ML101890819

Acceptance Review Regarding the Proposed Relief Request PV-05

ML101890819
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	07/13/2010
From:	John Lamb Watts Bar Special Projects Branch
To:	Krich R Tennessee Valley Authority
Lamb John G./NRR/DORL, 415-3100
References
TAC ME4205
Download: ML101890819 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 July 13, 2010 Mr. R. M. Krich Vice President, Nuclear Licensing Tennessee Valley Authority 3R Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801

SUBJECT:

WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 1 - ACCEPTANCE REVIEW REGARDING THE PROPOSED RELIEF REQUEST PV-05 (TAC NO. ME4205)

Dear Mr. Krich:

By letter dated July 1, 2010 (Agencywide Document and Access Management System Accession No. ML101870601), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) submitted Relief Request PV-05 for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (WBN), Unit 1. The relief request proposes an alternative to certain inservice testing (1ST) requirements of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Code for Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants for WBN Unit 1. The relief request applies to the second 10-year 1ST interval that began on May 27,2007, and will end on May 26, 2016. The subject relief request involves an extension to the test interval for two pressure relief valves in the essential raw cooling water system and component cooling system.

The purpose of this letter is to provide the results of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff's acceptance review of this relief request. The acceptance review was performed to determine if there is sufficient technical information in scope and depth to allow the NRC staff to complete its detailed technical review. The acceptance review is also intended to identify whether the application has any readily apparent information insufficiencies in its characterization of the regulatory requirements or the licensing basis of the plant.

Pursuant to Sections 50.55a(a)(3)(i) and 50.55a(a)(3)(ii) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the applicant shall demonstrate that the proposed alternatives would provide an acceptable level of quality and safety, or that compliance with the specified requirements of Section 50.55a would result in hardship or unusual difficulty without a compensating increase in the level of quality or safety.

The NRC staff has reviewed your application and concluded that it does provide technical information in sufficient detail to enable the staff to proceed with its detailed technical review and make an independent assessment regarding the acceptability of the proposed relief request in terms of regulatory requirements and the protection of public health and safety and the environment. If additional information is needed for the NRC staff to complete its technical review, you will be advised by separate correspondence that will require an expedited response by TVA.

R. M. Krich -2 In TVA Relief Request PV-05 dated July 1, 2010, you are requesting NRC to complete its review by September 1, 2010. The NRC performance goals for licensing actions is to complete 90-percent in less than 1 year and 100-percent in less than 2 years. This is the third time in the last few months that TVA has requested NRC complete its review in less than 1 year. In TVA amendment request dated February 24, 2010, regarding the one-time chiller upgrade project, you requested NRC to complete its review by December 1,2010. In TVA amendment request dated May 28, 2010, regarding the change in the control rod material, you are requesting NRC to complete its review of the change of by March 1, 2011. I am increasingly concerned that this is becoming pattern. I highly recommend that TVA plans its licensing actions consistent with the NRC performance goals.

For a variety of reasons, it is very unlikely that NRC will see significant budget growth during fiscal year 2011. This reality will require the NRC staff to exercise greater self-discipline in the way the NRC manages its licensing resources to achieve its performance goals. Operating within a more constrained budget is likely to be difficult and stressful for the NRC staff.

Nonetheless, the NRC staff will endeavor to complete its review consistent with the proposed TVA schedule.

If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-3100.

Sincerely,

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Jo~n G. Lamb, Senior Project Manager Watts Bar Special Projects Branch Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No.: 50-390 cc: Distribution via Listserv

R. M. Krich -2 In TVA Relief Request PV-05 dated July 1,2010, you are requesting NRC to complete its review by September 1, 2010. The NRC performance goals for licensing actions is to complete 90-percent in less than 1 year and 100-percent in less than 2 years. This is the third time in the last few months that TVA has requested NRC complete its review in less than 1 year. In TVA amendment request dated February 24, 2010, regarding the one-time chiller upgrade project, you requested NRC to complete its review by December 1,2010. In TVA amendment request dated May 28, 2010, regarding the change in the control rod material, you are requesting NRC to complete its review of the change of by March 1, 2011. I am increasingly concerned that this is becoming pattern. I highly recommend that TVA plans its licensing actions consistent with the NRC performance goals.

For a variety of reasons, it is very unlikely that NRC will see significant budget growth during fiscal year 2011. This reality will require the NRC staff to exercise greater self-discipline in the way the NRC manages its licensing resources to achieve its performance goals. Operating within a more constrained budget is likely to be difficult and stressful for the NRC staff.

Nonetheless, the NRC staff will endeavor to complete its review consistent with the proposed TVA schedule.

If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-3100.

Sincerely, IRA!

John G. Lamb, Senior Project Manager Watts Bar Special Projects Branch Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No.: 50-390 cc: Distribution via Listserv DISTRIBUTION:

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