ML092330904
| ML092330904 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crystal River  |
| Issue date: | 09/02/2009 |
| From: | Robert Kuntz License Renewal Projects Branch 2 |
| To: | Franke J Progress Energy Florida |
| KUNTZ R, NRR/DLR/RPB2 415-2989 | |
| References | |
| TAC ME0274 | |
| Download: ML092330904 (9) | |
Text
September 2, 2009 Mr. Jon Franke, Vice President Crystal River Nuclear Plant (NA1B)
ATTN: Supervisor, Licensing & Regulatory Programs 15760 W. Power Line Street Crystal River, FL 34428-6708
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE REVIEW OF THE CRYSTAL RIVER UNIT 3 NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (TAC NO. ME0274)
Dear Mr. Franke:
By letter dated December 16, 2008, Florida Power Corporation submitted an application pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 54, to renew the operating license for Crystal River Unit 3 Nuclear Generating Plant, for review by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the staff). The staff is reviewing the information contained in the license renewal application and has identified, in the enclosure, areas where additional information is needed to complete the review. Further requests for additional information may be issued in the future.
Items in the enclosure were discussed with Mr. Michael Heath, and a mutually agreeable date for the response is within 30 days from the date of this letter. If you have any questions, please contact me at by telephone at 301-415-3733 or by e-mail at Robert.Kuntz@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Robert F. Kuntz, Sr. Project Manager Projects Branch 2 Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-302
Enclosure:
As stated cc w/encl: See next page
ML092330904 OFFICE PM:RPB2:DLR LA:DLR BC:RPB2:DLR PM:RPB2:DLR NAME RKuntz IKing DWrona RKuntz DATE 08/27/09 08/26/09 08/31/09 09/02/09
Letter to Jon Franke from Robert F. Kuntz dated September 2, 2009
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE REVIEW OF THE CRYSTAL RIVER UNIT 3 NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (TAC NO. ME0274)
DISTRIBUTION:
HARD COPY:
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Crystal River Unit 3 Nuclear Generating Plant cc:
Mr. R. Alexander Glenn Associate General Counsel (MAC-BT15A)
Florida Power Corporation P.O. Box 14042 St. Petersburg, FL 33733-4042 Mr. James W. Holt Plant General Manager Crystal River Nuclear Plant (NA2C) 15760 W. Power Line Street Crystal River, FL 34428-6708 Mr. William A. Passetti, Chief Department of Health Bureau of Radiation Control 2020 Capital Circle, SE, Bin #C21 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1741 Attorney General Department of Legal Affairs The Capitol Tallahassee, FL 32304 Mr. Ruben D. Almaguer, Director Division of Emergency Preparedness Department of Community Affairs 2740 Centerview Drive Tallahassee, FL 32399-2100 Chairman Board of County Commissioners Citrus County 110 North Apopka Avenue Inverness, FL 34450-4245 Mr. Stephen J. Cahill Engineering Manager Crystal River Nuclear Plant (NA2C) 15760 W. Power Line Street Crystal River, FL 34428-6708 Mr. Daniel R. Westcott Supervisor, Licensing & Regulatory Programs Crystal River Nuclear Plant 15760 W. Power Line Street Crystal River, FL 34428-6708 Senior Resident Inspector Crystal River Unit 3 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 6745 N. Tallahassee Road Crystal River, FL 34428 Ms. Phyllis Dixon Manager, Nuclear Assessment Crystal River Nuclear Plant (NA2C) 15760 W. Power Line Street Crystal River, FL 34428-6708 Mr. David T. Conley Associate General Counsel II - Legal Dept.
Progress Energy Service Company, LLC P.O. Box 1551 Raleigh, NC 27602-1551 Mr. Daniel L. Roderick Vice President, Nuclear Projects &
Construction Crystal River Nuclear Plant (SA2C) 15760 W. Power Line Street Crystal River, FL 34428-6708 Mr. Mark Rigsby Manager, Support Services - Nuclear Crystal River Nuclear Plant (SA2C) 15760 W. Power Line Street Crystal River, FL 34428-6708 Mr. Robert J. Duncan II Vice President, Nuclear Operations Progress Energy P.O. Box 1551 Raleigh, NC 27602-1551
Crystal River Unit 3 Nuclear Generating Plant cc:
Mr. Brian C. McCabe Manager, Nuclear Regulatory Affairs Progress Energy P.O. Box 1551 Raleigh, NC 27602-1551
ENCLOSURE REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CRYSTAL RIVER UNIT 3 NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION DOCKET NUMBER 50-302 Request for Additional Information (RAI) B.2.37-1
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Background===
The Generic Aging Lessons Learned (GALL) Report identifies aging effects for stainless steel spent fuel storage racks and neutron absorbing materials, e.g., Boraflex, Boral, or boron-steel sheets, in pressurized-water reactor (PWR) treated water. Aging effects include loss of material or general corrosion and reduction of neutron-absorbing capacity, and further evaluation of a plant-specific aging management program (AMP) for those neutron absorbing materials is recommended. The GALL Report, Revision 1, does not address the specific use of Carborundum, a boron carbide shielding material, as a neutron absorber in spent fuel pools.
In a license amendment that permitted the use of Carborundum in the spent fuel pool at Crystal River Unit 3 Nuclear Generating Plant (CR-3), the applicant implemented a coupon surveillance program in its license amendment commitments to assess degradation of this material in its environment.
Issue The CR-3 license renewal application (LRA) does not present sufficient specific plant information on how this program will manage reduction of neutron-absorbing capacity or loss of material for Carborundum in the spent fuel pool.
Request
- 1. To enable the staff to assess the adequacy of the existing plant specific Neutron-Absorber Monitoring and Carborundum (B4C) Monitoring Program for managing aging effects for Carborundum:
- a. Indicate the installation date of the Carborundum panels in the CR-3 spent fuel pool.
- b. Describe how the loss of material and degradation of material will be monitored or inspected, specifically the methods, techniques, e.g., visual, weight, volumetric, surface inspection, neutron attenuation testing, frequency, sample size, data collection, timing and acceptance criteria.
- c. Describe how the neutron attenuation of the material will be measured. Please include a description of the testing, parameters measured, calculations, and acceptance criteria.
- d. Discuss the correlation between measurements of the physical properties of Carborundum coupons and the integrity of the Carborundum panels in the storage racks.
- e. Identify the subcritical margin used in the criticality analysis. Describe how the program acceptance criteria account for potential degradation between surveillance periods.
- f. For the CR-3 Carborundum coupon samples:
- i. Identify the quantity and location of coupons relative to the spent fuel racks during the license renewal period.
ii. Describe how the coupons are mounted and whether they are fully exposed to the spent fuel pool water.
- g. Discuss whether any coupons that are removed and inspected using non-destructive techniques will be re-inserted in the spent fuel pool for future evaluation.
- h. Describe how the results from the inspections of the Carborundum coupons will be monitored and trended, including frequency and sample size, e.g., the number of coupons examined during each surveillance interval.
- i.
Describe the corrective actions that would be implemented if coupon test results do not meet the acceptance criteria.
RAI 3.3.2.2.6-1
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Background===
The GALL Report identifies loss of material or general corrosion and reduction of neutron-absorbing capacity as aging effects requiring management (AERM) for Boral in PWR treated water, and calls for further evaluation of a plant-specific AMP.
Issue CR-3 LRA Section 3.3.2.2.6, Reduction of Neutron-Absorbing Capacity and Loss of Material due to General Corrosion, states that, for Boral spent fuel storage racks exposed to a treated water environment, the aging management review determined that there has been no adverse operating experience at CR-3 with regard to Boral. It further stated that the aging effects for Boral is insignificant and does not require aging management. The LRA does not address applicability of recent adverse operating experience with Boral.
The LRA states that management of loss of material is performed by a plant specific program.
However, the CR-3 LRA does not present any specific plant information on how this program will manage loss of material for Boral in the spent fuel pool.
Request
- 1. The GALL report for neutron absorbing materials cites both loss of material and loss of neutron absorbing capacity as aging effects. Describe how the CR-3 plant specific program addresses each of these effects.
- a. Provide the 10 elements of the AMP for Boral, i.e., scope of program, preventive actions, parameters monitored or inspected, detection of aging effects, monitoring and trending, acceptance, corrective actions, confirmation process, administrative controls, operating experience, including the coupons that will be under surveillance.
- b. Indicate whether the Boral panels in the spent fuel pool are vented or not.
- c. Indicate the installation date of the Boral panels in the CR-3 spent fuel pool.
- d. Describe the surveillance approach that will be used in the cited AMP, specifically the methods and techniques utilized, e.g., visual, weight, volumetric, surface inspection, neutron attenuation testing, frequency, sample size, data collection, timing and acceptance criteria.
- e. Please describe how the neutron attenuation of the material will be measured.
Please include a description of the testing, parameters measured, calculations, and acceptance criteria.
- f. Discuss the correlation between measurements of the physical properties of Boral coupons and the integrity of the Boral panels in the storage racks.
- g. Describe the corrective actions that would be implemented if coupon test results do not meet the acceptance criteria.
- 3. In September 2003, inspection of Boral test coupons at Seabrook Nuclear Station revealed bulging and blistering of the aluminum cladding. Blistering or bulging on Boral coupons has also been noted at Three Mile Island and Beaver Valley. Blisters or bulges in the Boral panels may impact the ability to insert or remove fuel from cells. In addition, voids caused by blisters or bulges may affect neutron attenuation through flux trap formation.
- a. Please discuss the impact that these findings, along with any relevant findings at CR-3, have on the continued functionality of Boral at CR-3.
RAI XI.S8
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Background===
The GALL Report states that proper maintenance of protective coatings inside containment (defined as Service Level I in Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulatory Guide [RG] 1.54, Rev. 1) is essential to ensure operability of post-accident safety systems that rely on water recycled through the containment sump/drain system. Degradation of coatings can lead to clogging of strainers, which reduces flow through the sump/drain system.
Issue The CR-3 LRA does not credit the protective coating monitoring and maintenance program for aging management. Although the licensee does not credit the program for aging management, there needs to be adequate assurance that there is proper maintenance of the protective coatings in containment, such that they will not degrade and become a debris source that may challenge the Emergency Core Cooling Systems performance.
Request
- 1. Please describe in detail the CR-3 coatings assessment.
- a. Please describe how the program will ensure that there will be proper maintenance of the protective coatings inside containment such that they will not become a debris source that could impact the operability of post-accident safety systems that rely on water recycled through the containment sump or drain system in the extended period of operation.
- b. Please describe the frequency and scope of the inspections, acceptance criteria, and the qualification of personnel who perform containment coatings inspections.