ML073170529
| ML073170529 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | San Onofre  |
| Issue date: | 11/29/2007 |
| From: | Kalyanam N NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLIV |
| To: | Rosenblum R Southern California Edison Co |
| Kalyanam N, NRR/DORL/LPL4, 415-1480 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML073170461 | List: |
| References | |
| TAC MD2584, TAC MD2585 | |
| Download: ML073170529 (18) | |
Text
November 29, 2007 Mr. Richard M. Rosenblum Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer Southern California Edison Company San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station P.O. Box 128 San Clemente, CA 92674-0128
SUBJECT:
SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3 -
ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENTS RE: STEAM GENERATOR TUBE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM, TUBE REPAIR (TAC NOS. MD2584 AND MD2585)
Dear Mr. Rosenblum:
The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 215 to Facility Operating License No. NPF-10 and Amendment No. 207 to Facility Operating License No. NPF-15 for San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Units 2 and 3, respectively. The amendments consist of changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) in response to your application dated July 14, 2006, as supplemented by letters dated June 28, September 26, and November 2, 2007.
The amendments incorporate a description of the parent tube inspection limitation adjacent to the nickel band portion of the lower sleeve joint and provide the basis for the structural and leakage integrity of the joint being ensured with the existing inspection of the parent tube adjacent to the nickel band region.
R. M. Rosenblum A copy of our related Safety Evaluation (SE) is also enclosed. The Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's next biweekly Federal Register notice.
Sincerely, N. Kalyanam, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-361 and 50-362
Enclosures:
- 1. Amendment No. 215 to NPF-10
- 2. Amendment No. 207 to NPF-15
- 3. Safety Evaluation cc w/encls: See next page
Pkg ML073170461, Amendment/License ML073170529, TS Pgs ML073180006 (**) SE input memo OFFICE NRR/LPL4/PM NRR/LPL4/LA NRR/DCI/CSGB* OGC - NLO w/comments NRR/LPL4/BC NAME NKalyanam JBurkhardt(*) AHiser(**) AHodgdon(*) THiltz DATE 11/28/07 11/13/07 11/9/07 11/27/07 11/29/07 San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Units 2 and 3 cc:
Mr. Raymond W. Waldo, Vice President, Director, Radiologic Health Branch Nuclear Generation State Department of Health Services Southern California Edison Company P.O. Box 997414, MS 7610 San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Sacramento, CA 95899-7414 P.O. Box 128 San Clemente, CA 92674-0128 Resident Inspector San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Mr. Douglas K. Porter, Esquire c/o U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Southern California Edison Company Post Office Box 4329 2244 Walnut Grove Avenue San Clemente, CA 92674 Rosemead, CA 91770 Mayor Dr. David Spath, Chief City of San Clemente Division of Drinking Water and 100 Avenida Presidio Environmental Management San Clemente, CA 92672 California Dept. of Health Services 850 Marina Parkway, Bldg P, 2nd Floor Mr. James T. Reilly Richmond, CA 94804 Southern California Edison Company San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Chairman, Board of Supervisors P.O. Box 128 County of San Diego San Clemente, CA 92674-0128 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 335 San Diego, CA 92101 Mr. James D. Boyd, Commissioner California Energy Commission Mark L. Parsons 1516 Ninth Street (MS 31)
Deputy City Attorney Sacramento, CA 95814 City of Riverside 3900 Main Street Brian Katz Riverside, CA 92522 Southern California Edison Company San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Mr. Gary L. Nolff P.O. Box 128 Assistant Director - Resources San Clemente, CA 92764-0128 City of Riverside 3900 Main Street, 4th Floor Mr. Steve Hsu Riverside, CA 92522 Department of Health Services Radiologic Health Branch Regional Administrator, Region IV MS 7610, P.O. Box 997414 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Sacramento, CA 95899-7414 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011-8064 Mr. A. Edward Scherer Southern California Edison Company Mr. Michael L. DeMarco San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station San Diego Gas & Electric Company P.O. Box 128 8315 Century Park Ct. CP21G San Clemente, CA 92674-0128 San Diego, CA 92123-1548 October 2007
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY SAN DIEGO GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA DOCKET NO. 50-361 SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT 2 AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 215 License No. NPF-10
- 1. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:
A. The application for amendment by Southern California Edison Company, et al.
(SCE or the licensee), dated July 14, 2006, as supplemented by letters dated June 28, September 26, and November 2, 2007, complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's regulations set forth in 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; 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. NPF-10 is hereby amended to read as follows:
(2) Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A and the Environmental Protection Plan contained in Appendix B, as revised through Amendment No. 215, are hereby incorporated in the license. Southern California Edison Company shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications and the Environmental Protection Plan.
- 3. This license amendment is effective as of the date of its issuance and shall be implemented within 60 days of issuance.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
/RA./
Thomas G. Hiltz, Chief Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Attachment:
Changes to the Facility Operating License No. NPF-10 and Technical Specifications Date of Issuance: November 29, 2007
ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 215 FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-10 DOCKET NO. 50-361 Replace the following pages of the Facility Operating License No. NPF-10 and Appendix A Technical Specifications with the attached revised pages. The revised pages are identified by amendment number and contain marginal lines indicating the areas of change.
Facility Operating License REMOVE INSERT Technical Specifications REMOVE INSERT 5.0-15a 5.0-15a 5.0-16 5.0-16
(3) SCE, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Part 70, to receive, possess, and use at any time special nuclear material as reactor fuel, in accordance with the limitations for storage and amounts required for reactor operation, as described in the Final Safety Analysis Report, as supplemented and amended; (4) SCE, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, and 70, to receive, possess, and use at any time any byproduct, source and special nuclear material as sealed neutron sources for reactor startup, sealed sources for reactor instrumentation and radiation monitoring equipment calibration, and as fission detectors in amounts as required; (5) SCE, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, and 70, to receive, possess, and use in amounts as required any byproduct, source or special nuclear material without restriction to chemical or physical form, for sample analysis or instrument calibration or associated with radioactive apparatus or components; and (6) SCE, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, and 70, to possess, but not separate, such byproduct and special nuclear materials as may be produced by the operation of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1 and 2 and by the decommissioning of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Unit 1.
C. This license shall be deemed to contain and is subject to the conditions specified in the Commission's regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I and is subject to all applicable provisions of the Act and to the rules, regulations and orders of the Commission now or hereafter in effect; and is subject to the additional conditions specified or incorporated below:
(1) Maximum Power Level Southern California Edison Company (SCE) is authorized to operate the facility at reactor core power levels not in excess of full power (3438 megawatts thermal).
(2) Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A and the Environmental Protection Plan contained in Appendix B, as revised through Amendment No. 215, are hereby incorporated in the license. l Southern California Edison Company shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications and the Environmental Protection Plan.
Amendment No. 215
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY SAN DIEGO GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA DOCKET NO. 50-362 SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT 3 AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 207 License No. NPF-15
- 1. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:
A. The application for amendment by Southern California Edison Company, et al.
(SCE or the licensee), dated July 14, 2006, as supplemented by letters dated June 28, September 26, and November 2, 2007, complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's regulations set forth in 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; 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. NPF-15 is hereby amended to read as follows:
(2) Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A and the Environmental Protection Plan contained in Appendix B, as revised through Amendment No. 207, are hereby incorporated in the license. Southern California Edison Company shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications and the Environmental Protection Plan.
- 3. This license amendment is effective as of the date of its issuance and shall be implemented within 60 days of issuance.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
/RA/
Thomas G. Hiltz, Chief Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Attachment:
Changes to the Facility Operating License No. NPF-15 and Technical Specifications Date of Issuance: November 29, 2007
ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 207 FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-15 DOCKET NO. 50-362 Replace the following pages of the Facility Operating License No. NPF-15 and Appendix A Technical Specifications with the attached revised pages. The revised pages are identified by amendment number and contain marginal lines indicating the areas of change.
Facility Operating License REMOVE INSERT Technical Specifications REMOVE INSERT 5.0-15a 5.0-15a 5.0-16 5.0-16
(3) SCE, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Part 70, to receive, possess, and use at any time special nuclear material as reactor fuel, in accordance with the limitations for storage and amounts required for reactor operation, as described in the Final Safety Analysis Report, as supplemented and amended; (4) SCE, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, and 70, to receive, possess, and use at any time any byproduct, source and special nuclear materials as sealed neutron sources for reactor startup, sealed sources for reactor instrumentation and radiation monitoring equipment calibration, and as fission detectors in amounts as required; (5) SCE, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, and 70 to receive, possess, and use in amounts as required any byproduct, source or special nuclear material without restriction to chemical or physical form, for sample analysis or instrument calibration or associated with radioactive apparatus or components; and (6) SCE, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, and 70, to possess, but not separate, such byproduct and special nuclear materials as may be produced by the operation of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1 and 3 and by the decommissioning of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Unit 1.
C. This license shall be deemed to contain and is subject to the conditions specified in the Commission's regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I and is subject to all applicable provisions of the Act and to the rules, regulations and orders of the Commission now or hereafter in effect; and is subject to the additional conditions specified or incorporated below:
(1) Maximum Power Level Southern California Edison Company (SCE) is authorized to operate the facility at reactor core power levels not in excess of full power (3438 megawatts thermal).
(2) Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A and the Environmental Protection Plan contained in Appendix B, as revised through Amendment No. 207, are hereby incorporated in the license. l Southern California Edison Company shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications and the Environmental Protection Plan.
Amendment No. 207
SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO. 215 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-10 AND AMENDMENT NO. 207 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-15 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY SAN DIEGO GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3 DOCKET NOS. 50-361 AND 50-362
1.0 INTRODUCTION
By application dated July 14, 2006 (Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML061990069), as supplemented by letters dated June 28, September 26, and November 2, 2007 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML071830053, ML072740251, and ML073100092, respectively), Southern California Edison (the licensee) requested changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) for San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Units 2 and 3 (SONGS 2 and 3). The supplements dated June 28, September 26, and November 2, 2007, provided additional information that clarified the application, did not expand the scope of the application as originally noticed, and did not change the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staffs original proposed no significant hazards consideration determination as published in the Federal Register on September 12, 2006 (71 FR 53720).
The proposed amendment would modify the TSs to indicate that the ability to inspect a steam generator (SG) tube repaired by sleeving is limited at the location where the nickel band portion of the sleeve is located. The nickel band is located at the lower sleeve-to-tube joint, and the nickel band affects the ability of eddy current probes to inspect the parent tube. The justification for the proposed amendment involves demonstrating that the structural and leakage integrity of the sleeve-to-tube joint is maintained without taking any credit for the portion of the lower sleeve joint that can not be reliably inspected (i.e., the parent tube adjacent to the nickel band region on the sleeve). A nickel band is only used in sleeves whose lower joints are installed in the tubesheet.
In addition to the above, the licensee also proposed to modify its TS to indicate that sleeving is only permitted for the existing SGs.
2.0 REGULATORY EVALUATION
SG tubes function as an integral part of the reactor coolant pressure boundary and, in addition, serve to isolate radiological fission products in the primary coolant from the secondary coolant and the environment. Because of the importance of SG tube integrity, the NRC requires licensees to perform periodic inservice inspections of SG tubes. These inspections detect, in part, flaws in the tubes resulting from interaction with the SG operating environment, including both primary and secondary coolant. Inservice inspections may also provide a means of characterizing the nature and cause of any tube flaws so that corrective measures can be taken. Tubes with flaws that exceed the tube repair criteria specified in a plants TS are removed from service by plugging or are repaired by sleeving (if approved by the NRC for use at the plant). The plant TS provide the acceptance criteria related to the results of SG tube inspections.
The requirements for the inspection of SG tubes are intended to ensure that this portion of the reactor coolant system maintains its integrity. Tube integrity means that the tubes are capable of performing these functions in accordance with the plant design and licensing basis, including the TSs. Tube integrity includes both structural and leakage integrity. Structural integrity refers to maintaining adequate margins against gross failure, rupture, and collapse of the SG tubes.
Leakage integrity refers to limiting primary-to-secondary leakage during normal operation, plant transients, and postulated accidents. These measures ensure that the radiological dose consequences associated with any leakage are within acceptable bounds and also limit the frequency of SG tube ruptures.
In reviewing requests of this nature, the NRC staff verifies that a methodology exists that maintains the structural and leakage integrity of the tubes consistent with the plant design and licensing basis. This includes verifying that the applicable Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Appendix A, General Design Criteria (e.g., GDC 14, 32) are satisfied. The NRC staffs evaluation is based, in part, on ensuring that the structural margins inherent in Regulatory Guide 1.121, "Bases for Plugging Degraded PWR SG Tubes," are maintained. The NRC staffs evaluation also includes verifying that a conservative methodology exists for determining the amount of primary-to-secondary leakage that may occur during design-basis accidents. The amount of leakage is limited to ensure that offsite and control room dose criteria are met. The radiological dose criteria are specified, in part, in 10 CFR Part 100, GDC 19 of Appendix A to 10 CFR Part 50, and 10 CFR 50.67.
3.0 TECHNICAL EVALUATION
3.1 Background SONGS 2 and 3 are two-loop, Combustion Engineering designed plants. Each SG contains approximately 9350 mill-annealed Alloy 600 tubes with an outside diameter of 0.75 inches and a wall thickness of 0.048 inches. The tubes were explosively expanded at both ends for the full length of the tubesheet by a process referred to as explansion. The transition from the expanded portion of the tube to the unexpanded portion of the tube is referred to as the expansion transition and it is located near the secondary face (top) of the tubesheet.
Each SG contains horizontal supports (eggcrates), diagonal supports (batwings), and vertical supports. All tube support material is carbon steel. The shorter tubes, located at the center of the tube bundle (i.e., low row numbered tubes), have 180-degree bends (i.e., are bent in the shape of a U). Higher row numbered tubes have double 90-degree bends with a horizontal run between the bends (square bends).
On August 26, 1998, the NRC staff approved the use of sleeves at SONGS 2 and 3 as an acceptable method to repair SG tubes with flaws exceeding the tube repair criteria.
Specifically, the NRC staff authorized the use of heat-treated, tungsten inert gas (TIG) welded sleeves as described in Asea Brown Boveri (ABB)/Combustion Engineering (CE) topical report, CEN-630-P, Revision 2. Several hundred sleeves have been installed at SONGS 2 since 1998; however, none have been installed at SONGS 3. Some of the tubes repaired by sleeving at SONGS 2 have subsequently been removed from service by plugging the tube.
The sleeves installed in the tubesheet region are roll expanded into the parent tube to create an interference fit (mechanical) joint. The joint length is approximately 1.25 inches. In this region, both the sleeve and the parent tube form the pressure boundary (since the sleeve could not function, as designed, without the presence of the parent tube). At the location of this joint, the sleeve has two narrow bands of material. The lower band is a band of nickel. This nickel band can interfere with the eddy current inspection of the tubes. As a result, the ability to inspect the portion of the parent (original) tube wall behind the nickel band is limited.
Since the licensee could not demonstrate that the technique being used to inspect this region of tube (i.e., the parent tube adjacent to (behind) the nickel band region) was capable of finding the forms of degradation that could occur there, the licensee performed additional testing and analyses to demonstrate that structural and leakage integrity of the tube (at this location) are maintained with the existing inspections being performed for the portion of the parent tube behind the nickel band (assuming credible forms of degradation of the parent tubing behind (adjacent to) the nickel band).
Given that the licensee is limited in its ability to inspect the portion of the parent tubing behind (adjacent to) the nickel band region of the sleeve and is using an engineering justification to demonstrate adequate tube/sleeve integrity, the licensee submitted this TS amendment request. This is consistent with the staff position outlined in Generic Letter 2004-01, Steam Generator Tube Inspections. The NRC staffs review of the licensees Generic Letter 2004-01 response is documented in a letter dated December 7, 2006 (ADAMS Accession No. ML063310347).
3.2 San Onofres Proposal Given the limitations in inspecting the portion of the parent tube adjacent to (behind) the nickel band region of the sleeve, the licensee has proposed to modify the inspection requirements in TS 5.5.2.11.d by adding the following note:
The requirement for methods of inspection with the objective of detecting flaws of any type (e.g., volumetric flaws, axial and circumferential cracks) that may be present along the length of the tube does not apply to the portion of the original tube wall adjacent to the nickel band portion (the lower half) of the lower joint for the repair process that is
discussed in Technical Specification (TS) 5.5.2.11.f.1. However, the method of inspection in this area should be a rotating plus point (or equivalent) coil. The SG tube repair criterion of TS 5.5.2.11.c.3.b is applicable to flaws in this area.
In summary, the licensee has proposed to continue to inspect the nickel band region of the sleeve-to-tube joint with a probe commonly used for sleeve inspections and to plug any flaws that are detected (regardless of size).
In addition to the above, the licensee also proposed to modify its technical specifications to indicate that sleeving is only permitted until the planned replacement of the existing steam generators. Specifically, the licensee proposed to modify TS 5.5.2.11.f to indicate:
TIG welded sleeving with heat treatment, as described in ABB/CE Topical Report, CEN-630-P, Rev. 2, is approved by the NRC until December 2009 [December 2010 for Unit 3]. All sleeves shall be removed from service by December 2009 [December 2010 for Unit 3].
3.3 Evaluation Given the limited ability to inspect the parent tube behind the nickel band region of the sleeve, the licensee performed testing to demonstrate that flaws in this region of the sleeve joint would not adversely affect the structural and leakage integrity of the sleeve-to-tube joint. To demonstrate that the structural integrity of the joint is not adversely affected by flaws that may exist in the parent tube behind the nickel band, the licensee performed testing to show that the axial load carrying capability of the joint is not adversely impacted. The axial load carrying capability is important for ensuring that the sleeve does not displace axially, thereby exposing any degradation that may exist in the parent tube (in the area bounded by the original sleeve joints). To demonstrate that the leakage integrity of the joint is not adversely affected by flaws in the parent tube behind the nickel band, the licensee performed leak tests to characterize the amount of primary-to-secondary leakage that could occur under normal operating and design-basis accident conditions.
In assessing the effect that flaws in the parent tubing may have on joint integrity, the licensee reported results from two sleeve types (a TIG welded sleeve and an Alloy 800 sleeve) for several different tube and sleeve sizes (e.g., for sleeves installed in 3/4-inch outside diameter tubes with a 0.043-inch wall thickness; for sleeves installed in 3/4-inch outside diameter tubes with a 0.048-inch wall thickness; and for sleeves installed in 7/8-inch outside diameter tubes with a 0.050-inch wall thickness). In addition, the licensee tested two distinct sets of flaw specimens: (1) a parent tube with a circumferential separation at the top of the nickel band, and (2) a parent tube with several part-through-wall axial notches behind the nickel band.
These test results indicated that the joint was still capable of withstanding an axial force corresponding to three times the normal operating differential pressure across the tubes. Since this factor of safety on the axial load-carrying capability of the joint (i.e., three) is consistent with the factor of safety for performing tube integrity evaluations, the staff finds that the axial load-carrying capability of the joint is not adversely affected by any flaws in the parent tube behind the nickel band region that may go undetected during the tube inspection.
With respect to the leakage integrity of the joint, the results indicated that the sleeve-to-tube joint does not leak significantly either during normal operation or design-basis accident conditions. Based on the testing performed, the licensee determined that sleeves with known degradation should be assigned a leak rate of 2 x 10-5 gallons per minute (gpm). This was the maximum leak rate observed during any of the tests. Based on a review of the test data, the staff agrees that the leakage from a joint with a defect in the parent tubing behind the nickel band region should be small and should not adversely affect the integrity of the sleeves.
Prior to the testing program discussed above, the licensee performed a review of the original sleeving testing program. Based on the analytical effort which evaluated expected resistive load capability as a function of joint length, the licensee concluded that additional testing was not necessary to establish integrity over the limited operating period until SG replacement.
Given that the licensees conclusion was based, in part, on the length of time the sleeves would be in service, the licensee proposed (in response to a staff request for additional information) that sleeving would only be permitted until December 2009 for Unit 2 and December 2010 for Unit 3. In addition, the licensee proposed to remove all sleeves from service by December 2009 for Unit 2 and December 2010 for Unit 3. Given the limited time the sleeves will be in service (based on the planned replacement of the SG), the testing discussed above, and additional conservatism in the analyses (no credit for limited displacement due to the tube bundle geometry), the staff finds the licensees proposal acceptable.
3.4 Summary Based on the above, the NRC staff concludes that the proposed changes to the TSs are acceptable since (1) the presence of undetected flaws in the parent tube behind the nickel band region of the sleeve does not adversely affect the integrity of the sleeve-to-tube joint for TIG welded sleeves for the limited remaining lifetime of the sleeves and (2) the licensee will inspect the parent tubing at this location and plug any flaws detected.
4.0 STATE CONSULTATION
In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the California State official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendment. 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. 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 published September 12, 2006 (71 FR 53720). 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: K. Karwoski Date: November 29, 2007