ML072760276

09/26/2007 Summary of Telephone Conference Call Between the NRC and PPL Susquehanna, LLC Concerning Requests for Additional Information Pertaining to the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2, License Renewal Application

ML072760276
Person / Time
Site:	Susquehanna
Issue date:	10/24/2007
From:	Gettys E NRC/NRR/ADRO/DLR/RLRA
To:	Susquehanna
Gettys Evelyn, NRR/DLR/RLRA 415-4029
References
Download: ML072760276 (8)

Text

October 24, 2007 LICENSEE: PPL Susquehanna, LLC FACILITY: Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2

SUMMARY

OF TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL HELD ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2007, BETWEEN THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION AND PPL SUSQUEHANNA, LLC, CONCERNING REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the staff) and representatives of PPL Susquehanna, LLC held a telephone conference call on September 26, 2007, to discuss and clarify the staff's requests for additional information (RAIs) concerning the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2, license renewal application. The telephone conference call was useful in clarifying the intent of the staff's RAIs.

provides a listing of the participants and Enclosure 2 contains a listing of the RAIs discussed with the applicant, including a brief description on the status of the items.

The applicant had an opportunity to comment on this summary.

/RA/ Evelyn Gettys, Project Manager License Renewal Branch A Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-387 and 50-388

Enclosures:

As stated cc w/encls: See next page

ML072760276 OFFICE PM:RLRA:DLR LA:DLR BC:RLRA:DLR NAME EGettys IKing LLund DATE 10/06/07 10/06/07 10/24/07 Enclosure 1 TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION LIST OF PARTICIPANTS SEPTEMBER 26, 2007 PARTICIPANTS AFFILIATIONSEvel yn Gett ys U.S. Nuclear Re gulator y Commission (NRC)Simon Shen g NRC Neil Cuddin gham PPL Sus quehanna, LLC (PPL) Jeff Weik PPL Mike Ma y PPL Enclosure 2 REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION SEPTEMBER 26, 2007 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the staff) and representatives of PPL Susquehanna, LLC held a telephone conference call on September 26, 2007, to discuss and clarify the following requests for additional information (RAIs) concerning the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2, license renewal application (LRA).

RAI 4.7.3-2 (as revised in letter of September 12, 2007, ML072640134)

LRA Appendix C discussed the applicants response to the Boiling Water Reactor Vessel and Internals Project (BWRVIP) report application action items. The BWRVIP reports addressing the time-limited aging analyses (TLAA) regarding irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) in austenitic stainless steel reactor pressure vessel (RPV) internals are BWRVIP-25, " BWR Core Plate Inspection and Flaw Evaluation Guidelines," BWRVIP-26-A, "Boiling-Water Reactor (BWR) Top Guide Inspection and Flaw Evaluation Guidelines," BWRVIP-76, "BWR Core Shroud Inspection and Flaw Evaluation Guidelines," and BWRVIP-47-A, "BWR Lower Plenum Inspection and Flaw Evaluation Guidelines." Although managing TLAA using aging management programs (AMPs) or other measures is stated in Appendix C in your response to BWRVIP report application action items, IASCC in austenitic stainless steel RPV internals should be discussed in the TLAA section to build the connection between LRA Section 4.0 and Appendix C. The safety evaluation for BWRVIP-76 was issued on July 28, 2006. Therefore, you need to perform a plant-specific evaluation using BWRVIP-76, and make a commitment to follow all BWRVIP-76 requirements and limitations, as modified by the NRC staff's safety evaluation on the BWRVIP-76 report. Also, the statement in Appendix C, that a BWRVIP-76 is not included because the safety evaluation report has not yet been issued, needs to be revised.

During your plant-specific evaluation using BWRVIP-76, please address the following:

Section 4.1 Item 5 of the BWRVIP-100-A report, Updated Assessment of the Fracture Toughness of Irradiated Stainless Steel for BWR Core Shrouds, dated August 2006, states that fracture toughness values of stainless steel materials that are exposed to neutron fluence values greater than 1 X 10 21 n/cm 2 (E > 1 MeV) are lower than those used in Appendix C of the BWRVIP-76 report. It is likely that during the license renewal period, core shroud welds and base materials will be exposed to neutron fluence values exceeding 1 X 10 21 n/cm 2 (E > 1 MeV). Since the inspection frequency in the BWRVIP-76 report is based on fracture toughness values which are not consistent with the BWRVIP-100-A report, the staff requests that you reevaluate the inspection frequency and the inspection methods that are specified in Section 3 of the BWRVIP-76 report, taking into account the lower fracture toughness values identified in the BWRVIP-100-A report for core shroud welds that would be exposed to a neutron fluence value greater than 1 X 10 21 n/cm 2 (E > 1 MeV).

Discussion: In this discussion with the applicant the staff indicated that the NRC staff has not approved BWRVIP-76 for license renewal; however, the staff wants a commitment from the applicant to the future staff's position. The RAI has been revised as the following:

RAI 4.7.3-2

LRA Appendix C discussed the applicant's response to the BWRVIP report application action items. The BWRVIP reports addressing the TLAA regarding IASCC in austenitic stainless steel RPV internals are BWRVIP-25, "BWR Core Plate Inspection and Flaw Evaluation Guidelines," BWRVIP-26-A, "BWR Top Guide Inspection and Flaw Evaluation Guidelines," BWRVIP-76, "BWR Core Shroud Inspection and Flaw Evaluation Guidelines," and BWRVIP-47-A, "BWR Lower Plenum Inspection and Flaw Evaluation Guidelines." Although managing TLAA using AMPs or other measures is stated in Appendix C in your response to BWRVIP report application action items, IASCC in austenitic stainless steel RPV internals should be discussed in the TLAA section to build the connection between LRA Section 4.0 and Appendix C. Further, although the NRC review of BWRVIP-76 license renewal for complience with the license renewal rule has not been completed, you need to make a commitment to follow all BWRVIP-76 license renewal requirements and limitations and to address the conditions imposed by the staff in the pending NRC staff's safety evaluation on this report.

Letter to PPL Susquehanna, from E. Gettys dated October 24, 2007

SUMMARY

OF TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL HELD ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2007, BETWEEN THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION AND PPL SUSQUEHANNA, LLC, CONCERNING REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION DISTRIBUTION

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RGuzman BRogers EGettys Susquehanna Steam Electric Station Units 1 and 2 cc: Cornelius J. Gannon Vice President - Nuclear Operations PPL Susquehanna, LLC 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSB3 Berwick, PA 18603-0467

Robert M. Paley General Manager - Plant Support PPL Susquehanna, LLC 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSB2 Berwick, PA 18603-0467 Rocco R. Sgarro Manager - Nuclear Regulatory Affairs PPL Susquehanna, LLC Two North Ninth Street, GENPL4 Allentown, PA 18101-1179

Walter E. Morrissey Supervising Engineer Nuclear Regulatory Affairs PPL Susquehanna, LLC 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSA4 Berwick, PA 18603-0467 Michael H. Crowthers Supervising Engineer Nuclear Regulatory Affairs PPL Susquehanna, LLC Two North Ninth Street, GENPL4 Allentown, PA 18101-1179 Ronald E. Smith General Manager - Site Preparedness and Services PPL Susquehanna, LLC 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSA4 Berwick, PA 18603-0467 Steven M. Cook Manager - Quality Assurance PPL Susquehanna, LLC 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSB2 Berwick, PA 18603-0467 Luis A. Ramos Community Relations Manager, Susquehanna PPL Susquehanna, LLC 634 Salem Blvd., SSO Berwick, PA 18603-0467

Bryan A. Snapp, Esq. Associate General Counsel PPL Services Corporation Two North Ninth Street, GENTW3 Allentown, PA 18101-1179

Supervisor - Document Control Services PPL Susquehanna, LLC Two North Ninth Street, GENPL4 Allentown, PA 18101-1179

Richard W. Osborne Allegheny Electric Cooperative, Inc. 212 Locust Street P.O. Box 1266 Harrisburg, PA 17108-1266

Director, Bureau of Radiation Protection Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Rachel Carson State Office Building P.O. Box 8469 Harrisburg, PA 17105-8469 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 35, NUCSA4 Berwick, PA 18603-0035 Regional Administrator, Region 1 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406

Board of Supervisors Salem Township P.O. Box 405 Berwick, PA 18603-0035 Susquehanna Steam Electric Station Units 1 and 2 cc: Dr. Judith Johnsrud National Energy Committee Sierra Club 443 Orlando Avenue State College, PA 16803