ML14057A720
| ML14057A720 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Watts Bar  |
| Issue date: | 04/18/2014 |
| From: | Andrew Hon Plant Licensing Branch II |
| To: | James Shea Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Hon A | |
| References | |
| TAC MF3498, TAC MF3499 | |
| Download: ML14057A720 (5) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 Mr. Joseph W. Shea Vice President, Nuclear Licensing Tennessee Valley Authority 1101 Market Street, LP 3D-C Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 April18, 2014
SUBJECT:
WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 1 -NRC ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF WITHDRAWAL OF REQUESTED LICENSING ACTION RE: EXEMPTION AND RELIEF REQUEST (TAC NOS. MF3595 AND MF3597)
Dear Mr. Shea:
By letter dated December 12, 2013 (ADAMS Accession No. ML13358A066), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) submitted a relief and exemption request for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (WBN)
Units 1 and 2. It included an updated lnservice Test (1ST) Program for WBN Unit 1 and IST/Preservice Test Program for WBN Unit 2. For Unit 1, TVA requested to use the later ASME Operation and Maintenance Code edition and addenda, and also proposed to alter the start and end dates for the third and future 1ST program intervals in order to be concurrent with Unit 2 1ST program. The purpose of this letter is to provide the results of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) staff's acceptance review of this exemption and relief request. The acceptance review was performed to determine if there was 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.
However, by letter dated April16, 2014, you requested to withdraw the application from NRC review. The NRC acknowledges your request to withdraw the application. NRC staff activities on the review have ceased and the associated Technical Assignment Control numbers have been closed.
The NRC staff noted that its review to date has identified issues that need to be addressed to enable the NRC staff to complete its detailed review. Therefore, if you decided to re-submit the request, the issues on the enclosure should be addressed.
If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-8480.
Docket No. 50-390 Enclsoure: Acceptance Review Issues cc w/encl: Distribution via Listserv Sincerely, Andrew Hon, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 11-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
ISSUES NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED FOR ACCEPTANCE REVIEW EXEMPTION AND RELIEF REQUEST TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 DOCKET NO(S). 50-390 AND 50-391 A of the request provides one Exemption Request to allow:
(1) alignment of the 120 month interval dates for the Unit 1 lnservice Test (1ST) Program to be concurrent with Unit 2 1ST Program, and (2) Unit 1 and Unit 2 to utilize the latest edition and addenda of the Code currently referenced by 10 CFR 50.55a(b), which is the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code for the Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants (ASME OM Code) 2004 Edition through 2006 Addenda.
However, the request is not clear why an exemption to Part 50 of the current regulations is necessary for these two objectives under existing regulations below:
(1) With regard to altering the start and end dates of an 1ST program interval, ASME OM Code ISTA-3120(d) provides allowance up to+/- 1 year from the original interval pattern. Since Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, the licensee) proposes to change the start and end dates for Unit 1 permanently to be concurrently with Unit 2, TVA should review the requirements of ISTA-3120(d), and determine if a relief request is necessary. If a relief request is required, TVA may submit the request now, and commit to provide the exact start date within 3 months of Unit 2 commercial operation.
(2) With regard to use a later ASME OM Code Edition and Addenda for Unit 1, applicable regulatory requirements and process are in 10 CFR 50.55a(4)(i) and Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) 2004-12. According to RIS-2004-12, using a later Code edition is not a relief request. The licensees may request an approval by submitting a letter for Unit 1 to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Document Control Desk, and NRC will respond by acknowledging the receipt of the request letter.
B. The NRC staff is currently reviewing an Operating License (OL) application for Unit 2 in accordance with Standard Review Plan Section 3.9.6, "lnservice Testing of Pumps and Valves," and two Requests for Additional Information (RAis) had been provided to TVA By letter dated July 31, 2010, TVA responded to the RAis by committing to update Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) Section 3.9.6 in accordance with 10 CFR 50.55a(f)(4)(i), and submit Enclosure an initial/baseline 1ST Program to the NRC for review and approval. The staff's evaluation of FSAR Section 3.9.6 and the 1ST Program will be included in the future supplement to the Safety Evaluation Report before the operating license (OL) is issued. Please clarify the relationship of the above commitments and the current submittal. Note that for tracking purposes, if the 1ST Program is submitted by a separate letter instead of part of FSAR Section 3.9.6, the submittal letter should be clearly referenced in FSAR Section 3.9.6.
C. Because TVA is applying for an OL for Unit 2, different regulatory requirements and review processes are used in the review of the OL for Unit 2 from those for reviewing relief or using later edition requests from the ASME OM Code requirements for Unit 1. As such, separate and self-contained packages respectively for Unit 1 and Unit 2 should be submitted for review.
ML14057A720 OFFICE DORLILPL2-2/PM DORLILPL2-2/PM NAME AHon JPoole DATE 4/17/14 4/18/14 Sincerely, IRA by JPoo/e for/
Andrew Hon, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 11-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation DORLILPL2-2/LA DE/EPNB/BC DORLILPL2-2/BC DORLILPL2-2/PM BCiayton Tlupold JQuichocho AHon (JPoole for) 4/17/14 4/18/14 4/18/14 4/18/14