ML062560341

2006/09/11-Requests for Additional Information for the Review of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station License Renewal Application

ML062560341
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png
Issue date:	09/11/2006
From:	Rowley J NRC/NRR/ADRO/DLR/RLRB
To:	Kansler M Entergy Nuclear Operations
Ellis, Twana, NRR/DLR/RLRA 301-415-3134
References
%dam200611
Download: ML062560341 (7)

Text

September 11, 2006Mr. Michael KanslerPresident Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601-1839

SUBJECT:

REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE REVIEW OFVERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION LICENSE RENEWALAPPLICATION

Dear Mr. Kansler:

By letter dated January 25, 2006, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received theEntergy 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 the NRC Project Team that performed the agingmanagement program, aging management review, and time-limited aging analysis audits at VYNPS.Based on discussions with Mr. Jim DeVincentis of your staff, a mutually agreeable date for yourresponse 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 ManagerLicense Renewal Branch B Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor RegulationDocket No. 50-271

Enclosure:

Requests for Additional Informationcc w/encl: See next page

Document Name: E:\Filenet\ML062560341.wpdOFFICEPM:RLRB:DLRLA:DLRBC:RLRC:DLRBC:RLRB:DLRNAMEJRowleyIKingKChangJZimmerman DATE08/29/0608/29/0609/11/0609/11/06 Letter to Michael Kansler from Jonathan Rowley dated September 11, 2006

SUBJECT:

REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE REVIEW OFVERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION LICENSE RENEWALAPPLICATIONHARD COPYDLR R/FE-MAIL:JFair RWeisman 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

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JRowley RLaufer JShea CAnderson, RI MSykes, RI DScrenci, RI MModes, RI DPelton, Sr. Resident MYoung RidsOpaMail Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:

Regional Administrator, Region IU. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415Mr. David R. LewisPillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw, Pittman, LLP 2300 N Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20037-1128Mr. David O'Brien, CommissionerVermont Department of Public Service 112 State Street Montpelier, VT 05620-2601Mr. James Volz, ChairmanPublic Service Board State of Vermont 112 State Street Montpelier, VT 05620-2701Chairman, Board of Selectmen Town of Vernon P.O. Box 116 Vernon, VT 05354-0116Operating Experience CoordinatorVermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station 320 Governor Hunt Road Vernon, VT 05354G. Dana Bisbee, Esq.Deputy Attorney General 33 Capitol Street Concord, NH 03301-6937Chief, Safety Unit Office of the Attorney General One Ashburton Place, 19th Floor Boston, MA 02108Ms. Deborah B. KatzBox 83 Shelburne Falls, MA 01370Ms. Carla A. White, RRPT, CHPRadiological Health Vermont Department of Health P.O. Box 70, Drawer #43 108 Cherry Street Burlington, VT 05402-0070Mr. James M. DeVincentisManager, Licensing Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station P.O. Box 0500 185 Old Ferry Road Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500Resident InspectorVermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

P.O. Box 176 Vernon, VT 05354Director, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency ATTN: James Muckerheide 400 Worcester Rd.

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

P.O. Box 566 Putney, VT 05346-0566Mr. John F. McCannDirector, Licensing Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Gary J. TaylorChief Executive Officer Entergy Operations 1340 Echelon Parkway Jackson, MS 39213Mr. John T. HerronSr. VP and Chief Operating Officer Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:

Mr. Oscar LimpiasVice President, Engineering Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

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

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Michael J. ColombDirector of Oversight Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Travis C. McCulloughAssistant General Counsel Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Ted SullivanSite 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. Sniezek5486 Nithsdale Drive Salisbury, MD 21801Ms. Stacey M. LousteauTreasury Department Entergy Services, Inc.

639 Loyola Avenue New Orleans, LA 70113Mr. Raymond ShadisNew England Coalition Post Office Box 98 Edgecomb, ME 04556Mr. James P. MatteauExecutive Director Windham Regional Commission 139 Main Street, Suite 505 Brattleboro, VT 05301Mr. William K. ShermanVermont Department of Public Service 112 State Street Drawer 20 Montpelier, VT 05620-2601Mr. Michael D. Lyster5931 Barclay Lane Naples, FL 34110-7306Ms. Charlene D. FaisonManager, Licensing 440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. James RossNuclear Energy Institute 1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006-3708Diane Curran, Esq.*Harmon, Curran, Spielberg

& Eisenberg, L.L.P.

1726 M Street, NW., Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 EnclosureVERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATIONLICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATIONREQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (RAIs)RAI 3.6.2.2-N-08-1The applicant responded to the staff's Request for Additional Information (RAI) 3.6.2.2-N-08 ina letter dated July 14, 2006, "License Renewal Application, Amendment 4". In the letter theapplicant stated: "Entergy, consistent with the Peach Bottom precedent, credited the [Federal EnergyRegulatory Commission] FERC dam inspection program to manage the effects of aging on civil and structural elements of the [Vernon Hydroelectric Station] VHS."A FERC letter to the previous owner of the VHS, New England Power Company (currentlyowned by TransCanada Hydro Northeast Inc.), dated August 6, 1997 states: "By letter dated June 26, 1997, you requested an exemption from filing an Independent Consultant's SafetyInspection Report under Part 12, Subpart D, of the Commission's Regulations..." and "...I am granting your request for an exemption from the Part 12, Subpart D requirement for submittal of an Independent Consultant's Safety Inspection Report." As the exemption is only on the filing of an Independent Consultant's Safety Inspection Reportunder Part 12, Subpart D, describe specific Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station aging management activities, provide inspection reports, and describe any corrective actions that have been take as a result of the inspection reports - as they pertain to the VHS in accordance with 10 CFR 54.21(a)(3) - since the exemption was granted.Integrated Plant Assessment for Electrical SSCs In letter dated July 14, 2006, "License Renewal Application, Amendment 4," the applicant statedthat no aging effects require management for VHS based on independent generators and power transmission circuits. The Statements of Considerations for 10 CFR Part 54 clearly states that redundancy can not be used to preclude aging effects of in-scope passive-long-lived electrical components. In order for the staff to further evaluate the VHS issue, please provide the following additional information:RAI 3.6.2.2-N-08-2 Electrical components for the VHS include 2 black-start turbine generators, cables and busesfor power transmission, instrumentation and control components and their associated cablesand connections. The audit team found that there is an aging management program (AMP) for underground cables from Vernon tie breaker routed to Vermont Yankee. However, there appears to be no AMPs for electrical components from the tie breaker to VHS generators.

Please describe how aging effects on the rest of the electrical components will be m anagedduring the period of extended operation.

RAI 3.6.2.2-N-08-3 Identify all inaccessible medium-voltage (2 kV to 35 kV) cables associated with station blackout(SBO) alternate ac (AAC) source from the VHS generators to 4.16 kV safety buses at VYNPS.

Please describe how aging effects will be managed for all inaccessible medium-voltage cablesassociated with SBO AAC that are not subject to environment qualification requirements of10 CFR 50.49 and are exposed to moisture while energized. RAI 3.6.2.2-N-08-4The applicant stated that VHS switchyard passive long-lived commodity groups are effectivelymaintained through routine maintenance by the switchyard owner. Describe how this routine maintenance will manage the aging effects on the VHS switchyard passive long-livedcommodity groups during the period of extended operations.RAI 3.6.2.2-N-08-5Address the following SBO AAC related items:a. Please describe (as stated in Generic Aging Lessons Learned (GALL) AMP XI.E6) how aging effects are managed so that the intended function of cable connections associated with SBO AAC (including VHS) will be maintained duringthe extended period of operation. b.As stated in GALL XI.E5, fuse holders that are within the scope of licenserenewal should be tested. Provide an aging management review (AMR) and describe how aging effects are managed for fuse holders (metallic clamps)associated with SBO AAC source (including VHS).c.Please discuss why torque relaxation for bolted connections of switchyard buswithin the VHS switchyards (69 kV and 13.8 kV) is not a concern.

d.Per LRA Section 3.6, increased resistance of connections due to oxidation is notan applicable aging effect. Please discuss why increased resistance of connections due to oxidation is not a concern for the switchyard bus and switchyard bus connections associated with the VHS switchyard, or provide an AMP to manage the aging effect.e.A large buildup of contamination enables the conductor voltage to track alongthe surface more easily and can lead to insulator flash over. Please describe how this aging effect is managed for high-voltage insulators within the VHS switchyards.