ML072470665

Evaluation of Finite Element Analysis in Support of Alloy 82/182 Pressurizer Butt Weld Inspections in 2008 as Provided by Confirmatory Action Letter NRR-07-001

ML072470665
Person / Time
Site:	Seabrook
Issue date:	09/07/2007
From:	Catherine Haney Plant Licensing Branch III-2
To:	Peschel J, St.Pierre G Florida Power & Light Energy Seabrook
Miller G, NRR/DORL, 415-2481
References
TAC MD4183, NRR-01-001
Download: ML072470665 (6)

Text

September 7, 2007 Mr. Gene F. St. Pierre Site Vice President c/o James M. Peschel Seabrook Station Seabrook, NH 03874

SUBJECT:

SEABROOK STATION, UNIT NO. 1 - EVALUATION OF FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS IN SUPPORT OF ALLOY 82/182 PRESSURIZER BUTT WELD INSPECTIONS IN 2008 AS PROVIDED BY CONFIRMATORY ACTION LETTER NRR-07-001 (TAC NO. MD4183)

Dear Mr. St. Pierre:

On March 12, 2007, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL) No. NRR-07-001 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML070610585) regarding dissimilar metal welds in the pressurizer surge, spray, and safety/relief nozzle-to-safe end welds at Seabrook Unit No. 1.

The CAL and the supporting commitment letter (ADAMS Accession No. ML070530548) indicate that inspection and mitigation actions may be conducted during your spring 2008 refueling outage, contingent on the industry providing an analysis that demonstrates an acceptable level of safety to the NRC for the operation of these welds until the spring of 2008.

This letter acknowledges receipt of your letter dated August 2, 2007 (ADAMS Accession No. ML072220071), informing the NRC that the analysis referred to by this CAL and the supporting commitment letter has been completed, and that the analysis is applicable to your plant.

The NRC received MRP-216, Rev. 1, Materials Reliability Program: Advanced FEA [Finite Element Analysis] Evaluation of Growth of Postulated Circumferential PWSCC [Primary Water Stress-Corrosion Cracking] Flaws in Pressurizer Nozzle Dissimilar Metal Welds on August 13, 2007 (ADAMS Accession No. ML072410235). Based on our review of this report, the NRC concludes that the analysis provides adequate justification to permit inspections during your spring 2008 refueling outage, and that the analysis is applicable to Seabrook Unit No. 1.

The results of the staffs review are contained in a safety assessment dated August 31, 2007 (ADAMS Accession No. ML072400199), and the associated contractor report (ADAMS Accession No. ML072470394).

Based on the above, the NRC concludes that a plant shutdown by December 31, 2007, is no longer required. Therefore, the pressurizer surge, spray, and safety/relief nozzle-to-safe end Alloy 82/182 butt weld inspections for Seabrook Unit No. 1 must be performed prior to exiting your scheduled spring 2008 refueling outage. All other requirements of the CAL and the supporting commitment letter regarding enhanced inspection and leakage monitoring requirements for the reactor coolant system and associated reports remain valid.

G. St. Pierre The CAL will remain open until all CAL commitments pertaining to Seabrook Unit No. 1 are complete.

Current NRC guidance regarding CALs is contained in the NRC Enforcement Policy and the NRC Enforcement Manual, which are available at the NRC web site at http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/enforcement.html (click on Enforcement Policy or Enforcement Guidance) or by contacting the Government Printing Office (GPO) toll-free at 1-888-293-6498. The GPO is open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays).

In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 2, Section 390, of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter will be made available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the NRCs document system (ADAMS),

accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm.html.

Sincerely,

/ra/

Catherine Haney, Director Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-443 cc: See next page

Seabrook Station, Unit No. 1 cc:

Mr. J. A. Stall John Giarrusso Senior Vice President, Nuclear and Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Chief Nuclear Officer 400 Worcester Road Florida Power & Light Company Framingham, MA 01702-5399 P.O. Box 14000 Juno Beach, FL 33408-0420 Ms. Kelly Ayotte, Attorney General Mr. Orvil Fitch, Deputy Attorney General Mr. Peter Brann 33 Capitol Street Assistant Attorney General Concord, NH 03301 State House, Station #6 Augusta, ME 04333 Mr. Christopher M. Pope, Director Homeland Security & Emergency Mgmt.

Resident Inspector New Hampshire Department of Safety U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Bureau of Emergency Management Seabrook Nuclear Power Station 33 Hazen Drive P.O. Box 1149 Concord, NH 03301 Seabrook, NH 03874 Mr. M. S. Ross, Managing Attorney Town of Exeter Florida Power & Light Company 10 Front Street P.O. Box 14000 Exeter, NH 03823 Juno Beach, FL 33408-0420 Regional Administrator, Region I Mr. Rajiv S. Kundalkar U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Vice President - Nuclear Technical Services 475 Allendale Road Florida Power & Light Company King of Prussia, PA 19406 P.O. Box 14000 Juno Beach, FL 33408-0420 Office of the Attorney General One Ashburton Place, 20th Floor James M. Peschel Boston, MA 02108 Regulatory Programs Manager FPL Energy Seabrook, LLC Board of Selectmen PO Box 300 Town of Amesbury Seabrook, NH 03874 Town Hall Amesbury, MA 01913 Ms. Marjan Mashhadi Senior Attorney Mr. Robert Poole Florida Power & Light Company Federal Emergency Management Agency 801 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Suite 220 Region I Washington, DC 20004 99 High Street, 6th Floor Boston, MA 02110 Mr. Tom Crimmins Polestar Applied Technology One First Street, Suite 4 Los Altos, CA 94019

Seabrook Station, Unit No. 1 cc:

Mr. Mark E. Warner Mr. Don E. Grissette Vice President, Nuclear Operations, Vice President, Nuclear Training and North Region Performance Improvement (Seabrook & Duane Arnold Plants) Florida Power & Light Company Florida Power & Light Company P.O. Box 14000 P.O. Box 14000 Juno Beach, FL 3340 Juno Beach, FL 33408-0420 Mr. Michael W. Kiley Mr. Gene F. St. Pierre Plant General Manager Site Vice President FPL Energy Seabrook, LLC FPL Energy Seabrook, LLC P.O. Box 300 P.O. Box 300 Seabrook, NH 03874 Seabrook, NH 03874 Mr. Joseph Roy Director of Operations Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company Moody Street Ludlow, MA 01056

ML072470665 OFFICE DCI/CPNB DCI/CPNB LPL1-2/PM LPL1-2/LA LPL1-2/BC NAME TLupold TChan GEMiller MOBrien HChernoff (JBurkhardt (w/comments) for)

DATE 9/6/07 9/6/07 9/4/07 9/7/07 9/5/07 OFFICE DCI/D DRP/D, RGN1 DORL/D NAME MEvans Dlew (by e-mail) CHaney DATE 9/7/07 9/7/07 9/7/07