ML110910380

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Verbal Authorization of Relief Request I3R-19 - Alternative Requirements for Repair of Reactors Vessel Head Penetrations Nos. 31 and 43
ML110910380
Person / Time
Site: Byron Constellation icon.png
Issue date: 04/13/2011
From: Nicholas Difrancesco
Plant Licensing Branch III
To: Robert Carlson
Plant Licensing Branch III
DiFrancesco N, NRR/DORL/LPL3-2, 415-1115
References
TAC ME5948, I3R-19
Download: ML110910380 (4)


Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555"()001 April 13, 2011 MEMORANDUM TO: Robert C. Carlson, Chief Plant Licensing Branch 111-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM: Nicholas J. Difrancesco, Project Manager /RA/

Plant Licensing Branch 111-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

SUBJECT:

BYRON STATION, UNIT NO.1 - VERBAL AUTHORIZATION OF RELIEF REQUEST 13R-19 -ALTERNATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR REPAIR OF REACTOR VESSEL HEAD PENETRATIONS NOS. 31 AND 43 (TAC NO. MES948)

By letter dated March 24,2011, Exelon Generation Company, LLC (EGC, the licensee),

requested relief from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code,Section XI, "Rules for Inservice Inspection of Nuclear Power Plant Components," on the basis that the proposed alternatives would provide an acceptable level of quality and safety. On March 29, 2011, additional flaw indications were found on the Outside Diameter of Control Rod Drive Mechanism Vessel Head Penetrations (VHP) Nos. 31 and 43 within the J-groove attachment weld on the underside of the reactor vessel head. The authorization allows EGC to utilize an alternative repair technique to repair the flaws in VHP Nos. 31 and 43.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff reviewed the licensee's submittal and determined that the proposed alternative will provide an acceptable level of quality and safety.

During a conference call with the licensee at 12:00 EST on April 10, 2011, the NRC staff granted a verbal authorization on the use of Relief Request 13R-19 in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section SO.SSa(a)(3)(i). The script for the verbal authorization is enclosed.

R. Carlson -2 NRC

Participants:

Licensee

Participants:

R. D. Carlson D. Benyak T. R Lupoid B. Jacobs J. Collins G. S. Gerzen N. J. DiFrancesco H. Q. Do D. Hills R Mcintosh A. Shaikh J. Langan B. Bartlett D. Gudger J. Hansen W. Bamford (Westinghouse Electric Company)

G. Bundick (Westinghouse Electric Company)

M. Mayfield B. Newton D. Anthony M. Bennett R Gesior Docket No. 50-454

Enclosure:

Verbal Authorization Script

VERBAL AUTHORIZATION FOR RELIEF REQUEST 13R-19 ALTERATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR REPAIR OF REACTOR VESSEL HEAD PENETRATIONS NOS. 31 AND 43 BYRON STATION, UNIT NO.1 By letter dated March 24, 2011, and supplemented by letter dated March 31, 2011, Exelon Generation Company, LLC (EGC, the licensee), is requesting relief from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code,Section XI, "Rules for Inservice Inspection [lSI] of Nuclear Power Plant Components," on the basis that the proposed alternatives would provide an acceptable level of quality and safety. Primary water stress corrosion cracking flaws were found in vessel head penetration nozzle Nos. 31 and 43 and associated J-groove welds.

The licensee requested relief to perform an alternative repair technique using the embedding methodology of Westinghouse WCAP-15987-P, Revision 2-P-A, "Technical Basis for the Embedded Flaw Process for Repair of Reactor Vessel Head Penetrations," dated December 2003, on the reactor vessel head penetration (VHP) housings and J-groove welds of Byron Station Unit NO.1. The details of this request are contained in Byron Station Unit No.1 Relief Request (RR) 13R-19.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff previously reviewed and verbally approved the licensee's March 24,2011, version of RR 13R-19 for repair of penetration nozzles Nos. 64 and

76. This authorization is documented by letter dated March 29, 2011 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML110840512).

Based on the previous review ofWCAP-15987-P, Revision 2, and approval for use as a topical report by the NRC, and the information provided by EGC for the repair of nozzles Nos. 31 and 43, the NRC staff finds that the repairs to nozzles Nos. 31 and 43 will provide an acceptable level of quality and safety.

Accordingly, the NRC staff concludes that EGC has adequately addressed all of the regulatory requirements set forth in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 50.55a(a)(3)(i).

Therefore, pursuant to that regulation, the NRC verbally authorizes the licensee's March 24, 2011, version of RR 13R-19, to repair VHP Nos. 31 and 43 for the remainder ofthe third 10-year lSI interval, which is scheduled to end on July 15, 2016.

Enclosure

R. Carlson -2 NRC

Participants:

Licensee

Participants:

R. D. Carlson D. Benyak T. R. Lupoid B. Jacobs J. Collins G. S. Gerzen N. J. DiFrancesco H. Q. Do D. Hills R. Mcintosh A. Shaikh J. Langan B. Bartlett D. Gudger J. Hansen W. Bamford (Westinghouse Electric Company)

G. Bundick (Westinghouse Electric Company)

M. Mayfield B. Newton D. Anthony M. Bennett R. Gesior Docket No. 50-454 DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC LPL3-2 R/F RidsNrrPMByron RidsNrrDorlLpl3-2 RidsNrrDciCPNB RidsRgn3MailCenter JCollins, NRR RidsNrrLASRohrer TLupold, NRR ADAMS Accession No'.. ML110910380 NRR-106 OFFICE LPL3-2/PM LPL3-2/LA LPL3-2/BC NAME NDiFrancesco SRohrer RCarlson DATE 4/13/11 4/12/11 4/13/11 OFFICIAL RECORD COpy