ML073511698
| ML073511698 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Point Beach  |
| Issue date: | 12/20/2007 |
| From: | Jack Cushing NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLIII-1 |
| To: | Mccarthy J Florida Power & Light Energy Point Beach |
| Cushing, Jack /NRR/DORL/LPL3-1, 415-1424 | |
| References | |
| GL-04-002, GSI-191, TAC MC4705, TAC MC4706 | |
| Download: ML073511698 (6) | |
Text
December 20, 2007 Mr. James McCarthy Site Vice President FPLE Point Beach 6610 Nuclear Road Two Rivers, WI 54241-9516
SUBJECT:
POINT BEACH NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 - GSI-191/GL 2004-02 EXTENSION REQUEST APPROVAL (TAC NO. MC4705/4706)
Dear Mr. McCarthy:
By letter dated November 16, 2007, FPL Energy Point Beach, LLC (FPLE-PB) requested an extension of the December 31, 2007 due date to the corrective action, stated in NRC Generic Letter (GL) 2004-02, Potential Impact of Debris Blockage on Emergency Recirculation During Design Basis Accidents at Pressurized Water Reactors (GL 2004-02) for Point Beach Nuclear Plant (PBNP), Units 1 and 2.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has determined that for PBNP Units 1 and 2 it is acceptable to extend the due date for completion of strainer chemical effects testing and in-vessel and ex-vessel downstream effects evaluations as described in the enclosed staff evaluation of the extension request, until June 30, 2008. If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-1424.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Jack Cushing, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch III-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-266 and 50-301
Enclosure:
As stated cc w/encl: See next page
ML073511698 *editorial changes from staff provided evaluation OFFICE LPL3-1/PM LPL3-1/LA LPL3-1/PM DSS/SSIB/BC LPL3-1/(A)BC NAME JCushing THarris PMilano
- MScott CMunson DATE 12/ 19 /07 12/ 19 /07 12/ 19 /07 12/ 17/07 12/ 20 /07
Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 cc:
Licensing Manager FPL Energy Point Beach, LLC 6610 Nuclear Road Two Rivers, WI 54241 Mr. Ken Duveneck Town Chairman Town of Two Creeks 13017 State Highway 42 Mishicot, WI 54228 Resident Inspector's Office U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 6612 Nuclear Road Two Rivers, WI 54241 Chairman Public Service Commission of Wisconsin P.O. Box 7854 Madison, WI 53707-7854 Mr. J. A. Stall Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer FPL Group P. O. Box 14000 Juno Beach, FL 33408-0420 Mr. Antonio Fernandez Senior Attorney FPL Energy, LLC P. O. Box 14000 Juno Beach, FL 33408-0420 Mr. Mano Nazar Senior Vice President and Nuclear Chief Operating Officer Florida Power & Light Company P.O. Box 14000 Juno Beach, FL 33408 mano-nazar@fpl.com Mr. R. S. Kundalkar Vice President Nuclear Technical Services FPL Energy, LLC P. O. Box 14000 Juno Beach, FL 33408-0420 J. Kitsembel Electric Division Public Service Commission of Wisconsin P. O. Box 7854 Madison, WI 53707-7854 Mr. M. S. Ross Managing Attorney FPL Energy, LLC P. O. Box 14000 Juno Beach, FL 33408-0420
EVALUATION OF EXTENSION REQUEST TO COMPLETE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS GENERIC SAFETY ISSUE -191 ASSESSMENT OF DEBRIS ACCUMULATION ON PWR SUMP PUMP PERFORMANCE (GSI-191)/GENERIC LETTER 2004-02, POTENTIAL IMPACT OF DEBRIS BLOCKAGE ON EMERGENCY RECIRCULATION DURING DESIGN BASIS ACCIDENTS AT PRESSURIZED WATER REACTORS (GL-2004-02)
POINT BEACH NUCLEAR PLANT UNITS 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-266 AND 50-301 By letter dated November 16, 2007, (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (Adams) Accession No. ML073230345) FPL Energy Point Beach, LLC (FPLE-PB), requested an extension of the December 31, 2007, due date to the corrective action, stated in NRC Generic Letter (GL) 2004-02, Potential Impact of Debris Blockage on Emergency Recirculation During Design Basis Accidents at Pressurized Water Reactors, (GL 2004-02) for Point Beach Nuclear Plant (PBNP), Units 1 and 2.
FPLE-PB stated that Nuclear Management Company (NMC) (previous operator of PBNP), has taken actions, as described in NMCs letters dated September 1, 2005, and October 3, 2006, toward bringing PBNP into compliance with GL 2004-02, including replacing the sump screens with substantially larger sump strainers during the fall 2006 (PBNP Unit 2) and spring 2007 (PBNP Unit 1) refueling outages. Further, PBNP is continuing the evaluation of the adequacy of the replacement strainers.
The licensee stated that the PBNP units have completed all modifications projected to be required to resolve issues associated with potential sump strainer clogging as described in GL 2004-02. As part of the modifications to address the issues, PBNP installed new sump strainers. However, the initial chemical effects testing for the strainers were conducted with a powdered chemical surrogate. Industry testing indicates that the test protocol used by PBNP may not have provided a conservative estimate of head loss during the testing. Therefore, PBNP has determined that additional testing is required to ensure that the chemical effects on strainer head loss are properly understood. The testing will include plant-specific chemical concentrations and strainer approach velocities. The testing is anticipated to be completed during the second quarter of 2008.
The licensee stated that PBNP also completed a downstream effects evaluation to determine whether components downstream of the sump strainers could be adversely affected by debris that could bypass the strainers. The original evaluation of downstream effects was completed prior to the issuance of Westinghouse Commercial Atomic Power (WCAP) WCAP-16406-P,
Evaluation of Downstream Sump Debris Effects In Support of GSI-191, Revision 1. The new guidance requires a revision to the High Head Safety Injection Pump wear analysis previously completed by PBNP. This analysis is anticipated to be completed in the first quarter of 2008.
The in-vessel downstream effects evaluation has not been completed. The evaluation required for this area was anticipated to use guidance from WCAP-16739-NP, Evaluation of Long-Term Cooling Considering Particulate, Fibrous, and Chemical Debris in the Recirculating Fluid, Revision 0. The software made available by this guidance does not clearly apply to plants that use upper plenum injection during the response to a loss-of-coolant-accident (LOCA).
Evaluation of the in-vessel effects is ongoing and is anticipated to be completed during the first quarter of 2008.
The criteria for granting an extension to the due date of December 31, 2007, for completion of GL 2004-02 corrective actions are stated in SECY-06-0078. Specifically, an extension may be granted if:
the licensee has a plant-specific technical/experimental plan with milestones and schedule to address outstanding technical issues with enough margin to account for uncertainties; and the licensee identifies mitigative measures to be put in place prior to December 31, 2007, and adequately describes how these mitigative measures will minimize the risk of degraded emergency core cooling system (ECCS) and containment spray system (CSS) functions during the extension period.
In regard to the first extension criterion, PBNP has a plant-specific technical/experimental plan, with milestones and schedules, to complete the GL 2004-02 corrective actions and modifications by June 30, 2008. Specifically, the licensee has stated that it will:
- 1. Complete chemical effects testing during the second quarter 2008,
- 2. Reevaluate ex-vessel downstream effects to address Westinghouse WCAP-16406-P, Revision 1, by the first quarter 2008, and
- 3. Complete an evaluation of in-vessel downstream effects by the first quarter of 2008.
In regard to the second extension criterion, the licensee stated that there are several modifications, mitigative measures, compensatory measures, and/or favorable conditions in effect at PBNP, minimizing the risk of degraded ECCS and CSS functions during the extension period. The most significant of these is the installation of larger surface area sump strainers on both units. Redundant 1500 ft2 strainers replaced the 21 ft2 sump screens. In addition, the size of the holes in the strainers was reduced to reduce debris bypass. The licensee stated that preliminary testing of the strainers indicates that there is significant margin to accommodate potential chemical precipitate effects. In addition, Operations procedures for LOCA response have been revised to direct operators to monitor for sump performance, and if necessary to mitigate the effects of sump blockage to ensure core injection.
The NRC believes that FPLE-PB has a reasonable plan for PBNP that should result in the completion of final GSI-191 evaluations that ensure acceptable strainer function with adequate margin for uncertainties. Further, the NRC has concluded that FPLE-PB has put mitigation measures in place at PBNP to adequately reduce risk for the requested 6-month extension period. It is, therefore, acceptable to extend the completion date for certain corrective actions for the issues discussed in GL 2004-02 (specifically, strainer chemical effects testing, and in-vessel and ex-vessel downstream effects evaluations discussed above) until June 30, 2008. While the NRC accepts this date as a reasonable allowance for contingencies regarding the completion of remaining activities to address GL 2004-02, the NRC expects FPLE-PB to place a high priority on completing remaining actions and updating the plants licensing bases as soon as possible.