ML063180579
| ML063180579 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Browns Ferry  |
| Issue date: | 11/28/2006 |
| From: | Chernoff M NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLII-2 |
| To: | Singer K Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Chernoff M, NRR/DORL, 415-4041 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML063180584 | List: |
| References | |
| TAC MC4797 | |
| Download: ML063180579 (10) | |
Text
November 28, 2006 Mr. Karl W. Singer Chief Nuclear Officer and Executive Vice President Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801
SUBJECT:
BROWN FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 1 - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT REGARDING REMOVAL OF LICENSE CONDITION 2.C(4)
(TAC NO. MC4797) (TS-432)
Dear Mr. Singer:
The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 265 to Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-33 for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN), Unit 1. This amendment is in response to your application dated October 12, 2004, as supplemented by letters dated September 7 and November 1, 2006.
The amendment removes License Condition (LC) 2.C(4) from the license for BFN Unit 1. The plant records supporting TVAs determination that this LC has been satisfied are subject to future U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission review or audit, as appropriate.
A copy of the Safety Evaluation is also enclosed. Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's biweekly Federal Register notice.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Margaret H. Chernoff, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch II-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-259
Enclosures:
- 1. Amendment No. 265 to License No. DPR-33
- 2. Safety Evaluation cc w/enclosures: See next page
- NLO w/revisions NRR-058 OFFICE LPL2-2/PM LPL2-2/LA OGC*
LPL2-2/BC NAME MChernoff BClayton MBarkman LRaghavan DATE 11/28/06 11/28/06 11/21/06 11/28/06
TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY DOCKET NO. 50-259 BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT UNIT 1 AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 265 Renewed License No. DPR-33 1.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:
A.
The application for amendment by Tennessee Valley Authority (the licensee) dated October 12, 2004, as supplemented by letters dated September 7 and November 1, 2006, 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 Renewed Operating License is amended as indicated in the attachment to this license amendment.
3.
This license amendment is effective as of its date of issuance and shall be implemented within 30 days from the date of issuance.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
/RA/
L. Raghavan, Chief, Plant Licensing Branch II-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Attachment:
Changes to the Renewed Operating License No. DPR-33 Date of Issuance: November 28, 2006
ATTACHMENT TO RENEWED LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 265 FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-33 DOCKET NO. 50-259 Replace the following pages of Renewed Operating License No. 50-259 with the attached revised pages. The revised pages are identified by amendment number and contain vertical lines indicating the areas of change.
REMOVE INSERT 3
3 4
4
SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO. 265 TO RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-33 TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 1 DOCKET NO. 50-259
1.0 INTRODUCTION
By letter dated October 12, 2004, as supplemented by letters dated September 7 and November 1, 2006, the Tennessee Valley Authority (the licensee, TVA) requested an amendment to Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-33 for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN), Unit 1. The proposed amendment would remove License Condition (LC) 2.C(4) from the license.
The supplements dated September 7 and November 1, 2006, provided additional information that clarified the application, did not expand the scope of the application as originally noticed, and did not change the staffs original proposed no significant hazards consideration determination as published in the Federal Register on August 15, 2006. (71 FR 46937).
2.0 REGULATORY EVALUATION
2.1 Background and Description of Change On September 6, 1996, TVA submitted a license amendment request for BFN, Units 1, 2, and 3, that consisted of a conversion from custom Technical Specifications (TSs) to Improved Technical Specifications (ITSs). On July 14, 1998, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff issued a safety evaluation approving this change. At that time BFN Unit 1 was in a long-term lay-up with no plans to return to service. In some instances, the specific setpoints and configurations for Units 2 and 3 were used for Unit 1, and these changes were not supported by design basis documentation for Unit 1. In order to ensure Unit 1 could not be put into an operating configuration before all the required analyses and confirmatory activities were completed, license condition (LC) 2.C(4) was inserted in the Unit 1 license. LC 2.C(4) states:
The licensee shall review the Technical Specification (TS) changes made by License Amendment No. 234 and any subsequent TS changes, verify that the required analyses and modifications needed to support the changes are complete, and submit them for NRC review and approval prior to entering the mode for which the TS applies. This amendment is effective immediately and shall be implemented prior to entering the mode for which the TS applies.
2.2 Regulatory Evaluation On October 12, 2004, TVA submitted a letter describing the completion of the requirements of LC 2.C(4). Also, since BFN Unit 1 will no longer be in a long-term lay-up condition, there is no need for continuation of LC 2.C(4) because the supporting analyses will be completed for each future proposed TS change for the BFN Unit 1. Therefore, TVA requested removal of LC 2.C(4) from the license for BFN Unit 1.
To evaluate the acceptability of the licensees request, the NRC staff reviewed the licensees description of the actions taken to complete the requirements of LC 2.C(4), and the licensees justification for removal of this LC.
3.0 TECHNICAL EVALUATION
3.1 Completion of Necessary Actions The licensee stated that several items related to instrument calibration frequencies, instrument check frequencies, system configurations and setpoints were specifically identified as open items in the safety evaluation for conversion to ITSs. For each of the specific changes identified as open items in the safety evaluation for the conversion to ITSs, TVA provided the method for validation and references to the associated amendment request submitted to the NRC staff. The NRC staff verified that each open item was included in the referenced submittal.
As part of the closure of LC 2.C(4), TVA stated that a review was conducted to ensure that each TS instrument value has an approved Unit 1 Nuclear Engineering Setpoint and Scaling Document and an associated calculation. Other parameters not related to instruments (e.g.,
Pressure-Temperature Curves) were also verified by TVA to have Unit 1 applicable supporting documents.
The licensee further stated that since the approval of the conversion to ITSs, several Unit 1 license amendment requests have been approved or are currently under NRC review. The licensee also stated that TVA has reviewed the TS changes made since the conversion to ITSs and the analyses needed to support the Unit 1 TSs have been completed except for the seismic analysis associated with LC 2.C(15).
Based on the information supplied by the licensee as described above, the NRC staff concludes that these actions, if appropriately implemented, are the actions necessary to resolve the open items related to Amendment No. 234 and subsequent amendments. On the basis of the licensees descriptions of their actions, the NRC staff finds that this LC has been satisfactorily addressed. Proper implementation of these actions will be subject to future inspection activities.
3.2 Deletion of License Condition The licensee stated that LC 2.C(4) is no longer necessary because in the future, the appropriate analyses to support proposed license amendments will be completed for Unit 1 at the time the amendment is requested. The licensee also stated that TVA has reviewed the TS changes made since the conversion to ITSs and the analyses needed to support the Unit 1 TSs have been completed except for the seismic analysis associated with LC 2.C(15). It is not necessary to retain LC 2.C(4) open to track completion of this analysis as its completion is adequately tracked by LC 2.C(15). Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that, since the licensee has completed the actions required by LC 2.C(4) and this LC is not necessary for the future, LC 2.C(4) is deleted from the license for BFN Unit 1.
3.3 Summary Based on the information provided by TVA, the NRC staff concludes that the licensee has satisfied the LC 2.C(4) for BFN Unit 1. As any further changes in the TS for BFN Unit 1 will require a plant-specific analysis after the plant restart, there is no need for LC 2.C(4). Therefore removal of the LC 2.C(4) from the BFN Unit 1 license is acceptable to the NRC staff.
4.0 STATE CONSULTATION
In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the Alabama State official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendment. The State official had no comments.
5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
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 (71 FR 46937). Accordingly, the amendment meets the eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). 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.
5.0 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 amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.
Principal Contributor: Margaret H. Chernoff Date: November 28, 2006
Mr. Karl W. Singer BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT Tennessee Valley Authority cc:
Mr. Ashok S. Bhatnagar, Senior Vice President Nuclear Operations Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Larry S. Bryant, Vice President Nuclear Engineering & Technical Services Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Brian OGrady, Site Vice President Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Mr. Preston D. Swafford, Vice President Nuclear Support Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 General Counsel Tennessee Valley Authority ET 11A 400 West Summit Hill Drive Knoxville, TN 37902 Mr. John C. Fornicola, General Manager Nuclear Assurance Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Bruce Aukland, Plant Manager Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Mr. Masoud Bajestani, Vice President Browns Ferry Unit 1 Restart Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Mr. Robert G. Jones, General Manager Browns Ferry Site Operations Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Mr. Larry S. Mellen Browns Ferry Unit 1 Project Engineer Division of Reactor Projects, Branch 6 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 61 Forsyth Street, SW.
Suite 23T85 Atlanta, GA 30303-8931 Ms. Beth A. Wetzel, Manager Corporate Nuclear Licensing and Industry Affairs Tennessee Valley Authority 4X Blue Ridge 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 M. Robert H. Bryan, Jr., General Manager Licensing and Industry Affairs Tennessee Valley Authority 4X Blue Ridge 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. William D. Crouch, Manager Licensing and Industry Affairs Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant 10833 Shaw Road Athens, AL 35611-6970 State Health Officer Alabama Dept. of Public Health RSA Tower - Administration Suite 1552 P.O. Box 303017 Montgomery, AL 36130-3017 Chairman Limestone County Commission 310 West Washington Street Athens, AL 35611