ML053400203

Letter, Acceptance Review Results for RI-ISI Relief Request

ML053400203
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry
Issue date:	12/22/2005
From:	Ellen Brown Plant Licensing Branch III-2
To:	Singer K Tennessee Valley Authority
Brown Eva, NRR/DLPM, 415-2315
References
TAC MC8795
Download: ML053400203 (4)

Text

December 22, 2005 Mr. Karl W. Singer Chief Nuclear Officer and Executive Vice President Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801

SUBJECT:

BROWNS FERRY UNIT 3 - ACCEPTANCE REVIEW RESULTS FOR THIRD INTERVAL RISK INFORMED INSERVICE INSPECTION RELIEF REQUEST NO. 3-ISI-21 (TAC NO. MC8795)

Dear Mr. Singer:

By letter dated October 19, 2005, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) submitted its third 10-year Inservice Inspection (ISI) program for Unit 3 of the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant.

TVA proposes to implement a Risk-Informed Inservice Inspection (RI-ISI) program in lieu of an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)Section XI to the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME Code or Code) ISI program. The regulatory requirement for acceptability, as provided in Title 10 to the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 50, Section 55a(a)(3)(i), states that the proposed alternative provides an acceptable level of quality and safety. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has determined that the safety analysis submitted with the relief request does not provide sufficient technical information to enable the NRC staff to make an independent assessment regarding the acceptability of the proposal.

TVA states that its proposed process is similar to that previously submitted for the second 10-year interval without identifying the differences between the previously approved and the proposed process and resulting ISI program. For example, the NRC staff notes that the proposed program includes the removal of Class 3 piping welds without addressing how this removal affects the overall program. Therefore, in order to make the submittal complete, TVA needs to submit a sufficiently-detailed description of the proposed changes and how these changes affect the implementation of the RI-ISI program.

This request was discussed with Mr. Tony Langley of your staff on December 1, 2005, and it was agreed that a response would be provided within 60 days of receipt of this letter.

K. Singer Upon receipt of information that adequately addresses these deficiencies, the NRC staff will consider your application complete, such that the detailed technical review can be initiated and a schedule for completing the review can be established.

If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-2315.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Eva A. Brown, Project Manager Plant Licensing, Branch II-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-260 cc: See next page

ML053400203 NRR-106 OFFICE LPL2-2/PM CPNB CPNB APLA APLA\BC LPL2-2/LA LPD2-2/BC NAME EBrown AKeim AKeim for SDinsmore SDinsmore for BClayton MMarshall TChan MRubin DATE 12/12/05 12/ 2 /05 12/ 2 /05 12/ 2 /05 12/ 2 /05 12/8/05 12/22/05 Mr. Karl W. Singer BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT Tennessee Valley Authority cc:

Mr. Ashok S. Bhatnagar, Senior Vice President Mr. Glenn W. Morris, Manager Nuclear Operations Corporate Nuclear Licensing Tennessee Valley Authority and Industry Affairs 6A Lookout Place Tennessee Valley Authority 1101 Market Street 4X Blue Ridge Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Larry S. Bryant, General Manager Nuclear Engineering Mr. William D. Crouch, Manager Tennessee Valley Authority Licensing and Industry Affairs 6A Lookout Place Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant 1101 Market Street Tennessee Valley Authority Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Brian OGrady, Site Vice President Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Senior Resident Inspector Tennessee Valley Authority U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 2000 Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Decatur, AL 35609 10833 Shaw Road Athens, AL 35611-6970 Mr. Robert J. Beecken, Vice President Nuclear Support State Health Officer Tennessee Valley Authority Alabama Dept. of Public Health 6A Lookout Place RSA Tower - Administration 1101 Market Street Suite 1552 Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 P.O. Box 303017 Montgomery, AL 36130-3017 General Counsel Tennessee Valley Authority Chairman ET 11A Limestone County Commission 400 West Summit Hill Drive 310 West Washington Street Knoxville, TN 37902 Athens, AL 35611 Mr. John C. Fornicola, Manager Nuclear Assurance and Licensing Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Bruce Aukland, Plant Manager Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609