ML083250233

Summary of Public Meeting with Operators of Vogtle Units 1 & 2, San Onofre Units 2 & 3, St. Lucie Unit 1, Turkey Point Unit 3, Indian Point Units 2 & 3, Nuclear Energy Institute, and Alion Science and Technology

ML083250233
Person / Time
Site:	Indian Point, Saint Lucie, Turkey Point, Vogtle, San Onofre
Issue date:	12/02/2008
From:	Joe Golla Generic Communications Projects Branch
To:	Murphy M Generic Communications Projects Branch
References
Download: ML083250233 (4)

Text

December 2, 2008 MEMORANDUM TO: Martin Murphy, Chief Generic Communications and Power Uprate Branch Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM: Joseph A. Golla, Project Manager /RA/

Generic Communications and Power Uprate Branch Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

SUMMARY

OF PUBLIC MEETING ON NOVEMBER 6, 2008, WITH OPERATORS OF VOGTLE UNITS 1&2, SAN ONOFRE UNITS 2&3, ST. LUCIE UNIT 1, TURKEY POINT UNIT 3, INDIAN POINT UNITS 2&3, THE NUCLEAR ENERGY INSTITUTE (NEI) AND ALION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY On November 6, 2008, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff met with representatives of the subject nuclear power stations in a public meeting in Rockville, Maryland. Enclosure 1 provides a list of those in attendance. Enclosure 2 is the meeting agenda. Information presented at the meeting is available in the NRC Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under Accession No. ML083250225.

The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the above licensees containment sump screen head loss test methods and completion schedule and any other actions needed to provide the technical basis for demonstrating adequacy of their emergency containment sump performance.

Operators of the above facilities were previously relying on Alion-Vuez testing as part of their technical basis for generic safety issue (GSI)-191 resolution. The NRC technical staff has had outstanding concerns however with various aspects of the test methodology done by Alion at the Vuez facility.

The meeting was convened by the GSI-191 NRC project manager. Mr. Jared Wermiel, Deputy Director of the NRC Division of Safety Systems made opening remarks. He stressed the importance of licensees timely submittal of information to the NRC regarding the results of their head loss testing and the resolution of GSI-191. He stated that detailed data should support any testing and analysis assumptions used for the new test approach. He stated that the staff expects testing to meet applicable guidance in the NRC Staff Review Guidance Regarding Generic Letter 2004-02 Closure in the Area of Strainer Head Loss and Vortexing (HL&V)

(ADAMS Accession No. ML080230038). He also stated that licensees extension requests for corrective actions projected beyond December 2009, may need to be accompanied by a license condition. He stated that Turkey Pt. 4, which is the basis for Turkey Pt. 3 not performing additional testing, has significant requests for additional information on their supplemental response in the HL&V area and in additional areas that could affect the Turkey Pt. 3 response.

Following the NRC opening remarks, Mr. Robert Choromokos of Alion made opening remarks and then presented a briefing entitled Test for Success, Resolution of Chemical Effects Testing. Mr. Choromokos stated that the head loss testing will conform to the aforementioned staff guidance on HL&V and that chemical effects testing will use WCAP-16530 based precipitates. He also stated that the testing will incorporate the conservative application of chemical precipitate refinements (WCAP precipitate quantities have been shown experimentally to be conservative in certain applications) based on experimental evidence.

On slide no. 5 of the presentation the fourth bullet indicated that chemical debris might be injected in-situ. A staff member stated that injecting chemical debris directly into the test tank is not a WCAP method. Mr. Choromokos presented slide no. 9 Chemical Refinements and stated that the four refinements listed were methods that might be used for a given plant or combinations of the methods. A staff member stated that licensees should decide which of the chemical refinements are important for them and let the staff know before testing.

Mr. Choromokos clarified that the specific refinements will be considered post-testing and that the tests would collect sufficient data to support any of the refinements. The staff member suggested that an efficient way to proceed would be for Alion to provide the generic test protocol and for licensees to provide intended deviations.

The intended schedule for the test protocol and chemical refinements protocol appears on slide no. 14. A representative of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plants stated that Indian Point will be the first to test and that this will be in January 2009.

Mr. Gil Zigler of Alion then presented the second briefing entitled, Test for Success, Prototype Tank Testing Protocol. This briefing focused on several concerns for head loss testing, and aspects of the test methodology such as scaling of the test module, test matrix, debris characteristics, size distribution, preparation, introduction, submergence of the strainer assembly, and stabilization criteria. On slide no. 9 regarding the Thin Bed Test, the NRC staff stated the importance of ensuring that the limiting thin bed had been addressed by the testing program and planned to discuss thin bed testing in more detail with Alion during the review of the draft testing protocol. Slide no. 24 of this briefing depicts an example of a classical head loss curve. Mr. Zigler explained that this curve represents a standard to be used for comparison with the results of their clients tests.

Mr. Brian Dunn of Florida Power and Light (FP&L) presented a briefing on the alternative approach that FP&L is taking with Turkey Pt. Unit 3. This approach differs from the other plants that were relying on Vuez test data in that, in lieu of performing further testing, they are performing an analysis that will be compared with the Turkey Pt. Unit 4 tested conditions as part of a complete critical parameters comparison evaluation. It is FP&Ls intent to show that the key parameters of Unit 4 bound those of Unit 3.

Mr. Donnie Harrison, Acting Chief of the Safety Issues Resolution Branch of the Division of Safety Systems made closing remarks. He stated that NRC is encouraged by what was presented at the meeting regarding head loss testing and that the involved plants appear to be on the right path. Regarding chemical effects he stated that some of what was presented gives cause for some concern particularly with chemical refinement options that may impact the schedule for resolution for the involved plants. He stressed the need for the affected plants to reengage the NRC in a timely way when the analyses are complete for the plants. He stated that the NRC is interested to see the Turkey Point Unit 3/Unit 4 bounding analysis when it is complete. He advised the licensees that requests for extensions to the due date for corrective actions that run beyond December 31, 2009, may required a license condition.

Mr. David Lochbaum of the Union of Concerned Scientists asked what the nature of the license conditions would be. He also asked how much onsite inspection effort would be made by the NRC to verify information provided to the NRC by licensees regarding resolution of the issues.

These questions were answered by NRC managers present. With this the meeting was closed. : List of Attendees : Meeting Agenda

Package:ML083250225 Memo: ML083250233 OFFICE LA:DPR:PGCB PM:DPR:PGCB BC:DPR:PGCB BC:DCI:CSGB BC:DSS:SSIB NAME CHawes CH JGolla JG MMurphy MM AHiser AH DHarrison DH DATE 11/21/2008 11/20/2008 11/21/2008 11/24/2008 11/21/2008 List of Attendees for November 6, 2008 November 6, 2008 Name Organization Rob Choromokos Alion Pete Mast Alion Bruce Beisler FPL Brian Dunn FPL Dave Lochbaum UCS Russ Lytton Duke Energy Jeff Nolin Duke Energy Ari Tuckman Duke Energy Gil Zigler Alion Eric Hixson Alion Jin Chung MNES Leland Cerra Entergy Tom McCaffrey Entergy Joe Abisamra Entergy Linda Conklin SCE Alan Brough SCE Mark Giles Entergy Dave Midlik SNC Kip Walker Enercon Pete Wilkens SCE John Butler NEI Mehrdad Hojati SCE Shimji Otami MNES David Dijak Enercon Enclosure 1

List of Attendees for November 6, 2008 November 6, 2008 Name Organization Jimmy Cash SNC John Lubinski NRC John Lehning NRC Steve Smith NRC Joe Golla NRC Ralph Architzel NRC Jerry Wermiel NRC Erv Geiger NRC Paul Klein NRC Leon Whitney NRC Matt Yoder NRC Donnie Harrison NRC Enclosure 1

MEETING AGENDA U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (NRC)

MEETING WITH OPERATORS OF VOGTLE 1&2, SONGS 2&3, ST. LUCIE 1, TURKEY POINT 3, INDIAN POINT 2&3, ALION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND NEI NOVEMBER 6, 2008 9:00-9:15 Meeting purpose and introductions NRC 9:15-10:30 Discussion of proposed test protocol Alion 10:30-10:45 Break 10:45-11:15 Discussion of Proposed Test protocol (continued) 11:15-11:30 Overview of plans to address strainer qualification FPL For Turkey Point 3 11:30-11:45 Discussion of near term actions and schedule for All Implementation of testing 11:45-12:00 Opportunity for public comment Public/NRC 12:00 Adjourn Enclosure 2

Memorandum to Donald Harrison from Joseph A. Golla, dated December 2, 2008

SUBJECT:

MEETING

SUMMARY

OF PUBLIC MEETING WITH OPERATORS OF VOGTLE 1&2, SONGS 2&3, ST. LUCIE 1, TURKEY POINT 3, INDIAN POINT UNITS 2&3, NEI AND ALION ON NOVEMBER 6, 2008 DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC Donald Harrison Joe Golla Ralph Architzel Martin Murphy Jared Wermiel Paul Klein John Lehning Leon Whitney Roberto Torres Matthew Yoder Allen Hiser Stephen Smith John Lubinski John Butler (jcb@nei.org)

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