ML071690131
| ML071690131 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Nine Mile Point  |
| Issue date: | 06/21/2007 |
| From: | David M NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLI-1 |
| To: | O'Connor T Nine Mile Point |
| david marshall NRR/DORL 415-1547 | |
| References | |
| TAC MD2874 | |
| Download: ML071690131 (5) | |
Text
June 21, 2007 Mr. Timothy J. OConnor Vice President Nine Mile Point Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, LLC P.O. Box 63 Lycoming, NY 13093
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING NINE MILE POINT NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT NO. 2, REVISION OF ROD WORTH MINIMIZER REQUIRED ACTION DURING STARTUP (TAC NO. MD2874)
Dear Mr. OConnor:
By letter dated August 11, 2006, Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, LLC requested an amendment to the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Unit No. 2 (NMP2) Renewed Facility Operating License.
The proposed license amendment would revise Technical Specification (TS) 3.3.2.1, Control Rod Block Instrumentation, to change the number of startups allowed with the rod worth minimizer inoperable from one per calendar year to two per operating cycle.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has reviewed the information provided in that letter and has determined that additional information is needed to complete its review. Enclosed is the NRC staffs request for additional information (RAI). The RAI was discussed with your staff on June 14, 2007, and it was agreed that your response would be provided within 45 days from the date of this letter.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Marshall J. David, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch I-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-410
Enclosure:
RAI cc w/encl: See next page
June 21, 2007 Mr. Timothy J. OConnor Vice President Nine Mile Point Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, LLC P.O. Box 63 Lycoming, NY 13093
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING NINE MILE POINT NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT NO. 2, REVISION OF ROD WORTH MINIMIZER REQUIRED ACTION DURING STARTUP (TAC NO. MD2874)
Dear Mr. OConnor:
By letter dated August 11, 2006, Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, LLC requested an amendment to the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Unit No. 2 (NMP2) Renewed Facility Operating License.
The proposed license amendment would revise Technical Specification (TS) 3.3.2.1, Control Rod Block Instrumentation, to change the number of startups allowed with the rod worth minimizer inoperable from one per calendar year to two per operating cycle.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has reviewed the information provided in that letter and has determined that additional information is needed to complete its review. Enclosed is the NRC staffs request for additional information (RAI). The RAI was discussed with your staff on June 14, 2007, and it was agreed that your response would be provided within 45 days from the date of this letter.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Marshall J. David, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch I-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-410
Enclosure:
RAI cc w/encl: See next page DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC RidsNrrPMMDavid RidsNrrLASLittle LPLI-1 PDI-1 Reading File RidsNrrDirsItsb RidsOgcRp RidsNrrAcrsAcnwMailCenter RidsNrrDssSrxb Accession Number: ML071690131 NRR-088 OFFICE LPL1-1/PM LPL1-1/LA ITSB/BC SRXB/BC LPL1-1/BC NAME MDavid SLittle TKobetz GCranston MKowal DATE 6/21/07 6/21/07 6/21/07 6/21/07 6/21/07 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station cc:
Mr. Michael J. Wallace President Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, LLC c/o Constellation Energy Group 750 East Pratt Street Baltimore, MD 21202 Mr. Mike Heffley Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer Constellation Generation Group 1997 Annapolis Exchange Parkway Suite 500 Annapolis, MD 21401 Regional Administrator, Region I U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 126 Lycoming, NY 13093 Charles Donaldson, Esquire Assistant Attorney General New York Department of Law 120 Broadway New York, NY 10271 Mr. Paul D. Eddy Electric Division NYS Department of Public Service Agency Building 3 Empire State Plaza Albany, NY 12223 Mr. Peter R. Smith, President New York State Energy, Research, and Development Authority 17 Columbia Circle Albany, NY 12203-6399 Mark J. Wetterhahn, Esquire Winston & Strawn 1700 K Street, NW Washington, DC 20006 Supervisor Town of Scriba Route 8, Box 382 Oswego, NY 13126 Carey W. Fleming, Esquire Senior Counsel Constellation Generation Group, LLC 750 East Pratt Street, 17th Floor Baltimore, MD 21202
Enclosure REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NINE MILE POINT NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT NO. 2 REVISION OF ROD WORTH MINIMIZER REQUIRED ACTION DURING STARTUP The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has reviewed your August 11, 2006, license amendment request (LAR) regarding the revision to the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Unit No. 2 Technical Specification (TS) 3.3.2.1, Control Rod Block Instrumentation, and has determined that additional information is required to adequately evaluate the acceptability of the proposed revision.
1.
Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.36(c)(2) states that when a limiting condition for operation of a nuclear reactor is not met, the licensee shall shut down the reactor or follow any remedial action permitted by the TSs until the condition can be met.
The LAR states that, since an operating cycle is approximately 2 years, the proposed change would not increase the overall frequency of allowed startups without using the Rod Worth Minimizer (RWM), but would simply increase the flexibility in applying the allowance. After further review, the NRC staff finds that the proposed LAR would lead to an increase in the overall frequency of allowed startups without using the RWM.
Under the current Required Action C.2.1.2, the allowance to startup without using the RWM could occur, at most, only once every 12 months.
Given that the current operating cycle is approximately 2 years, and assuming, as a minimum, one unanticipated shutdown and startup during the operating cycle, the RWM would never be required to be operable during any startup in the cycle (i.e., the normal startup and the unanticipated startup) under proposed Required Action C.2.1.2. Once a new operating cycle was started, the allowances would be reset, and the trend of allowing startups without the use of the RWM could potentially continue throughout the life of the plant.
Therefore, discuss how TS 3.3.2.1 proposed Required Action C.2.1.2 is an administrative change in that it would not increase the overall frequency of more than one reactor startup with an inoperable RWM within the last 12 months, but would increase the flexibility in applying the TS remedial allowance, as permitted by 10 CFR 50.36(c)(2).
2.
Describe the availability and reliability of the RWM based on prior operational experience over a representative period of time (e.g., the last 10 years). Also, describe the treatment of RWM availability and reliability under the Maintenance Rule (10 CFR 50.65).
3.
The purpose of the RWM is to assist the operator in controlling rod patterns during startup, such that only specified control rod sequences and relative positions are allowed over the operating range from all control rods inserted to 10% RTP. The sequences effectively limit the potential amount and rate of reactivity increase during a control rod drop accident (CRDA). Justify that the proposed TS change would not change the conditions assumed (e.g., the potential amount and rate of reactivity increase) in the analysis of the CRDA.