an SDV vent or drain line has one or both valves closed, the existing action in the SSES-1 and 2 TSs is to within 8 hours9.259259e-5 days <br />0.00222 hours <br />1.322751e-5 weeks <br />3.044e-6 months <br /> restore at least one vent valve and one drain valve to operable status with both vent and drain valves open.

In the STSs and many TSs for plants similar to SSES-1 and 2, if one or more SDV vent or drain lines have both valves inoperable, the associated line must be isolated within 8 hours9.259259e-5 days <br />0.00222 hours <br />1.322751e-5 weeks <br />3.044e-6 months <br />. The plants are allowed to operate indefinitely in this condition. A note associated with the required action clarifies that the valves may be opened under administrative controls to allow draining of the SDV. However, the STSs and other plant TSs required restoration of a single inoperable valve within 7 days or be in hot shutdown within 12 hours1.388889e-4 days <br />0.00333 hours <br />1.984127e-5 weeks <br />4.566e-6 months <br />. The existing SDV vent and drain valve required actions in the STSs and many plant-specific TSs were inconsistent in that, although the operational and safety concerns are similar for having one or both valves in a line being inoperable, the actions for a single inoperable valve do not allow for the isolation of the line and administrative controls to support the draining of the SDV. This prompted the industry to submit TSTF-404 and subsequent incorporation of the change into the STSs.

The proposed change would revise the required actions to be more consistent with the safety significance of inoperable valves in an SDV line. Although the existing SSES-1 and 2 TSs differ somewhat from the version of STSs used to develop TSTF-404, the proposed changes reflect the incorporation of the approved TSTF-404 specification into the SSES-1 and 2 TSs.

3.0 TECHNICAL EVALUATION

The proposed changes to TS 3.1.8 are:

Required Action A is revised from restoring to operable status within 7 days a single inoperable SDV vent and drain valve in one or more SDV vent and drain lines to isolating the associated line within 7 days.

Required Action B is revised from restoring at least one SDV vent and drain valve to operable status within 8 hours9.259259e-5 days <br />0.00222 hours <br />1.322751e-5 weeks <br />3.044e-6 months <br /> when a vent or drain line has both valves inoperable or one or both valves closed to isolating the associated line within 8 hours9.259259e-5 days <br />0.00222 hours <br />1.322751e-5 weeks <br />3.044e-6 months <br />.

A note is added allowing an isolated line to be unisolated under administrative controls for the purpose of draining and venting the SDV.

With one SDV vent or drain valve inoperable in one or more lines, the isolation function would be maintained since the redundant valve in the affected line would perform its safety function of isolating the SDV. The current ACTION statement allows 7 days to repair the inoperable valve; the proposed change is to allow for the isolation of the affected line and continue operation. If the affected line is not isolated within the 7-day time period (or the inoperable valve is not restored), the licensee would then be required to proceed to MODE 3 in the next 12 hours1.388889e-4 days <br />0.00333 hours <br />1.984127e-5 weeks <br />4.566e-6 months <br />.

Maintaining the 7-day Completion Time (CT) is acceptable because of the low probability of the concurrent events of a scram within the 7 days of the CT and a failure of the redundant valves.

Alternately, if the inoperable valve was initially closed, there would be ample time and warning available to drain the SDV before an automatic scram would occur due to SDV high level. The proposed addition of Required Action B to address both valves being inoperable in a vent or drain valve is likewise acceptable in that isolation of the affected line provides the safety function and the shorter completion time (8 hours9.259259e-5 days <br />0.00222 hours <br />1.322751e-5 weeks <br />3.044e-6 months <br /> versus 7 days) reflects the increased importance of addressing the problem when multiple valves are inoperable.

The allowance to administratively open a line that is isolated to comply with the actions (to permit draining and venting the SDV) allows any accumulated water in the line to be drained, to preclude a reactor scram on SDV high level. A reactor scram is initiated if the SDV water level in the instrument volume exceeds a specified setpoint. The setpoint is chosen so that all control rods are inserted before the SDV has insufficient volume to accept a full scram.

Regarding the isolation of the SDV, the remaining operable SDV vent and drain valves would close automatically on a scram signal to isolate the lines. Or, if both valves in a line were inoperable (and opened under this provision), the reactor coolant release could be terminated by resetting the scram from the control room, or by manually closing the valves. Resetting the scram automatically closes the scram outlet valves, isolating the control rod drive discharge path to the SDV.

Based on the low probability of an event occurring during the defined CT associated with this condition, the subsequent isolation of the affected lines, and the ability to open and drain the lines before an automatic scram due to SDV high water level, the proposed change maintains the necessary safety features and is therefore acceptable.

The licensee included format changes to the page numbers and related changes to the table of contents. The licensee also included in the application changes to the Bases Section for TS 3.8.1 for information. The actual changes to the Bases Section will be made in accordance with the Bases Control Program. The NRC staff agrees that the TS Bases Control Program is the appropriate process for updating the affected TS Bases pages.

4.0 STATE CONSULTATION

In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the Pennsylvania State official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendments. The State official had no comments.

5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION

The amendments change 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 amendments involve 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 amendments involve no significant hazards consideration, and there has been no public comment on such finding (69 FR 70721; December 7, 2004). Accordingly, the amendments meet 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 amendments.

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: W. Reckley Date: July 26, 2005