ML120410587
| ML120410587 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Seabrook  |
| Issue date: | 06/19/2012 |
| From: | John Lamb Plant Licensing Branch 1 |
| To: | O'Keefe M, Walsh K NextEra Energy Seabrook |
| Lamb J 301-415-3100 | |
| References | |
| TAC ME8688 | |
| Download: ML120410587 (3) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 June 19, 2012 Mr. Kevin Walsh Site Vice President c/o Michael O'Keefe Seabrook Station NextEra Energy Seabrook, LLC P.O. Box 300 Seabrook, NH 03874
SUBJECT:
SEABROOK STATION, UNIT NO.1 - ACCEPTANCE LETTER REGARDING LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST 11-04, CHANGES TO TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR NEW AND SPENT FUEL STORAGE (TAC NO. ME8688)
Dear Mr. Walsh:
By letter dated January 30,2012 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML12038A036), as supplemented by letter dated May 10, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML12136A126), NextEra Energy Seabrook, LLC (NextEra) submitted license amendment request (LAR) 11-04 for Seabrook Station, Unit NO.1. The proposed change revises the Technical Specifications (TSs) for new and spent fuel storage as the result of a new criticality analyses for the new fuel vault (NFV) and the spent fuel pool (SFP).
The proposed amendment would revise the TSs to: (1) reflect elimination of the need to credit Boraflex neutron absorbing material for reactivity control in the SFP; (2) credit soluble boron, burnup, cooling time, peripheral leakage, and rod cluster control assemblies within the storage racks to maintain SFP reactivity within the effective neutron multiplication factor (keff) limits of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Section 50.68(b)(4); and (3) revise the requirements for fuel storage within the NFV.
The purpose of this letter is to provide the results of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff's acceptance review of this amendment 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.
Consistent with 10 CFR 50.90, an amendment to the license (including the TSs) must fully describe the changes requested, and following as far as applicable, the form prescribed for original applications. Section 50.34 of 10 CFR addresses the content of technical information required. This section stipulates that the submittal address the design and operating characteristics, unusual or novel design features, and principal safety considerations.
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 amendment
K. Walsh
- 2 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.
NextEra requested the NRC staff to review and approve LAR 11-04 with issuance of a license amendment by January 30, 2013. The NRC performance goals for licensing actions is to complete gO-percent in less than 1 year and 1 OO-percent in less than 2 years. Licensing actions regarding SFP criticality analyses are typically technically complex. The following are licensing actions regarding SFP criticality analyses. Please note that a number of the licensing actions exceeded 1 year:
(1) Millstone Unit 2 (ADAMS Accession No. ML030910485) - 17 months; (2) St. Lucie Unit 1 (ADAMS Accession No. ML042670562) - 22 months; (3) Catawba Units 1 and 2 (ADAMS Accession No. ML062540237) - 12 months; (4) Turkey Points Units 3 and 4 (ADAMS Accession No. ML071800198) -18 months; (5) San Onofre Units 2 and 3 (ADAMS Accession No. ML072550175) -17 months; (6) Beaver Valley Unit 2 (ADAMS Accession No. ML080730476) - 21 months; (7) Waterford Unit 3 (ADAMS Accession No. ML092050312) -12 months; (8) Millstone Unit 3 (ADAMS Accession No. ML100750024) - 24 months; and (g) LaSalle Units 1 and 2 (ADAMS Accession No. ML110250051) - 15 months.
For a variety of reasons, the NRC did not see significant budget growth during fiscal year 2012 and it is very unlikely that NRC will see significant budget growth during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the NRC has devoted significant resources to the actions related to the lessons learned from the Fukushima Dai'jchi nuclear incident. This reality requires 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. Therefore, the NRC staff will not be able to meet your requested date; however, the NRC staff will endeavor to complete its review by May 10, 2013.
If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-3100.
n G. Lamb, Senior Project Manager nt Licensing Branch 1-2 ivision of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-443 cc: Distribution via Listserv
ML030910485) - 17 months; (2) St. Lucie Unit 1 (ADAMS Accession No. ML042670562) - 22 months; (3) Catawba Units 1 and 2 (ADAMS Accession No. ML062540237) -12 months; (4) Turkey Points Units 3 and 4 (ADAMS Accession No. ML071800198) -18 months; (5) San Onofre Units 2 and 3 (ADAMS Accession No. ML072550175) - 17 months; (6) Beaver Valley Unit 2 (ADAMS Accession No. ML080730476) - 21 months; (7) Waterford Unit 3 (ADAMS Accession No. ML092050312) -12 months; (8) Millstone Unit 3 (ADAMS Accession No. ML100750024) - 24 months; and (9) LaSalle Units 1 and 2 (ADAMS Accession No. ML110250051) -15 months.
For a variety of reasons, the NRC did not see significant budget growth during fiscal year 2012 and it is very unlikely that NRC will see significant budget growth during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the NRC has devoted significant resources to the actions related to the lessons learned from the Fukushima Dai'ichi nuclear incident. This reality requires 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. Therefore, the NRC staff will not be able to meet your requested date; however, the NRC staff will endeavor to complete its review by May 10, 2013.
If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-3100.
Sincerely.
IRA!
John G. Lamb, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 1-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-443 cc: Distribution via Listserv DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC LPLI-2 R/F RidsNrrLAABaxter Resource RidsNRRDor1Lp11-2 Resource RidsOgcRP Resource RidsNrrPMSeabrook Resource RidsNrrDorlDpr Resource RidsRgn1 MailCenter Resource RidsNrrDorlResource RidsAcrsAcnw. MailCTR Resource ADAMS Accession No: ML120410587 *via email OFFICE LPL 1-2IPM LPL1-2/LA LPL 1-2IBC NAME JLamb ABaxter*
MKhanna JLamb
- DATE i 05/18/12 05/18/12 06/19/12 06/19/12