ML080740371
| ML080740371 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Seabrook  |
| Issue date: | 03/14/2008 |
| From: | Catherine Haney Plant Licensing Branch III-2 |
| To: | Peschel J, St.Pierre G Florida Power & Light Energy Seabrook |
| Markley, M T, NRR/DORL/LP4, 301-415-5723 | |
| References | |
| TAC MD7288, NRR-01-001 | |
| Download: ML080740371 (5) | |
Text
March 14, 2008 Mr. Gene F. St. Pierre, Site Vice President c/o James M. Peschel Seabrook Station FPL Energy Seabrook, LLC P.O. Box 300 Seabrook, NH 03874
SUBJECT:
SEABROOK STATION, UNIT NO. 1 - EVALUATION OF NEW INFORMATION RELATED TO ALLOY 82/182 PRESSURIZER BUT WELD INSPECTIONS RE:
CONFIRMATORY ACTION LETTER NRR-07-001 (TAC NO. MD7288)
Dear Mr. St. Pierre:
On March 12, 2007, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL) No. NRR-07-001 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML070610585) regarding dissimilar metal welds in the pressurizer surge, spray, and safety/relief nozzle-to-safe end welds at Seabrook Station Unit No. 1 (Seabrook, Unit 1). The CAL and the supporting commitment letter (ADAMS Accession No. ML070530548) indicate that inspection and mitigation actions may be conducted during your spring 2008 refueling outage, contingent on the industry providing an analysis that demonstrates an acceptable level of safety to the NRC for the operation of these welds until the spring of 2008.
The NRC received MRP-216, Rev. 1, Materials Reliability Program: Advanced FEA [Finite Element Analysis] Evaluation of Growth of Postulated Circumferential PWSCC [Primary Water Stress-Corrosion Cracking] Flaws in Pressurizer Nozzle Dissimilar Metal Welds, on August 13, 2007 (ADAMS Accession No. ML072410235). Based on our review of this report, NRC concluded that the analysis provided adequate justification to permit inspections during your spring 2008 refueling outage, and that the analysis was applicable to Seabrook. On September 7, 2007, the NRC issued a letter to FPL Energy Seabrook, LLC (ADAMS Accession No. ML072470665), informing you that a plant shutdown by December 31, 2007, was no longer needed and Seabrook could continue to operate until the spring 2008 outage.
On March 4, 2008, the NRC became aware of emerging information regarding certain welds in nozzles on a retired pressurizer from a pressurized-water reactor facility. This was related to new reports (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML080701017 and ML080701020) on weld examinations of those nozzles. This information raised questions regarding the technical basis for the September 7, 2007, letter. The NRC dispatched technical experts in non-destructive examination to independently review industry analyses and actions regarding this matter. On March 13, 2008, a public meeting was held in NRC Headquarters, Rockville, MD, with representatives of the eight licensees whose plants had not yet shut down for spring 2008 outages and who are subject to commitments to inspect or mitigate similar welds during spring 2008 outages.
G. St. Pierre The NRC has evaluated the non-destructive automated phased array ultrasonic examination performed since March 4, 2008, and concluded there is reasonable assurance that there is no structurally significant service-related degradation in those nozzles that would alter the conclusions provided in our letter dated September 7, 2007, that allowed continued operation of Seabrook until the spring 2008 refueling outage. The NRC will continue to evaluate new information as it becomes available. All other requirements of the CAL and the supporting commitment letter regarding enhanced inspection and leakage monitoring requirements for the reactor coolant system and associated reports remain valid.
The CAL will remain open until all CAL commitments pertaining to Seabrook are complete.
Current NRC guidance regarding CALs is contained in the NRC Enforcement Policy and the NRC Enforcement Manual, which are available at the NRC web site at http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/enforcement.html (click on Enforcement Policy or Enforcement Guidance) or by contacting the Government Printing Office (GPO) toll-free at 1-888-293-6498. The GPO is open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays).
In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 2, Section 390, of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter will be made available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the NRCs document system (ADAMS),
accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm.html.
Sincerely,
/RA by Tim McGinty for/
Catherine Haney, Director Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-443 cc: See next page
(*) by e-mail
(**) see previous concurrence NRR-106 OFFICE DCI/CPNB DCI/CPNB/BC DORL/LPL1-2/PM DORL/LPL4/LA NAME TSullivan TChan GMiller, MTM for JBurkhardt DATE 3/14/08, w/comments 3/14/08 3/14/08 3/14/08 OFFICE DORL/LPL1-2/BC NRR/DCI/D DRP/D, R-I NRR/DORL/D NAME HChernoff MEvans DLew, DRoberts for Chaney, TJM for DATE 3/14/08 3/14/08 3/14/08 3/14/08
Seabrook Station, Unit No. 1 cc:
Mr. J. A. Stall Senior Vice President, Nuclear and Chief Nuclear Officer Florida Power & Light Company P.O. Box 14000 Juno Beach, FL 33408-0420 Mr. Peter Brann Assistant Attorney General State House, Station #6 Augusta, ME 04333 Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Seabrook Nuclear Power Station P.O. Box 1149 Seabrook, NH 03874 Town of Exeter 10 Front Street Exeter, NH 03823 Regional Administrator, Region I U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 Office of the Attorney General One Ashburton Place, 20th Floor Boston, MA 02108 Board of Selectmen Town of Amesbury Town Hall Amesbury, MA 01913 Mr. Robert Poole Federal Emergency Management Agency Region I 99 High Street, 6th Floor Boston, MA 02110 Mr. Tom Crimmins Polestar Applied Technology One First Street, Suite 4 Los Altos, CA 94019 John Giarrusso Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency 400 Worcester Road Framingham, MA 01702-5399 Ms. Kelly Ayotte, Attorney General Mr. Orvil Fitch, Deputy Attorney General 33 Capitol Street Concord, NH 03301 Mr. Christopher M. Pope, Director Homeland Security & Emergency Mgmt.
New Hampshire Department of Safety Bureau of Emergency Management 33 Hazen Drive Concord, NH 03301 Mr. M. S. Ross, Managing Attorney Florida Power & Light Company P.O. Box 14000 Juno Beach, FL 33408-0420 Mr. Rajiv S. Kundalkar Vice President - Nuclear Technical Services Florida Power & Light Company P.O. Box 14000 Juno Beach, FL 33408-0420 James M. Peschel Regulatory Programs Manager FPL Energy Seabrook, LLC PO Box 300 Seabrook, NH 03874 Ms. Marjan Mashhadi Senior Attorney Florida Power & Light Company 801 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Suite 220 Washington, DC 20004
Updated 7.16.07 Seabrook Station, Unit No. 1 cc:
Mr. Mark E. Warner Vice President, Nuclear Operations, North Region (Seabrook & Duane Arnold Plants)
Florida Power & Light Company P.O. Box 14000 Juno Beach, FL 33408-0420 Mr. Gene F. St. Pierre Site Vice President c/o James M. Peschel FPL Energy Seabrook, LLC P.O. Box 300 Seabrook, NH 03874 Mr. Joseph Roy Director of Operations Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company Moody Street Ludlow, MA 01056