ML14174B217
| ML14174B217 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Boiling Water Reactor Owners Group |
| Issue date: | 07/24/2014 |
| From: | Joe Golla Licensing Processes Branch (DPR) |
| To: | Anthony Mendiola Licensing Processes Branch (DPR) |
| Golla J, DPR/PLPB, 415-1002 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML14175A333 | List: |
| References | |
| Download: ML14174B217 (6) | |
Text
July 24, 2014 MEMORANDUM TO: Anthony J. Mendiola, Chief Licensing Processes Branch Division of Policy & Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM:
Joseph A. Golla, Project Manager
/RA/
Licensing Processes Branch Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF JUNE 12, 2014, PUBLIC MEETING WITH THE BOILING WATER REACTOR OWNERS GROUP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE On June 12, 2014, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) managers met with representatives of the Boiling Water Reactor Owners Group (BWROG) Executive Committee in a public meeting at NRC headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. The enclosure provides a list of those in attendance and those that participated by teleconference. Information presented at the meeting by the BWROG representatives is available in the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) at Accession No. ML14164A645.
The purpose of the meeting was for the BWROG Executive Committee to communicate to NRC management several issues that are impacting work priorities for them, to introduce two new initiatives, and provide other project update information.
Opening remarks were made for the NRC by Ms. Jennifer Uhle, Deputy Director for Reactor Safety Programs, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. Following this, Mr. Dennis Madison, BWROG Executive Chairman made opening remarks on behalf of the BWROG and presented the first of several briefings. Mr. Madisons remarks included a description of the structure and composition of the BWROG including the fact that the BWROG includes a number of international utilities. Ms. Uhle of the NRC asked if including international members as part of the BWROG affords increased opportunities to exchange operating experience. Mr. Madison stated that was the case.
CONTACT: Joseph Golla, DPR/PLPB (301) 415-1002
A. Mendiola Mr. Madison also presented a synopsis of three industry issues that are impacting BWROG priorities. These are the Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) Suction Strainers issue, the BWROGs Fukushima response, and an initiative for the BWROG which is termed Finite Break Opening Time. Mr. Madison also discussed an issue concerning the BWROG Reload Analysis
& Core Management Committee (RACMC). This committee was formed to address a resolution to General Electric Safety Communication SC 11-05, Part 21 Failure to Include Seismic Input in Channel - Control Blade Interference. Mr. Madison addressed this issue to inform the NRC about it and to note that it is yet another issue that is impacting the BWROGs priorities.
Mr. Bradley Tyers, BWROG ECCS Suction Strainers Committee Vice Chairman, presented a briefing concerning the current status of the ECCS Suction Strainers issue. His briefing included a list of BWROG submittals pending NRC review, the public meeting held on April 30, 2014 (meeting summary at ADAMS Accession No. ML14122A177), the impact on the BWROG of the pending Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.46c rulemaking, a request for increased NRC staff support, and an initial statement to the NRC about the BWROGs intent to pursue a risk-informed process enhancement to the solution to the ECCS Suction Strainers issues.
Regarding BWROG submittals pending NRC review, Mr. Tyers noted that NRC review and approval of BWROG Licensing Topical Report (LTR) NEDC-33608P, Boiling Water Reactor Emergency Core Cooling Suction Strainer In-Vessel Downstream Effects (also known as LTR-1 because it will be the first of three such fuels-testing LTRs), is the most critical path item.
Review of this LTR was delayed because the principal NRC staff reviewer was reassigned in August of 2013 to the newly formed Mitigating Strategies Directorate (part of NRCs Fukushima response effort). Mr. Tyers requested, on behalf of the BWROG, that the NRC increase reviewer resources in order to solidify an achievable fuels testing safety evaluation by August 29, 2014. Mr. Dennis Madison stated that this is a requested target date that could be adjusted but that the BWROG would like to know if the NRC staff would not be able to meet this date. Mr. Victor Cusumano, Chief of the NRCs Safety Issue Resolution Branch, which has purview of the ECCS Suction Strainer issue, agreed to take an action to seek a resolution to the resource issue that has resulted in delay of the review of this LTR.
Regarding the impact on the BWROG of the pending 10 CFR 50.46c rulemaking, the BWROG has two concerns regarding the ECCS Suction Strainer effort that are associated with the rulemaking. One is Request for Additional Information (RAI) 7 of LTR-1. This RAI is concerned with fuel cladding integrity after a sequence of post-accident reheating and requenching. The other issue is concerned with the risk-informed component to the resolution of the suction strainer issues. The BWROG representatives stated they would like to have an opportunity to comment on the draft rulemaking regarding these issues before the public comment period closes. The public comment period is scheduled to close on August 21, 2014. Ms. Jennifer Uhle stated that the NRC staff will review the BWROGs response to RAI-7 with respect to the rulemaking before the NRC moves forward with it.
Regarding the risk-informed ECCS Suction Strainer initiative, the BWROG stated that it will continue in parallel with the deterministic scope. The BWROG also intends to ask for a fee waiver as was done for the deterministic effort.
A. Mendiola Mr. Ken Knaide, BWROG Executive, provided a briefing on the Finite Break Opening Time Project. This project stems from the discovery by General Electric Hitachi (GEH) of a non-conservative error in the method used for calculating annulus pressurization (AP) loads generated from pipe break accident events. This was the subject of a GEH proprietary Safety Communication (SC) in 2009. Since this first SC, GEH issued 3 more in 2013 and all are proprietary. Ms. Stacey Rosenberg, NRC Chief of the Vessels & Internals Integrity Branch, stated that the NRC is aware of this effort and that licensees are required to continue to meet their licensing basis in this area. Mr. Gary Stephens, NRC Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, asked the BWROG representatives to update the NRC regularly on the progress of this project. Mr. Knaide stated that the BWROG will do that.
Ms. Lesa Hill, BWROG Chairman, presented a briefing covering the status of the BWROGs Fukushima response. The Fukushima Response Activities that the BWROG is involved with are participating in the various activities of the Nuclear Energy Institutes (NEIs) Filtering Strategies Working Group and the development of the BWR Emergency Procedure Guideline/Severe Accident Guide, Rev. 3. Mr. Dennis Madison then provided an executive summary briefing of the key points.
Mr. Stephen Dolley, Platts Inside NRC/member of the public attending by teleconference, asked a question regarding the Finite Break Opening Time Project. Mr. Dolley asked about the applicability of the 10 CFR 50.59, Changes, tests, and experiments, regulation to this project and specifically why it is appropriate to use the 10 CFR 50.59 process for what would likely constitute a licensing basis change for plants adopting Finite Break Opening Time methodology to their design basis pipe break analysis. Mr. Dennis Madison, BWROG Executive Chairman, stated that the BWROG will be evaluating what the appropriate regulatory process should be as part of the development of the project and will identify that by the end of the year. Mr. Patrick Hiland, NRC Director, Division of Engineering, suggested that Mr. Dolley call him to discuss the regulatory aspects of the Finite Break Opening Time Project.
Mr. Robert Elliott, NRC Chief of the Technical Specifications Branch, led a discussion on a project he is involved with concerning secondary containment events. The project deals with providing flexibility in the BWR Standard Technical Specifications (STS) to allow for momentary losses of safety function of the secondary containment which are caused by routine entry and exit. Mr. Elliott stated that a provision for enforcement discretion would by introduced into the revised STS whereby a nuclear power plant operator would not have to enter the technical specification Limiting Condition for Operation, i.e., LCO, if the incident of loss of safety function meets criteria for a momentary loss.
A. Mendiola Mr. Jack Davis, NRC Director of the Mitigating Strategies Directorate, led a discussion of the status of NRC Order EA-12-049, Order Modifying Licenses with Regard to Requirements for Mitigating Strategies for Beyond-Design-Basis External Events (BDBEE).
There was wrap up discussion regarding the significant points made during the meeting. The NRC BWROG Project Manager asked if the public had any other comments or questions.
There were no comments and the meeting was adjourned.
Project No. 691
Enclosure:
List of Attendees
ML14174B217 (Memo); ML14175A333 (Pkg.) NRC-001 OFFICE NRR/DPR/PLPB NRR/DPR/PLPB NRR/DSS/SNPB NRR/DSS/SSIB NAME JGolla DBaxley JDean VCusumano DATE 06/27/2014 06/26/2014 06/27/2014 07/10/2014 OFFICE NRR/DSS/SRXB NRR/DE/EVIB NRR/DPR/PLPB NAME CJackson SRosenberg AMendiola DATE 07/19/2014 07/21/2014 07/24/2014
ENCLOSURE List of Attendees Public Meeting with the Boiling Water Reactor Owners Group (BWROG) and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Staff on June 12, 2014 NAME AFFILIATION/AGENCY Dennis Madison BWROG (SNC)
Michael Iannantuono BWROG (GEH)
Larry Naron BWROG (Exelon)
Bradley Tyers BWROG (Exelon)
Rex Putnam BWROG (Entergy)
Rob Elliott NRC/NRR/STSB Stewart Bailey NRC/JLD Steve Smith NRC/NRR/DSS/SSIB Victor Cusumano NRC/NRR/DSS/SSIB Jeremy Dean NRC/NRR/DSS/SNPB C.J. Fong NRC/NRR/DRA/APLA Undine Shoop NRC/NRR/DRA/ARCB Chris Jackson NRC/NRR/DSS/SRXB Samson Lee NRC/NRR/DRA Anthony Mendiola NRC/NRR/DPR/PLPB Jack Davis NRC/NRR/JLD Pat Hiland NRC/NRR/DE Jennifer Uhle NRC/NRR Lawrence Kokajko NRC/NRR/DPR Tara Inverso NRC/NRR/DPR/PRMB Gary Stevens NRC/RES/DE/CIB Stacey Rosenberg NRC/NRR/DE/EVIB Joe Golla NRC/NRR/DPR/PLPB Dan Jacobsen*
Entergy Stephen Dolley*
Platts Inside NRC Gerald Carlisle*
- Denotes participated by telecom.