ML12080A049

STP - Record of Conference Call-03012012 on RAIs-RV Beltline

ML12080A049
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas
Issue date:	04/11/2012
From:	Daily J License Renewal Projects Branch 1
To:	License Renewal Projects Branch 1
Daily J
References
TAC ME4936, TAC ME4937
Download: ML12080A049 (6)

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LICENSEE:

STP Nuclear Operating Company FACILITY:

South Texas Project

SUMMARY

OF TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL HELD ON MARCH 1,2012, BETWEEN THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION AND STP NUCLEAR OPERATING COMPANY, REGARDING REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON REACTOR VESSEL BELTLINE COMPONENTS, FOR THE SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNITS 1 AND 2, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (TAC. NOS. ME4936 AND ME4937)

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the staff) and representatives of STP Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC or the applicant) held a telephone conference call on March 1, 2012, to discuss requests for additional information (RAls) on aspects of reactor vessel beltline components, for the South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2, license renewal application. The telephone conference call was useful in clarifying the staffs requests and the applicant's questions for the RAls. provides a listing of the participants and Enclosure 2 contains a summary of the discussion.

The applicant had an opportunity to comment on this summary.

J~~~t~il~ni~~ger Projects Branch 1 Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-498 and 50-499

Enclosures:

As stated cc w/encls: Listserv

TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION LIST OF PARTICIPANTS March 1,2012 PARTICIPANTS AFFILIATIONS John Daily Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

Angela Buford NRC Carolyn Fairbanks NRC Arden Aldridge STP Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC)

Ken Taplett STPNOC Gary Warner STARS Center of Business - Worley Parsons Donald Lynch STARS Center of Business - Worley Parsons ENCLOSURE 1

CONFERENCE CALL WITH STPNOC REGARDING REACTOR VESSEL BEL TLiNE COMPONENTS STP LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION March 1,2012 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the staff) and representatives of STP Nuclear Operating Com pany (STPNOC or the applicant) held a telephone conference call on March 1,2012, to discuss requests for additional information (RAls) on aspects of reactor vessel beltline cOJl1Ponents, for the South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2, license renewal application.

The participants indicated that the calls were useful in clarifying the questions discussed.

Discussion:

The staff and the applicant discussed the following:

Reactor Vessel Beltline Components and Neutron fluence, RAI 4.2.2-1 (059)

Licensees for all light water nuclear power reactors must meet fracture toughness requirements and maintain a material surveillance program for the reactor coolant pressure boundary. These requirements are set forth in Appendices G and H to 10 CFR Part 50. Since some reactor pressure vessel (RPV) integrity evaluations are very sensitive to the considerations of new data, information regarding RPV beltline materials needs to be consistent with the requirements in Generic Letter 92-01, and licensees who present changes to values related to fracture toughness must provide a technical basis for the change.

In cases where the Cu values for some welds are not listed in Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR) Table 5.3-3 or Table 5.3-4, the staff explained that merely using a default maximum allowable value of (for example) 0.1 percent copper content from a "reactor vessel specification" may not be sufficient to completely document the weld characteristic. The staff explained that, for cases such as that, the applicant should also provide the Heat Identification Number (Heat 10) and flux type for those welds. In addition, the applicant should more clearly specify which "reactor vessel specification" is being cited to validate the specifications, e.g.: is this the document that contains the Certified Material Test Reports (CMTRs) for the welds?

If the initial RT(NDT) value for a weld was not listed in UFSAR Table 5.3-3 or Table 5.3-4, setting the weld initial RT(NDT) to the limiting value from 10 CFR 50.61 paragraph (c)(1)(ii) for welds using (for example) Linde 0091 or Linde 124 weld fluxes could also be insufficient, since the Heat 10 and flux type are not completely specified for those welds. The applicant would need to supply this information as well.

In some cases the principal working direction (NPWD) value for weld material is not listed in UFSAR Table 5.3-3 and Table 5.3-4. For those cases, using an NPWD value of (for example) 70 ft-Ib is not sufficient to completely address the issue, nor is referencing a Branch Technical Position such as MTEB 5-2, "Fracture Toughness Requirements" (paragraph 8.1.2). The staff explained that MTEB 5-2 does not set a default or bounding lower limit for unirradiated Upper Shelf Energy (USE). Licensees lacking unirradiated USE data have most often utilized sister plant data or submitted equivalent margins analyses - either through an owners group or on a ENCLOSURE 2

-2 plant-specific basis - to demonstrate through fracture mechanics analyses that adequate margins of safety exist against fractures equivalent to those required by ASME Code,Section XI, Appendix G. The staff indicated that the applicant needs to base acceptability on 10 CFR 50, Appendix G, part IV, "Fracture toughness requirements," for appropriate limits and requirements.

Memorandum to File from J. Daily dated April 11,2012

SUMMARY

OF TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL HELD ON MARCH 1, 2012, BETWEEN THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION AND STP NUCLEAR OPERATING COMPANY, REGARDING REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON REACTOR VESSEL BELTLINE COMPONENTS, FOR THE SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNITS 1 AND 2, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (TAC. NOS. ME4936 AND ME4937)

DISTRIBUTION:

E-MAIL:

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LICENSEE:

STP Nuclear Operating Company FACILITY:

South Texas Project

SUMMARY

OF TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL HELD ON MARCH 1, 2012, BETWEEN THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION AND STP NUCLEAR OPERATING COMPANY, REGARDING REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON REACTOR VESSEL BELTLINE COMPONENTS, FOR THE SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNITS 1 AND 2, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (TAC. NOS. ME4936 AND ME4937)

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the staff) and representatives of STP Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC or the applicant) held a telephone conference call on March 1, 2012, to discuss requests for additional information (RAls) on aspects of reactor vessel beltline components, for the South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2, license renewal application. The telephone conference call was useful in clarifying the staffs requests and the applicant's questions for the RAls. provides a listing of the participants and Enclosure 2 contains a summary of the discussion.

The applicant had an opportunity to comment on this summary.

IRA!

John Daily, Senior Project Manager Projects Branch 1 Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-498 and 50-499

Enclosures:

As stated cc w/encls: Listserv DISTRIBUTION: See next page ADAMS Accession No.: ML12080a049 OFFICE LA:RPB1 :DLR PM:RPB1 :DLR BC:RPB1 :DLR PM:RPB1 :DLR JDaily DMorey JDaily NAME TE YEdmonds 4/3/12

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