ML053260549
| ML053260549 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palisades  |
| Issue date: | 11/22/2005 |
| From: | Harden P Nuclear Management Co |
| To: | Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| Download: ML053260549 (2) | |
Text
Palisades Nuclear Plant Operated by Nuclear Management Company, LLC November 22,2005 10 CFR 50.55a U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555 Palisades Nuclear Power Plant Docket 50-255 License No. DPR-20 Response to Request for Additional Information on Request for Relief from ASME Section XI Code Requirements for Repair of Pressurizer Nozzle Penetrations By letter dated July 22, 2005, Nuclear Management Company, LLC (NMC) requested Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(a)(3)(i),
for the use of an alternative to the requirements of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code,Section XI, related to the repair of pressurizer heater sleeve penetrations at the Palisades Nuclear Plant (PNP). The specific request was to use Code Case N-638, "Similar and Dissimilar Metal Welding Using Ambient Temperature Machine Temper Bead Technique," with three exceptions.
Subsequent to NMC submitting the request, Code Case N-638-1, "Similar and Dissimilar Metal Welding Using Ambient Temperature Machine Temper Bead Technique," was conditionally approved per Regulatory Guide 1.147, "Inservice Inspection Code Case Acceptability - ASME Section XI Division 1," Revision 14, dated August 2005. Due to this conditional approval of Code Case N-638-1, NMC no longer needs approval for exception # I and exception #3, as described in the July 22, 2005 request.
By letter dated October 28, 2005, the NRC issued a request for additional information (RAI) on the subject relief request. Enclosure 1 provides the NMC response for PNP.
Summary of Commitments This letter contains no new commitments and no revisions to existing commitments.
d p ; yL+;
&c Paul A. arden Site Vice President, Palisades Nuclear Plant Nuclear Management Company, LLC Enclosure (1 )
CC Administrator, Region Ill, USNRC Project Manager, Palisades, USNRC I
Resident Inspector, Palisades, USNRC 27780 Blue Star Memorial Highway e Covert, Michigan 49043-9530 Telephone: 269.764.2000
ENCLOSURE l RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT NRC Request I.
Item 6, "Duration of Proposed Alternative, " on page 4 of Enclosure I to Nuclear Management Company's (NMC's) letter dated July 22, 2005, says "NMC requests approval of the proposed alternative for the remainder of the third ten-year interval of the lnsewice Inspection Program for the Palisades Nuclear Plant, which will conclude on or before December 12, 2006. " Please state the outage date, and the specific conditions for using this relief request (such as shown in Attachment I to the relief request). All other requests for relief shall be made on a case-by-case basis.
NMC Response
- 1.
Nuclear Management Company, LLC (NMC) will use the proposed alternative during the Spring 2006 outage at Palisades Nuclear Plant (PNP) for the proposed repair of the pressurizer heater sleeve penetrations, as shown in Attachment I of the July 22, 2005 relief request.
NRC Request
- 2.
On page 4 of its relief request, NMC took exception to the ultrasonic testing acceptance criteria shown in code case N-638, "Similar and Dissimilar Metal Welding Using Ambient Temperature Machine [Gas Tungsten Arc Welding] GTA W Temper Bead Technique. " NMC proposed using the acceptance standard for ultrasonic testing shown in BN-5244(a) of the 1992 Edition of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section 111. Code Case N-638-1 has been conditionally accepted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in Regulatory Guide 1.147, "lnsewice Inspection Code Case Acceptability, ASME Section XI, Division I," Revision 14, dated August 2005. The condition NRC has placed on this Code Case is that "UT examinations shall be demonstrated for the repair volume using representative samples which contain construction type flaws. The acceptance criteria of NB-5330 of Section 111 edition and addenda approved in 10 CFR 50.55a apply to all flaws identified within the repaired volume." The staff expects NMC to comply with the acceptance criteria shown in the regulatory guide for Code Case N-638-1. Please modify your submittal to indicate that you will use the acceptance criteria in Regulatory Guide I. 147 for Code Case N-638-1.
MMC Response
- 2.
NMC will comply with the ultrasonic acceptance criteria shown in Regulatory Guide 1.I47 for Code Case N-638-1 at PNP. The 1992 Edition of ASME Section Ill, NB-5330 will be used.
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