ML061650423
| ML061650423 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Browns Ferry  |
| Issue date: | 07/07/2006 |
| From: | Holden C Plant Licensing Branch III-2 |
| To: | Singer K Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Chernoff M, NRR/DORL, 415-4041 | |
| References | |
| TAC MC4797, TS-432 | |
| Download: ML061650423 (5) | |
Text
July 7, 2006 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 NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 1 REVIEW OF PENDING LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST (TAC NO. MC4797) (TS-432)
Dear Mr. Singer:
This letter provides status of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staffs review of the Tennessee Valley Authoritys (TVAs) request to remove License Condition 2.C(4) from Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 1 (BFN1) license.
In a letter dated September 6, 1996, TVA submitted Technical Specification Change TS-362, a request for conversion to the improved standard technical specifications (ISTS). At that time, TVA had not announced any plans to restart Unit 1. In a letter dated December 29, 1997, TVA stated:
...Unit 1 is currently defueled and will require extensive analyses and modifications to be completed prior to restart. TVA plans to perform the required analyses and modifications on Unit 1 such that on restart, the Unit 1 plant configuration and analysis basis will be the same or similar to Units 2 and 3.
Hence, in TS-362, the proposed Unit 1 ITS [improved technical specifications]
were the same as those proposed for Units 2 and 3 except for minor intrinsic unit differences.
In that letter, TVA also proposed a License Condition for Unit 1 to ensure the appropriate modifications and analyses are in place prior to entering modes of operation for which the TS applies. The proposed license condition stated:
TVA shall review the Technical Specification (TS) changes made by TS-362 and subsequent TS changes for Unit 1, and verify that the required analyses and modifications needed to support the changes are complete prior to entering the mode for which the TS applies.
K. Singer July 7, 2006 In the safety evaluation dated July 14, 1998, issuing Amendment No. 234, which approves the conversion to ISTS for Unit 1, the NRC staff included License Condition 2.C(4). The License Condition states that:
The licensee shall review the technical specification changes made by License Amendment number 234 and any subsequent TS changes, verify that the required analyses and modifications needed to support the changes are complete, and submit them for NRC review and approval prior to entering the mode for which the TS applies. This amendment is effective immediately and shall be implemented prior to entering the mode for which the TS applies.
The TVA submitted a plan for completion of License Condition 2.C(4) in a letter dated October 12, 2004 [ADAMS Accession No. ML042890152]. After review of this submittal, the NRC staff concluded that it does not provide sufficient information to approve removal of the license condition.
For example, in a letter dated July 14, 1997, the NRC staff noted that the proposed Unit 1 ITS included a main steam safety/relief valve setpoint tolerance of plus or minus 3 percent. A TVA letter dated December 11, 1996, states that analyses required to support this tolerance will be completed prior to Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 1 restart. TVA did not list and discuss this change in its submittal.
In order to avoid impact on planned BFN1 recovery activities (e.g, Fuel load or startup), the submittal needs to be supplemented by September 1, 2006, with the following:
C List and discuss the justifications for all changes to the TS made by License Amendment 234 and subsequent license amendments. The discussion should include whether new analyses and/or modifications were required and whether the analyses were provided to the NRC staff for review and approval. The discussion should also include the confirmation that the analyses were approved by the NRC staff at the time the applicable amendment was issued and the modifications were completed, if required.
C Based on discussions with TVA and the Unit 1 status update dated February 21, 2006
[ADAMS Accession No. ML060520652], the NRC staff understands that TVA is updating the Unit 1 design basis analyses and calculations to support the requested extended power uprate, in lieu of updating the analyses and calculations to support operation at the current licensed thermal power limit. TVA should address how the analyses and calculations to support the uprated condition satisfy the requirements of the license condition, when it is applicable.
K. Singer July 7, 2006 This information is needed by September 1, 2006, in order to support planned BFN1 recovery activities. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Margaret Chernoff at 301-415-4041 or Mr. Chandu Patel at 301-415-3025.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Cornelius F. Holden, Deputy Director Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-259 cc: See next page
ML061650423 NRR-058 OFFICE LPL2-2/PM LPL2-2/PM LPL2-2/LA LPL2-2/BC DIRS/ITSB DORL/DD NAME CPatel MChernoff RSola for BClayton MMarshall TKobetz CHolden DATE 7/3/06 7/3/06 7/3/06 7/3/06 7/5/06 7/7/06
Mr. Karl W. Singer BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT Tennessee Valley Authority cc:
Mr. Ashok S. Bhatnagar, Senior Vice President Nuclear Operations Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Larry S. Bryant, Vice President Nuclear Engineering & Technical Services Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Brian OGrady, Site Vice President Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Mr. Robert J. Beecken, Vice President Nuclear Support Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 General Counsel Tennessee Valley Authority ET 11A 400 West Summit Hill Drive Knoxville, TN 37902 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 Mr. Masoud Bajestani, Vice President Browns Ferry Unit 1 Restart Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Mr. Robert G. Jones, General Manager Browns Ferry Site Operations Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Mr. Larry S. Mellen Browns Ferry Unit 1 Project Engineer Division of Reactor Projects, Branch 6 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 61 Forsyth Street, SW.
Suite 23T85 Atlanta, GA 30303-8931 Mr. Glenn W. Morris, Manager Corporate Nuclear Licensing and Industry Affairs Tennessee Valley Authority 4X Blue Ridge 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. William D. Crouch, Manager Licensing and Industry Affairs Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant 10833 Shaw Road Athens, AL 35611-6970 State Health Officer Alabama Dept. of Public Health RSA Tower - Administration Suite 1552 P.O. Box 303017 Montgomery, AL 36130-3017 Chairman Limestone County Commission 310 West Washington Street Athens, AL 35611