ML062300240
| ML062300240 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee  |
| Issue date: | 08/28/2006 |
| From: | James Shea NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLI-1 |
| To: | Kansler M Entergy Nuclear Operations |
| References | |
| TAC MC5488 | |
| Download: ML062300240 (8) | |
Text
August 28, 2006 Mr. Michael Kansler President Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601
SUBJECT:
VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION - WITHDRAWAL OF AN AMENDMENT REQUEST RE: CONTROL ROD OPERABILITY (TAC NO.
Dear Mr. Kansler:
By letter dated December 15, 2004, as supplemented on December 12, 2005, and July 6, 2006, Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. submitted a proposed license amendment to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VY). The proposed changes would have revised the VY Technical Specifications (TSs) related to control rod operability, scram time and control rod accumulator technical specification surveillance testing requirements. In a telephone conference call on July 20, 2006, we informed members of your staff that we would not be able to approve the requested amendment as justified by your application and its supplements. As a result of these discussions, you withdrew your amendment request by letter dated August 10, 2006. The purpose of this letter is to inform you of some of the issues we encountered with your original amendment request in the event that you decide to resubmit this application at a later date.
Your proposed change would have revised the surveillance requirements (SRs) for verifying control rod coupling integrity as described in TS 4.3.B.1, revised the scram insertion time limiting conditions for operation (LCOs) and SRs as described in TS 3.3.C and 4.3.C, and enhanced TS 3.3.D and 4.3.D, the LCO and SR for control rod accumulators.
The NRC staff concluded that in response to our requests for additional information (RAI), you did not adequately answer the concerns related to the proposed scram times with slow rods and how they are conservative in relation to the analytical scram reactivity curve. Also, the most recent RAI response dated July 6, 2006, changed the approach for justifying the slow scram times from a VY specific evaluation to a more generic approach that modeled the Standard Technical Specifications scram reactivity curve. This approach may be valid for VY, however, you did not provide sufficient detailed information in your docketed submittals or in your explanation during our conference call to demonstrate to the staff that the revised generic method was conservative and safe for VY.
M. Kansler If you decide to re-submit your application at a later date, you may want to meet with our technical staff to discuss the application to ensure it will meet our expectations.
The Commission has filed the enclosed Notice of Withdrawal of Application for Amendment to Facility Operating License with the Office of the Federal Register for publication.
If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-1388.
Sincerely,
/RA/
James Shea, Project Manager Project Directorate I-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-271
Enclosure:
Notice of Withdrawal cc w/encl: See next page
M. Kansler If you decide to re-submit your application at a later date, you may want to meet with our technical staff to discuss the application to ensure it will meet our expectations.
The Commission has filed the enclosed Notice of Withdrawal of Application for Amendment to Facility Operating License with the Office of the Federal Register for publication.
If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-1388.
Sincerely,
/RA/
James Shea, Project Manager Project Directorate I-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-271
Enclosure:
Notice of Withdrawal cc w/encl: See next page DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC RidsNrrDORLLpl1-1 RidsOgcRP LPLI-1 R/F RidsNrrLASLittle RidsAcrsAcnwMailCenter RidsNrrPMJShea RidsNrrDORLDpr RidsRgn1MailCenter NMorgan BSingal VKlein Accession Number: ML062300240 OFFICE LPL1-1/PE LPL1-1/PM LPL1-1/LA LPL1-1/BC NAME NMorgan JShea SLittle RLaufer DATE 8/25/06 8/28/06 8/28/06 8/28/06 Official Record Copy
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:
Regional Administrator, Region I Ms. Carla A. White, RRPT, CHP U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Radiological Health 475 Allendale Road Vermont Department of Health King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415 P.O. Box 70, Drawer #43 108 Cherry Street Mr. David R. Lewis Burlington, VT 05402-0070 Pillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw, Pittman, LLP 2300 N Street, N.W. Mr. James M. DeVincentis Washington, DC 20037-1128 Manager, Licensing Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station Mr. David OBrien, Commissioner P.O. Box 0500 Vermont Department of Public Service 185 Old Ferry Road 112 State Street Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500 Montpelier, VT 05620-2601 Resident Inspector Mr. James Volz, Chairman Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station Public Service Board U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission State of Vermont P.O. Box 176 112 State Street Vernon, VT 05354 Montpelier, VT 05620-2701 Director, Massachusetts Emergency Chairman, Board of Selectmen Management Agency Town of Vernon ATTN: James Muckerheide P.O. Box 116 400 Worcester Rd.
Vernon, VT 05354-0116 Framingham, MA 01702-5399 Operating Experience Coordinator Jonathan M. Block, Esq.
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station Main Street 320 Governor Hunt Road P.O. Box 566 Vernon, VT 05354 Putney, VT 05346-0566 G. Dana Bisbee, Esq. Mr. John F. McCann Deputy Attorney General Director, Licensing 33 Capitol Street Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
Concord, NH 03301-6937 440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Chief, Safety Unit Office of the Attorney General Mr. Gary J. Taylor One Ashburton Place, 19th Floor Chief Executive Officer Boston, MA 02108 Entergy Operations 1340 Echelon Parkway Jackson, MS 39213
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:
Mr. John T. Herron Mr. Garrett D. Edwards Sr. VP and Chief Operating Officer 814 Waverly Road Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. Kennett Square, PA 19348 440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Ms. Stacey M. Lousteau Treasury Department Mr. Oscar Limpias Entergy Services, Inc.
Vice President, Engineering 639 Loyola Avenue Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. New Orleans, LA 70113 440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. Norman L. Rademacher Director, NSA Mr. Christopher Schwarz Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station Vice President, Operations Support P.O. Box 0500 Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. 185 Old Ferry Road 440 Hamilton Avenue Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500 White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. Raymond Shadis Mr. Michael J. Colomb New England Coalition Director of Oversight Post Office Box 98 Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. Edgecomb, ME 04556 440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. James P. Matteau Executive Director Assistant General Counsel Windham Regional Commission Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. 139 Main Street, Suite 505 440 Hamilton Avenue Brattleboro, VT 05301 White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. William K. Sherman Mr. Theodore Sullivan Vermont Department of Public Service Site Vice President 112 State Street Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. Drawer 20 Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station Montpelier, VT 05620-2601 P.O. Box 0500 185 Old Ferry Road Mr. Michael D. Lyster Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500 5931 Barclay Lane Naples, FL 34110-7306 Mr. James H. Sniezek 5486 Nithsdale Drive Ms. Charlene D. Faison Salisbury, MD 21801 Manager, Licensing 440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601
7590-01-P UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION DOCKET NO. 50-271 NOTICE OF WITHDRAWAL OF APPLICATION FOR AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has granted the request of Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (the licensee) to withdraw its December 15, 2004, application for proposed amendment to Facility Operating License No. DPR-28 for the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station, located in Windham County.
The proposed amendment would have revised the Technical Specifications pertaining to control rod operability, scram time and control rod accumulator technical specification surveillance testing requirements. The Commission had previously issued a Notice of Consideration of Issuance of Amendment published in the FEDERAL REGISTER on January 18, 2005 (70 FR 2889). However, by letter dated August 10, 2006, the licensee withdrew the proposed change.
For further details with respect to this action, see the application for amendment dated December 15, 2004, as supplemented on December 12, 2005, and July 6, 2006, and the licensee's letter dated August 10, 2006, which withdrew the application for license amendment.
Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRCs Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management Systems (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm.html. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who
encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209, or 301-415-4737 or by email to pdr@nrc.gov.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of August 2006.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
/RA/
James Shea, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch I-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation