ML102030500

Summary of Tele Conf Call Held on 7/21/10, Btw the USNRC and Arizona Public Service Company, Concerning Draft Request for Additional Information Pertaining to the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3, License Renewal App

ML102030500
Person / Time
Site:	Palo Verde
Issue date:	10/15/2010
From:	Lisa Regner License Renewal Projects Branch 2
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Regner L M, NRR/DLR, 415-1906
References
TAC ME0254, TAC ME0255, TAC ME0256
Download: ML102030500 (6)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555*0001 October 15, 2010 LICENSEE:

Arizona Public Service Company FACILITY:

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 SUB~IECT:

SUMMARY

OF TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL HELD ON JULY 21,2010, BETWEEN THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION AND ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY, CONCERNING DRAFT REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNITS 1, 2, AND 3, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the staff) and representatives of Arizona Public Service Company held a telephone conference call on July 21, 2010, to discuss and clarify the staff's draft request for additional information (RAI) concerning the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3, license renewal application. The telephone conference call was useful in clarifying the intent of the staff's draft RAI. provides a listing of the participants and Enclosure 2 contains a listing of the draft RAI discussed with the applicant, including a brief description on the status of the items.

The applicant had an opportunity to comment on this urnmary.

isa M. Regner, Senior Project Manager Projects Branch 2 Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-528, 50-529, and 50-530

Enclosures:

As stated cc w/encls: Distribution via Listserv

TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNITS 1, 2, AND 3 PARTICIPANTS lisa Regner Michael Modes Bart Fu Angela Krainik Glenn Michael Brian Thiele Ryan Lane Doug Berg Eric Blocher LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION LIST OF PARTICIPANTS JULY 21,2010 AFFILIATIONS U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

NRC NRC Arizona Public Service Company (APS)

APS APS APS APS Strategic Teaming and Resource Sharing (STARS) Alliance ENCLOSURE 1

DRAFT REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNITS 1, 2, AND 3 LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION JULY 21,2010 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the staff) and representatives of Arizona Public Service Company (the applicant) held a telephone conference call on June 21, 2010, to discuss and clarify the following draft request for additional information (RAI) concerning the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 (PVNGS), license renewal application (LRA).

DRAFT Follow-up RAI 82.1.19-3

Background:

In its response to RAI B2.1.19-3, the applicant stated that PVNGS has experienced three instances where failures have occurred in American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

Code Class 1 small-bore piping. The applicant stated in the LRA that cracking caused by high cycle fatigue was detected in a weld on a shutdown cooling suction line. In addition, License Event Report (LER) 528-2004-001 documented a socket weld crack that led to a pressure boundary leak on February 3, 2004. The cause of failure was determined to be high cycle fatigue. LER 528-1996-006 documented another case of socket weld failure which was caused by high cycle fatigue. Information from the operating experience review indicated that all three failures were due to high cycle fatigue. High cycle fatigue is a form of mechanical loading; however, the applicant's response did not include a basis to conclude that a plant-specific aging management program (AMP) is not necessary.

Issue:

The Generic Aging Lessons Learned (GALL) Report,Section XI.M35, recommends the use of the One-Time Inspection of ASME Code Class 1 Small-Bore Piping program only for those plants that have not experienced cracking of ASME Code Class 1 small-bore piping resulting from stress corrosion or thermal and mechanical loading. For those plants that have experienced cracking, the GALL Report recommends periodic inspection of the subject piping as managed by a plant-specific AMP. The operating experience review indicated that multiple socket weld failures have occurred at PVNGS due to cracking and that these failures were due to mechanical loading. The response to RAI B2.1.19-3 failed to provide justification that periodic inspections as managed by a plant-specific AMP are not necessary.

Request:

Since cracking of small bore piping has occurred at PVNGS, either provide a plant specific AMP that includes periodic inspections to manage cracking, or provide justification why a plant specific AMP that includes periodic inspections is not necessary for ASME Code Class 1 small-bore piping.

Discussion: The applicant clarified during the conference call that there were only two small bore piping socket weld failures instead of three as reported in the LRA and discussed in the draft RAI. One was determined to be a failure in ASME Code Class 2 piping which is out of the scope of this program. The applicant stated its intention to submit a LRA amendment removing this failure.

ENCLOSURE 2

- 2 Further, the applicant stated that the two remaining failures were determined to be a design issue associated with a single weld. The applicant stated it would provide additional justification in its RAI response on this design-related failure and why a plant-specific program is not needed.

Finally, the applicant stated it understood the staff's concerns addressed in the draft RAI and would supplement RAI 82.1.19-3 to include modification of the One-Time Inspection Program.

Modifications include increasing the inspection sample size of small bore piping socket welds, using risk-informed sample selection, and additional sample selection criteria.

October 15, 2010 LICENSEE:

Arizona Public Service Company FACILITY:

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 SUB..IECT:

SUMMARY

OF TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL HELD ON JULY 21,2010, BElWEEN THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION AND ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY. CONCERNING DRAFT REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNITS 1.2, AND 3, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the staff) and representatives of Arizona Public Service Company held a telephone conference call on July 21,2010, to discuss and clarify the staff's draft request for additional information (RAI) concerning the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3, license renewal application. The telephone conference call was useful in clarifying the intent of the staff's draft RAI. provides a listing of the participants and Enclosure 2 contains a listing of the draft RAI discussed with the applicant, including a brief description on the status of the items.

The applicant had an opportunity to comment on this summary.

IRA!

Lisa M. Regner, Senior Project Manager Projects Branch 2 Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-528. 50-529, and 50-530

Enclosures:

As stated cc w/encls: Distribution via Listserv DISTRIBUTION:

See next page ADAMS Accession No'.. ML102030500 OFFICE LA:DLR PM:DLR:RPB2 BC: DLR:RPB2 PM: DLR:RPB2 NAME YEdmonds LRegner DWrona LRegner DATE 2 6/10 10/5/10 10/15/10 10/15/10 OFFICIAL RECORD COpy

Memorandum to Arizona Public Service Company from L. Regner dated October 15, 2010

SUMMARY

OF TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL HELD ON JULY 21,2010, BETWEEN THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION AND ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY, CONCERNING DRAFT REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNITS 1, 2, AND 3, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION DISTRIBUTION:

HARDCOPY:

DLRRF E-MAIL:

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