ML080590376

Request for Additional Information, Third 10-Year Interval Inservice Inspection Program Plan Relief Request RR-3-ISI-23

ML080590376
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry
Issue date:	03/13/2008
From:	Ellen Brown NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLII-2
To:	Campbell W Tennessee Valley Authority
Brown E, NRR/DORL, 415-2315
References
TAC MD6749
Download: ML080590376 (5)

Text

March 13, 2008 Mr. William R. Campbell, Jr.

Chief Nuclear Officer and Executive Vice President Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801

SUBJECT:

BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 3 C REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THIRD 10-YEAR INTERVAL INSERVICE INSPECTION PROGRAM PLAN RELIEF REQUEST RR-3-ISI-23 (TAC NO. MD6749)

Dear Mr. Campbell:

By letter dated August 24, 2007, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, the licensee) requested relief from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code,Section XI, Table IWB-2500-1, Examination Category B-D, Item Nos. B3.90 and B3.100 and ASME Code Case N-648-1 Alternative Requirements for Inner Radius Examination of Class 1 Reactor Vessels,Section XI, Division 1 requirements based on it being impractical to perform the required examinations. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff requires additional information in order to complete its evaluation of Request for Relief 3-ISI-23.

A response to the enclosed Request for Additional Information is needed before the NRC staff can complete the review. This request was discussed with Mr. James Emens of your staff on March 11, 2007, and it was agreed that TVA would respond by March 28, 2008.

If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-2315.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Eva A. Brown, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch II-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-296

Enclosure:

Request for Additional Information cc w/enclosure: See next page

ML080590376 NRR-088 OFFICE LPL2-2/PM LPL2-2/LA DCI/CVIB /BC LPL2-2/BC NAME EBrown BClayton MMitchell TBocye By memo dated DATE 03 / 13 /08 03 / 12 /08 01 / 31/08 03 / 13 /08 REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELIEF REQEST 3-ISI-23 TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 3 DOCKET NO. 50-296 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code,Section XI, Table IWB-2500-1, Examination Category B-D, Item No. B3.90 requires a volumetric examination of essentially 100 percent of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) nozzle welds as depicted in ASME Code,Section XI, Figure IWB-2500-7(a). ASME Code,Section XI, Table IWB-2500-1, Examination Category B-D, Item No. B3.100 requires a volumetric examination of essentially 100 percent of the RPV nozzle inner radius as depicted in ASME Code,Section XI, Figure IWB-2500-7(a). The licensee invoked ASME Code Case N-648-1, which allows one to perform an enhanced VT-1 visual examination of the inner radius of the RPV nozzles in lieu of a volumetric examination as required by the ASME Code,Section XI, Table IWB-2500-1, Examination Category B-D, Item No. B3.100.

1. The volumetric examinations for all the RPV nozzle-to-vessel welds and the enhanced VT-1 visual examinations of the inner radii of all the RPV nozzles provided in Table 1 of the original submittal and Weld Examination Report R-057 appear to be inconsistent.

Further, the information in Table 1 and Weld Examination Report R-057 appear to be inconsistent with the list of RPV nozzle-to-vessel welds and RPV nozzle inner radii listed on page E2-4 of the relief request (RR) as components addressed under RR 3-ISI-23.

Provide two separate tables listing the results of the volumetric examinations for all the RPV nozzle-to-vessel welds and the enhanced VT-1 visual examinations of the inner radii of all the RPV nozzles.

2. In reviewing the examination results, it appears that the volumetric examination coverages were in the range of 22 to 42 percent and a number of enhanced VT-1 visual examination results were in the 40 percent range. If this is correct, provide further basis why these limited examinations provide reasonable assurance of structural integrity of the subject welds and components. As part of this basis, address whether there are any mechanisms that may be expected to cause service-induced degradation of the subject components.

Enclosure

Page 1 of 2 Tennessee Valley Authority BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT cc:

Mr. Ashok S. Bhatnagar Senior Vice President Mr. Steven M. Douglas Nuclear Generation Development General Manager and Construction Browns Ferry Site Operations Tennessee Valley Authority Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant 6A Lookout Place Tennessee Valley Authority 1101 Market Street P.O. Box 2000 Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Decatur, AL 35609 Mr. James R. Douet Ms. Beth A. Wetzel, Manager Vice President Corporate Nuclear Licensing Nuclear Support and Industry Affairs Tennessee Valley Authority Tennessee Valley Authority 3R Lookout Place 4X Blue Ridge 1101 Market Street 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. H. Rick Rogers Mr. James E. Emens, Jr., Interim Manager Vice President Licensing and Industry Affairs Nuclear Engineering & Technical Services Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority Tennessee Valley Authority 3R Lookout Place P.O. Box 2000 1101 Market Street Decatur, AL 35609 Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 James B. Baptist Mr. D. Tony Langley, Manager Browns Ferry Senior Project Engineer Licensing and Industry Affairs Division of Reactor Projects, Branch 6 Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Tennessee Valley Authority 61 Forsyth Street, SW.

P.O. Box 2000 Suite 24T85 Decatur, AL 35609 Atlanta, GA 30303-8931 General Counsel Tomy A. Nazario Tennessee Valley Authority Browns Ferry Project Engineer 6A West Tower Division of Reactor Projects, Branch 6 400 West Summit Hill Drive U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Knoxville, TN 37902 61 Forsyth Street, SW.

Suite 24T85 Mr. John C. Fornicola, General Manager Atlanta, GA 30303-8931 Nuclear Assurance Tennessee Valley Authority Senior Resident Inspector 3R Lookout Place U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1101 Market Street Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 10833 Shaw Road Athens, AL 35611-6970

State Health Officer Alabama Dept. of Public Health RSA Tower - Administration Suite 1552 P.O. Box 303017 Montgomery, AL 36130-3017 Chairman Limestone County Commission 310 West Washington Street Athens, AL 35611 Mr. Larry E. Nicholson, General Manager Performance Improvement Tennessee Valley Authority 3R Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Michael A. Purcell Senior Licensing Manager Nuclear Power Group Tennessee Valley Authority 4X Blue Ridge 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Michael D. Skaggs Site Vice President Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Mr. William R. Campbell, Jr.

Chief Nuclear Officer and Executive Vice President Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801