ML110180331

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Proposed License Conditions Related to Use of Neutron Absorbers
ML110180331
Person / Time
Site: LaSalle  Constellation icon.png
Issue date: 01/24/2011
From: Ellen Brown
Plant Licensing Branch III
To: Pacilio M
Exelon Nuclear
Brown Eva
References
TAC ME2376, TAC ME2377
Download: ML110180331 (3)


Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555*0001 January 24, 2011 Mr. Michael J. Pacilio President and Chief Nuclear Officer Exelon Nuclear 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555

SUBJECT:

LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 - PROPOSED LICENSE CONDITIONS RELATED TO USE OF NEUTRON ABSORBERS (TAC NOS. ME2376 AND ME2377)

Dear Mr. Pacilio:

By letter dated October 5,2009, supplemented by letters dated June 10, November 23, December 14, December 22, 2010, and January 11, 2011 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML092810279, ML101650229, ML103270566, ML103490098, ML103570025, and ML110130074, respectively) Exelon Generation Company, LLC (EGC, Exelon, or the licensee), requested changes to the Technical Specifications for LaSalle County Station (LSCS),

Units 1 and 2 spent fuel pool (SFP) storage requirements. The request is required to accommodate degradation in the installed neutron absorber in the LSCS Unit 2 SFP.

For LSCS Unit 2 SFP rack modules that do not contain the NETCO-SNAP-IN inserts, the licensee continues to rely on BORAFLEX to control reactivity. A large number of BORAFLEX panels have degraded below the 0.020 gram per centimeter-square Boron-10 (gm/cm 2 B10 )

areal density modeled in the analysis of record. The information provided at this point regarding EGC's actions is not sufficient to allow the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to reach a final licensing decision. As a result, the NRC staff has determined that several license conditions (LC) will be necessary to address the crediting o'f boron in the LSCS Unit 2 SFPs.

The NRC staff proposed the following as LC 2.(C):

(30) Beginning 120 days after the LSCS Unit 2 refueling outage 13 (L2R13) and until October 28, 2011, the storage cells in the rack models without NETCO-SNAP-IN inserts will be placed into one of three categories: Unrestricted, Restricted, and Unusable.

a. Unrestricted will be cells whose minimum panel B10 areal density is greater than or equal to 0.0167 gm/cm 2 . Unrestricted cells may contain fuel assemblies up to the maximum reactivity identified in TS 4.3.1.1.d.
b. Restricted will be cells whose minimum panel B10 areal density is between 0.0167 gm/cm 2 and 0.0115 gm/cm 2 . Restricted cells will only contain LSCS Units 1 and 2 Cycle 1 General Electric (GE) and GE14 fuel assemblies.
c. Unusable will be cells whose minimum panel B10 areal density is less than or equal to 0.0115 gm/cm 2 . Unusable cells will be administratively controlled to remain empty of any fuel assembly.

M. Pacilio -2 (31) After October 28, 2011, until all NETCO-SNAP-IN inserts have been fully loaded into the LSCS Unit 2 SFP, the following categories will apply: Unrestricted, Restricted, and Unusable.

a. Unrestricted will be cells whose minimum panel B10 areal density is greater than or equal to 0.0200 gm/cm 2 . Unrestricted cells may contain fuel assemblies up to the maximum reactivity identified in TS 4.3.1.1.d.
b. Restricted will be cells whose minimum panel B10 areal density is between 0.0200 gm/cm 2 and 0.0167 gm/cm 2 . Restricted cells will only contain LSCS Units 1 and 2 Cycle 1 GE and GE14 fuel assemblies.
c. Unusable will be cells whose minimum panel B10 areal density is less than or equal to 0.0167 gm/cm 2 . Unusable cells will be administratively controlled to remain empty of any fuel assembly.

(32) Exelon shall complete loading all accessible storage rack cells in the LSCS Unit 2 spent fuel pool with NETCO-SNAP-IN inserts no later than December 31,2014.

These proposed LCs were discussed with Patrick Simpson and Ken Nicely of your staff on January 13, 2011. In order to support the issuance of the safety evaluation in a timely fashion, Exelon should provide a response to the proposed license conditions indicating Exelon's understanding and acceptance of these conditions. It should be noted, however, that the acceptance does not constitute completion of the NRC staff's review regarding crediting of BORAFLEX until the NETCO-SNAP-IN inserts can be fully loaded into the SFP.

Sincerely, IRA!

Eva A. Brown, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 111-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-373 and 50-374 cc: Distribution via Listserv

M. Pacilio -2 (31) After October 28, 2011, until all NETCO-SNAP-IN inserts have been fUlly loaded into the LSCS Unit 2 SFP, the following categories will apply: Unrestricted, Restricted, and Unusable.

a. Unrestricted will be cells whose minimum panel B'o areal density is greater than or equal to 0.0200 gm/cm 2 . Unrestricted cells may contain fuel assemblies up to the maximum reactivity identified in TS 4.3.1.1.d.
b. Restricted will be cells whose minimum panel B'o areal density is between 0.0200 gm/cm 2 and 0.0167 gm/cm 2 . Restricted cells will only contain LSCS Units 1 and 2 Cycle 1 GE and GE14 fuel assemblies.
c. Unusable will be cells whose minimum panel B'o areal density is less than or equal to 0.0167 gm/cm 2 . Unusable cells will be administratively controlled to remain empty of any fuel assembly.

(32) Exelon shall complete loading all accessible storage rack cells in the LSCS Unit 2 spent fuel pool with NETCO-SNAP-IN inserts no later than December 31,2014.

These proposed LCs were discussed with Patrick Simpson and Ken Nicely of your staff on January 13, 2011. In order to support the issuance of the safety evaluation in a timely fashion, Exelon should provide a response to the proposed license conditions indicating Exelon's understanding and acceptance of these conditions. It should be noted, however, that the acceptance does not constitute completion of the NRC staff's review regarding crediting of BORAFLEX until the NETCO-SNAP-IN inserts can be fully loaded into the SFP.

Sincerely, IRA!

Eva A. Brown, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 111-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-373 and 50-374 cc: Distribution via Listserv DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC LPL3-2 R/F RidsNrrDorlLpl3-2 Resource RidsNrrDssSrxb RidsNrrPMLaSalie Resource RidsNrrLATHarris Resource RGrover, NRR KWood, NRR RidsOgcRp Resource RidsNrrDorlDpr Resource MYoder,NRR EWong, NRR RidsNrrDirsltsb Resource RidsAcrsAcnw_MailCTR Resource APulvirenti, RES RidsRgn3MailCenter Resource RidsNrrDciCsgb ADAMS ACCESSION NO MI-110180331 OFFICE LPL3-2/PM LPL3-2/LA LPL3-2/BC OGC 1 NLO DORUDD MSmith AHowe NAME EBrown THarris RCarlson (NDiFrancesco for)

DATE 01/24/11 01/20/11 01/21/11 01/24/11 01/24/11 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY