ML081150243

Completion of Actions for Confirmatory Action Letter NRR-07-023 (Tac No. MD4168)

ML081150243
Person / Time
Site:	Palisades
Issue date:	05/15/2008
From:	Catherine Haney Plant Licensing Branch III-2
To:	Schwarz C Nuclear Management Co
Chawla M, NRR/DORL, 415-8371
References
TAC MD4168, NRR-07-023
Download: ML081150243 (4)

Text

May 15, 2008 Mr. Christopher J. Schwarz Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Palisades Nuclear Plant 27780 Blue Star Memorial Highway Covert, MI 49043

SUBJECT:

PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT - COMPLETION OF ACTIONS FOR CONFIRMATORY ACTION LETTER NRR-07-023 (TAC NO. MD4168)

Dear Mr. Schwarz:

On March 29, 2007, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL) No. NRR-07-023 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML070800449) regarding dissimilar metal welds in the pressurizer at Palisades Nuclear Plant (Palisades). This letter acknowledges receipt of your letter dated January 31, 2008 (ADAMS Accession No. ML080320153) informing the NRC of actions taken in response to this CAL.

In your letter, you stated that all of Palisades pressurizer dissimilar metal butt welds containing Alloy 600/82/182 were inspected during the plants fall 2007 refueling outage to fulfill certain commitments made in your letter dated February 27, 2007 (ADAMS Accession No. ML070590333), and contained in CAL NRR-07-023. Based on your examinations, Entergy Nuclear Operations has concluded that the Alloy 600/82/182 pressurizer butt welds were not degraded and no wastage of the pressurizer occurred. These actions complete the requirements of Commitments 5 and 6 of your February 27, 2007, letter. Further, all commitments, as described in CAL NRR-07-023 for the fall 2007 refueling outage at Palisades, were completed.

The NRC staff notes that completion of Commitments 5 and 6 satisfy the requirements to discontinue performance of the enhanced leakage monitoring requirements of Commitments 1, 2, 3 and 4 of your letter dated February 27, 2007. However, as all pressurizer dissimilar metal butt welds have not been mitigated against primary water stress-corrosion cracking, Commitments 7 and 8 of the February 27, 2007, letter, remain as active commitments under CAL NRR-07-023. Commitment 7 identifies the inspection frequency of the pressurizer dissimilar metal welds at Palisades, and Commitment 8 identifies the reporting actions for these inspections.

Thank you for informing us of the actions documented in your letter. These actions may be examined during a future NRC inspection of your facility. Based on actions completed to date, Technical Assignment Control (TAC) No. MD4168 has been closed. Additional TACs will be opened, as needed, to review future actions.

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

C. Schwarz 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 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and your response will be made available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the NRC=s document system (ADAMS), accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm.html.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Catherine Haney, Director Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-255 cc: See next page

ML081150243 OFFICE DCI/CPNB DCI/CPNB LPL3-1/PM LPL3-1/LA LPL3-1/BC NAME JCollins TChan MChawla THarris LJames DATE 4/28/08 4/28/08 4/24/08 4/24/08 5/8/08 OFFICE DCI/D DRP/D RIII DORL/D NAME MEvans CPederson CHaney DATE 5/1/08 5/6/08 5/15/08

Palisades Plant cc:

Supervisor Senior Vice President and COO Covert Township Entergy Nuclear Operations P. O. Box 35 440 Hamilton Avenue Covert, MI 49043 White Plains, NY 10601 Office of the Governor Assistant General Counsel P. O. Box 30013 Entergy Nuclear Operations Lansing, MI 48909 440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Resident Inspector's Office Manager, Licensing Palisades Plant Entergy Nuclear Operations 27782 Blue Star Memorial Highway Palisades Nuclear Plant Covert, MI 49043 27780 Blue Star Memorial Highway Covert, MI 49043-9530 Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Waste and Hazardous Materials Division Hazardous Waste and Radiological Protection Section Nuclear Facilities Unit Constitution Hall, Lower-Level North 525 West Allegan Street P.O. Box 30241 Lansing, MI 48909-7741 Michigan Department of Attorney General Special Litigation Division 525 West Ottawa St.

Sixth Floor, G. Mennen Williams Building Lansing, MI 48913 Senior Vice President Entergy Nuclear Operations P. O. Box 31995 Jackson, MS 39286-1995 Vice President Oversight Entergy Nuclear Operations P. O. Box 31995 Jackson, MS 39286-1995 Senior Manager, Nuclear Safety

& Licensing Entergy Nuclear Operations P. O. Box 31995 March 20, 2008 Jackson, MS 39286-1995