ML062120752

2006/07/31-Requests for Additional Information for the Review of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station License Renewal Application

ML062120752
Person / Time
Site:	Pilgrim
Issue date:	07/31/2006
From:	Subbaratnam R NRC/NRR/ADRO/DLR/RLRA
To:	Kansler M Entergy Nuclear Operations
SUBBaratnam R, NRR/DLR/RLRA, 415-1478
References
%dam200612, TAC MC9669
Download: ML062120752 (7)

Text

July 31, 2006Mr. Michael KanslerPresident Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601-1839

SUBJECT:

REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE REVIEW OF THEPILGRIM NUCLEAR POWER STATION LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION(TAC MC9669)

Dear Mr. Kansler:

By letter dated January 25, 2006, Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. submitted an applicationpursuant to 10 CFR Part 54, to renew the operating license for Pilgrim Nuclear Power Stationfor review by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The NRC staff is reviewing theinformation contained in the license renewal application and has identified, in the enclosure,areas where additional information is needed to complete the review. These requests for additional information address Sections B.1.3 Control Rod Drive Return Nozzle, B.1.26 Reactor Vessel Surveillance Program and time-limited aging analysis aspects for Reactor Vessel Fluence (Section 4.2.1).These questions were discussed with a member of your staff, Bryan Ford, and a mutuallyagreeable date for this response is within 30 days from the date of this letter. If you have any questions, please contact me at 301-415-1478 or e-mail RXS2@nrc.gov

.Sincerely, /RA/Ram Subbaratnam, Project ManagerLicense Renewal Branch A Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor RegulationDocket No. 50-293

Enclosure:

Requests for Additional Informationcc w/encl: See next page

ML062120752E:\Filenet\ML062120752.wpdOFFICEPM:RLRA:DLRLA:DLRBC:REBB:DLRNAMERSubbaratnamIKingLLund DATE7/ 26 /067/ 21 /067/ 26 /06 Letter to Michael Kansler from Ram Subbaratnam dated July 31, 2006

SUBJECT:

REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE REVIEW OF THEPILGRIM NUCLEAR POWER STATION LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION(TAC MC9669)HARD COPYDLR R/FE-MAIL:JFairRWeisman AMurphy RPettis GGalletti DShum GBagchi SSmith (srs3)

SDuraiswamy YL (Renee) Li RidsNrrDlr RidsNrrDlrRlra RidsNrrDlrRlrb RidsNrrDe RidsNrrDci RidsNrreEemb RidsNrrDeEeeb RidsNrrDeEqva RidsNrrDss RidsNrrDnrl RidsOgcMailCenter RidsNrrAdes DLR Staff----------RSubbaratnam SHoffman SUttal JShea AWilliamson MMitchell Llambrose GCheruvenki GWilson CAnderson, Region 1 WRaymond, Region 1 NSheehan, Region 1 Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station cc:

Regional Administrator, Region IU. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415Senior Resident InspectorU. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station Post Office Box 867 Plymouth, MA 02360Chairman, Board of Selectmen11 Lincoln Street Plymouth, MA 02360ChairmanNuclear Matters Committee Town Hall 11 Lincoln Street Plymouth, MA 02360Chairman, Duxbury Board of SelectmenTown Hall 878 Tremont Street Duxbury, MA 02332Office of the CommissionerMassachusetts Department of Environmental Protection One Winter Street Boston, MA 02108Office of the Attorney GeneralOne Ashburton Place 20th Floor Boston, MA 02108Director, Radiation Control ProgramCommonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Offices of Health and Human Services 174 Portland Street Boston, MA 02114Secretary of Public SafetyExecutive Office of Public Safety One Ashburton Place Boston, MA 02108 Director, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Attn: James Muckerheide 400 Worcester Road Framingham, MA 01702-5399Mr. William D. MeinertNuclear Engineer Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company

P.O. Box 426 Ludlow, MA 01056-0426Mr. Michael A. BalduzziSite Vice President Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station 600 Rocky Hill RoadPlymouth, MA 02360-5508Mr. Stephen J. BethayDirector, Nuclear Safety Assurance Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station 600 Rocky Hill RoadPlymouth, MA 02360-5508Mr. Bryan S. FordManager, Licensing Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station 600 Rocky Hill RoadPlymouth, MA 02360-5508Mr. Gary J. Taylor Chief Executive Officer Entergy Operations 1340 Echelon Parkway Jackson, MS 39213 Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station cc:

Mr. John T. HerronSr. VP and Chief Operating Officer Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Oscar LimpiasVice President, Engineering Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Christopher SchwarzVice President, Operations Support Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. John F. McCannDirector, Nuclear Safety Assurance Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Ms. Charlene D. FaisonManager, Licensing Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Michael D. Lyster5931 Barclay Lane Naples, FL 34110-7306Mr. Michael J. ColombDirector of Oversight Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Ms. Stacey LousteauTreasury Department Entergy Services, Inc.

639 Loyola Avenue New Orleans, LA 70113Mr. James Sniezek5486 Nithsdale Drive Salisbury, MD 21801Mr. Travis C. McCulloughAssistant General Counsel Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. James RossNuclear Energy Institute 1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006-3708Plymouth Public LibraryAttn: Dinah O'Brien 132 South Street Plymouth, MA 02360Duxbury Free Library ATTN: Ms. Elaine Winquist 77 Alden Street Duxbury, MA 02332 Kingston Public Library ATTN: Reference Librarian 6 Green Street Kingston, MA 02364Ms. Mary LampertDuxbury Nuclear Advisory, Chair Pilgrim watch, Director 148 Washington Street Duxbury 02332 Enclosure REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (RAIs)PILGRIM NUCLEAR POWER STATIONLICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION SECTIONS B.1.3, B.1.26 and 4.2.1B.1.26Reactor Vessel Surveillance ProgramRAI-B.1.26-1The applicant in the updated final safety analysis report (UFSAR) supplement A.2.1.28,"Reactor Vessel Surveillance Program," and in the aging management program (AMP) B.1.26, "Reactor Vessel Surveillance," states that it will implement the Boiling Water Reactor Vessel and Internals Project (BWRVIP) integrated surveillance program (ISP) at the Pilgrim NuclearPower Station (PNPS) as specified in BWRVIP-116, "BWR Vessel Internals Project Integrated Surveillance Program Implementation for License Renewal." By letter dated March 1, 2006, the staff has issued the final safety evaluation (SE) for the BWRVIP-116 report and therefore, the staff requests that the applicant include the following statement in UFSAR supplementSection A.2.1.28 and in AMP B.1.26 of the license renewal application (LRA)."The BWRVIP-116 report which was approved by the staff will beimplemented at PNPS with the conditions documented in Sections 3 and 4 of the staff's final SE dated March 1, 2006, for the BWRVIP-116 report."RAI-B.1.26-2Title 10 of the Code Federal Regulations Part 50 (10 CFR Part 50), Appendix H requires that anISP used as a basis for a licensee implemented reactor vessel surveillance program be reviewed and approved by the NRC staff. The ISP to be used by the applicant is a programthat was developed by the BWRVIP. The applicant will apply the BWRVIP ISP as the methodby which the PNPS unit will comply with the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix H. TheBWRVIP ISP identifies capsules that must be tested to monitor neutron radiation embrittlement for all licensees participating in the ISP and identifies capsules that need not to be tested (standby capsules). Table 3-3 of the BWRVIP-116 report indicates that the standby capsule from PNPS unit is not to be tested. This untested capsule was originally part of the applicant's plant-specific surveillance program and has received significant amounts of neutron radiation. The staff requests that the applicant include the following statement in the UFSAR supplementSection A.2.1.28 of the LRA."If the PNPS standby capsule is removed from the reactor vessel without the intent to test it, thecapsule will be stored in a manner which maintains it in a condition which would permit its futureuse, including during the period of extended operation, if necessary." B.1.3-1Control Rod Drive (CRD) Return NozzleRAI-B.1.3-1Provide information regarding the type of inspection and the inspection frequency of the cappedCRD return line nozzle weld overlay during the extended period of operation.RAI-B.1.3-2 The applicant states that it will take the following exception to the inspection requirements forthe CRD return line nozzle weld as mandated by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers(ASME) Code,Section XI.PNPS proposes to examine 1/2" of the volume on either side of the widest part of the N10nozzle-to-vessel weld in lieu of 1/2 the vessel wall thickness as required by the ASME Code,Section XI, 1998 Edition, 2000 Addenda, Figure IAB-2500-7(b). The staff requests that the applicant provide information regarding the state of stress that ispresent in the volume of the subject weld that will not be included in the future examinations. Clarify whether the highly stressed volume of the weld, where cracks can initiate, will be examined effectively with the proposed alternative. The staff believes that the applicant shouldobtain prior approval from the staff for implementing the proposed alternative examinationunder the provisions of 10 CFR 50.55a before entering into the extended period of operation. Provide information whether the proposed alternative examination of the CRD return line nozzleweld has previously been submitted to the staff for review and approval for the current ISI interval.4.2.1 Reactor Vessel FluenceRAI 4.2.1-1Section 4.2.1 of the submittal indicates that PNPS used the radiation analysis modelingapplication code for the calculation of the 54 effective full-power year (EFPY) vessel fluence values. Section 4.2.2 states that recent calculations done per Regulatory Guide 1.190 confirmthat the fluence for 54 EFPY is less than the fluence used to calculate the pressure andtemperature limits in Reference 4.2-5, "Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station - Issuance of Amendment Re: Pressure-Temperature Limit Curves (TAC NO.MB0561)," letter dated April 13, 2001, Wang, A., to M. Bellamy.Please provide information to substantiate this statement, preferably in the form of acontractor's report that documented these fluence calculations.