ML060550110
| ML060550110 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vogtle  |
| Issue date: | 04/06/2006 |
| From: | Marinos E Plant Licensing Branch III-2 |
| To: | Grissette D Southern Nuclear Operating Co |
| Gratton C, NRR/DORL 415-1055 | |
| References | |
| TAC MC8751, TAC MC8752 | |
| Download: ML060550110 (4) | |
Text
April 6, 2006 Mr. D. E. Grissette Vice President Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.
Post Office Box 1295 Birmingham, AL 35201-1295
SUBJECT:
VOGTLE ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 RE:
CLARIFICATION OF CRITICALITY ACCIDENT REQUIREMENTS REGARDING AMENDMENT NOS. 139 AND 118 (TAC NOS. MC8751 AND MC8752)
Dear Mr. Grissette:
By letter dated August 13, 2004, as supplemented by letters dated May 3 and July 7, 2005, Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. (SNC, the licensee), requested an amendment to Facility Operating Licenses NPF-68 and NPF-81 for Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2 (Vogtle 1 and 2), respectively. The amendments consisted of changes to the Technical Specifications to reflect updated spent fuel rack criticality analyses for the subject reactor plants. On September 22, 2005, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff issued Amendment No. 139 for Facility Operating License NPF-68 and Amendment No. 118 for Facility Operating License NPF-81, approving the proposed revisions. During the implementation of the amendments by SNC, the licensee informed the NRC staff of an error in the NRC staff Safety Evaluation (SE) included with the amendments. The purpose of this letter is to correct the error and clarify the licensing basis with regard to criticality accident requirements.
In the NRC staffs September 22, 2005, SE, the staff incorrectly stated that the licensee uses Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 50, Section 50.68, as the licensing basis for criticality accident requirements. The NRC staff concluded in its regulatory evaluation that the approval of the amendment was acceptable because Vogtle 1 and 2 complied with 10 CFR 50.68, "Criticality accident requirements." The staff recognizes that this statement was incorrect and that the current licensing basis for Vogtle 1 and 2 for criticality accident requirements is 10 CFR 70.24, as modified by the exemptions that were issued on August 21, 1986, to NRC Materials License No. SNM-1967 for Vogtle 1, and on July 13, 1988, to NRC Materials License SNM-1981 for Vogtle 2. The exemptions were incorporated into Facility Operating Licenses NPF-68 and NPF-81 for Vogtle 1 and 2, as a condition of the license on March 16, 1987, and March 31, 1989, respectively, when the operating licenses were issued.
On February 20, 1998, the NRC staff approved a revision to the licensing bases affecting criticality analyses for Vogtle 1 and 2 in Amendment Nos. 99 and 78 to the Facility Operating Licenses. The amendments eliminated the credit for Boraflex as a neutron absorbing material in the fuel storage pool criticality analyses for the two units. The amendments included revised criticality analyses performed using the methodology developed by the Westinghouse Owners Group (WOG) and described in WCAP-14416-NP-A, "Westinghouse Spent Fuel Rack Criticality Analysis Methodology."
D. Grissette
- 2 -
Based on problems identified with the WOG methodology after the issuance of these amendments, the licensing basis was further revised with the issuance of Amendment Nos. 139 and 118 on September 22, 2005, which updated the spent fuel rack criticality analysis with a revised analysis for each unit. Changes to the licensing basis for this amendment were limited to the criticality analysis and did not include a conversion of the criticality accident requirements to those described in 10 CFR 50.68. Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that the licensing basis for Vogtle 1 and 2 criticality accident requirements is contained in 10 CFR 70.24, as modified by the exemptions contained in Section 2.D of the respective Facility Operating Licenses. The methodology for conducting criticality analyses is described in the licensees application dated August 13, 2004, as modified by supplemental letters dated May 3 and July 7, 2005.
The NRC staff has reviewed the conclusions of its September 22, 2005, SE against the requirements of the current licensing basis for each unit and concluded that the NRC staff's previous conclusions that spent fuel would be safely stored in a subcritical configuration in the Vogtle 1 and 2 spent fuel pools are still valid.
If you have any further questions regarding this matter, please contact the Vogtle Project Manager, Christopher Gratton, at 301-415-1055. We regret any confusion this error may have caused.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Evangelos C. Marinos, Chief Plant Licensing Branch II-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-424 and 50-425 cc: See next page
ML060550110 NRR-106 OFFICE NRR/LPL2-1/PM NRR/LPL2-1/LA NRR/SPWB/BC OGC NRR/LPL2-1/BC NAME CGratton MOBrien JNakoski AHodgdon EMarinos DATE 4/5/06 4/5/06 2/9/06 4/4/06 4/6/06
Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units 1 & 2 cc:
Mr. N. J. Stringfellow Manager, Licensing Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 1295 Birmingham, AL 35201-1295 Mr. T. E. Tynan, General Manager Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.
7821 River Road Waynesboro, GA 30830 Mr. Jeffrey T. Gasser Executive Vice President Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 1295 Birmingham, AL 35201-1295 Mr. Steven M. Jackson Senior Engineer - Power Supply Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia 1470 Riveredge Parkway, NW Atlanta, GA 30328-4684 Mr. Reece McAlister Executive Secretary Georgia Public Service Commission 244 Washington St., SW Atlanta, GA 30334 Attorney General Law Department 132 Judicial Building Atlanta, GA 30334 Mr. Laurence Bergen Oglethorpe Power Corporation 2100 East Exchange Place P.O. Box 1349 Tucker, GA 30085-1349 Arthur H. Domby, Esquire Troutman Sanders Nations Bank Plaza 600 Peachtree Street, NE Suite 5200 Atlanta, GA 30308-2216 Resident Inspector Vogtle Plant 8805 River Road Waynesboro, GA 30830 Office of the County Commissioner Burke County Commission Waynesboro, GA 30830 Mr. Harold Reheis, Director Department of Natural Resources 205 Butler Street, SE, Suite 1252 Atlanta, GA 30334