ML090270163

License Amendment, Issuance of Amendment No. 162 Add a License Condition to Allow a One-Time Extension of Surveillance Requirements Related for Reactor Water Level Instrument Channel

ML090270163
Person / Time
Site:	River Bend
Issue date:	04/01/2009
From:	Lyon C Plant Licensing Branch IV
To:	Entergy Operations
Lyon C Fred, NRR/DORL/LPL4, 301-415-2296
References
TAC ME0215
Download: ML090270163 (15)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 Apr; 1 1, 2009 Vice President, Operations Entergy Operations, Inc.

River Bend Station 5485 US Highway 6'1 N St. Francisville, LA 70775

SUBJECT:

RIVER BEND STATION, UNIT 1 - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT RE:

ONE-TIME SURVEILLANCE INTERVAL EXTENSION (TAC NO; ME0215)

Dear Sir or Madam:

The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 162 to Facility Operating License No. NPF-47 for the River Bend Station, Unit 1. The amendment consists of changes to the Technical Specifications in response to your application dated December 8, 2008.

The amendment adds a license condition to allow a one-time extension of surveillance requirements involving the 18-month channel calibration and logic system functional tests for one channel of the reactor water level instrumentation system. The extension is to account for the effects of rescheduling the next refueling outage from early to late 2009.

A copy of our related Safety Evaluation is enclosed. The Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's next biweekly Federal Register notice.

Sincerely, Carl F. Lyon, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-458

Enclosures:

1. Amendment No. 162 to NPF-47

2. Safety Evaluation cc w/encls: Distribution via Listserv

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 ENTERGY GULF STATES LOUISIANA, LLC AND ENTERGY OPERATIONS, INC.

DOCKET NO. 50-458 RIVER BEND STATION, UNIT 1 AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 162 License No. NPF-47

1.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:

A.

The application for amendment by Entergy Operations, Inc. (the licensee), dated December 8, 2008, complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's rules and regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I; B.

The facility will operate in conformity with the application, as amended, the provisions of the Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission; C.

There is reasonable assurance (i) that the activities authorized by this amendment can be conducted without endangering the health and safety of the public, and (ii) that such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations; D.

The issuance of this license amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public; and E.

The issuance of this amendment is in accordance with 10 CFR Part 51 of the Commission's regulations and all applicable requirements have been satisfied.

- 2

2.

Accordingly, the license is amended by changes to the Technical Specifications as indicated in the attachment to this license amendment, and Paragraphs 2.C.(2) and 2.C.(21) of Facility Operating License No. NPF-47 is hereby amended to read as follows:

(2)

Technical Specifications and Environmental Protection Plan The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A, as revised through Amendment No. 162 and the Environmental Protection Plan contained in Appendix B, are hereby incorporated in the license. EOI shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications and the Environmental Protection Plan.

(21)

Temporary Surveillance Interval Extensions During the 15th fuel cycle, in lieu of the Technical Specification specified frequencies, the maximum allowed surveillance test interval for the following Surveillance Requirements will be 24.5 months.

TS Function Surveillance Requirements TS Table 3.3.6.1-1, Primary SR 3.3.6.1.5, Channel Calibration, Containment and Drywellisolation

and, Instrumentation, Function 1.a, Main SR 3.3.6.1.6, Logic System Steam Line Isolation, Reactor Vessel Functional Test Water Level - Low Low Low, Level 1, Channel A TS Table 3.3.6.1-1, Primary SR 3.3.6.1.5, Channel Calibration, Containment and Drywell Isolation

and, Instrumentation, Function 2.a, SR 3.3.6.1.6, Logic System Primary Containment and Drywell Functional Test Isolation, Reactor Vessel Water Level - Low Low, Level 2, Channel A TS Table 3.3.6.1-1, Primary SR 3.3.6.1.5, Channel Calibration, Containment and Drywell Isolation

and, Instrumentation, Function 4.i, SR 3.3.6.1.6, Logic System Reactor Water Cleanup (RWCU)

Functional Test System Isolation, Reactor Vessel Water Level - Low Low, Level 2, Channel A TS Table 3.3.6.2-1, Secondary SR 3.3.6.2.4, Channel Calibration, Containment and Fuel Building

and, Isolation Instrumentation, Function 1, SR 3.3.6.2.5, Logic System Reactor Vessel Water Level - Low Functional Test Low, Level2,ChannelA TS Table 3.3.7.1-1, Control Room SR 3.3.7.1.4, Channel Calibration, Fresh Air System Instrumentation,

and, Function 1, Reactor Vessel Water SR 3.3.7.1.5, Logic System Level-Low Low, Level 2, Channel A Functional Test

- 3

3.

The license amendment is effective as of its date of issuance and shall be implemented within 15 days from the date of issuance.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Michael T. Markley, Chief Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Attachment:

Changes to the Facility Operating License No. NPF-47 and Technical Specifications Date of Issuance: Apr; 1 1, 2009

ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 162 FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-47 DOCKET NO. 50-458 Replace the following pages of the Facility Operating License No. NPF-47 with the attached revised pages. The revised pages are identified by Amendment number and contain marginal lines indicating the areas of change.

Facility Operating License Remove -3

-6d

-3 (3)

EOI, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Part 70, to receive, possess and to use at any time special nuclear material as reactor fuel, in accordance with the limitations for storage and amounts required for reactor operation, as described in the Final Safety Analysis Report, as supplemented and amended; (4)

EOI, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40 and 70, to receive, possess, and use at any time any byproduct, source and special nuclear material as sealed neutron sources for reactor startup, sealed sources for reactor instrumentation and radiation monitoring equipment calibration, and as fission detectors in amounts as required; (5)

EOI, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40 and 70, to receive, possess, and use in amounts as required any byproduct, source or special nuclear material without restriction to chemical or physical form, for sample analysis or instrument calibration or associated with radioactive apparatus or components; and (6)

EOI, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40 and 70, to possess, but not separate, such byproduct and special nuclear materials as may be produced by the operation of the facility.

C.

This license shall be deemed to contain and is subject to the conditions specified in the Commission's regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I and is subject to all applicable provisions of the Act and to the rules, regulations and orders of the Commission now or hereafter in effect; and is subject to the additional conditions specified or incorporated below:

(1)

Maximum Power Level EOI is authorized to operate the facility at reactor core power levels not in excess of 3091 megawatts thermal (100% rated power) in accordance with the conditions specified herein. The items identified in Attachment 1 to this license shall be completed as specified. Attachment 1 is hereby incorporated into this license.

(2)

Technical Specifications and Environmental Protection Plan The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A, as revised through Amendment No. 162 and the Environmental Protection Plan contained in Appendix 8, are hereby incorporated in the license. EOI shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications and the Environmental Protection Plan.

Amendment No. 162

-6d (21 )

Temporarv Surveillance Interval Extensions During the 15th fuel cycle, in lieu of the Technical Specification specified frequencies, the maximum allowed surveillance test interval for the following Surveillance Requirements will be 24.5 months.

TS Function Surveillance Requirements TS Table 3.3.6.1-1, Primary SR 3.3.6.1.5, Channel Calibration, and, Containment and Drywell Isolation SR 3.3.6.1.6, Logic System Functional Instrumentation, Function 1.a, Main Test Steam Line Isolation, Reactor Vessel Water Level-Low Low Low, Level 1, Channel A TS Table 3.3.6.1-1, Primary SR 3.3.6.1.5, Channel Calibration, and, Containment and Drywell Isolation SR 3.3.6.1.6, Logic System Functional Instrumentation, Function 2.a, Primary Test Containment and Dryweilisolation, Reactor Vessel Water Level-Low Low, Level2,ChanneiA TS Table 3.3.6.1-1, Primary SR 3.3.6.1.5, Channel Calibration, and, Containment and Dryweilisolation SR 3.3.6.1.6, Logic System Functional Instrumentation, Function 4.i, Reactor Test Water Cleanup (RWCU) System Isolation, Reactor Vessel Water Level -

Low Low, Level2,ChanneiA TS Table 3.3.6.2-1, Secondary SR 3.3.6.2.4, Channel Calibration, and, Containment and Fuel Building SR 3.3.6.2.5, Logic System Functional Isolation Instrumentation, Function 1, Test Reactor Vessel Water Level-Low Low, Level 2, Channel A TS Table 3.3.7.1-1, Control Room SR 3.3.7.1.4, Channel Calibration, and, Fresh Air System Instrumentation, SR 3.3.7.1.5, Logic System Functional Function 1, Reactor Vessel Water Test Level-Low Low, Level 2, Channel A Amendment No. 162

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO. 162 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-47 ENTERGY OPERATIONS, INC.

RIVER BEND STATION, UNIT 1 DOCKET NO. 50-458

1.0 INTRODUCTION

By application dated December 8, 2008 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML083460043), Entergy Operations, Inc. (Entergy, the licensee), requested changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) for the River Bend Station, Unit 1 (RBS).

The proposed changes would add a license condition to allow a one-time, 2-month extension of certain TS surveillance requirements (SRs) involving the 18-month channel calibration and logic system functional tests for Channel A of the reactor water level instrumentation system. The extension is to account for the effects of rescheduling the next refueling outage from early to late 2009.

These changes will extend the maximum-allowed surveillance test interval for the following Channel A reactor water level instruments only from 22.5 months (1.25 x 18 months, i.e., the 18-month SR specified frequency plus the 25 percent extension allowed by SR 3.0.2) to 24.5 months (i.e., a 2-month extension):

TS Function Surveillance Requirements TS Table 3.3.6.1-1, Primary Containment and Drywell Isolation Instrumentation, Function 1.a, Main Steam Line Isolation, Reactor Vessel Water Level - Low Low Low, Level 1, Channel A SR 3.3.6.1.5, Channel Calibration, and, SR 3.3.6.1.6, Logic System Functional Test TS Table 3.3.6.1-1, Primary Containment and Drywell Isolation Instrumentation, Function 2.a, Primary Containment and Drywell Isolation, Reactor Vessel Water Level - Low Low, Level 2, Channel A SR 3.3.6.1.5, Channel Calibration, and, SR 3.3.6.1.6, Logic System Functional Test TS Table 3.3.6.1-1, Primary Containment and Drywell Isolation Instrumentation, Function 4.i, Reactor Water Cleanup (RWCU) System Isolation, Reactor Vessel Water Level-Low Low, Level 2, Channel A SR 3.3.6.1.5, Channel Calibration, and, SR 3.3.6.1.6, Logic System Functional Test

- 2 1S Function Surveillance Requirements TS Table 3.3.6.2-1, Secondary Containment and Fuel Building Isolation Instrumentation, Function 1, Reactor Vessel Water Level - Low Low, Level 2, Channel A SR 3.3.6.2.4, Channel Calibration, and, SR 3.3.6.2.5, Logic System Functional Test TS Table 3.3.7.1-1, Control Room Fresh Air System Instrumentation, Function 1, Reactor Vessel Water Level - Low Low, Level 2, Channel A SR 3.3.7.1.4, Channel Calibration, and, SR 3.3.7.1.5, Logic System Functional Test

2.0 REGULATORY EVALUATION

The NRC staff considered the following regulatory bases and guidance in its review of the proposed TS changes:

Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Part 50, Appendix A, General Design Criterion (GDC) 13, "Instrumentation and Control," requires that "Instrumentation shall be provided to monitor variables and systems over their anticipated ranges for normal operation, for anticipated operational occurrences, and for accident conditions as appropriate to assure adequate safety, including those variables and systems that can affect the fission process, the integrity of the reactor core, the reactor coolant pressure boundary, and the containment and its associated systems. Appropriate controls shall be provided to maintain these variables and systems within prescribed operating ranges."

In Section 50.36 of 10 CFR Part 50, the Commission established its regulatory requirements related to the content of the TSs. Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.36, TSs are required to include items in the following categories: (1) safety limits, limiting safety system settings, and limiting control settings; (2) limiting conditions for operation (LCOs); (3) SRs; (4) design features; and (5) administrative controls.

As stated in 10 CFR 50.36(c)(2)(i), LCOs are "the lowest functional capability or performance levels of equipment required for safe operation of the facility. When a limiting condition for operation of a nuclear reactor is not met, the licensee shall shut down the reactor or follow any remedial action permitted by the technical specifications...." The remedial actions in the TSs are specified in terms of LCD conditions, required actions, and completion times (CTs), or allowed outage times (AOTs), to complete the required actions. When an LCD is not being met, the CTs specified in the TSs are the time allowed in the TSs for completing the specified required actions. The conditions and required actions specified in the TSs must be acceptable remedial actions for the LCD not being met, and the CTs must be a reasonable time for completing the required actions while maintaining the safe operation of the plant.

As required by 10 CFR 50.36(c)(2)(ii), an LCD must be included in TSs for any item meeting one of the following four criteria:

Criterion 1:

Installed instrumentation that is used to detect, and indicate in the control room, a significant abnormal degradation of the reactor coolant pressure boundary.

- 3 Criterion 2:

A process variable, design feature, or operating restriction that is an initial condition of a design basis accident or transient analysis that either assumes the failure of or presents a challenge to the integrity of a fission product barrier.

Criterion 3:

A structure, system, or component that is part of the primary success path and which functions or actuates to mitigate a design basis accident or transient that either assumes the failure of or presents a challenge to the integrity of a fission product barrier.

Criterion 4:

A structure, system, or component which operating experience or probabilistic risk assessment has shown to be significant to public health and safety.

Those items that do not fall within or satisfy any of the above criteria are not required to be included in the TSs.

10 CFR 50.36(c)(3) states, "Surveillance requirements are requirements relating to test, calibration, or inspection to assure that the necessary quality of systems and components is maintained, that facility operation will be within safety limits, and that the limiting conditions for operation will be met."

3.0 TECHNICAL EVALUATION

The proposes changes involve extension of the 18-month channel calibration and logic system functional tests for Channel A of the reactor water level instrumentation for main steam line isolation, primary containment and drywell isolation, reactor cleanup system isolation, secondary containment and fuel building isolation, and control room fresh air systems.

The licensee last tested these functions on September 28, 2007, during a plant outage. The next required due date, including a 25-percent allowed extension time, is August 15, 2009, The licensee proposes to delay the completion date for these surveillance tests by 2 months, in order to perform them during the next refueling outage (RF15). Moving the next refueling outage date from early to late 2009 will allow RBS to optimize the fuel burnup for the current fuel cycle. This was necessitated by the duration of the previous refueling outage (RF14) and unplanned plant outage time since then, the majority of which resulted directly from the effects of Hurricane Gustav.

The normal surveillance test interval for the subject SRs is 18 months. For scheduling purposes, Entergy uses 550 days as the surveillance interval. Using the maximum extension of 25 percent of the surveillance interval allowed by SR 3.0.2, the 18-month SR must be completed within 22.5 months (i.e., within 687 days) of its last performance. Based on this calculation, the affected surveillance test intervals, including the allowed 25-percent extension, will be exhausted on August 15, 2009.

SR 3.0.1 states that failure to perform a surveillance within the specified frequency shall be failure to meet the LCO, except as provided in SR 3.0.3. Therefore, once the surveillance is not completed within the specified frequency (i.e., within 18 months plus the 25-percent extension allowed by SR 3.0.2), the associated LCOs would have to be considered not met and the licensee would have to comply with the TS required actions. The proposed changes will affect only Channel A of a four-channel instrumentation system; the remaining three channels do not

- 4 require an extension. The licensee determined that the delayed refueling outage only affects its Surveillance Test Procedure (STP)-051-4201, "NSSSS-Reactor Vessel Water Level-Low Low Level 2, Low Low Low Level 1 Channel Calibration Test and Logic System Functional Test."

The licensee schedules portions of this STP to be performed during plant shutdown to avoid a potential plant transient. While this STP can be performed during power operations, multiple reactor water level instruments are associated with a common reactor level reference tap. If some or all of these instruments were actuated, it could cause a half-trip signal to the associated actuation logic, including the reactor protection system (RPS) and emergency core cooling system (ECCS) actuation logic.

The licensee stated in its submittal that, if the test were to be performed during power operations, it would be necessary to bypass or render inoperable a number of other functions to avoid possible actuations associated with this reactor vessel water level instrumentation tap point. Instrumentation associated with this tap point, in addition to those functions tested by this STP, that may be bypassed or rendered inoperable includes the following:

RPS scram signals on reactor water level, reactor recirculation system pump trip signals, ECCS for the low-pressure coolant injection "A" subsystem and low-pressure core spray subsystem, ECCS for the automatic depressurization system, and primary containment and drywell isolations for the residual heat removal system.

As noted above, SR 3.0.1 states that failure to perform a surveillance within the specified frequency shall be failure to meet the LCO, except as provided in SR 3.0.3. Therefore, once the surveillance is considered late, the affected channel would have to be placed in a tripped condition to comply with the TS actions. If the affected channel was placed in the tripped condition as required by the TS actions, a single failure of the redundant instrument channel could cause a plant transient, such as a complete isolation of all main steam isolation valves.

Operating for over 1 month with the channel in trip increases the potential for a plant transient.

Because of the increased potential for a plant transient, the licensee noted that it is prudent to avoid performing the STP during power operations.

The TSs require other more frequent surveillances that help to ensure that the instrumentation system is operable between performance of the 18-month calibration and the 18-month logic system functional test. The instrumentation devices affected by the surveillance extension are reactor water level transmitter B21-LTN081A and associated trip units B21-ESN681A and B21-ESN682A. SRs 3.3.6.1.2,3.3.6.1.3,3.3.6.2.2,3.3.6.2.3,3.3.7.1.2, and 3.3.7.1.3 require channel functional tests and trip unit calibrations of the instrument system on a 92-day frequency. This includes a calibration of trip units B21-ESN681A and B21-ESN682A, if necessary. The licensee stated that a review of the last six performances of these surveillances shows that they were performed successfully and that the trip unit setpoints were within calibration tolerances.

- 5 In addition, the TSs require a channel check of the instrumentation to be performed on a 12-hour frequency (SRs 3.3.6.1.1, 3.3.6.2.1, and 3.3.7.1.1). A channel check is typically a comparison of the parameter indicated on one channel to a similar parameter on other channels. It is based on the assumption that instrument channels monitoring the same parameter should read approximately the same value. The channel check is performed once every 12 hours1.388889e-4 days <br />0.00333 hours <br />1.984127e-5 weeks <br />4.566e-6 months <br /> primarily to ensure that a gross failure of instrumentation has not occurred.

Abnormal instrument readings can also be indicative of instrument problems occurring before gross failure, such as a channel transmitter that does not indicate water level as accurately as other channels. The licensee's surveillance procedure for the channel checks requires any abnormal readings to be identified and reported to the operations shift manager.

The licensee reviewed the last four performances of the 18-month channel calibrations and logic system functional tests for these functions and found that they performed satisfactorily, with the instrument loop setpoints being within calibration tolerances. The maximum drift of the setpoint values between these surveillances, the longest interval being 19 months, was less than 0.3 inches water column, which was insignificant compared to the 4-inch margin between the nominal trip setpoint and the TS allowable value.

The licensee also stated that the affected channel has demonstrated consistent reliability during previous surveillances and that there are no outstanding maintenance or operating experience issues that affect performance of the system or that would affect performance with an extended test interval.

Furthermore, the licensee stated that no new calculations were needed to determine the effect of the extended surveillance interval. The licensee calculated the current instrument settings and acceptance limits based on a 24-month operating cycle, although RBS currently operates on a nominal 18-month cycle. That is, the calculations assume that the surveillance intervals are 30 months apart (24 months plus a 25-percent allowed extension), which bounds the requested extension to 24.5 months.

In addition, the updated safety analysis report (USAR), Section 7.1.2.5, and the RBS Engineering Department Guide EDG-EE-003, "Methodology for the Generation of Instrument Loop Uncertainty & Setpoint Calculations," describe the RBS methodology for calculating instrument setpoints. As discussed in USAR Section 7.1.2.5, NEDC-31336P-A, "General Electric Instrument Setpoint Methodology," documents the methodology used in determining nuclear steam supply system safety setpoints. The Instrument Setpoint Methodology Owners Group developed NEDC-31336P-A, which the NRC staff approved on February 9,1993.

RBS Engineering Department Guide EDG-EE-003 establishes a calibration tolerance or "as-left" band above and/or below the desired output. Plant procedures require any as-found setpoints outside of the calibration tolerance band to be returned to within the as-left band.

- 6 In its submittal, the licensee provided the following tables summarizing the calculation results for a 30-month calibration interval and comparisons to analytical and TS limits:

r-B21-ESN681A, Reactor Vessel Level-Low Low Low, Level 1 Analytical Calculated Tech Spec AV Calculated Actual NTSP Limit Allowable Nominal Trip Setting Value (AV)

Setpoint (NTSP)

-158.8 in.

> -149.025 in.

> -147.0 in.

-146.025 in.

-143.0 in.

Loop Channel Drift Total Loop M&TE Maximum Uncertainty Uncertainty I

Accuracy Loop I

Tolerance (As-I

+6.771~

left Band)

I

~ 4.299 in.

+ 4.303 in.

I

~ 0.446 in.

+ 1.4 in.

I I

I I

I I

B21-ESN682A Reactor Vessel Level - Low Low Level 2 Calculated AV 1

Tech Spec AV

~ -47.0 in.

Channel Drift Total Loop Uncertainty Calculated Analytical Limit NTSP

-53.8 in-.-T > -49.47 in.

-45.81 in.

I I

Loop I

M&TE Uncertainty Accuracy I

I Actual NTSP Setting

-43.0 in.

I I

Maximum I

Loop I

I Tolerance (As-I I

. ----j I

I

. +- left Band)

I I

~ 4.33 In.

I

!:. 4.644 In.

i

!:. 7.113 In'l :!:. 0.444 In.

!:. 1.4 In.

i I

I i

I' I

~

._.__..L.-

~

I

............J...__.

~

As noted above, the licensee observed only 0.3 inches maximum drift during the last four performances of the 18-month channel calibrations and logic system functional tests for these functions. The NRC staff finds that this measured drift is considerably lower than the as-left band of ~1.4 inches identified in both of the above tables and concludes that the proposed 2-month, one-time extension will have minimal effect on the performance of the affected instrument channel.

Since the proposed change will have minimal effect on the performance of the reactor water level instrumentation, as discussed in the paragraph above, the NRC staff finds that the proposed change conforms to the regulatory requirements of 10 CFR 50.36 and GDC 13 and is, therefore, acceptable.

4.0 STATE CONSULTATION

In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the Louisiana State official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendment. The State official had no comments.

I

- 7

5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION

The amendment changes a surveillance requirement. The NRC staff has determined that the amendment involves no significant increase in the amounts, and no significant change in the types, of any effluents that may be released offsite, and that there is no significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure. The Commission has previously issued a proposed finding that the amendment involves no significant hazards consideration, and there has been no public comment on such finding published in the Federal Register on January 27,2009 (74 FR 4770). Accordingly, the amendment meets the eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared in connection with the issuance of the amendment.

6.0 CONCLUSION

The Commission has concluded, based on the considerations discussed above, that: (1) there is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by operation in the proposed manner, (2) such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations, and (3) the issuance of the amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.

Principal Contributor: S. Mazumdar Date:

April 1, 2009

April 1, 2009 Vice President, Operations Entergy Operations, Inc.

River Bend Station 5485 US Highway 61 N St. Francisville, LA 70775 SUB"IECT:

RIVER BEND STATION, UNIT 1 - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT RE:

ONE-TIME SURVEILLANCE INTERVAL EXTENSION (TAC NO. ME0215)

Dear Sir or Madam:

The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 162 to Facility Operating License No. I\\IPF-47 for the River Bend Station, Unit 1. The amendment consists of changes to the Technical Specifications in response to your application dated December 8, 2008.

The amendment adds a license condition to allow a one-time extension of surveillance requirements involving the 18-month channel calibration and logic system functional tests for one channel of the reactor water level instrumentation system. The extension is to account for the effects of rescheduling the next refueling outage from early to late 2009.

A copy of our related Safety Evaluation is enclosed. The Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's next biweekly Federal Register notice.

Sincerely, IRAI Carl F. Lyon, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-458

Enclosures:

1. Amendment No. 162 to NPF-47

2. Safety Evaluation cc w/encls: Distribution via Listserv DISTRIBUTION:

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