ML070640334
| ML070640334 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Columbia  |
| Issue date: | 03/15/2007 |
| From: | Lyon C NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLIV |
| To: | Parrish J Energy Northwest |
| Lyon C Fred, NRR/DORL/LPL4, 301-415-2296 | |
| References | |
| GL-03-001, TAC MB9789 | |
| Download: ML070640334 (5) | |
Text
March 15, 2007 Mr. J. V. Parrish Chief Executive Officer Energy Northwest P.O. Box 968 (Mail Drop 1023)
Richland, WA 99352-0968
SUBJECT:
COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION - CLOSEOUT OF NRC GENERIC LETTER 2003-01, CONTROL ROOM HABITABILITY (TAC NO. MB9789)
Dear Mr. Parrish:
On July 12, 2003, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Generic Letter (GL) 2003-01, Control Room Habitability (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML031620248), to all holders of operating licenses for nuclear power reactors except those who had permanently ceased operation and had certified that fuel had been removed from the reactor vessel.
GL 2003-01 requested that each licensee confirm that its facility control room meets its design bases (e.g., General Design Criteria (GDC) 1, 3, 4, 5, and 19; draft GDC; or principal design criteria), with special attention to: (1) determination of the most limiting unfiltered and/or filtered inleakage into the control room and comparison to values used in the design bases for meeting control room operator dose limits from accidents (GL 2003-01, Item 1a); (2) determination that the most limiting unfiltered inleakage is incorporated into the hazardous chemical assessments (GL 2003-01, Item 1b); and (3) determination that reactor control capability is maintained in the control room or at the alternate shutdown location in the event of smoke (GL 2003-01, Item 1b).
The GL further requested information on any compensatory measures in use to demonstrate control room habitability (CRH), and corrective actions needed to retire these compensatory measures (GL 2003-01, Item 2).
By letters dated August 11, 2003 (ADAMS Accession No. ML032260330), and March 2, 2007 (ADAMS Accession No. ML070720555), Energy Northwest (the licensee), responded to GL 2003-01 for the Columbia Generating Station (CGS).
In your response, you reported the results of tracer gas tests conducted in accordance with American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) E741, Standard Test Method for Determining Air Change in a Single Zone by Means of a Tracer Gas Dilution, for the CGS Control Room Envelope (CRE), which is pressurized for accident mitigation. You reported that you conducted a test in September 2000 and a subsequent test in the fall of 2003.
Your August 11, 2003, letter discussed the tracer gas test conducted in 2000. You reported that the most limiting unfiltered inleakage into the CRE was more than the value of 10.55 cubic feet per minute (cfm) assumed in the design-basis radiological analyses for CRH. You further stated that a compensatory measure of administering potassium iodide (KI) to control room
J. V. Parrish operators to reduce the control room thyroid dose to below the 30-roentgen equivalent man (rem) limit in the event of a design-basis accident had been implemented.
Your license amendment request (LAR) dated September 30, 2004 (ADAMS Accession No. ML042930316), as supplemented, to adopt the Alternative Source Term (AST) methodology discussed the tracer gas test conducted in 2003. In addition, this LAR also included revised inleakage assumptions of 50 cfm for one train in service and 75 cfm for both trains in service. You reported that the most limiting unfiltered inleakage into the CRE was 21 standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) for one train in service and 53 scfm for both trains in service, both of which are less than the values of 50 cfm for one train in service and 75 cfm for both trains in service, assumed in your LAR to adopt the AST.
You also provided information that adequately supported a conclusion that the most limiting unfiltered inleakage into the CRE is incorporated into the hazardous chemical assessments, and that reactor control capability is maintained from either the control room or the alternate shutdown panel in the event of smoke.
The GL further requested that you assess your technical specifications (TSs) to determine if they verify the integrity of the CRE, including ongoing verification of the inleakage assumed in the design-basis analysis for CRH, and in light of the demonstrated inadequacy of a delta () P measurement to alone provide such verification (GL 2003-01, Item 1c). As permitted by the GL, you provided a schedule for revising the surveillance requirement in the TS to reference an acceptable surveillance methodology. In your March 2, 2007, letter you stated that you would submit an LAR to revise your TSs utilizing the guidance provided in Technical Specification Task Force Traveler 448 (TSTF-448) by July 31, 2007.
Based on your original inleakage assumption of 10.55 cfm and your 2000 tracer gas test result, you reported implementation of a compensatory measure of administering KI, as previously discussed. Your LAR to adopt the AST methodology, which will retire this compensatory measure, was approved and issued as Amendment No. 199, dated November 27, 2006 (ADAMS Accession No. ML062610440). In your March 2, 2007, letter, you stated that you will retire this compensatory measure upon implementation of Amendment No. 199, which is scheduled to occur no later than March 27, 2007.
Your March 2, 2007, letter stated that CGS is required to meet the GDCs regarding CRH.
Based on the information provided, your commitment to submit an LAR based on TSTF-448, and the above discussion, the NRC staff finds your response to be acceptable for the purpose of closing GL 2003-01 for CGS.
J. V. Parrish If you have any questions regarding this response, please contact me at (301) 415-2296.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Carl F. Lyon, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-397 cc: See next page
J. V. Parrish If you have any questions regarding this response, please contact me at (301) 415-2296.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Carl F. Lyon, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-397 cc: See next page DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC RidsNrrPMFLyon RidsAcrsAcnwMailCenter LPLIV r/f RidsNrrLALFeizollahi RidsOgcRp RidsNrrLpl4 RidsNrrDssScvb JRobinson, NRR RidsNrrDprPgcb RidsRgn4MailCenter ADAMS Accession Number: ML070640334 OFFICE LPL4/PM LPL4/LA SCVB/BC PGCB/BC LPL4/BC NAME FLyon LFeizollahi RDennig CJackson DTerao DATE 3/8/07 3/8/07 3/12/07 3/17/07 3/15/07 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
March 2007 Columbia Generating Station cc:
Mr. W. Scott Oxenford (Mail Drop PE04)
Vice President, Technical Services Energy Northwest P.O. Box 968 Richland, WA 99352-0968 Mr. Albert E. Mouncer (Mail Drop PE01)
Vice President, Corporate Services/
General Counsel/CFO Energy Northwest P.O. Box 968 Richland, WA 99352-0968 Chairman Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council P.O. Box 43172 Olympia, WA 98504-3172 Mr. Douglas W. Coleman (Mail Drop PE20)
Manager, Regulatory Programs Energy Northwest P.O. Box 968 Richland, WA 99352-0968 Mr. Gregory V. Cullen (Mail Drop PE20)
Supervisor, Licensing Energy Northwest P.O. Box 968 Richland, WA 99352-0968 Regional Administrator, Region IV U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011-4005 Chairman Benton County Board of Commissioners P.O. Box 190 Prosser, WA 99350-0190 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 69 Richland, WA 99352-0069 Mr. Dale K. Atkinson (Mail Drop PE08)
Vice President, Nuclear Generation Energy Northwest P.O. Box 968 Richland, WA 99352-0968 Mr. William A. Horin, Esq.
Winston & Strawn 1700 K Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20006-3817 Mr. Matt Steuerwalt Executive Policy Division Office of the Governor P.O. Box 43113 Olympia, WA 98504-3113 Ms. Lynn Albin Washington State Department of Health P.O. Box 7827 Olympia, WA 98504-7827 Technical Services Branch Chief FEMA Region X 130 228th Street, S.W.
Bothell, WA 98201-9796 Ms. Cheryl M. Whitcomb (Mail Drop PE03)
Vice President, Organizational Performance & Staffing/CKO Energy Northwest P.O. Box 968 Richland, WA 99352-0968 Assistant Director Nuclear Safety and Energy Siting Division Oregon Department of Energy 625 Marion Street, NE Salem, OR 97301-3742 Special Hazards Program Manager Washington Emergency Management Div.
127 W. Clark Street Pasco, WA 99301