ML062290437

2006/08/16-RAI for the Review of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station License Renewal Application (Reactor Vessel Internals)

ML062290437
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png
Issue date:	08/16/2006
From:	Rowley J NRC/NRR/ADRO/DLR/RLRB
To:	Kansler M Entergy Nuclear Operations
Rowley J, NRR/DLR/RLRB, 415-4053
References
%dam200611
Download: ML062290437 (8)

Text

August 16, 2006 Mr. Michael Kansler President Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue

White Plains, NY 10601-1839

SUBJECT:

REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE REVIEW OF VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION LICENSE RENEWAL

APPLICATION

Dear Mr. Kansler:

By letter dated January 25, 2006, as supplemented by letter dated March 15, 2006, the U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received the Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.,

application for renewal of Operating License No. DPR-28 for the Vermont Yankee Nuclear

Power Station (VYNPS). The NRC staff is reviewing the information contained in the license

renewal application and has identified, in the enclosure, areas where additional information is

needed to complete the review. Specifically, the enclosed requests for additional information

are from Section B.1.2, "BWR CRD Return Line Nozzle," and B.1.24, "Reactor Vessel

Surveillance," of the VYNPS license renewal application.

Based on discussions with Mr. Jim DeVincentis of your staff, a mutually agreeable date for your response is within 30 days of the date of this letter. If you have any questions regarding this

letter or if circumstances result in your need to revise the response date, please contact me at

301-415-4053 or by e-mail at jgr@nrc.gov

.Sincerely, /RA/Jonathan Rowley, Project Manager License Renewal Branch B

Division of License Renewal

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-271

Enclosure:

Requests for Additional Information cc w/encl: See next page

ML062290437OFFICEPM:RLRB:DLRLA:DLRBC:RLRB:DLRNAMEJRowleyIKingJZimmerman DATE08/ 15 /0608/ 15 /0608/ 16 /06

Letter to Michael Kansler from Jonathan Rowley dated August 16, 2006

SUBJECT:

REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE REVIEW OF VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION LICENSE RENEWAL

APPLICATION HARD COPY DLR R/F E-MAIL: JFair RWeisman AMurphy RPettis GGalletti DShum GBagchi SSmith (srs3)

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JEads JRowley RLaufer JShea CAnderson, RI MSykes, RI

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MModes, RI

DPelton, Sr. Resident

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RidsOpaMail Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc: Regional Administrator, Region I U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

475 Allendale Road

King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415 Mr. David R. Lewis Pillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw, Pittman, LLP

2300 N Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20037-1128 Mr. David O'Brien, Commissioner Vermont Department of Public Service

112 State Street

Montpelier, VT 05620-2601 Mr. James Volz, Chairman Public Service Board

State of Vermont

112 State Street

Montpelier, VT 05620-2701 Chairman, Board of Selectmen Town of Vernon

P.O. Box 116

Vernon, VT 05354-0116 Operating Experience Coordinator Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station

320 Governor Hunt Road

Vernon, VT 05354 G. Dana Bisbee, Esq.

Deputy Attorney General

33 Capitol Street

Concord, NH 03301-6937 Chief, Safety Unit Office of the Attorney General

One Ashburton Place, 19th Floor

Boston, MA 02108 Ms. Deborah B. Katz Box 83 Shelburne Falls, MA 01370 Ms. Carla A. White, RRPT, CHP Radiological Health

Vermont Department of Health

P.O. Box 70, Drawer #43

108 Cherry Street

Burlington, VT 05402-0070Mr. James M. DeVincentis Manager, Licensing

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station

P.O. Box 0500

185 Old Ferry Road

Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500 Resident Inspector Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station

U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

P.O. Box 176

Vernon, VT 05354 Director, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency

ATTN: James Muckerheide

400 Worcester Rd.

Framingham, MA 01702-5399 Jonathan M. Block, Esq.

Main Street

P.O. Box 566

Putney, VT 05346-0566 Mr. John F. McCann Director, Licensing

Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue

White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. Gary J. Taylor Chief Executive Officer

Entergy Operations

1340 Echelon Parkway

Jackson, MS 39213 Mr. John T. Herron Sr. VP and Chief Operating Officer

Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue

White Plains, NY 10601 Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:Mr. Oscar Limpias Vice President, Engineering

Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue

White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. Christopher Schwartz Vice President, Operations Support

Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue

White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. Michael J. Colomb Director of Oversight

Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue

White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. Travis C. McCullough Assistant General Counsel

Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue

White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. Ted Sullivan Site Vice President

Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station

P.O. Box 0500

185 Old Ferry Road

Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500Mr. James H. Sniezek 5486 Nithsdale Drive

Salisbury, MD 21801 Ms. Stacey M. Lousteau Treasury Department

Entergy Services, Inc.

639 Loyola Avenue

New Orleans, LA 70113 Mr. Raymond Shadis New England Coalition

Post Office Box 98

Edgecomb, ME 04556Mr. James P. Matteau Executive Director

Windham Regional Commission

139 Main Street, Suite 505

Brattleboro, VT 05301 Mr. William K. Sherman Vermont Department of Public Service

112 State Street

Drawer 20 Montpelier, VT 05620-2601 Mr. Michael D. Lyster 5931 Barclay Lane

Naples, FL 34110-7306 Ms. Charlene D. Faison Manager, Licensing

440 Hamilton Avenue

White Plains, NY 10601Mr. James Ross Nuclear Energy Institute

1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400

Washington, DC 20006-3708 VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION ENCLOSURE 2 REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (RAIs)

RAI B.1.24-1 The applicant, in the updated final safety analysis report (UFSAR) supplement A.2.1.26,"Reactor Vessel Surveillance Program," and in the aging management program (AMP) B.1.24,"Reactor Vessel Surveillance," states that it will implement the Boiling Water Reactor Vessel

and Internals Project (BWRVIP) Integrated Surveillance Program (ISP) at the Vermont Yankee

Nuclear Power Station (VYNPS) as specified in the BWRVIP-116 report, "BWR Vessel and

Internals Project Integrated Surveillance Progr am Implementation for License Renewal." By letter dated March 1, 2006, the staff issued the final safety evaluation (SE) for the BWRVIP-116

report and therefore, the staff requests that the applicant include the following commitment (shown in bold underlined font) in UFSAR supplement Section A.2.1.26 and in AMP B.1.24 of

the license renewal application (LRA).The BWRVIP-116 report which was approved by the staff will beimplemented at VYNPS 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.1.24-2 Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Appendix H requires that an ISP used as a basis for a licensee implemented reactor vessel surveillance program be reviewed

and approved by the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff. The ISP to be used by the

applicant is a program that was developed by the BWRVIP. The applicant will apply the

BWRVIP ISP as the method by which the VYNPS will comply with the requirements of 10 CFR

Part 50, Appendix H. The BWRVIP 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 be tested (standby capsules). Table 3-3 of the BWRVIP-116 report indicates that

the standby capsule from the VYNPS 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 commitment (shown in bold underlined font) in the UFSAR supplement Section A.2.1.26 and in AMP B.1.24 of the LRA.If the VYNPS standby capsule is removed from the RPV without the intentto test it, the capsule will be stored in a manner which maintains it in acondition which would permit its future use, including during the period ofextended operation, if necessary.

RAI B.1.2-1 The applicant states that the Control Rod Drive (CRD) return line nozzle has been capped at VYNPS. The staff requests that the applicant provide the following information regarding the

cap and the weld.(1)Describe the configuration, location and material of construction of the capped nozzle. This should include the existing base material for the nozzle, piping (if piping remnants exist) and cap material, and any welds. (2)Describe how the aging effects for this weld and the cap are managed in accordance with the guidelines of BWRVIP-75, "BWR Vessel and Internals Project (BWRVIP),

Technical Basis for Revisions to Generic Letter 88-01 Inspection Schedule." (3)Discuss whether the event at Pilgrim (leaking weld at capped nozzle, September 30, 2003) is applicable to VYNPS. The staff issued Information Notice 2004-08, "Reactor Coolant

Pressure Boundary Leakage Attributable to Propagation of Cracking in Reactor Vessel

Nozzle Welds," dated April 22, 2004, which states that the cracking occurred in an Alloy

182 weld that was previously repaired ext ensively. Discuss experience with previous leakage at the VYNPS capped nozzle, if any. Include in your discussion the past

inspection techniques applied, the results obtained, and mitigative strategies imposed.

Provide information as to how the plant-specific experience related to this aging effect

impacts the attributes specified in AMP B.1.2, "BWR CRD Return line Nozzles."

RAI B.1.2-2 Section 4 of the Generic Aging Lessens Learned Report (GALL) AMP XI.M6, "BWR Control Rod Drive (CRD) Return Line Nozzle," recommends that the aging degradation in the CRD return

line nozzles should be monitored per the inspection recommendations specified in NUREG-

0619, "BWR Feedwater Nozzle and Control Rod Drive Return Line Nozzle Cracking." Section

8.2(2) of NUREG-0619 recommends that ultrasonic testing (UT) should be performed on the

welded connection joining the rerouted CRD return line to the system which then returns the

flow to the reactor vessel during each refueling outage.

In a letter dated January 15, 1982, the applicant made a commitment to the staff indicating that it will perform UT examination of the CRD to the reactor water cleanup (RWCU) weld joint as

discussed in NUREG-0619 for three consecutive refuel outages. The applicant further stated

that upon the completion of these inspections, the inspection frquency will be reassessed based

on the inspection results. In AMP B.1.2, "BWR CRD Return Line Nozzle," the applicant stated

that it inspected the CRD return line to the RWCU weld joint using UT methods for three

consecutive refuel outages and found no indications. Since no indications were found, the applicant intends to take exception to GALL AMP XI.M6, in which the applicant proposes not to

inspect the aforementioned weld joint during the extended period of operation. The staff

determined that the following information regarding the subject weld is required to complete its

review.(1) The applicant should provide technical justification for not performing the UT examination of the subject weld as recommended by the GALL AMP XI.M6 and NUREG-0619 during the extended period of operation. (2) The applicant should confirm that the CRD return lines that are connected to RWCUpiping system that fall under the jurisdiction of the ASME Code,Section XI boundary will be inspected per the ASME Section XI Code.

RAI 4.2-1 In Section 4.2.1 of the VYNPS LRA it is stated that "...the reactor fluence ....has been projected to the end of the period of extended operation." In Sections 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 of the LRA there is

no discussion of how this extrapolation was performed. Vermont Yankee has been approved

for operation at an extended power uprate. In general, power uprates are based on revised

axial power profiles with higher axial peaks at a lower axial location. Therefore, extrapolation of the existing axial profile may not provide an accurate projection.

In view of the above, please respond to the following:

(1)Compare the axial power profiles (at the peak power azimuthal location) and confirm that the extrapolation remains valid.(2)Confirm that the projected operating plan will support the assumed axial power profile to the end of the period of extended operation.