ML061840027

Schedule Delays for Requested License Amendment Requests (TAC Nos. MC3812, MC3743, MC3744) TS-431and TS-418)

ML061840027
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry
Issue date:	07/12/2006
From:	Holden C Plant Licensing Branch III-2
To:	Singer K Tennessee Valley Authority
Chernoff M, NRR/DORL, 415-4041
References
TAC MC3743, TAC MC3744, TAC MC3812, TS-418, TS-431
Download: ML061840027 (4)

Text

July 12, 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, UNITS 1, 2, AND 3 SCHEDULE DELAYS FOR REQUESTED LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUESTS (TAC NOS. MC3812, MC3743, AND MC3744) (TS-431 AND TS-418)

Dear Mr. Singer:

This letter discusses the impact of delays in response to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff requests for additional information regarding the ongoing extended power uprate (EPU) amendment request review. By letters dated June 28 and 25, 2004, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, the licensee) submitted amendment requests for Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN), Units 1, 2, and 3. The proposed amendments would change the BFN operating licenses to increase the maximum authorized power level by approximately 20 percent above the current maximum authorized power level for Unit 1, and approximately 15 percent for Units 2 and 3. As part of these submittals, TVA requested a credit of 3 pounds square inch gauge (psig) for overpressure for the duration of a loss-of-coolant accident for Unit 1 and a revision from 3 psig for short-term and 1 psig long-term to 3 psig for the duration for Units 2 and 3.

On February 13, 2006, a telephone conference was held to discuss the schedule and information needed to complete the reviews. During the telephone conference, TVA discussed their planned approach for addressing NRC staff questions and the schedule for providing written responses. Subsequently, in a letter dated March 1, 2006, the NRC staff indicated that the ability to meet the requested dates for completion of the EPU reviews would be significantly affected by delays, or changes in the written response schedule.

On June 26, 2006, the NRC staff issued the sixth request for additional information concerning the EPU applications, of which the containment overpressure portion was provided in draft form to TVA on June 9. In conversations with the TVA staff, it was indicated that a response would be provided by June 30, 2006. During discussions on June 21, 2006, the TVA staff informed the NRC staff of their discovery that nonconservative flow rates had been used in certain applications, impacting the calculations for requested containment overpressure credit. In a public meeting on June 28, 2006, the TVA staff provided a more detailed description of the error and its impact on previously submitted information, and on responses to the June 26, 2006, request for additional information. In the meeting, the NRC staff stated that the revised information and the responses to the request for additional information was needed no later than July 21, 2006, to support the previously established review schedule. The NRC staff notes that this is the second such discovery of a significant error requiring revision (TVA letter

K. W. Singer dated March 23, 2006) in the containment overpressure analyses. Should any information needed for this review be received after July 21, the NRC staff notes that the scheduled EPU presentations to the Advisory Committee for Reactor Safety could be delayed from November-December 2006.

If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Margaret Chernoff at 301-415-4041 or Ms. Eva Brown at 301-415-2315.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Cornelius F. Holden, Deputy Director Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-259, 50-260, and 50-296 cc: See next page

ML061840027 NRR-106 OFFICE LPL2-2/PM LPL2-2/PM LPL2-2/LA LPL2-2/BC DORL/DD NAME EBrown MChernoff BClayton MMarshall CHolden DATE 7/11/06 7/11/06 7/11/06 7/11/06 7/12/06 Mr. Karl W. Singer BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT Tennessee Valley Authority cc:

Mr. Ashok S. Bhatnagar, Senior Vice President Mr. Robert G. Jones, General Manager Nuclear Operations Browns Ferry Site Operations Tennessee Valley Authority Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant 6A Lookout Place Tennessee Valley Authority 1101 Market Street P.O. Box 2000 Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Decatur, AL 35609 Mr. Larry S. Bryant, Vice President Mr. Larry S. Mellen Nuclear Engineering & Technical Services Browns Ferry Unit 1 Project Engineer Tennessee Valley Authority Division of Reactor Projects, Branch 6 6A Lookout Place U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1101 Market Street 61 Forsyth Street, SW.

Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Suite 23T85 Atlanta, GA 30303-8931 Brian OGrady, Site Vice President Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Mr. Glenn W. Morris, Manager Tennessee Valley Authority Corporate Nuclear Licensing P.O. Box 2000 and Industry Affairs Decatur, AL 35609 Tennessee Valley Authority 4X Blue Ridge Mr. Robert J. Beecken, Vice President 1101 Market Street Nuclear Support Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place Mr. William D. Crouch, Manager 1101 Market Street Licensing and Industry Affairs Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority General Counsel P.O. Box 2000 Tennessee Valley Authority Decatur, AL 35609 ET 11A 400 West Summit Hill Drive Senior Resident Inspector Knoxville, TN 37902 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Mr. John C. Fornicola, Manager 10833 Shaw Road Nuclear Assurance and Licensing Athens, AL 35611-6970 Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place State Health Officer 1101 Market Street Alabama Dept. of Public Health Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 RSA Tower - Administration Suite 1552 Mr. Bruce Aukland, Plant Manager P.O. Box 303017 Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Montgomery, AL 36130-3017 Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Chairman Decatur, AL 35609 Limestone County Commission 310 West Washington Street Mr. Masoud Bajestani, Vice President Athens, AL 35611 Browns Ferry Unit 1 Restart Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609