ML092180715

G20090418/EDATS: OEDO-2009-0458/G20090544/EDATS: OEDO-2009-0574 - Theodore Robinson and David Hughes Ltrs. Letter from Citizen Power Concerning the License Renewal for the Beaver Valley Power Station and Liner Degradation Problems

ML092180715
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley
Issue date:	10/24/2009
From:	Leeds E Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Hughes D, Robinson T Citizen Power
Howard K, NRR/DLR/RLRB, 415-2989
Shared Package
ML092230728	List: ML092180715 ML092930500
References
G20090418, G20090544, OEDO-2009-0458, OEDO-2009-0574, TAC ME1800, TAC ME2279, Y020090149
Download: ML092180715 (5)

Text

October 24, 2009 Mr. Theodore Robinson, Esq. and Mr. David Hughes, Executive Director Citizen Power 2121 Murray Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15217

Dear Mr. Robinson and Mr. Hughes:

On behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the staff), I am responding to your letters dated July 1, 2009, (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession Number ML091910134), July 7, 2009 (ML091900719), and August 27, 2009 (ML092460728), expressing your concern regarding the ability of the FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC) inspection program to identify corrosion of the containment liner that originates from the outside surface of the liner.

The staff considers the degradation of the containment liner plate an important issue since the liner plate in conjunction with the concrete behind the liner provides an essentially leak tight pressure barrier during all postulated accident conditions. Following the identification of liner corrosion in April 2009 the applicant replaced the affected area containing the defect in accordance with the requirements of the code used for construction of the containment liner.

The NRC license renewal staff issued a request for additional information (ML091260025) on May 7, 2009, to verify that FENOC would incorporate the recent plant-specific operating experience related to the liner degradation into its American Society of Mechanical EngineersSection XI, Subsection IWE aging management program. Since that time, NRC staff has had several conference calls and requested additional information about FENOCs proposed corrective actions that will be implemented to address the Beaver Valley Power Station (BVPS),

Unit 1, liner plate degradation.

The staffs evaluation of FENOCs proposed corrective actions, including the visual and volumetric examination, is addressed in Safety Evaluation Report Related to the License Renewal of the Beaver Valley Power Station, Units 1 and 2, which was issued on June 8, 2009 (ML091600216). In addition, the staff has issued Supplement 1 to the BVPS, Units 1 and 2, Safety Evaluation Report (SER), dated October 6, 2009 (ML092520531), which evaluates supplemental information provided by FENOC related to their liner inspection program. Based on the staffs evaluation described in the supplement to the SER, the staff has concluded that the commitments made by the applicant for the visual and volumetric examinations of the liner plate are acceptable and provide reasonable assurance that the containment liner plate at BVPS, Units 1 and 2, will continue to remain functional during the period of extended operation.

A copy of the SER supplement (Enclosure 1) is attached for your information. The NRC staff has also prepared a response to the specific issues identified in your letters (Enclosure 2).

T. Robinson, et al. Thank you for your comments. I understand that the Division of License Renewal staff highlighted your organizations comments at the recent Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) meeting (in particular, your comment which the staff incorporated into the SER regarding utilizing random sampling only to verify a 95/95 confidence level). It is also important to note that the NRC staff will brief the ACRS on the impact of the containment liner corrosion on the current licensing basis of the plant in a future meeting. If you should have additional questions regarding the recently issued Supplement 1 to the BVPS, Units 1 and 2, license renewal SER, please contact Mr. Brian E. Holian, Director of the Division of License Renewal by telephone at 301-415-1183.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Eric J. Leeds, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosures:

1. Supplement 1 to the Beaver Valley Power Station, Units 1 and 2, Safety Evaluation Report

2. Response to the Questions in Citizen Powers August 27, 2009 Letter cc: Mr. Mike Banko Listserv

ML092230728 (Package) ML092040512 (G20090418 Incoming)

ML092670471 (G20090544 Incoming) ML092180715 (Response)

ML092570014 (Enclosure 1) ML092930500 (Enclosure 2)

• concurred via e-mail OFFICE PM:RPB2:DLR LA:DLR BC:RPB2:DLR BC:DRS:RI NAME KHoward SFigueroa DWrona RConte*

DATE 10/19/09 10/19/09 10/19/09 10/14/09 OFFICE OGC D:NRR:DLR D:NRR NAME LSubin BHolian(SLee for) ELeeds DATE 10/19/09 10/19/09 10/24/09

Letter to Theodore Robinson, et al. from Eric J. Leeds dated October 24, 2009 DISTRIBUTION: G20090544/EDATS: OEDO-2009-0574 G20090418/EDATS: OEDO-2009-0458 HARD COPY:

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REFERENCES

1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory Report, ORNL/TM-2005/520, Final Report Inspection of Aged/Degraded Containments Program.

2. Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Report TR-107514, Age Related Degradation Inspection Method and Determination.

Beaver Valley Power Station Units 1 and 2 cc:

Mr. Joseph J. Hagan Manager, Fleet Licensing President and Chief Nuclear Officer FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Mail Stop A-GO-2 Mail Stop A-GO-19 76 South Main Street 76 South Main Street Akron, OH 44308 Akron, OH 44308 Director, Fleet Regulatory Affairs Mr. James H. Lash FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Senior Vice President of Operations Mail Stop A-GO-2 and Chief Operating Officer 76 South Main Street FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Akron, OH 44308 Mail Stop A-GO-14 76 South Main Street Manager, Site Regulatory Compliance Akron, OH 44308 FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Beaver Valley Power Station Mr. Danny L. Pace Mail Stop A-BV-A Senior Vice President, Fleet Engineering P.O. Box 4, Route 168 FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Shippingport, PA 15077 Mail Stop A-GO-14 76 South Main Street Regional Administrator, Region I Akron, OH 44308 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road Ms. Jeannie M. Rinckel King of Prussia, PA 19406 Vice President, Fleet Oversight FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Resident Inspector Mail Stop A-GO-14 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 76 South Main Street P.O. Box 298 Akron, OH 44308 Shippingport, PA 15077 Mr. Paul A. Harden Mr. Cliff Custer Vice President, Nuclear Support FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Beaver Valley Power Station Mail Stop A-GO-14 P.O. Box 4, Route 168 76 South Main Street Shippingport, PA 15077 Akron, OH 44308 Mr. Steve Dort Mr. David W. Jenkins, Attorney FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company FirstEnergy Corporation Beaver Valley Power Station Mail Stop A-GO-15 P.O. Box 4, Route 168 76 South Main Street Shippingport, PA 15077 Akron, OH 44308

Beaver Valley Power Station Units 1 and 2 cc:

Mr. Mike Banko FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Beaver Valley Power Station P.O. Box 4, Route 168 Shippingport, PA 15077