ML090510071
| ML090510071 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Catawba  |
| Issue date: | 02/17/2009 |
| From: | Morris J Duke Energy Carolinas, Duke Energy Corp |
| To: | Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| GL-04-002 | |
| Download: ML090510071 (5) | |
Text
p Duke JAMES R.
MORRIS, VICE PRESIDENT lnergy Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC Carolinas Catawba Nuclear Station 4800 Concord Road / CNO1 VP York, SC 29745 803-701-4251 803-701-3221 fax February 17, 2009 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 ATTENTION: Document Control Desk
Subject:
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke)
Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2 Docket Nos. 50-413 and 50-414 Update on the Status of the November 21, 2008 Request for Additional Information (RAI) and Additional Testing for Catawba Units 1 and 2 Pursuant to NRC Generic Letter (GL) 2004-02, "Potential Impact of Debris Blockage on Emergency Recirculation During Design Basis Accidents at Pressurized-Water Reactors" Pursuant to the November 21, 2008 RAI letter, Duke is providing an update on the schedule for the RAI responses. This letter will outline the history of Duke's responses and future plans to resolve reviewer concerns with Catawba's GL 2004-02 Supplemental Responses.
In November of 2007 Duke completed prototype chemical effects testing for the evaluation of Emergency Core Cooling System strainer head loss. The results of this testing were used in the February 29 and April 30, 2008, Catawba supplemental responses to GL 2004-02. In March 2008 a document titled "NRC Staff Review.Guidance Regarding Generic Letter 2004-02 Closure in the Area of Strainer Head Loss and Vortexing" was issued. Thus, the lessons learned through industry testing were not available to be fully incorporated into Duke's original testing protocols.
By letter of November 21, 2008, the NRC forwarded requests for additional information (RAI) regarding the Catawba supplemental responses to GL 2004-
- 02. A 90 day response date was requested for all but RAI 29. As stated in that www. duke.energy. com
U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission February 17, 2009 Page 2 letter, the NRC requested to receive only one response letter for all RAIs (with the exception of RAI 29).
On November 24, 2008 a meeting was convened between the NRC and Duke to discuss staff concerns with Duke's original prototype testing (debris preparation, debris introduction, debris agglomeration, flow fields, bare strainer area and chemical effects). Based upon NRC concerns, Duke has chosen to perform additional confirmatory debris bed head loss testing, using test methodology reflecting the more recent guidance. Several of the November 2008 RAI questions are test dependent (i.e., the response to the original RAIs will change as a result of any follow-up confirmatory debris bed head loss testing).
Thus, Duke is currently in the process of vetting vendors' bids for testing planned in the April to July timeframe. Since a firm testing schedule is not available at this time, Duke is proposing an RAI response completion schedule for all the RAIs (except RAI 29) in the Fall of 2009.
Duke will commit to providing a refined schedule for completion of the RAI responses based on testing progress by July 31, 2009. The date for response to RAI 29 will be within 90 days of issuance of the final NRC staff's SE on WCAP-16793 or 12/31/09, whichever is later.
Attachment A provides the regulatory commitments made in this letter.
If any questions arise or additional information is needed, please contact A. P.
Jackson at (803) 701-3742.
Very truly yours, James R. Morris Attachment
U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission February 17, 2009 Page 3 xc: w/attachments L. A. Reyes Region II Administrator U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center, 23 T85 61 Forsyth St., SW Atlanta, GA 30303-8931 J. H. Thompson NRC Project Manager (MNS & CNS)
U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 11555 Rockville Pike Mail Stop 0-8 G 9A Rockville, MD 20852-2738 A. T. Sabisch Senior Resident Inspector U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Catawba Nuclear Station S. E. Jenkins, Manager Division of Radioactive Waste Management Bureau of Land and Waste Management Department of Health and Environmental Control 2600 Bull Street Columbia, SC 29201
U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission February 17, 2009 Page 4 bxc: w/attachments J. R. Morris (CN01VP)
T. M. Hamilton (CN01SA)
R. D. Hart (CN01RC)
R-L. Gill (EC05P)
J. J. Nolin (MG05SE)
S.B. Putnam (CN03SE)
R. S. Lytton (MG05SE)
A.D. Tuckman (CN03SE)
G. D. Robison (EC09E) -
Catawba Document Control File: 801.01 - CN04DM Catawba RGC Date File ELL-EC050 NCMPA-1 NCEMC PMPA
U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission February 17, 2009 Page 1 ATTACHMENT A REGULATORY COMMITMENTS:
The following table identifies those actions committed to by Catawba in this document. Any other statements made in this licensing submittal are provided for informational purposes only and are not considered to be regulatory commitments. Please direct any questions you may have in this matter to A. P.
Jackson at (803) 701-3742.
REGULATORY COMMITMENTS Due Date Provide a refined due date for RAI responses and a brief update on array 7/31/09 testing.
Provide the result of evaluations of in-Within 90 days of the issuance of the vessel downstream effects for RAI 29.
final NRC SER on WCAP-16793-NP, or 12/31/09, whichever is later.
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