ML061380808

Bulletin 2004-01, Inspection of Alloy 82/182/600 Materials Used in the Fabrication of Pressurizer Penetrations and Steam Space Piping Connections at Pressurized-Water Reactors, Response for Beaver Valley, Units 1 & 2

ML061380808
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley
Issue date:	05/31/2006
From:	Colburn T NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLA
To:	Lash J FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co
Colburn T, NRR/DLPM, 415-1402
References
BL-04-001, TAC MC3459, TAC MC3460
Download: ML061380808 (6)

Text

May 31, 2006 Mr. James H. Lash Vice President FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Beaver Valley Power Station P.O. Box 4 Shippingport, PA 15077

SUBJECT:

BULLETIN 2004-01, "INSPECTION OF ALLOY 82/182/600 MATERIALS USED IN THE FABRICATION OF PRESSURIZER PENETRATIONS AND STEAM SPACE PIPING CONNECTIONS AT PRESSURIZED-WATER REACTORS,"

RESPONSE FOR BEAVER VALLEY POWER STATION, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 (BVPS-1 AND 2) (TAC NOS. MC3459 AND MC3460)

Dear Mr. Lash:

On May 28, 2004, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Bulletin 2004-01, "Inspection of Alloy 82/182/600 Materials Used in the Fabrication of Pressurizer Penetrations and Steam Space Piping Connections at Pressurized-Water Reactors," to the industry. This bulletin informed addressees that current methods of inspecting the pressurizer penetrations and steam space piping connections fabricated from Alloy 82/182/600 materials may need to be supplemented with additional measures (e.g., bare-metal visual inspections) to detect pressurizer penetration and steam space piping connection flaws or leakage. The bulletin requested that addressees provide the NRC with information related to the materials of construction, the inspections that have been performed, and the inspections which will be performed to verify the integrity of the pressurizer penetrations and steam space piping connections.

By letter dated July 27, 2004, as supplemented by letters dated September 29, and December 29, 2004, and May 19, 2005 (Agencywide Documents Acess and Management System (ADAMS) Accession Nos. ML042100514, ML042780378, ML050040270, and ML051440434, respectively), FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC) provided its responses to items 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d of Bulletin 2004-01 for BVPS-1 and 2. FENOCs responses described its materials of fabrication and past, current and future pressurizer penetrations and steam space piping inspection programs at BVPS-1 and 2.

FENOCs response to item 1a reported that some of the materials used in the fabrication of the pressurizer penetrations and steam space piping connections were Alloy 82/182/600 materials.

This reply required you to provide further responses to the remaining items in the bulletin.

In response to item 1b, FENOC described prior inspections and inspection results of pressurizer penetrations and steam space piping connections which had been performed at BVPS-1 and 2. FENOCs response included the basis for concluding that BVPS-1 and 2 satisfies the applicable regulatory requirements related to the integrity of pressurizer penetrations and steam space piping connections.

J. Lash In response to item 1c in the bulletin, FENOC provided a description of the Alloy 82/182/600 pressurizer penetration and steam space piping connection inspection program that will be implemented at BVPS-1 and 2 during the next and subsequent refueling outages. The description included the items to be inspected; the percent coverage that would be performed at each location; the inspection methods to be used; the qualification standards for the inspection methods and personnel; the process used to resolve any inspection indications; the inspection documentation to be generated; and the basis for concluding that your plant will satisfy the applicable regulatory requirements related to the structural and leakage integrity of pressurizer penetrations and steam space piping connections. If leaking pressurizer penetrations or steam space piping connections are found, FENOC indicated that follow-up nondestructive examination (NDE) will be performed to characterize flaws in the leaking penetrations. FENOC provided its plans for expansion of the scope of NDE to be performed if circumferential flaws are found in any portion of the leaking pressurizer penetrations or steam space piping connections.

In response to item 1d in the bulletin, FENOC explained why the inspection program identified in the response to item 1c in the bulletin is adequate for the purpose of maintaining the integrity of the BVPS-1 and 2 reactor coolant pressure boundary and for meeting all applicable regulatory requirements which pertain to your facilities.

By letters dated December 29, 2004, and May 19, 2005, FENOC provided a response to item 2a in Bulletin 2004-01. These letters provided a statement to the NRC indicating that the inspections described in the response to item 1c of the bulletin were completed during the most recent BVPS-1 and 2 refueling outages and a description of the as-found condition of the locations inspected was provided. FENOC also described any findings of relevant indications of through-wall leakage and follow-up NDE performed to characterize flaws in leaking penetrations or steam space piping connections. A summary of all relevant indications found by NDE, a summary of the disposition of any findings of boric acid, and a description of any corrective actions taken and/or repairs made as a result of the indications found was also provided in this letter.

The NRC staff has completed its activities associated with the review of FENOCs responses to Bulletin 2004-01 and finds FENOCs response to be acceptable. It should be noted that industry commitments or staff regulatory actions may result in the need for you to modify FENOCs plans for the inspection and repair of items discussed in Bulletin 2004-01. It is the staffs expectation that FENOC will revise its plan for the inspection and repair of items discussed in Bulletin 2004-01 consistent with other industry commitments or staff regulatory actions.

J. Lash This completes the NRC staffs review with regard to the Bulletin 2004-01 response for BVPS-1 and 2. Please contact me at (301) 415-1402 if you have any questions on this issue.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Timothy G. Colburn, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch I-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-334 and 50-412 cc: See next page

ML061380808 OFFICE LPLI-1/LA LPLI-1/PM CVIB/BC LPLI-1/BC NAME SLittle TColburn MMitchell RLaufer DATE 5/31/06 5/31/06 05/31/06 5/31/06 cc:

Gary R. Leidich Vice President President and Chief Nuclear Officer FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Beaver Valley Power Station Mail Stop A-GO-19 Mail Stop A-BV-SEB1 76 South Main Street P.O. Box 4, Route 168 Akron, OH 44308 Shippingport, PA 15077 Joseph J. Hagan Lew W. Myers Senior Vice President of Operations Executive Vice President, Special Projects and Chief Operating Officer FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Beaver Valley Power Station Mail Stop A-GO-14 Mail Stop A-BV-SGRP 76 South Main Street P.O. Box 4, Route 168 Akron, OH 44308 Shippingport, PA 15077 Danny L. Pace Manager, Site Regulatory Compliance Senior Vice President, Fleet Engineering FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Beaver Valley Power Station Mail Stop A-GO-14 Mail Stop A-BV-A 76 South Main Street P.O. Box 4, Route 168 Akron, OH 44308 Shippingport, PA 15077 Jeannie M. Rinckel Commissioner James R. Lewis Vice President, Fleet Oversight West Virginia Division of Labor FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company 749-B, Building No. 6 Mail Stop A-GO-14 Capitol Complex 76 South Main Street Charleston, WV 25305 Akron, OH 44308 Director, Utilities Department David W. Jenkins, Attorney Public Utilities Commission FirstEnergy Corporation 180 East Broad Street Mail Stop A-GO-18 Columbus, OH 43266-0573 76 South Main Street Akron, OH 44308 Director, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Manager, Fleet Licensing 2605 Interstate Dr.

FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Harrisburg, PA 17110-9364 Mail Stop A-GHE-107 395 Ghent Road Ohio EPA-DERR Akron, OH 44333 ATTN: Zack A. Clayton P.O. Box 1049 Columbus, OH 43266-0149 James H. Lash

Beaver Valley Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (continued) cc:

Dr. Judith Johnsrud Environmental Coalition on Nuclear Power Sierra Club 433 Orlando Avenue State College, PA 16803 Director Bureau of Radiation Protection Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Rachel Carson State Office Building P.O. Box 8469 Harrisburg, PA 17105-8469 Mayor of the Borough of Shippingport P.O. Box 3 Shippingport, PA 15077 Regional Administrator, Region I U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 298 Shippingport, PA 15077