ML15125A331

Summary of Meeting with Tennessee Valley Authority Regarding the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 2 Operating License Application (Open Item Related to General Design Criterion 5 and Reactor Oversight Process Transition)

ML15125A331
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	05/21/2015
From:	Justin Poole Watts Bar Special Projects Branch
To:
Minarik A, NRR/DORL/LPLWB, 415-6185
Shared Package
ML15125A344	List: ML15125A314 ML15125A319 ML15125A331
References
Download: ML15125A331 (7)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 May 21, 2015 APPLICANT: Tennessee Valley Authority FACILITY: Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 2

SUMMARY

OF MARCH 18, 2015, MEETING WITH TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY REGARDING THE WAITS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 2, OPERATING LICENSE APPLICATION (OPEN ITEM RELATED TO GENERAL DESIGN CRITERION 5 AND REACTOR OVERSIGHT PROCESS TRANSITION)

On March 18, 2015, a Category 1 public teleconference was held between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff and representatives of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). There were two topics of discussion at this meeting. First, the representatives from TVA wanted to discuss TVA's strategy for addressing staff concerns regarding the use of shared systems at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (WBN) related to compliance with General Design Criterion (GDC) 5. Second, representatives from TVA and the NRC discussed the draft Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Transition Plan. The meeting notice and agenda, dated February 20, 2015, is available in the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) at Accession No. ML15075A010. A list of attendees is enclosed.

The NRC staff did not provide any presentations. TVA provided presentations on both topics of discussion. The presentation for the discussion on GDC 5 is available in ADAMS at Accession No. ML15125A319. The presentation for the discussion on the ROP Transition Plan is available in ADAMS at Accession No. ML15125A314.

The discussion on GDC 5 (sharing of structures, systems, and components important to safety) was a follow-up to a proposed change to the technical specifications (TSs) submitted by TVA on January 22, 2015 (ADAMS Accession No. ML15023A187). The Essential Raw Cooling Water (ERCW) System and the Component Cooling Water System (CCS) are safety systems that are shared by WBN, Unit 1 and Unit 2. As such, the systems' designs must conform to the requirements of GDC 5. TVA identified two events where sufficient cooling may not be available to achieve and maintain Cold Shutdown (Mode 5) on both units for a limited period of time following initiation of those events. The design basis safe shutdown condition for WBN is hot standby (Mode 3); however, the lack of sufficient cooling capability could result in the need to allow a previously shutdown unit to heat up from Mode 4 or Mode 5 for a short time period.

Therefore, TVA proposed the January 22, 2015, TS change to permit WBN, Unit 2, to return to Mode 3 from Mode 4 or Mode 5 for a limited time period, without all of the conditions for a mode change required by the TSs being met. The staff informed TVA of concerns with the proposed TS change on February 19, 2015. TVA stated at that time that it would conduct additional analyses to address the NRC staff's concerns and provide a revised submittal.

TVA representatives briefly summarized the GDC 5 concern, discussed the WBN plant design basis, provided a summary of the ERCW and CCS System designs, and provided a summary of the limiting event for GDC 5. The TVA representatives described options considered for

ensuring compliance with GDC 5. The preferred option identified involved ensuring the availability of additional cooling system pumps during the time period of concern in order to ensure availability of sufficient cooling capability to preclude the need to allow a shutdown unit to heat up. TVA representatives stated that design engineering would be completed and that TVA would target providing a submittal by April 30, 2015. The NRC staff reiterated that a complete and technically sufficient submittal would be essential to ensuring timely staff review to meet the current schedule for issuance of the WBN, Unit 2, operating license.

The discussion on the draft ROP Transition Plan was a continuation of the discussion held on March 4, 2015. The meeting summary can be found in ADAMS at Accession No. ML15069A356. Representatives from TVA spoke, followed by their presentation slides, as they provided the NRC staff with additional comments on the draft ROP Transition Plan. TVA's comments centered on requesting that the staff reconsider transitioning four of the cornerstones of the ROP upon license issuance and ensuring that mitigating system performance indicators that could produce false indicators due to a lack of operational data are properly categorized.

The staff heard TVA's concerns and indicated that the dialogue they had with TVA on this topic has been helpful. Ultimately, however, the finalization of the ROP Transition Plan is an NRC initiative with no required input from the public and/or industry. The staff encouraged TVA to bring forth its concerns as part of the ROP "Frequently Asked Questions" process.

Members of the public were in attendance. Public Meeting Feedback forms were not received.

One member of the public, Garry Morgan of the Bellefonte Efficiency & Sustainability Team and Mothers Against Tennessee River Radiation, had a comment for the staff regarding the TVA slides. The slide in question stated that there was "no impact" on radiological protection at the site. Mr. Morgan explained that he feels this statement is in error and talked about cancer rates in the area as an indication that there is an impact. The NRC staff explained that in the context of the slide, TVA merely meant that they do not expect the ROP Transition Plan to have an impact in that area. The NRC staff reiterated that they take the protection of the public health and safety seriously and consider the impacts of radiological consequences in the licensing process. Mr. Morgan had additional comments that were not germane to the discussion, so the staff directed him to the avenues where his views could be properly heard, including at a public meeting scheduled for March 26, 2015, in the area of WBN.

Docket No. 50-391

Enclosure:

List of Attendees cc w/enclosure: Distribution via Listserv

LIST OF ATTENDEES MARCH 18, 2015, MEETING WITH TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY REGARDING THE WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 2, OPERATING LICENSE APPLICATION (GENERAL DESIGN CRITERION 5 AND REACTOR OVERSIGHT PROCESS TRANSITION)

Applicant: Tennessee Valley Authority Plant: Watts Bar Nuclear Plant. Unit 2

Subject:

Reactor Oversight Process Transition Plan Date: March 18, 2015 Location: Teleconference Time: 9:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

NAME TITLE ORGANIZATION U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)/Office of Nuclear Reactor Senior Project Manager, Regulation (NRR)/Division of Justin Poole Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Operating Reactor Licensing Unit 2 (DORL)/Watts Bar Special Projects Branch (LPWB)

Anthony Minarik Project Manager NRC/NRR/DORL/LPWB Bob Schaaf Project Manager NRC/NRR/DORL/LPWB Jessie Quichocho Branch Chief NRC/NRR/DORL/LPWB NRC/NRR/Division of Safety Systems Bob Dennig Branch Chief (DSS)/Containment and Ventilation Branch (SCVB)

NRC/NRR/DSS/Balance of Plant Greg Casto Branch Chief Branch (SBPB)

NRC/NRR/DSS/Technical Robert Elliott Branch Chief Specifications Branch (STSB)

Enclosure

NAME TITLE ORGANIZATION NRC/NRR/DSS/Reactor Systems Christopher Jackson Branch Chief Branch Senior Reactor Systems Ahsan Sallman NRC/NRR/DSS/SCVB Engineer NRC/NRR/Division of Roy Mathew Team Leader Engineering/Electrical Engineering Branch Diana Woodyatt Reactor Systems Engineer NRR/DSS/SCVB Senior Reactor Systems Jerry Purciarello NRR/DSS/SBPB Engineer Pete Snyder Reactor Engineer NRR/DSS/STSB Tennessee Valley Authority, Watts Frank Koontz Engineering Specialist Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 2 Senior Program Manager, Tennessee Valley Authority, Watts Russel Stroud Licensing Bar Nuclear Plant NRR/Division of Inspection and Allen Howe Deputy Director Regional Support (DIRS)

NRR/DI RS/Performance Assessment Nathan Sanfilippo Branch Chief Branch (IPAB)

Zach Hollcraft Reactor Operations Engineer NRR/DIRS/IPAB

NAME TITLE ORGANIZATION NRR/DIRS/Reactor Inspection Branch Chris Regan Branch Chief (IRIS)

Rll/Division of Construction Projects Robert Haag Branch Chief (DCP)/Construction Projects Branch 3 (CPB3)

Christopher Even Project Engineer RI l/DCP/CPB3 Rll/Division of Reactor Shane Sandal Branch Chief Projects/Reactor Projects Branch 2 Senior. Program Manager, Rusty Stroud Tennessee Valley Authority Licensing Senior Program Manager, Eugene Cobey Tennessee Valley Authority Engineering

Please direct any inquiries to me at 301-415-2048 or justin.poole@nrc.gov.

IRA!

Justin C. Poole, Senior Project Manager Watts Bar Special Projects Branch Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-391

Enclosure:

List of Attendees cc w/enclosure: Distribution via Listserv DISTRIBUTION:

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DATE 5/21/15 5/7/15 5/7/15 5/19/15 5/21/15 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY