ML062120028
| ML062120028 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Waterford  |
| Issue date: | 10/06/2006 |
| From: | Fields M NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLIV |
| To: | Venable J Entergy Operations |
| Fields M, NRR/DORL/LP4, 415-3062 | |
| References | |
| TAC MC8796 | |
| Download: ML062120028 (10) | |
Text
October 6, 2006 Mr. Joseph E. Venable Vice President Operations Entergy Operations, Inc.
17265 River Road Killona, LA 70066-0751
SUBJECT:
WATERFORD STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNIT 3 - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT RE: REMOVAL OF LIMITATION TO PERFORM VARIOUS SURVEILLANCES ONLY DURING SHUTDOWN (TAC NO. MC8796)
Dear Mr. Venable:
The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 209 to Facility Operating License No. NPF-38 for the Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 3 (Waterford 3). This amendment consists of changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) in response to your application dated October 27, 2005.
The amendment modifies Surveillance Requirement (SR) 4.5.2e of TS 3.5.2, ECCS
[Emergency Core Cooling Systems] Subsystems - Modes 1, 2 and 3, SR 4.6.2.1d of TS 3.6.2, Containment Spray System, and SR 4.7.3b of TS 3.7.3, Component Cooling Water and Auxiliary Component Cooling Water Systems, to remove the words "during shutdown." This will provide flexibility allowing components required to be tested by these SRs to be tested online. Additionally, a revision to delete SR 4.7.12.1c of TS 3.7.12, Essential Services Chilled Water system, is approved. A modification permanently separating the safety and non-safety portions of the essential services chilled water system has eliminated the need for automatic isolation valves and thus this SR.
A copy of our related Safety Evaluation is also enclosed. The Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's next biweekly Federal Register notice.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Mel B. Fields, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-382
Enclosures:
- 1. Amendment No. 209 to NPF-38
- 2. Safety Evaluation cc w/encls: See next page
PKG ML062790009 (ML062120028, TS Pages ML062840085)
OFFICE NRR/LPL4/PM NRR/LPL4/LA NRR/SNPB/BC NRR/ITSB/BC OGC-NLO NRR/LPL4/BC NAME MFields LFeizollahi FAkstulewicz TKobetz K. Winsberg DTerao DATE 8/15/06 8/16/06 6/27/06 8/17/06 8/28/06 10/2/06
ENTERGY OPERATIONS, INC.
DOCKET NO. 50-382 WATERFORD STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNIT 3 AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 209 License No. NPF-38 1.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:
A.
The application for amendment by Entergy Operations, Inc. (EOI), dated October 27, 2005, 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; and 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 this license amendment, and paragraph 2.C.2. of Facility Operating License No. NPF-38.
3.
This license amendment is effective as of its date of issuance and shall be implemented within 60 days from the date of issuance.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
/RA/
David Terao, Chief Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Attachment:
Changes to the Technical Specifications and Facility Operating License Date of Issuance: October 6, 2006
ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 209 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-38 DOCKET NO. 50-382 Replace Page 4 of Facility Operating License No. NPF-38 with the attached Page 4.
Replace the following pages of the Appendix A Technical Specifications with the attached revised pages. The revised pages are identified by an amendment number and contain marginal lines indicating the areas of change.
Remove Insert 3/4 5-5 3/4 5-5 3/4 6-17 3/4 6-17 3/4 7-11 3/4 7-11 3/4 7-43 3/4 7-43
SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO. 209 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-38 ENTERGY OPERATIONS, INC.
WATERFORD STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNIT 3 DOCKET NO. 50-382
1.0 INTRODUCTION
By application dated October 27, 2005 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML053040461), Entergy Operations, Inc. (the licensee) requested changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) for Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 3 (Waterford 3).
The proposed changes would revise Surveillance Requirement (SR) 4.5.2e of TS 3.5.2, ECCS
[Emergency Core Cooling Systems] Subsystems - Modes 1, 2 and 3, SR 4.6.2.1d of TS 3.6.2, Containment Spray System, and SR 4.7.3b of TS 3.7.3, Component Cooling Water and Auxiliary Component Cooling Water Systems, to remove the words "during shutdown." This will provide flexibility allowing components required to be tested by these SRs to be tested online.
Additionally, a revision to delete SR 4.7.12.1c of TS 3.7.12, Essential Services Chilled Water System, is being requested. A modification permanently separating the safety and non-safety portions of the essential services chilled water system has eliminated the need for automatic isolation valves and thus this SR.
2.0 REGULATORY EVALUATION
Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50.90, Application for amendment of license or construction permit, allows a licensee to amend or change the original license applications. The regulations in 10 CFR 50.92, Issuance of Amendment, specifies that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff will be guided by the considerations which govern the issuance of initial licenses to the extent applicable and appropriate in determining whether an amendment will be issued to the applicant.
The regulations in 10 CFR 50.36(c), Technical specifications, requires that the TSs include items in five specific categories. These categories include: (1) safety limits, limiting safety system settings and limiting control settings; (2) limiting conditions for operation (LCOs); (3) SRs; (4) design features; and (5) administrative controls. Furthermore, Criterion 2 of 10 CFR 50.36(c)(2)(ii) requires an LCO to be established for a process variable, design feature, or operating restriction that is an initial condition of a design-basis accident or transient analysis that either assumes the failure of, or presents a challenge to, the integrity of a fission product barrier.
The Improved Standard Technical Specifications (STS) were developed based on the criteria in 10 CFR 50.36 and the NRC staff evaluation of the licensees request to remove the words during shutdown from the specified SRs was based in part on conformity with the corresponding SRs contained in the STS for Combustion Engineering Plants (NUREG-1432, Revision 3).
Title 10 of CFR 50.65(a)(4), Requirements for monitoring the effectiveness of maintenance at nuclear power plants, states in part that, Before performing maintenance activities (including but not limited to surveillance, post-maintenance testing, and corrective and preventive maintenance),
the licensee shall assess and manage the increase in risk that may result from the proposed maintenance activities. The NRC staff evaluation of the licensees request to remove the words during shutdown from the specified SRs was based in part on this regulatory requirement to manage plant risk when conducting surveillance activities.
3.0 TECHNICAL EVALUATION
SR 4.5.2e verifies that each automatic valve in the safety injection system (SIS) flow path from the reactor water storage pool (RWSP) to reactor coolant system (RCS) actuates to its correct position and that the high-pressure safety injection (HPSI) and low-pressure safety injection (LPSI) pumps start on an safety injection actuation signal (SIAS) test signal. Also, this SR verifies that the LPSI pump stops and the SIS pump isolation valves open on a recirculation actuation signal (RAS) test signal. This SR provides a level of assurance that SIS will align and respond as assumed in the safety analysis. Currently, SR 4.5.2e states that this test be performed at least once per 18 months during shutdown.
SR 4.6.2.1d verifies that each automatic valve in the containment spray system (CSS) flow path actuates to its correct position, the CSS pumps start on a containment spray actuation signal (CSAS) and the SIS sump isolation valves open on a RAS test signal. This surveillance provides a level of assurance that the CSS will align and respond as assumed in the safety analysis.
Currently, SR 4.6.2.1d states that this test be performed at least once per 18 months during shutdown.
SR 4.7.3b verifies that each automatic valve in the component cooling water system/auxiliary component cooling water system (CCWS/ACCWS) servicing safety-related equipment actuates to its correct position on an SIAS and CSAS test signal. This surveillance provides a level of assurance that the CCWS/ACCWS will align to provide cooling to the safety-related reactor auxiliaries assumed to operate post accident. Currently, SR 4.7.3b states that this test be performed at least once per 18 months during shutdown.
The licensee proposes to remove the words ?during shutdown from SR 4.5.2e, SR 4.6.2.1d, and SR 4.7.3b to provide flexibility to test many of these components online without reducing the testing requirements or test frequency. The test frequency will not change by this proposal and remains on an 18 month frequency.
Component actuations that will be allowed to be performed online for these TS SRs are either already actuated online for other TS SRs or the components to be actuated online are currently stroked online in accordance with the Inservice Testing Program. Therefore, the proposed change to remove the words during shutdown introduces no new operational configurations.
Section 50.36(c)(3) of 10 CFR does not require that the initial conditions (in this case ?during shutdown) for performing SRs be specified in the SR. For SRs 4.5.2e, 4.6.2.1d, and 4.7.3b, the actual surveillance requirements, to verify proper actuation on the specified actuation test signal, remain unchanged and, therefore, continue to comply with 10 CFR 50.36(c)(3). The corresponding SRs in NUREG-1432, Revision 3, for these components do not have the restriction to conduct the SRs during shutdown; i.e., the improved technical specifications (ITS) for Combustion Engineering plants allow these SRs to be conducted during normal power operations.
All maintenance activities are conducted in accordance with 10 CFR 50.65(a)(4), which requires that before performing maintenance activities (e.g., surveillance testing), the licensee shall assess and manage the increase in risk that may result from the proposed maintenance activities. Thus, online testing of the components will be assessed and managed to avoid undue risk.
Since the licensee is required to comply with 10 CFR 50.65(a)(4) before performing online testing of components and because 10 CFR 50.36(c)(3) does not require these components be tested only during shutdown conditions (as demonstrated by the corresponding SRs in the ITS), the NRC staff finds acceptable the removal of the words during shutdown from SR 4.5.2e, SR 4.6.2.1d, and SR 4.7.3b.
SR 4.7.12.1c verifies that all essential services chilled water automatic valves servicing safety-related equipment actuate to their proper position on an SIAS test signal. The original design of the essential services chilled water system at Waterford 3 included eight isolation valves that automatically closed on an SIAS to isolate the non-safety-related chilled water loop from the safety-related portions of the system. The non-safety-related chilled water loop was modified to physically separate it from the essential services chilled water system and it is now connected to a non-safety related supplemental chilled water system. The eight automatic isolation valves were removed from the system when the non-safety-related loop was disconnected.
Therefore, the NRC staff finds acceptable the deletion of SR 4.7.12.1c as an administrative change because the essential services chilled water system no longer contains any automatic valves servicing safety-related equipment that reposition on an SIAS.
4.0 STATE CONSULTATION
In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the Louisiana State official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendment. The State official had no comments.
5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
The amendment changes a requirement with respect to installation or use of a facility component located within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20.1003 and changes a surveillance requirement. The NRC 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 published December 20, 2005 (70 FR 75491). Accordingly, the amendment meets the eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9) and 10 CFR 51.22(c)(10).
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 amendments will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.
Principal Contributors: S. Wu M. Fields Date: October 6, 2006
May 2006 Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 3 cc:
Vice President Operations Support Entergy Operations, Inc.
P. O. Box 31995 Jackson, MS 39286-1995 Director Nuclear Safety Assurance Entergy Operations, Inc.
17265 River Road Killona, LA 70066-0751 Wise, Carter, Child & Caraway P. O. Box 651 Jackson, MS 39205 General Manager Plant Operations Waterford 3 SES Entergy Operations, Inc.
17265 River Road Killona, LA 70066-0751 Licensing Manager Entergy Operations, Inc.
17265 River Road Killona, LA 70066-0751 Winston & Strawn LLP 1700 K Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20006 Resident Inspector/Waterford NPS P. O. Box 822 Killona, LA 70066-0751 Regional Administrator, Region IV U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011 Parish President Council St. Charles Parish P. O. Box 302 Hahnville, LA 70057 Executive Vice President
& Chief Operating Officer Entergy Operations, Inc.
P. O. Box 31995 Jackson, MS 39286-1995 Chairman Louisiana Public Services Commission P. O. Box 91154 Baton Rouge, LA 70825-1697 Richard Penrod, Senior Environmental Scientist State Liaison Officer Office of Environmental Services Northwestern State University Russell Hall, Room 201 Natchitoches, LA 71497