ML082700912

R. E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, Request for Additional Information, Fourth Ten-Year Interval Inservice Inspection Program Relief Request No. 19

ML082700912
Person / Time
Site:	Ginna
Issue date:	10/03/2008
From:	Pickett D Plant Licensing Branch 1
To:	John Carlin Ginna
pickett , NRR/DORL, 415-1364
References
TAC MD8733
Download: ML082700912 (4)

Text

October 3, 2008 Mr. John T. Carlin Vice President R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, LLC 1503 Lake Road Ontario, NY 14519

SUBJECT:

REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RE: FOURTH 10-YEAR INTERVAL INSERVICE INSPECTION PROGRAM RELIEF REQUEST NO. 19 -

R.E. GINNA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT (TAC NO. MD8733)

Dear Mr. Carlin:

By letter dated May 10, 2008, as supplemented on June 23, 2008, the R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, LLC submitted relief requests regarding the fourth 10-year inservice inspection program.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has reviewed the information provided and has determined that additional information is needed to complete its review of Relief Request No. 19 regarding the deferment of reactor pressure vessel B-F weld examinations. Enclosed is the NRC staffs request for additional information (RAI). As discussed with your staff, we understand that you intend to respond to this RAI by October 31, 2008.

Please contact me at 301-415-1364 if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Douglas V. Pickett, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch I-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-244

Enclosure:

As stated cc w/encl: Distribution via Listserv

ML082700912 OFFICE PM/LPL1-1 LA:LPL1-1 BC/CPNB BC/LPL1-1 NAME DPickett SLittle TChan by MKowal memo dated DATE 10/2/ 08 10/2/ 08 9 / 18 / 08 10/3/ 08 REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 4th 10-YEAR INSERVICE INSPECTION INTERVAL RELIEF REQUEST ISI-19 R.E. GINNA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT DOCKET NO. 50-244 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has reviewed the Constellation Energy submittal dated June 23, 2008 related to relief request ISI-19 associated with the fourth 10-year inservice inspection interval for the R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant. The submittal requests approval for deferral of the reactor pressure vessel related examinations from the 2009 refueling outage to the 2011 refueling outage. The deferral would constitute a less than six month interval extension beyond the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME Code) allowed 12-month extension. The NRC staff has determined that the following information is needed in order to complete its review:

1. On page 2 of 5, Paragraph 5, the relief request states that The subject examinations are currently scheduled to be performed during the Fall 2009 refueling outage. Please clarify why the inspections are being postponed. If relief is granted to postpone these 4th 10-year inservice inspection (ISI) interval inspections into the 5th 10-year ISI interval, what is your plan for completing the ASME Code required 5th 10-year ISI interval inspections of these reactor vessel nozzle welds? The staff notes that if the relief requested in ISI-19 is granted, the subject welds will need to be examined a second time during the 5th 10-year ISI interval unless specific relief is requested and granted.

2. On page 2 of 5, Paragraph 5A, the relief request states These welds are stainless steel welds that do not contain any Alloy 82 or 182 weld material. What are the material specifications for the welds, nozzles, and safe ends? Additionally, later in this same paragraph, the relief request states that There have been no known incidents of cracking in non-Alloy 82/182 reactor vessel Category B-F welds. Please clarify whether there are no known incidents of cracking or there are no known incidents of structurally significant cracking of non-Alloy 82/182 reactor vessel Category B-F welds? The staff notes that a recordable/reportable indication was detected in a stainless steel weld in Class 1 piping of a pressurized-water reactor plant, albeit the weld was not a category B-F weld.

3. Please provide a more detailed description of the 1999 inspections of each weld covered in the relief request including method used and coverage obtained. The staff understands that these nozzle welds have historically been inspected from the vessel interior due to accessibility issues; however, what coverage would be possible if the inspection were done from the outside diameter?

4. ASME Code,Section XI, Table IWB-2500-1, requires both volumetric and surface examinations for Category B-F, Item No. B5.10. What were the results of the surface examinations during the 3rd 10-year ISI interval? If the 4th 10-year ISI interval surface Enclosure

exams have not yet been performed, are they going to remain on schedule and be performed during the fall 2009 refueling outage? The staff notes the importance of surface examinations to provide some assurance that cracking is not present.

5. On pages 4 and 5 of 5, Paragraph C states that flaw evaluations performed by Westinghouse for the Prairie Island and Point Beach Units can be used for R.E. Ginna because of comparable geometries and loading conditions. Provide a detailed comparison of piping geometries and loading conditions to demonstrate that the flaw evaluations for Point Beach and Prairie Island are applicable to R.E. Ginna.

6. The licensee stated that the assumed flaw in the Point Beach and Prairie Island flaw evaluation will remain acceptable for at least 20 years. However, R.E. Ginna has more than 20 years of remaining service life between now and the end of the license renewal period. Therefore, discuss the exact period of time the assumed flaw will remain acceptable and why.

7. The staff notes that walkdowns of the containment are completed during refueling outages to determine the presence of external leakage. Since this relief request is for the deferral of the volumetric inspections, what walkdowns will be done in the fall 2009 refueling outage to provide a high level of confidence that any leakage from these welds would be recognized? Also, what leakage detection systems are available to the operator for these weld locations.

8. On page 5 of 5, Paragraph 6, Duration of Proposed Alternative, is not clear to the staff.

(a) provide a specific end date for the relief request, (b) the staff notes that the end of the 4th 10-year ISI interval is scheduled for December 31, 2009. Therefore, please confirm that the ASME Code allowed extension would be effective until December 31, 2010, and (c) provide the start date of the 5th 10-year ISI interval.