ML12129A060

Schedule Revision for the Safety Review of the South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2, License Renewal Application

ML12129A060
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas
Issue date:	05/22/2012
From:	Brian Holian Division of License Renewal
To:	Rencurrel D South Texas
Daily J. W., NRR/RPB2, 301-415-3873
References
TAC ME4936, TAC ME4937
Download: ML12129A060 (5)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 May 22,2012 Mr. D. W. Rencurrel Sr. Vice President, Technical Support and Oversight STP Nuclear Operating Company P.O. Box 289 Wadsworth, TX 77483

SUBJECT:

SCHEDULE REVISION FOR THE SAFETY REVIEW OF THE SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNITS 1 AND 2, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (TAC NOS.

ME4936 AND ME4937)

Dear Mr. Rencurrel:

By letter dated October 25, 2010, South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC) submitted an application pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR)

Part 51 and 10 CFR Part 54, to renew the South Texas Project (STP), Units 1 and 2, operating licenses NPF-076 and NPF-080, respectively, for review by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the staff). The staff finds that adequate resolution of technical issues to resolve open items to support an effective Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) subcommittee meeting cannot be achieved within the current schedule. Enclosed is the staff's revised safety review schedule for the STP license renewal application (LRA).

Specific open items at this time are: (1) aluminum bronze selective leaching; (2) operating experience; (3) reactor head closure stud insert; (4) open cycle cooling water heat-affected zones; (5) reactor vessel extended beltline embrittlement; (6) reactor coolant pressure boundary cycles; (7) essential cooling water component life; (8) heat exchanger debris-coating failures; (9) capped safety injection valve leakage; (10) pressure-temperature limits; and (11) foreign ownership and control.

In addition, the open item on the Selective Leaching of Aluminum Bronze Program is extensive and has been the subject of three rounds of requests for information and a supplemental audit.

Deficiencies in multiple areas related to overall program adequacy remain unresolved. The most important issues needing additional information are: (1) explanations of the morphology of defective areas (e.g., material phase and defect propagation); (2) analytical basis for the program (Le., assumptions and inputs); (3) testing and sampling methodology proposed for the period of extended operation. The staff finds that without a clear understanding of the defect mechanism, extent of condition, and long-term plans to mitigate impacts on the plant, the program as currently described is not sufficient to demonstrate reasonable assurance that it will adequately manage the effects of aging.

The staff has revised the license renewal review schedule to delay the SER with open items, the ACRS subcommittee meeting, the final SER, the ACRS full committee meeting, and the renewed license decision because it will require additional time to complete its review of open items.

D. W. Rencurrel 2

In order to support timely completion of the SER with open items, complete and timely responses to staff RAls must be submitted by the applicant. After receiving the RAI responses, the staff will review and incorporate the responses into its safety review. The timeliness of your responses is necessary to maintain the schedule, and any delay would result in additional revisions to the enclosed schedule with the potential of leaving milestone schedule dates to be determined until responses are received and appropriately factored into a new schedule. We request that you inform the NRC as soon as possible regarding any potential delays in your support of the revised schedule.

The NRC will continue to follow established review procedures and the enclosed safety review schedule to complete the reviews required by 10 CFR Part 54. If you have any questions on this revised schedule, please contact Mr. John Daily, Project Manager for the safety review of the STP Units 1 and 2 LRA, by telephone at 301-415-3873 or bye-mail at john.daily@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

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Brian E. Holian, Director Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-498 and 50-499

Enclosure:

Revised Schedule cc w/encl: Listserv

SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNITS 1 AND 2 LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION UPDATED SAFETY REVIEW SCHEDULE Milestone Schedule Actual Receive license renewal application (LRA) 10/26/10 10/28/10 Publish Federal Register Notice (FRN) - LRA availability 12/09/10 12/09/10 Public Meeting - License Renewal Overview and Environmental Scoping 03/02/11 03/02/11 Deadline for filing hearing requests and petitions for intervention 03/14/11 03/14/11 Audit - Scoping & Screening Audit Methodology 05/16/11 OS/20/11 Audit - Aging Management Programs 06/13/11 06/24/11 Issue safety evaluation report (SER) with open items 9/2012 Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) Subcommittee 11/2012 Issue final SER 2/2013 ACRS full committee meeting 3/2013 Decision - Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (if no hearing) 5/2013 Commission decision (if hearing)

TBD ENCLOSURE

Letter to D. W. Rencurrel from Brian E. Holian dated May 22, 2012

SUBJECT:

SCHEDULE REVISION FOR THE SAFETY REVIEW OF THE SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNITS 1 AND 2, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (TAC NOS.

ME4936 AND ME4937)

DISTRIBUTION:

HARDCOPY:

DLR RF E-MAIL:

PUBLIC RidsNrrDlr Resource RidsNrrDlrRpb1 Resource RidsNrrDlrRpb2 Resource RidsNrrDlrRerb Resource RidsNrrDlrRpob Resource RidsNrrDraApla Resource RidsOgcMailCenter JDaily TTran ABuford DMclntyre, OPA BSingal, DORL WWalker, RIV JDixon, RIV BTharakan, RIV WlVlaier, RIV VDricks, RIV NOKeefe, RIV AVegel, RIV GPick, RIV

D. W. Rencurrel 2

In order to support timely completion of the SER with open items, complete and timely responses to staff RAls must be submitted by the applicant. After receiving the RAI responses, the staff will review and incorporate the responses into its safety review. The timeliness of your responses is necessary to maintain the schedule, and any delay would result in additional revisions to the enclosed schedule with the potential of leaving milestone schedule dates to be determined until responses are received and appropriately factored into a new schedule. We request that you inform the NRC as soon as possible regarding any potential delays in your support of the revised schedule.

The NRC will continue to follow established review procedures and the enclosed safety review schedule to complete the reviews required by 10 CFR Part 54. If you have any questions on this revised schedule, please contact Mr. John Daily, Project Manager for the safety review of the STP Units 1 and 2 LRA, by telephone at 301-415-3873 or bye-mail at john.daily@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, IRA!

Brian E. Holian, Director Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-498 and 50-499

Enclosure:

Revised Schedule cc w/encl: Listserv DISTRIBUTION: See next page ADAMS Accession No'.. ML12129A060 BC:DLR/RPB1 PM:DLR/RPB1 LA:DLR/RPB1 I BC:DLR/RPB2 OFFICE DMorey DWrona YEdmonds JDaily NAME 05/16/12 05/15/12 05/15/12 05/15/12 DATE D:DLR OFFICE BHoHan NAME 05/22/12 DATE OFFICIAL RECORD COpy