ML071300532

License Amendment, Issuance of Amendments Relocation of Response Time Testing Limits (TAC Nos. MD2804 & MD2805)

ML071300532
Person / Time
Site:	Salem
Issue date:	06/19/2007
From:	Richard Ennis NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLI-2
To:	Levis W Public Service Enterprise Group
Ennis R, NRR/DORL, 415-1420
Shared Package
ML071300511	List: ML071300532 ML071710121
References
TAC MD2804, TAC MD2805
Download: ML071300532 (14)

Text

June 19, 2007 Mr. William Levis President & Chief Nuclear Officer PSEG Nuclear LLC - N09 Post Office Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038

SUBJECT:

SALEM NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2, ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENTS RE: RELOCATION OF RESPONSE TIME TESTING LIMITS (TAC NOS. MD2804 AND MD2805)

Dear Mr. Levis:

The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment Nos. 283 and 266 to Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-70 and DPR-75 for the Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (Salem). These amendments consist of changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) in response to your application dated August 11, 2006, as supplemented by letter dated May 7, 2007.

The amendments relocate the instrument response time limits for the reactor trip system and engineered safety features actuation system from TS Tables 3.3-2 and 3.3-5 to the Salem Updated Final Safety Analysis Report.

A copy of our safety evaluation is also enclosed. Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's biweekly Federal Register notice.

Sincerely,

/ra/

Richard B. Ennis, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch I-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-272 and 50-311

Enclosures:

1. Amendment No. 283 to License No. DPR-70

2. Amendment No. 266 to License No. DPR-75

3. Safety Evaluation cc w/encls: See next page

June 19, 2007 Mr. William Levis President & Chief Nuclear Officer PSEG Nuclear LLC - N09 Post Office Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038

SUBJECT:

SALEM NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2, ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENTS RE: RELOCATION OF RESPONSE TIME TESTING LIMITS (TAC NOS. MD2804 AND MD2805)

Dear Mr. Levis:

The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment Nos. 283 and 266 to Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-70 and DPR-75 for the Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (Salem). These amendments consist of changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) in response to your application dated August 11, 2006, as supplemented by letter dated May 7, 2007.

The amendments relocate the instrument response time limits for the reactor trip system and engineered safety features actuation system from TS Tables 3.3-2 and 3.3-5 to the Salem Updated Final Safety Analysis Report.

A copy of our safety evaluation is also enclosed. Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's biweekly Federal Register notice.

Sincerely, Richard B. Ennis, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch I-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-272 and 50-311

Enclosures:

1. Amendment No. to License No. DPR-70

2. Amendment No. to License No. DPR-75

3. Safety Evaluation cc w/encls: See next page DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC RidsOgcRp LPL1-2 R/F RidsAcrsAcnwMailCenter RidsNrrDorlLpl1-2 RidsNrrDirsltsb RidsNrrLASLittle RidsRgn1MailCenter RidsNrrPMREnnis GHill (2), OIS RidsNrrDorlDPR CSchulten Package Accession No.: ML071300511 Amendment Accession No: ML071300532 Unit 1 TS Accession No.: ML071710121 Unit 2 TS Accession No.: ML071710119 OFFICE LPL1-2/PM LPL1-1/LA ITSB/BC SRXB/BC OGC LPL1-2/BC NAME REnnis SLittle TKobetz GCranston LSubin HChernoff DATE 6/18/07 5/16/07 5/22/07 5/23/07 6/12/07 6/18/07 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 cc:

Mr. Thomas Joyce Township Clerk Senior Vice President - Operations Lower Alloways Creek Township PSEG Nuclear Municipal Building, P.O. Box 157 P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Mr. Paul Bauldauf, P.E., Asst. Director Mr. Dennis Winchester Radiation Protection Programs Vice President - Nuclear Assessment NJ Department of Environmental PSEG Nuclear Protection and Energy P.O. Box 236 CN 415 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Trenton, NJ 08625-0415 Mr. Robert Braun Mr. Brian Beam Site Vice President - Salem Board of Public Utilities PSEG Nuclear 2 Gateway Center, Tenth Floor P.O. Box 236 Newark, NJ 07102 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Regional Administrator, Region I Mr. Carl Fricker U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Vice President - Operations Support 475 Allendale Road PSEG Nuclear King of Prussia, PA 19406 P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Senior Resident Inspector Salem Nuclear Generating Station Mr. George Gellrich U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Plant Manager - Salem Drawer 0509 PSEG Nuclear Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Mr. James Mallon Manager - Licensing PSEG Nuclear P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Mr. Steven Mannon Manager - Salem Regulatory Assurance PSEG Nuclear P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Mr. Jeffrie J. Keenan, Esquire PSEG Nuclear - N21 P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038

PSEG NUCLEAR, LLC EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC DOCKET NO. 50-272 SALEM NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT NO. 1 AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 283 License No. DPR-70

1. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:

A. The application for amendment filed by PSEG Nuclear LLC, acting on behalf of itself and Exelon Generation Company, LLC (the licensees) dated August 11, 2006, as supplemented by letter dated May 7, 2007, 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 Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (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 set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I; 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 license is amended by changes to the Technical Specifications as indicated in the attachment to this license amendment, and paragraph 2.C.(2) of Facility Operating License No. DPR-70 is hereby amended to read as follows:

(2) Technical Specifications and Environmental Protection Plan The Technical Specifications contained in Appendices A and B, as revised through Amendment No. 283, are hereby incorporated in the license. The licensee shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications.

3. This license amendment is effective as of its date of issuance and shall be implemented within 90 days. Implementation shall include the relocation of the reactor trip system and engineered safety features actuation system response times from Technical Specification Tables 3.3-2 and 3.3-5 to the Salem Updated Final Safety Analysis Report as described in the licensees application dated August 11, 2006.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

/ra/

Harold K. Chernoff, Chief Plant Licensing Branch I-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Attachment:

Changes to the Facility Operating License and the Technical Specifications Date of Issuance: June 19, 2007

ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 283 FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-70 DOCKET NO. 50-272 Replace the following page of Facility Operating License No. DPR-70 with the attached revised page as indicated. The revised page is identified by amendment number and contains marginal lines indicating the areas of change.

Remove Insert Page 4 Page 4 Replace the following pages of the Appendix A, Technical Specifications, with the attached revised pages as indicated. The revised pages are identified by amendment number and contain marginal lines indicating the areas of change.

Remove Insert 3/4 3-1 3/4 3-1 3/4 3-9 3/4 3-9 3/4 3-10 3/4 3-10 3/4 3-14 3/4 3-14 3/4 3-27 3/4 3-27 3/4 3-28 3/4 3-28 3/4 3-29 3/4 3-29 3/4 3-30 3/4 3-30 3/4 3-31 3/4 3-31

PSEG NUCLEAR, LLC EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC DOCKET NO. 50-311 SALEM NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT NO. 2 AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 266 License No. DPR-75

1. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:

A. The application for amendment filed by PSEG Nuclear LLC, acting on behalf of itself and Exelon Generation Company, LLC (the licensees) dated August 11, 2006, as supplemented by letter dated May 7, 2007, 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 Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (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 set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I; 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 license is amended by changes to the Technical Specifications as indicated in the attachment to this license amendment, and paragraph 2.C.(2) of Facility Operating License No. DPR-75 is hereby amended to read as follows:

(2) Technical Specifications and Environmental Protection Plan The Technical Specifications contained in Appendices A and B, as revised through Amendment No. 266 , are hereby incorporated in the license. The licensee shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications.

3. This license amendment is effective as of its date of issuance and shall be implemented within 90 days. Implementation shall include the relocation of the reactor trip system and engineered safety features actuation system response times from Technical Specification Tables 3.3-2 and 3.3-5 to the Salem Updated Final Safety Analysis Report as described in the licensees application dated August 11, 2006.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

/ra/

Harold K. Chernoff, Chief Plant Licensing Branch I-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Attachment:

Changes to the Facility Operating License and the Technical Specifications Date of Issuance: June 19, 2007

ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 266 FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-75 DOCKET NO. 50-311 Replace the following page of Facility Operating License No. DPR-75 with the attached revised page as indicated. The revised page is identified by amendment number and contains marginal lines indicating the areas of change.

Remove Insert Page 4 Page 4 Replace the following pages of the Appendix A, Technical Specifications, with the attached revised pages as indicated. The revised pages are identified by amendment number and contain marginal lines indicating the areas of change.

Remove Insert 3/4 3-1 3/4 3-1 3/4 3-9 3/4 3-9 3/4 3-10 3/4 3-10 3/4 3-14 3/4 3-14 3/4 3-28 3/4 3-28 3/4 3-29 3/4 3-29 3/4 3-30 3/4 3-30 3/4 3-31 3/4 3-31 3/4 3-32 3/4 3-32

SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NOS. 283 AND 266 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NOS. DPR-70 AND DPR-75 PSEG NUCLEAR, LLC EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC SALEM NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-272 AND 50-311

1.0 INTRODUCTION

By letter dated August 11, 2006, as supplemented by letter dated May 7, 2007 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession Nos. ML062350162 and ML071360042, respectively), PSEG Nuclear, LLC (PSEG or the licensee) submitted a request for changes to the Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (Salem), Technical Specifications (TSs).

The proposed amendment would relocate the instrument response time limits for the reactor trip system (RTS) and engineered safety features actuation system (ESFAS) from TS Tables 3.3-2 and 3.3-5 to the Salem Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR). The licensees application dated August 11, 2006, stated that the proposed changes are consistent with the guidance in Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) Generic Letter (GL) 93-08, Relocation of Technical Specification Tables of Instrument Response Time Limits, dated December 29, 1993.

The supplement dated May 7, 2007, provided additional information that clarified the application, did not expand the scope of the application as originally noticed, and did not change the NRC staffs original proposed no significant hazards consideration determination as published in the Federal Register on September 12, 2006 (71 FR 53719).

2.0 REGULATORY EVALUATION

In Section 50.36 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), the NRC established its regulatory requirements related to the content of TSs. Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.36, TSs are required to include items in the following five specific categories: (1) safety limits, limiting safety system settings, and limiting control settings; (2) limiting conditions for operation (LCOs);

(3) surveillance requirements (SRs); (4) design features; and (5) administrative controls. The regulation does not specify the particular requirements to be included in a plants TSs.

On July 22, 1993 (58 FR 39132), the Commission published a Final Policy Statement on Technical Specifications Improvements for Nuclear Power Reactors (Final Policy Statement) which discussed the criteria to determine which items are required to be included in the TSs as LCOs. The criteria were subsequently incorporated into the regulations by an amendment to 10 CFR 50.36 (60 FR 36953). Specifically, 10 CFR 50.36(c)(2)(ii) requires that a TS LCO be established for each item meeting one or more of the following criteria:

Criterion 1: Installed instrumentation that is used to detect, and indicate in the control room, a significant abnormal degradation of the reactor coolant pressure boundary.

Criterion 2: A process variable, design feature, or operating restriction that is an initial condition of a design-basis accident or transient analysis that either assumes the failure of or presents a challenge to the integrity of a fission product barrier.

Criterion 3: A structure, system, or component that is part of the primary success path and which functions or actuates to mitigate a design-basis accident or transient that either assumes the failure of or presents a challenge to the integrity of a fission product barrier.

Criterion 4: A structure, system, or component which operating experience or probabilistic risk assessment has shown to be significant to public health and safety.

In general, there are two classes of changes to TSs: (1) changes needed to reflect modifications to the design basis (TSs are derived from the design basis), and (2) changes to take advantage of the evolution in policy and guidance as to the required content and preferred format of TSs over time. In determining the acceptability of such changes, the NRC staff implements the requirements of 10 CFR 50.36, using as a model the accumulation of generically approved guidance in the improved Standard Technical Specifications (STSs). For this review, the NRC staff used NUREG-1431, Revision 3, Standard Technical Specifications, Westinghouse Plants.

Within this general framework, licensees may remove material from their TSs if the material is not required to be in the TSs based on the NRC staffs implementation of 10 CFR 50.36, including judgments about the level of detail required in the TSs. As discussed in the Final Policy Statement, the NRC staff reviews, on a case-by-case basis, whether enforceable regulatory controls are needed for the relocated material (e.g., 10 CFR 50.59).

In GL 93-08, the NRC staff provided guidance to licensees regarding preparing a proposed license amendment to relocate the tables of response time limits for the RTS and ESFAS instrumentation from the TSs to the UFSAR. The guidance in Enclosure 1 to the GL stated that each licensee that wishes to implement this line-item TS improvement should confirm that the plant procedures for response time testing include acceptance criteria that reflect the RTS and ESFAS response time limits in the tables being relocated from the TSs to the UFSAR. The guidance in Enclosure 1 to the GL also stated that the licensee should provide a commitment to include the RTS and ESFAS response time limits in the next update of the UFSAR.

Enclosure 1 to GL 93-08 noted that the TS Table containing the RTS instrumentation response times contains a footnote that neutron detectors are exempt from response time testing. Since the TS Table would be relocated to the UFSAR, the GL guidance stated that, to retain this exception, the licensee should revise the SRs for the RTS instrumentation to add the following statement: Neutron detectors are exempt from response time testing.

3.0 TECHNICAL EVALUATION

3.1 Proposed TS and UFSAR changes The licensee has proposed the following changes to the Salem TSs:

1) The LCO for the RTS instrumentation, TS 3.3.1.1, currently reads as follows:

As a minimum, the reactor trip system instrumentation channels and interlocks of Table 3.3-1 shall be OPERABLE with RESPONSE TIMES as shown in Table 3.3-2.

The LCO would be revised to read as follows:

As a minimum, the reactor trip system instrumentation channels and interlocks of Table 3.3-1 shall be OPERABLE.

2) The TS Table containing the RTS instrumentation response times, Table 3.3-2, would be deleted.

3) The SR related to RTS instrumentation response time testing, TS 4.3.1.1.3, would be revised to add the following sentence:

Neutron detectors are exempt from response time testing.

4) The LCO for the ESFAS instrumentation, TS 3.3.2.1, currently reads as follows:

The Engineered Safety Feature Actuation System (ESFAS) instrumentation channels and interlocks shown in Table 3.3-3 shall be OPERABLE with their trip setpoints set consistent with the values shown in the Trip Setpoint column of Table 3.3-4 and with RESPONSE TIMES as shown in Table 3.3-5.

The LCO would be revised to read as follows:

The Engineered Safety Feature Actuation System (ESFAS) instrumentation channels and interlocks shown in Table 3.3-3 shall be OPERABLE with their trip setpoints set consistent with the values shown in the Trip Setpoint column of Table 3.3-4.

5) The TS Table containing the ESFAS instrumentation response times, Table 3.3-5, would be deleted.

In addition to the proposed TS changes noted above, the licensee proposed to revise the Salem UFSAR, as shown in Attachment 3 to the application dated August 11, 2006, to add the

following new tables containing the response time testing limits currently specified in TS Tables 3.3-2 and 3.3-5:

1) UFSAR Table 7.2-4, Salem Unit 1 - Reactor Trip System Response Times

2) UFSAR Table 7.2-5, Salem Unit 2 - Reactor Trip System Response Times

3) UFSAR Table 7.3-8, Salem Unit 1 - Engineered Safety Features Response Times

4) UFSAR Table 7.3-9, Salem Unit 2 - Engineered Safety Features Response Times 3.2 Evaluation of Proposed Changes Currently, TS Tables 3.3-2 and 3.3-5 contain the values of the response time limits for the RTS and ESFAS instrumentation respectively. The LCOs for the RTS and ESFAS instrumentation (TSs 3.3.1.1 and 3.3.2.1, respectively) specify these systems shall be operable with the response times as specified in these tables. The SRs for the RTS and ESFAS response time testing (TSs 4.3.1.1.3 and 4.3.2.1.3, respectively) specify that the response times for each function shall be verified to be within the limit at least once per 18 months. Although these SRs do not reference the tables containing the response time limits, the values in the tables are the acceptance criteria for the response time tests performed to satisfy the SRs. The verification of response time, in accordance with the SRs, provides assurance that the RTS and ESFAS instrumentation provide their intended functions within the time frames assumed in the safety analysis.

The impact of the proposed relocation of the response time limits from the TSs to the UFSAR is that the UFSAR, rather than the TSs, would contain the acceptance criteria for the RTS and ESFAS response time testing SRs. As such, future changes to the RTS and ESFAS response time limits would be controlled in accordance with the provisions in 10 CFR 50.59.

Consistent with the guidance in Enclosure 1 to GL 93-08, the licensee provided the following confirmation in its letter dated May 7, 2007:

PSEG confirms that the plant procedures for response time testing limits include acceptance criteria that reflect the RTS and ESFAS response time limits in the tables being relocated from the TS to the UFSAR. Other than the TS functional units for which response time is identified as Not Applicable (NA), the procedure acceptance criteria are less than or equal to the TS response time limit for each of the values being relocated to the UFSAR.

Based on review of the information provided by the licensee, the NRC staff finds that: (1) the proposed TS changes are consistent with the guidance provided in GL 93-08;(2) the proposed relocations do not alter the current SRs to verify that the RTS and ESFAS instrumentation response times are within their acceptance criteria; (3) the information in TS Tables 3.3-2 and 3.3-5 is not required to be retained in the TSs pursuant to 10 CFR 50.36; and (4) future changes to the relocated material will be adequately controlled under the provisions of 10 CFR 50.59. Based on these considerations, the NRC staff concludes that the proposed amendment is acceptable.

As discussed in Safety Evaluation Section 2.0, the guidance in Enclosure 1 to GL 93-08 stated that the licensee should provide a commitment to include the RTS and ESFAS response time limits in the next update of the UFSAR. PSEGs application dated August 11, 2006, did not explicitly provide this commitment. However, the NRC staff concludes that the commitment is not necessary since the license amendment will include the following wording regarding implementation of the amendment:

This license amendment is effective as of its date of issuance and shall be implemented within 90 days. Implementation shall include the relocation of the reactor trip system and engineered safety features actuation system response times from Technical Specification Tables 3.3-2 and 3.3-5 to the Salem Updated Final Safety Analysis Report as described in the licensees application dated August 11, 2006.

PSEGs application dated August 11, 2006, provided revised TS Bases pages to be implemented with the associated TS changes. The NRC staff notes that the Salem TS Bases Control Program is the appropriate process for updating the TS Bases.

4.0 STATE CONSULTATION

In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the New Jersey State official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendments. The State official had no comments.

5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION

The amendments change a requirement with respect to installation or use of a facility component located within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20 and changes SRs.

The NRC staff has determined that the amendments involve 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 amendments involve no significant hazards consideration, and there has been no public comment on such finding (71 FR 53719). Accordingly, the amendments meet 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 amendments.

6.0 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 amendments will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.

Principal Contributor: R. Ennis Date: June 19, 2007