ML080320185

Issuance of License Amendments 231 and 236 Deletion of Containment Purge Valve Surveillance Requirement

ML080320185
Person / Time
Site:	Point Beach
Issue date:	02/19/2008
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
Shared Package
ML080360121	List: ML080320185
References
TAC MD6077, TAC MD6078
Download: ML080320185 (8)

Text

February 19, 2008 Mr. James H. McCarthy Site Vice President FPL Energy Point Beach, LLC 6610 Nuclear Road Two Rivers, WI 54241

SUBJECT:

POINT BEACH NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENTS RE: DELETION OF CONTAINMENT PURGE VALVE SURVEILLANCE REQUIREMENT (TAC NOS. MD6077 AND MD6078)

Dear Mr. McCarthy:

The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 231 to Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-24 and Amendment No. 236 to Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-27 for the Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, respectively. The amendments consist of changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) in response to your application dated July 12, 2007, as supplemented by letter dated October 8, 2007.

These amendments would revise TS 3.6.3, "Containment Isolation Valves." The revision would delete Surveillance Requirement 3.6.3.1, which is no longer required due to the containment purge supply and exhaust valve isolation function being replaced with blind flanges.

A copy of our related safety evaluation is also enclosed. The Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's biweekly Federal Register notice.

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

Enclosures:

1. Amendment No. 231 to DPR-24

2. Amendment No. 236 to DPR-27

3. Safety Evaluation cc w/encls: See next page

Mr. James H. McCarthy Site Vice President FPL Energy Point Beach, LLC 6610 Nuclear Road Two Rivers, WI 54241

SUBJECT:

POINT BEACH NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENTS RE: DELETION OF CONTAINMENT PURGE VALVE SURVEILLANCE REQUIREMENT (TAC NOS. MD6077 AND MD6078)

Dear Mr. McCarthy:

The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 231 to Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-24 and Amendment No. 236 to Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-27 for the Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, respectively. The amendments consist of changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) in response to your application dated July 12, 2007, as supplemented by letter dated October 8, 2007.

These amendments would revise TS 3.6.3, "Containment Isolation Valves." The revision would delete Surveillance Requirement 3.6.3.1, which is no longer required due to the containment purge supply and exhaust valve isolation function being replaced with blind flanges.

A copy of our related safety evaluation is also enclosed. The Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's biweekly Federal Register notice.

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

Enclosures:

1. Amendment No. 231 to DPR-24

2. Amendment No. 236 to DPR-27

3. Safety Evaluation cc w/encls: See next page DISTRIBUTION PUBLIC RidsOgcRp LPL3-1 R/F RidsAcrsAcnw&mMailCenter RidsNrrDorlDpr RidsNrrDorlLpl3-1 GHill (4) RidsNrrDirsItsb RidsNrrLATHarris RidsRgn3MailCenter RidsNrrPMJCushing RidsNrrLABTully Package Accession Number: ML080360121 Amendment Accession Number: ML080320185 TS Accession Number: ML080430394 *Per SE Input OFFICE LPL3-1/PM LPL3-1/LA DIRS/ITSB DSS/SCVB* OGC/NLO LPL3-1/(A)BC NAME JCushing THarris GWaig RDennig RHolmes PMilano (NLO)

DATE 2/7/08 2/7/08 02/11/08 01/30/08 02/15/08 2/19/08 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

FPL ENERGY POINT BEACH, LLC DOCKET NO. 50-266 POINT BEACH NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 1 AMENDMENT TO RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 231 License No. DPR-24

1. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:

A. The application for amendment by FPL Energy Point Beach, LLC (the licensee),

dated July 12, 2007, as supplemented by letter dated October 8, 2007, complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's rules and 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 4.B of Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-24 is hereby amended to read as follows:

B. Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications contained in Appendices A and B, as revised through Amendment No. 231, are hereby incorporated in the renewed operating license. FPLE Point Beach shall operate the facility in accordance with Technical Specifications.

3. This license amendment is effective as of the date of issuance and shall be implemented within 30 days of the date of issuance.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

/RA/

Patrick D. Milano, Acting Chief Plant Licensing Branch III-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Attachment:

Changes to the Technical Specifications and Facility Operating License Date of issuance: February 19, 2008

FPL ENERGY POINT BEACH, LLC DOCKET NO. 50-301 POINT BEACH NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 2 AMENDMENT TO RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 236 License No. DPR-27

1. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:

A. The application for amendment by FPL Energy Point Beach, LLC (the licensee),

dated July 12, 2007, as supplemented by letter dated October 8, 2007, complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's rules and 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 4.B of Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-27 is hereby amended to read as follows:

B. Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications contained in Appendices A and B, as revised through Amendment No. 236, are hereby incorporated in the renewed operating license. FPLE Point Beach shall operate the facility in accordance with Technical Specifications.

3. This license amendment is effective as of the date of issuance and shall be implemented within 30 days of the date of issuance.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

/RA/

Patrick D. Milano, Acting Chief Plant Licensing Branch III-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Attachment:

Changes to the Technical Specifications and Facility Operating License Date of issuance: February 19, 2008

ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 231 TO RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-24 AND LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 236 TO RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-27 DOCKET NOS. 50-266 AND 50-301 Replace the following pages of the Facility Operating Licenses and Appendix A Technical Specifications (TS) with the attached revised pages. The revised pages are identified by amendment number and contain marginal lines indicating the areas of change.

REMOVE INSERT Unit 1 License Page 3 Unit 1 License Page 3 Unit 2 License Page 3 Unit 2 License Page 3 Unit 1 and 2 TS Page 3.6.3-4 Unit 1 and 2 TS Page 3.6.3-4

D. Pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40 and 70, FPLE Point Beach 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 E. Pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30 and 70, FPLE Point Beach to possess such byproduct and special nuclear materials as may be produced by the operation of the facility, but not to separate such materials retained within the fuel cladding.

4. This renewed operating license shall be deemed to contain and is subject to the conditions specified in the following Commission regulations: 10 CFR Part 20, Section 30.34 of 10 CFR Part 30, Section 40.41 of 10 CFR Part 40, Sections 50.54 and 50.59 of 10 CFR Part 50, and Section 70.32 of 10 CFR Part 70; 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 below:

A. Maximum Power Levels FPLE Point Beach is authorized to operate the facility at reactor core power levels not in excess of 1540 megawatts thermal.

B. Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications contained in Appendices A and B, as revised through Amendment No. 231, are hereby incorporated in the renewed operating license.

FPLE Point Beach shall operate the facility in accordance with Technical Specifications.

C. Spent Fuel Pool Modification The licensee is authorized to modify the spent fuel storage pool to increase its storage capacity from 351 to 1502 assemblies as described in licensee=s application dated March 21, 1978, as supplemented and amended. In the event that the on-site verification check for poison material in the poison assemblies discloses any missing boron plates, the NRC shall be notified and an on-site test on every poison assembly shall be performed.

Renewed License No. DPR-24 Amendment No. 231

C. Pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40 and 70, FPLE Point Beach to receive, possess and use at any time any byproduct, source, and special nuclear material as sealed neutron sources for reactor startup, sealed source for reactor instrumentation and radiation monitoring equipment calibration, and as fission detectors in amounts as required; D. Pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40 and 70, FPLE Point Beach 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 E. Pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30 and 70, FPLE Point Beach to possess such byproduct and special nuclear materials as may be produced by the operation of the facility, but not to separate such materials retained within the fuel cladding.

4. This renewed operating license shall be deemed to contain and is subject to the conditions specified in the following Commission regulations: 10 CFR Part 20, Section 30.34 of 10 CFR Part 30, Section 40.41 of 10 CFR Part 40, Sections 50.54 and 50.59 of 10 CFR Part 50, and Section 70.32 of 10 CFR Part 70; 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 below:

A. Maximum Power Levels FPLE Point Beach is authorized to operate the facility at reactor core power levels not in excess of 1540 megawatts thermal.

B. Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications contained in Appendices A and B, as revised through Amendment No. 236, are hereby incorporated in the renewed operating license.

FPLE Point Beach shall operate the facility in accordance with Technical Specifications.

C. Spent Fuel Pool Modification The licensee is authorized to modify the spent fuel storage pool to increase its storage capacity from 351 to 1502 assemblies as described in licensee=s application dated March 21, 1978, as supplemented and amended. In the event that the on-site verification check for poison material in the poison assemblies discloses any missing boron plates, the NRC shall be notified and an on-site test on every poison assembly shall be performed.

Renewed License No. DPR-27 Amendment No. 236

SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO. 231 TO RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-24 AND AMENDMENT NO. 236 TO RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-27 FPL ENERGY POINT BEACH, LLC POINT BEACH NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-266 AND 50-301

1.0 INTRODUCTION

By application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, Commission) dated July 12, 2007 (Agencywide Documents and Access Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML071940423), Nuclear Management Company (the licensee) requested changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) for Point Beach Nuclear Plant (PBNP), Units 1 and 2. The information provided was supplemented by a letter response to a request for additional information dated October, 8, 2007 (ML072820335) from FPL Energy Point Beach, LLC (to whom the license had been transferred since the July 12, 2007, application). The supplement dated October 8, 2007, provided additional information that clarified the application, did not expand the scope of the application as originally noticed, and did not change the staff=s original proposed no significant hazards consideration determination as published in the Federal Register on August 28, 2007 (72 FR 49580).

The requested amendments would delete the TS Surveillance Requirement (SR) 3.6.3.1 for verifying every 31 days that each Containment purge supply and exhaust valve is closed with their control switches locked, except for one purge valve in a penetration flow path when performing leakage rate corrective maintenance.

Due to the difficulty in keeping the 36-inch purge penetrations within leakage limits, blind flanges have been used to meet PBNP TS Required Action A.1 (or B.1). Because there is no time limit associated with Required Action A.1 (or B.1), the units remained in Condition A (or B) for extended periods of time during Modes 1 through 4 for these penetrations. With implementation of Plant Modifications MR 04-018 and MR 04-019 Replacement of Purge Supply/Return Valves Inside Containment the normal Containment configuration now has blind flanges installed on the inboard side of the purge penetrations. These flanges have double o-ring gaskets to allow for the Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50 Appendix J required local leak rate test of the penetrations. The proposed amendment would delete SR 3.6.3.1 as it is no longer needed since the normal plant configuration now uses blind flanges for isolation of the purge penetrations for Containment integrity and not the purge valves.

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2.0 REGULATORY EVALUATION

Section 50.36 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Technical Specifications, is the Commissions regulatory requirement that TSs are needed and are required to include items in the following five specific categories related to station operation: (1) safety limits, limiting safety system settings, and limiting control settings, (2) limiting conditions for operation (LCOs), (3) SRs, (4) design features, and (5) administrative controls. The rule states that The technical specifications will be derived from the analyses and evaluation included in the safety analysis report, and amendments thereto, but does not specify the particular requirements to be included in a plants TSs. As stated in 10 CFR 50.36(d)(2), the Limiting Conditions for Operation are the lowest functional capability or performance levels of equipment required for safe operation of the facility and Surveillance Requirements are requirements relating to test, calibration, or inspection to assure that the necessary quality of systems and components is maintained, that facility operation will be within safety limits, and that the limiting conditions for operation will be met.

In their amendment request, the licensee identified the applicable regulatory requirements related to containment isolation and testing as provided in 10 CFR Part 50 Appendix J, Primary Reactor Containment Leakage Testing for Water-Cooled Power Reactors. PBNP updated Final Safety Analyses Report (FSAR) Section 1.3 identifies the design bases of the plant. Appendix A of 10 CFR Part 50 contains general design criteria (GDC) which were published in 1971 after the Point Beach construction permits were issued. The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) published proposed GDC for public comment in 1967. The Atomic Industrial Forum (AIF) reviewed these proposed criteria and recommended changes. The PBNP GDC are similar in content to the AIF version of the AECs Proposed 1967 GDC, and are explicitly identified in Table 1.3-1 of the Point Beach FSAR. Consideration of these GDC was pertinent to the development of plant modifications MR 04-018 and MR 04-019, but is not directly applicable to evaluation of the requested amendment.

With the purge valves no longer containment isolation valves (required for containment operability in Modes 1 through 4), the proposed change is consistent with the provisions of NUREG-1431 Standard Technical Specifications Westinghouse Plants for Section 3.6.3 (Containment Isolation Valves) which is applicable in plant operating Modes 1, 2, 3 and 4.

However, the purge penetrations remain subject to the requirements of PBNP TS 3.6.1 (Containment) and TS 3.9.3 (REFUELING OPERATIONS - Containment Penetrations) as well as TS Program 5.5.15 (Containment Leakage Rate Testing Program). In their July 12, 2007, amendment request, the licensee committed to updating their FSAR classification of the purge penetrations to show the change from having two valves or one valve and one flange provide the redundant barriers in these penetrations to having the single flange with the double, local leakage rate tested, o-ring gaskets providing the redundant barrier arrangement.

The licensee identified as precedents license amendments issued on February 14, 2006, for Palo Verde Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 (ML070470255) and on August 4, 2006, for Salem Generating Station Units 1 and 2 (ML070710178). This evaluation is consistent with those actions.

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3.0 TECHNICAL EVALUATION

During Modes 5 and 6 the PBNP Containment Purge System provides for supply of conditioned fresh air (filtered and when needed, heated) to the containment for personnel habitability and for filtered and monitored exhaust of the containment atmosphere via the containment stack. The 36-inch supply and exhaust line penetrations were originally provided with inboard and outboard automatic containment isolation valves. However, these valves were not qualified as capable of automatic closure at design-basis accident (DBA) conditions and were maintained closed with the control switches locked when in Modes 1 through 4. With implementation of Plant Modifications MR 04-018 and MR 04-019, the inboard valves were removed and replaced with blank flanges during Modes 1 through 4 when containment isolation operability is required.

These blank flanges have double o-ring gaskets and are 10 CFR Part 50 Appendix J local leakage rate tested by pressurizing between the gaskets. With these modifications the existing PBNP TS SR 3.6.3.1 for verifying that these valves are closed with the control switch locked each 31 days while in Modes 1 through 4 is no longer needed.

3.1 Summary The NRC staff has reviewed the licensees proposed amendment to delete SR 3.6.3.1 and finds that the change complies with the applicable regulatory requirements and is consistent with the plants current design and licensing basis and is acceptable.

4.0 STATE CONSULTATION

In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the Wisconsin State official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendments. The State official had no comments.

5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION

These amendments change a surveillance requirement. The staff has determined that the amendments involve no significant increase in the amounts and no significant change in the types of any effluent that may be released offsite, and that there is no significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure. The Commission has previously published a proposed finding that these amendments involve no significant hazards consideration and there has been no public comment on such finding (72 FR 49580).

Accordingly, these 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 these 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: Jerome Bettle Date: February 19, 2008

Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 cc:

Licensing Manager Mr. Antonio Fernandez FPL Energy Point Beach, LLC Senior Attorney 6610 Nuclear Road FPL Energy , LLC Two Rivers, WI 54241 P. O. Box 14000 Juno Beach, FL 33408-0420 Mr. Ken Duveneck Town Chairman Mr. Mano Nazar Town of Two Creeks Senior Vice President and 13017 State Highway 42 Nuclear Chief Operating Officer Mishicot, WI 54228 FPL Energy, LLC P. O. Box 14000 Resident Inspector's Office Juno Beach, FL 33408-0420 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 6612 Nuclear Road Mr. R. S. Kundalkar Two Rivers, WI 54241 Vice President Nuclear Technical Services Chairman FPL Energy, LLC Public Service Commission of Wisconsin P. O. Box 14000 P.O. Box 7854 Juno Beach, FL 33408-0420 Madison, WI 53707-7854 J. Kitsembel Electric Division Mr. J. A. Stall Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Senior Vice President and P. O. Box 7854 Chief Nuclear Officer Madison, WI 53707-7854 FPL Group P. O. Box 14000 Mr. M. S. Ross Juno Beach, FL 33408-0420 Managing Attorney FPL Energy, LLC P. O. Box 14000 Juno Beach, FL 33408-0420