ML070180189

Ltr 1/17/07 Summary of the 12/19/06 Public Regulatory Conference to Discuss an Apparent Violation Involving Potential Vortexing and Subsequent Operations of the High Pressure Core Spray Pump

ML070180189
Person / Time
Site:	Clinton
Issue date:	01/17/2007
From:	Ann Marie Stone NRC/RGN-III/DRS/EB2
To:	Crane C Exelon Generation Co, Exelon Nuclear
References
EA-06-291
Download: ML070180189 (5)

Text

January 17, 2007 EA# 06-291 Mr. Christopher M. Crane President and Chief Nuclear Officer Exelon Nuclear Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555

SUMMARY

OF THE DECEMBER 19, 2006, PUBLIC REGULATORY CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS AN APPARENT VIOLATION INVOLVING POTENTIAL VORTEXING AND SUBSEQUENT OPERATION OF THE HIGH PRESSURE CORE SPRAY PUMP

Dear Mr. Crane:

On December 19, 2006, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) held a public Regulatory Conference at the Region III Office, located at 2443 Warrenville Road, Lisle, Illinois. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss an apparent violation, at Clinton Power Station, involving potential vortexing and subsequent operation of the high pressure core spray pump. This issue was characterized as potentially greater than very low safety significance as documented in Inspection Report 05000461/2006011. The inspection report, meeting notice, NRC presentation, licensee presentation, and licensee wave file can be found in the Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS) ML063520445. A list of principal NRC and licensee meeting participants can be found in the attached Enclosure.

The NRC first described the vortexing issue, the reasons why this issue is a performance deficiency and then explained the preliminary safety significance determination analysis.

Following NRCs presentation, representatives from Clinton Power Station delivered information with respect to recent scale model testing which demonstrated that the High Pressure Core Spray (HPCS) pump may not experience significant entrained air or damage. The licensee also presented information needed for the NRC to properly assess the risk significance of this issue.

This information included details regarding the impact of the risk due to internal fires and flood, expected operator actions in response to an increasing suppression pool level and an understanding of the operation of the HPCS injection valve including the ability to throttle its

C. Crane position. The NRC will review this information and issue a final determination letter in the near future. At the end of the meeting, members of the public were given the opportunity to ask questions to NRC officials.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Ann Marie Stone, Chief Engineering Branch 2 Division of Reactor Safety Docket No. 50-461 License No. NPF-62

Enclosure:

As Stated cc w/encl: Site Vice President - Clinton Power Station Plant Manager - Clinton Power Station Regulatory Assurance Manager - Clinton Power Station Chief Operating Officer Senior Vice President - Nuclear Services Vice President - Operations Support Vice President - Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Manager Licensing - Clinton Power Station Senior Counsel, Nuclear, Mid-West Regional Operating Group Document Control Desk - Licensing Assistant Attorney General Illinois Emergency Management Agency State Liaison Officer, State of Illinois Chairman, Illinois Commerce Commission

C. Crane position. The NRC will review this information and issue a final determination letter in the near future. At the end of the meeting, members of the public were given the opportunity to ask questions to NRC officials.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Ann Marie Stone, Chief Engineering Branch 2 Division of Reactor Safety Docket No. 50-461 License No. NPF-62

Enclosure:

As Stated cc w/encl: Site Vice President - Clinton Power Station Plant Manager - Clinton Power Station Regulatory Assurance Manager - Clinton Power Station Chief Operating Officer Senior Vice President - Nuclear Services Vice President - Operations Support Vice President - Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Manager Licensing - Clinton Power Station Senior Counsel, Nuclear, Mid-West Regional Operating Group Document Control Desk - Licensing Assistant Attorney General Illinois Emergency Management Agency State Liaison Officer, State of Illinois Chairman, Illinois Commerce Commission DOCUMENT NAME: C:\FileNet\ML070180189.wpd G Publicly Available G Non-Publicly Available G Sensitive G Non-Sensitive To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the concurrence box "C" = Copy without attach/encl "E" = Copy with attach/encl "N" = No copy OFFICE RIII N RIII N RIII N NAME CAcosta:jb AMStone DATE 1/11/07 1/17/07 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

C. Crane DISTRIBUTION:

ADAMS (PARS)

SECY OCA L. Reyes, EDO W. Kane, DEDR C. Carpenter, OE D. Solorio, OE D. Starkey, OE J. Caldwell, RIII G. Grant, RIII L. Chandler, OGC B. Jones, OGC J. Dyer, NRR C. Pederson, RIII A. Boland, RIII M. Satorius, RIII S. West, RIII D. Chyu, RIII S. Richards, Chief, IIPB, NRR M. Tschiltz, Chief, SPSB, NRR D. Merzke, NRR J. Stang, NRR D. Holody, Enforcement Officer, RI C. Evans, Enforcement Officer, RII K. OBrien, Enforcement Officer, RIII G. Shear, Acting Enforcement Officer, RIII K. Fuller, Enforcement Officer, RIV R. Pascarelli, Enforcement Coordinator, NRR Resident Inspector E. Brenner, OPA H. Bell, OIG G. Caputo, OI J. Strasma, RIII:PA P. Pelke, RIII R. Lickus, RIII J. Lynch, RIII DRSIII DRPIII OEWEB OEMAIL

Principal Meeting Participants NRC G. Grant, Deputy Regional Administrator C. Pederson, Director, Division of Reactor Safety A. Boland, Deputy Director, Division of Reactor Safety S. West, Deputy Director, Division of Reactor Projects G. Shear, Deputy Director, Division of Nuclear Material and Safety A. M. Stone, Chief, Engineering Branch 2, Division of Reactor Safety L. Kozak, Senior Reactor Analyst, Division of Reactor Safety D. Passehl, Senior Reactor Analyst, Division of Reactor Safety P. Pelke, Enforcement/Investigation Office A. Barker, Reactor Projects Branch 1, Division of Reactor Projects D. Reeser, Operations Branch, Division of Reactor Safety AmerGen Energy Company C. Lambert, Vice President, Engineering B. Hanson, Site Vice President M. McDowell, Plant Manager T. Chalmers, Shift Operations Supervisor R. Peak, Site Engineering Director P. R. Simpson, acting Regulatory Assurance Manager G. Krveger, Risk Management Manager V. Andersen, Risk Management A. Hable, Site Risk Management Engineer J. L. Peterson, Regulatory Assurance Specialist A. Slahar, Communications K. Nicely, Licensing Manager E. Schweitzer, Site Engineer A. Johansson, Senior Hydraulic Engineer, Alden Laboratories Enclosure