ML060330121

RAI on License Amendment Request for Recovery of Low Power Testing Time - Impact on Reactor Vessel Integrity Assessments

ML060330121
Person / Time
Site:	Diablo Canyon
Issue date:	01/27/2006
From:	Wang A Plant Licensing Branch III-2
To:	Kennan J Pacific Gas & Electric Co
Wang A, NRR/DLPM, 415-1445
References
TAC MC8207, TAC MC8206
Download: ML060330121 (4)

Text

January 27, 2006 Mr. Jack S. Keenan Senior Vice President and CNO Pacific Gas and Electric Company Diablo Canyon Power Plant P.O. Box 770000 San Francisco, CA 94177-0001

SUBJECT:

DIABLO CANYON POWER PLANT, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST FOR RECOVERY OF LOW-POWER TESTING TIME - IMPACT ON THE REACTOR VESSEL INTEGRITY ASSESSMENTS (TAC NOS. MC8206 AND MC8207)

Dear Mr. Keenan:

By letter dated August 23, 2005, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (the licensee) submitted a license amendment request (refer to PGE Letter No. DCL-05-098) that, if approved, would permit PGE to extend the license of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Units 1 and 2 (DCPP-1/2).

The licensee proposes to extend the license for the time period needed to perform low-power testing of the reactors prior to initial power operations. The licensees request is in conformance with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) policy established in SECY-98-296, Agency Policy Regarding Licensee Recapture of Low-Power Testing or Shutdown Time for Nuclear Power Plants (December 21, 1998).

A pressurized thermal shock (PTS) assessment is required by Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Section 50.61 and an upper shelf energy (USE) assessment is required by 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix G. The NRC staff has reviewed the impact of the license amendment request on the assessment for protecting the DCPP-1/2 reactor vessel (RV) against the consequences of PTS and on the assessment for maintaining adequate levels of USE in the RV beltline materials. The NRC staff has determined that it requires additional information to process the license amendment request. A request for additional information is enclosed. This request was discussed with Tom Grozan of your staff on January 17, 2006, and it was agreed that a response would be provided within 60 days of receipt of this letter.

If you or your staff have any questions concerning the resolution of this matter, please contact Alan B. Wang at (301) 415-1445.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Alan B. Wang, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-275 and 50-323

Enclosure:

Request for Additional Information cc w/encl: See next page

January 27, 2006 Mr. Jack S. Keenan Senior Vice President and CNO Pacific Gas and Electric Company Diablo Canyon Power Plant P.O. Box 770000 San Francisco, CA 94177-0001

SUBJECT:

DIABLO CANYON POWER PLANT, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST FOR RECOVERY OF LOW-POWER TESTING TIME - IMPACT ON THE REACTOR VESSEL INTEGRITY ASSESSMENTS (TAC NOS. MC8206 AND MC8207)

Dear Mr. Keenan:

By letter dated August 23, 2005, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (the licensee) submitted a license amendment request (refer to PGE Letter No. DCL-05-098) that, if approved, would permit PGE to extend the license of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Units 1 and 2 (DCPP-1/2).

The licensee proposes to extend the license for the time period needed to perform low-power testing of the reactors prior to initial power operations. The licensees request is in conformance with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) policy established in SECY-98-296, Agency Policy Regarding Licensee Recapture of Low-Power Testing or Shutdown Time for Nuclear Power Plants (December 21, 1998).

A pressurized thermal shock (PTS) assessment is required by Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Section 50.61 and a upper shelf energy (USE) assessment is required by 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix G. The NRC staff has reviewed the impact of the license amendment request on the assessment for protecting the DCPP-1/2 reactor vessel (RV) against the consequences of PTS and on the assessment for maintaining adequate levels of USE in the RV beltline materials. The NRC staff has determined that it requires additional information to process the license amendment request. A request for additional information is enclosed. This request was discussed with Tom Grozan of your staff on January 17, 2006, and it was agreed that a response would be provided within 60 days of receipt of this letter.

If you or your staff have any questions concerning the resolution of this matter, please contact Alan B. Wang at (301) 415-1445.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Alan B. Wang, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-275 and 50-323 DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC RidsNrrLplg (DTerao)

Enclosure:

Request for Additional Information LPLIV Reading RidsNrrPMAWang RidsRegion4MailCenter (BJones) cc w/encl: See next page RidsNrrLALFeizollahi RidsAcrsAcnwMailCenter RidsNrrDorl (CHaney/CHolden)

RidsOgcRp JMedoff RidsNrrDorlDpr ADAMS Accession Number: ML060330121 OFFICE LPL4/PM LPL4/LA LPL4/BC NAME AWang LFeizollahi DTerao DATE 1/27/06 1/27/06 1/27/06 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY E:\Filenet\ML060330121.wpd

REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST TO RECOVER LOW-POWER TESTING TIME DIABLO CANYON POWER PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-275 AND 50-323 OPERATING LICENSE NOS. DPR-80 AND DPR-82 By letter dated August 23, 2005, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PGE) submitted a license amendment request (refer to PGE Letter No. DCL-05-098) that, if approved, would permit PGE to extend the license of the nuclear reactors for the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Units 1 and 2 (DCPP-1 for Unit 1 and DCPP-2 for Unit 2). The amount of time for extension of the operating licenses is based on the amount of time that PGE had expended performing low-power testing of the reactors prior to initial power operations. PGEs request is proposed in conformance with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) policy established in SECY-98-296, Agency Policy Regarding Licensee Recapture of Low-Power Testing or Shutdown Time for Nuclear Power Plants [December 21, 1998]. With respect to assessing the impact of the proposed license amendment on the structural integrity assessment for protecting the reactor vessels (RVs) against pressurized thermal shock (PTS) (i.e., PTS assessment, which is mandated pursuant to Section 50.61 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) and the structural integrity assessment for ensuring the RV beltline materials will maintain adequate levels of upper shelf energy (USE) (i.e., USE assessment, which is mandated pursuant to 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix G), the NRC staff has the following question:

1. The license amendment request proposes to add approximately 37 months of full power operation for the DCPP-1 reactor and approximately 4 months of full power operation for the DCPP-2 reactor. The additional time at full power operations will expose the RV beltline materials for the DCPP-1/2 RVs to additional neutron radiation (i.e., increasing the neutron fluence - in units of n/cm2, E > 1.0 MeV). Therefore, to support anticipated approval of the license amendment, the NRC staff requests that PGE provide the Low-power Test Recovery-Impacted PTS and USE calculations for the DCPP-1/2 RV beltline materials, as assessed through to the revised Low-Power Test Recovery expiration dates for the units.

ENCLOSURE

Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Units 1 and 2 cc:

NRC Resident Inspector Richard F. Locke, Esq.

Diablo Canyon Power Plant Pacific Gas & Electric Company c/o U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 7442 P.O. Box 369 San Francisco, CA 94120 Avila Beach, CA 93424 City Editor Sierra Club San Lucia Chapter The Tribune ATTN: Andrew Christie 3825 South Higuera Street P.O. Box 15755 P.O. Box 112 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406-0112 Ms. Nancy Culver Mr. Ed Bailey, Chief San Luis Obispo Radiologic Health Branch Mothers for Peace State Department of Health Services P.O. Box 164 P.O. Box 997414 (MS 7610)

Pismo Beach, CA 93448 Sacramento, CA 95899-7414 Chairman Mr. James D. Boyd, Commissioner San Luis Obispo County Board of California Energy Commission Supervisors 1516 Ninth Street (MS 31)

Room 370 Sacramento, CA 95814 County Government Center San Luis Obispo, CA 93408 Mr. James R. Becker, Vice President Diablo Canyon Operations Mr. Truman Burns and Station Director Mr. Robert Kinosian Diablo Canyon Power Plant California Public Utilities Commission P.O. Box 3 505 Van Ness, Room 4102 Avila Beach, CA 93424 San Francisco, CA 94102 Jennifer Tang Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Field Representative Committee United States Senator Barbara Boxer ATTN: Robert R. Wellington, Esq. 1700 Montgomery Street, Suite 240 Legal Counsel San Francisco, CA 94111 857 Cass Street, Suite D Monterey, CA 93940 Regional Administrator, Region IV U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Harris Tower & Pavillion 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011-8064