ML061660197

Issuance of Admendment Steam Generator Tube Integrity Technical Specifications

ML061660197
Person / Time
Site:	Palisades
Issue date:	07/06/2006
From:	Padovan L Plant Licensing Branch III-2
To:	Harden P Nuclear Management Co
Mark Padovan LPL3-1
Shared Package
ML061660205	List: ML061660197 ML061880165
References
TAC MD0196
Download: ML061660197 (9)

Text

July 6, 2006 Mr. Paul A. Harden Site Vice President Nuclear Management Company, LLC Palisades Nuclear Plant 27780 Blue Star Memorial Highway Covert, MI 49043-9530

SUBJECT:

PALISADES PLANT - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT RE: STEAM GENERATOR TUBE INTEGRITY TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS (TAC NO. MD0196)

Dear Mr. Harden:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 223 to Facility Operating License No. DPR-20 for the Palisades Plant. The amendment consists of changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) in response to your application of February 16, 2006.

The amendment revises the steam generator (SG) tube-integrity TSs to make the existing SG tube surveillance program consistent with the Commissions approved Technical Specification Task Force (TSTF) Standard Technical Specification Change Traveler, TSTF-449, Steam Generator Tube Integrity, Revision 4.

A copy of our related safety evaluation is also enclosed. The Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's biweekly Federal Register notice.

Sincerely,

/RA/

L. Mark Padovan, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch III-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-255

Enclosures:

1. Amendment No. 223 to DPR-20

2. Safety Evaluation cc w/encls: See next page

Mr. Paul A. 33333Harden July 6, 2006 Site Vice President Nuclear Management Company, LLC Palisades Nuclear Plant 27780 Blue Star Memorial Highway Covert, MI 49043-9530

SUBJECT:

PALISADES PLANT - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT RE: STEAM GENERATOR TUBE INTEGRITY TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS (TAC NO. MD0196)

Dear Mr. Harden:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 223 to Facility Operating License No. DPR-20 for the Palisades Plant. The amendment consists of changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) in response to your application of February 16, 2006.

The amendment revises the steam generator (SG) tube-integrity TSs to make the existing SG tube surveillance program consistent with the Commissions approved Technical Specification Task Force (TSTF) Standard Technical Specification Change Traveler, TSTF-449, Steam Generator Tube Integrity, Revision 4.

A copy of our related safety evaluation is also enclosed. The Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's biweekly Federal Register notice.

Sincerely,

/RA/

L. Mark Padovan, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch III-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-255

Enclosures:

1. Amendment No. 223 to DPR-20

2. Safety Evaluation cc w/encls: See next page DISTRIBUTION PUBLIC LPL3-1 R/F RidsNrrDorlLpl3-1 RidsNrrPMDMPadovan RidsNrrLATHarris RidsOgcRp RidsAcrsAcnwMailCenter RidsNrrDirsltsb RidsRgn3MailCenter GHill, OIS RidsNrrDorlDpr Accession No. ML061660197 Package: ML061660205 TS: ML061880165 OFFICE LPLIII-1/PM LPLIII-1/LA DIRS/ITSB DSI/CSGB OGC LPLIII-1/BC NAME LPadovan THarris TBoyce TBloomer APH LRaghavan DATE 6/22/06 6/21/06 4/13/06 6/22/06 6/27/06 7/6/06 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

NUCLEAR MANAGEMENT COMPANY, LLC DOCKET NO. 50-255 PALISADES PLANT AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 223 License No. DPR-20

1. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:

A. The application for amendment by Nuclear Management Company, LLC (the licensee), dated February 16, 2006, complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's rules and regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I; B. The facility will operate in conformity with the application, the provisions of the Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission; C. There is reasonable assurance (I) that the activities authorized by this amendment can be conducted without endangering the health and safety of the public; and (ii) that such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations; D. The issuance of this amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public; E. The issuance of this amendment is in accordance with 10 CFR Part 51 of the Commission's regulations and all applicable requirements have been satisfied.

2. Accordingly, the license is amended by changes to the Technical Specifications as indicated in the attachment to the license amendment and Paragraph 2.C.(2) of Facility Operating License No. DPR-20 is hereby amended to read as follows:

The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A, as revised through Amendment No. 223, and the Environmental Protection Plan contained in Appendix B are hereby incorporated in the license. NMC shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications and the Environmental Protection Plan.

3. This license amendment is effective as of the date of issuance and shall be implemented within 90 days.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

/RA/

L. Raghavan, Chief Plant Licensing Branch III-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Attachment:

Changes to the Facility Operating License and Technical Specifications Date of Issuance: July 6, 2006

ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 223 FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-20 DOCKET NO. 50-255 Replace the following page of Facility Operating License No. DPR-20 with the attached revised page. The changed area is identified by a marginal line.

REMOVE INSERT 3 3 Replace the following pages of the Appendix A Technical Specifications with the attached revised pages. The revised pages are identified by amendment number and contain marginal lines indicating the areas of change.

REMOVE INSERT 1.1-4 1.1-4 3.4.13-1 3.4.13-1 3.4.13-2 3.4.13-2 3.4.17-1 3.4.17-1 3.4.17-2 3.4.17-2 5.0-11 5.0-11 5.0-12 5.0-12 5.0-13 5.0-13 5.0-14 5.0-14 5.0-15 5.0-15 5.0-16 5.0-16 5.0-28 5.0-28

SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO. 223 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-20 NUCLEAR MANAGEMENT COMPANY, LLC PALISADES PLANT DOCKET NO. 50-255

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Nuclear Management Company, LLCs (NMCs), application of February 16, 2006, requested changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) for the Palisades Plant. The proposed changes would revise the existing steam generator (SG) tube surveillance program to be consistent with TS Task Force (TSTF) Change TSTF-449, Revision 4, Steam Generator Tube Integrity.

The model safety evaluation (SE) prepared by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was published in the Federal Register on March 2, 2005 (70 FR 10298) under the consolidated line item improvement process. In this regard, the scope of the application includes changes to the definition of leakage, changes to the primary-to-secondary leakage requirements, changes to the SG tube surveillance program (SG tube integrity), changes to the SG reporting requirements, and associated changes to the TS Bases.

2.0 REGULATORY EVALUATION

The background, description, and applicability of the proposed changes associated with the SG tube integrity issue, and the applicable regulatory requirements, were included in the NRC staffs model SE published in the Federal Register. The Notice of Availability of Model Application Concerning Technical Specification; Improvement To Modify Requirements Regarding Steam Generator Tube Integrity; Using the Consolidated Line Item Improvement Process, published in the Federal Register on May 6, 2005 (70 FR 24126), made the model SE available to utilities for use.

3.0 TECHNICAL EVALUATION

3.1 Overview In its February 16, 2006, application, NMC proposed changes to the TSs that are consistent with the proposed changes approved in TSTF-449. The NRCs model SE provides a detailed evaluation of the proposed changes that are requested by NMC in its application.

Consistent with TSTF-449, the proposed TS changes include the following:

ENCLOSURE

(1) a revised definition of LEAKAGE in TS 1.1 (2) a revised TS 3.4.13, "PCS [Primary Coolant System] Operational LEAKAGE" (3) a new TS 3.4.17, "Steam Generator (SG) Tube Integrity" (4) a revised TS 5.5.8, "Steam Generator (SG) Program" (5) a revised TS 5.6.8, "Steam Generator Tube Inspection Report" (6) revised Table of Content pages to reflect the proposed changes 3.2 Conclusion The proposed TS changes establish a programmatic, largely performance-based regulatory framework for ensuring SG tube integrity is maintained. The NRC staff finds that it addresses key shortcomings of the current framework by ensuring that SG programs are focused on accomplishing the overall objective of maintaining tube integrity. It incorporates performance criteria for evaluating tube integrity that the NRC staff finds consistent with the structural margins and the degree of leak tightness assumed in the current plant licensing basis.

The NRC staff finds that maintaining these performance criteria provides reasonable assurance that the SGs can be operated safely without increase in risk.

The revised TSs will contain limited, specific details on how the SG Program is to achieve the required objective of maintaining tube integrity. The intent of this is for NMC to have the flexibility to determine the specific strategy for meeting this objective. However, the NRC staff finds that the revised TSs include sufficient regulatory constraints on the establishment and implementation of the SG Program such as to provide reasonable assurance that tube integrity will be maintained.

Failure to meet the performance criteria will be reportable pursuant to the requirements in Parts 50.72 and 50.73 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR). The NRC reactor oversight process provides a process by which the NRC staff can verify that NMC has identified any SG Program deficiencies that may have contributed to such an occurrence, and that appropriate corrective actions have been implemented.

In conclusion, the NRC staff finds that the TS changes proposed by NMC in its February 16, 2006, application conform to the requirements of 10 CFR 50.36, and establish a TS framework that will provide reasonable assurance that SG tube integrity is maintained without undue risk to public health and safety.

4.0 STATE CONSULTATION

In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the Michigan State official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendment. The Michigan State official had no comments.

5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION

The amendment changes a requirement with respect to the installation or use of a facility component located within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20. The staff has determined that the amendment involves no significant increase in the amounts, and no significant change in the types, of any effluents that may be released offsite, and that there is no significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.

The Commission has previously issued a proposed finding that the amendment involves no significant hazards consideration and there has been no public comment on such finding (71 FR 29679). Accordingly, the amendment meets the eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared in connection with the issuance of the amendment.

6.0 CONCLUSION

The Commission has concluded, based on the considerations discussed above, that: (1) there is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by operation in the proposed manner, (2) such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations, and (3) the issuance of the amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.

Principal Contributor: E. Thomas, NRR Date: July 6, 2006

Palisades Plant cc:

Robert A. Fenech, Senior Vice President Nuclear, Fossil, and Hydro Operations Michael B. Sellman Consumers Energy Company President and Chief Executive Officer 1945 Parnall Rd. Nuclear Management Company, LLC Jackson, MI 49201 700 First Street Hudson, MI 54016 Arunas T. Udrys, Esquire Consumers Energy Company Jonathan Rogoff, Esquire 1 Energy Plaza Vice President, Counsel & Secretary Jackson, MI 49201 Nuclear Management Company, LLC 700 First Street Regional Administrator, Region III Hudson, WI 54016 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Suite 210 Douglas E. Cooper 2443 Warrenville Road Senior Vice President - Group Operations Lisle, IL 60532-4351 Palisades Nuclear Plant Nuclear Management Company, LLC Supervisor 27780 Blue Star Memorial Highway Covert Township Covert, MI 49043 P. O. Box 35 Covert, MI 49043 Stephen T. Wawro, Director of Nuclear Assets Office of the Governor Consumers Energy Company P. O. Box 30013 Palisades Nuclear Plant Lansing, MI 48909 27780 Blue Star Memorial Highway Covert, MI 49043 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Resident Inspector's Office Laurie A. Lahti, Manager Palisades Plant Regulatory Affairs 27782 Blue Star Memorial Highway Nuclear Management Company, LLC Covert, MI 49043 Palisades Nuclear Plant 27780 Blue Star Memorial Highway Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Covert, MI 49043 Waste and Hazardous Materials Division Hazardous Waste and Radiological Protection Section Nuclear Facilities Unit Constitution Hall, Lower-Level North 525 West Allegan Street P.O. Box 30241 Lansing, MI 48909-7741 Michigan Department of Attorney General Special Litigation Division 525 West Ottawa St.

Sixth Floor, G. Mennen Williams Building Lansing, MI 48913