ML060450746

G20060110/LTR-06-0055 - Representative Jim Saxton Ltr. Re Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station - Ultrasonic Testing

ML060450746
Person / Time
Site:	Oyster Creek
Issue date:	03/16/2006
From:	Reyes L NRC/EDO
To:	Saxton J US HR (House of Representatives)
rodriguez v m, ADRO/DLR/RLRB, 415-3703
Shared Package
ML060450347	List: ML060340125 ML060450746
References
G20060110, LTR-06-0055, TAC MC9727
Download: ML060450746 (5)

Text

March 16, 2006 The Honorable Jim Saxton United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman Saxton:

On behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), I am responding to your letter addressed to Chairman Nils J. Diaz dated January 27, 2006, in which you expressed concerns with regard to the ultrasonic testing performed on the drywell liner in the containment of the Oyster Creek Generating Station (OCGS), located in Ocean County, New Jersey.

To ensure that the appropriate wall thickness in the drywell liner is maintained, licensees, including AmerGen Energy Company, LLC., perform periodic visual and ultrasonic tests in accordance with NRC-approved codes, such as the code of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The results of NRC staff inspections of these tests are documented in inspection reports, which are publicly available through NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). ADAMS can be accessed through NRCs public Web site http://www.nrc.gov. In the reports the staff concluded that the licensee has responded to its inspection findings and NRC concerns, and has taken positive steps to eliminate or reduce corrosion of the drywell wall. In addition, the staff also stated that the drywell corrosion and sandbed removal project was exceptionally well planned and performed.

As stated in the summary of the May 12, 2005, annual assessment meeting with AmerGen (ADAMS Accession No. ML051720197), the NRC staff informed the public that:

The licensee has visually inspected the coating applied to the liner in the sandbed region in 1996, 2000, and 2004. The visual inspection determined that the coating repair is in very good condition. For regions above the sandbed, ultrasonic inspections have been periodically completed for the areas that exhibited the worst corrosion in 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004. No significant degradation has been identified for the regions above the sandbed.

Currently, the NRC staff is reviewing the license renewal application for OCGS. In its application, OCGS included a time-limited aging analysis addressing drywell liner corrosion.

The staff has not completed its review and has no conclusions at this time. The staff will document its conclusions in a Safety Evaluation Report that will be available at least five months prior to taking any action on the license renewal request. Concurrent with the staffs review, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will be considering the hearing requests, including proposed contentions, that have been submitted concerning the license renewal application for OCGS.

J. Saxton I want to assure you that NRC is making every effort to be open in dealing with our stakeholders regarding our license renewal activities at OCGS. If you have further questions, please contact me.

A copy of your letter and this response will be placed on the OCGS hearing docket and served on the parties to the proceedings.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Luis A. Reyes Executive Director for Operations cc: See next page

Pkg - ML060450347; Incoming - ML060340125; Response - ML060450746 OFFICE: PM: RLRB PM:RLRA LA:RLEP Tech Ed BC:RLRA NAME: VRodriguez DAshley YEdmonds HChang* LLund DATE: 02/ 15 /06 02/ 10 /06 02/ 15 /06 02/ 14 /06 02/ 14 /06 OFFICE: D:DLR DRS:RI OGC D:NRR OCA NAME: FGillespie (PTKuo for) DWhite* KWinsberg (NLO - subject to edits) JDyer (BBoger for)

DATE: 02/ 14 /06 02/ 14 /06 02/ 15 /06 02/27/06 03/ 16 /06 OFFICE EDO NAME LAReyes DATE 03/16/06 Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station cc:

Chief Operating Officer Regional Administrator, Region I AmerGen Energy Company, LLC U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 4300 Winfield Road 475 Allendale Road Warrenville, IL 60555 King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415 Senior Vice President - Nuclear Services Mayor of Lacey Township AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 818 West Lacey Road 4300 Winfield Road Forked River, NJ 08731 Warrenville, IL 60555 Senior Resident Inspector Site Vice President - Oyster Creek U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Nuclear Generating Station P.O. Box 445 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC Forked River, NJ 08731 P.O. Box 388 Forked River, NJ 08731 Director - Licensing and Regulatory Affairs AmerGen Energy Company, LLC Vice President - Mid-Atlantic 200 Exelon Way, KSA 3-E Operations Kennett Square, PA 19348 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way, KSA 3-N Manager Licensing - Oyster Creek Kennett Square, PA 19348 Exelon Generation Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way, KSA 3-E Kathryn M. Sutton, Esquire Kennett Square, PA 19348 Morgan, Lewis, & Bockius LLP 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Plant Manager Washington, DC 20004 Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station AmerGen Energy Company, LLC Kent Tosch, Chief P.O. Box 388 New Jersey Department of Forked River, NJ 08731 Environmental Protection Bureau of Nuclear Engineering Regulatory Assurance Manager CN 415 Oyster Creek Trenton, NJ 08625 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC P.O. Box 388 Vice President - Licensing and Forked River, NJ 08731 Regulatory Affairs AmerGen Energy Company, LLC Vice President, General Counsel and 4300 Winfield Road Secretary Warrenville, IL 60555 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 2301 Market Street, S23-1 Vice President - Operations Support Philadelphia, PA 19101 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Ron Bellamy, Region I Warrenville, IL 60555 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415

Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station cc:

Correspondence Control Desk AmerGen Energy Company, LLC P.O. Box 160 Kennett Square, PA 19348 License Renewal Manager Exelon Generation Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way, Suite 210 Kennett Square, PA 19348 Mr. James Ross Nuclear Energy Institute 1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006-3708 Mr. Christopher M. Crane President and Chief Nuclear Officer AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555