ML15154A975

Staff Review of Interim Evaluation Associated with Reevaluated Seismic Hazard Implementing Near-Term Task Force Recommendation 2.1

ML15154A975
Person / Time
Site:	Pilgrim
Issue date:	06/16/2015
From:	Nicholas Difrancesco Japan Lessons-Learned Division
To:	Dent J Entergy Nuclear Operations
Wyman S, NRR/JLD, 415-3041
References
TAC MF5262
Download: ML15154A975 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 June 16, 2015 Mr. John Dent, Jr.

Site Vice President Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station 600 Rocky Hill Road Plymouth, MA 02360-5508

SUBJECT:

PILGRIM NUCLEAR POWER STATION - STAFF REVIEW OF INTERIM EVALUATION ASSOCIATED WITH REEVALUATED SEISMIC HAZARD IMPLEMENTING NEAR-TERM TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION 2.1 (TAC NO. MF5262)

Dear Mr. Dent:

By letter dated March 12, 2012 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML12053A340), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a request for information pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 50, Section 50.54(f) (hereafter referred to as the 50.54(f) letter). The request was issued as part of implementing lessons-learned from the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.

Enclosure 1 to the 50.54(f) letter requested that licensees reevaluate seismic hazards at their sites using present-day methodologies and guidance. Enclosure 1, Item 6, of the 50.54(f) letter requested that licensees identify "interim evaluation and actions taken or planned to address the higher seismic hazard relative to the design basis as appropriate, prior to completion of the

[seismic] risk evaluation." In addition to the interim evaluation provided in the March 2014 Seismic Screening and Hazard report, the licensees for the Central and Eastern United States committed to providing the Expedited Seismic Evaluation Process (ESEP) report, an interim evaluation, by December 31, 2014.

By letter dated December 16, 20141, Entergy Nuclear Generation Company (Entergy, the licensee), provided its ESEP report in response to Enclosure 1, Item (6) of the 50.54(f) letter, for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station (Pilgrim). The NRC staff assessed the licensee's implementation of the ESEP guidance through the completion of a reviewer checklist2. In support of NRC staff questions, Entergy provided a response dated April 9, 2015 3 , documenting submittal information. Based on the NRC staff review of the ESEP report and responses to the staff's questions, the NRC staff concludes that the licensee's implementation of the interim evaluation meets the intent of the guidance.

1 The December 16, 2014, letter can be found under ADAMS Accession No. ML14357A061.

2 The Pilgrim ESEP NRC review checklist can be found under ADAMS Accession No. ML 1516A503.

3 The Entergy response to NRC staff questions can be found under ADAMS Accession No. ML15132A065.

J. Dent identified and evaluated the seismic capacity of certain key installed mitigating strategies equipment that is used for core cooling and containment functions to cope with scenarios that involve a loss of all alternating current power and loss of access to the ultimate heat sink to withstand a seismic event up to two times the safe shutdown earthquake. The licensee's ESEP assessment provides additional assurance which supports continued plant safety while the longer-term seismic evaluation is completed to support regulatory decision making. The NRC staff concludes that the licensee responded appropriately to Enclosure 1, Item (6) of the 50.54(f) letter. Application of this review is limited to the interim evaluation as part of the Recommendation 2.1 Seismic review.

The NRC staff notes that Section 8.4 of the ESEP report contains regulatory commitments to complete one plant modification within two planned refueling outages after December 31, 2014, and submitt a results letter to the NRC within 60 days of completion of ESEP activities.

If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-1115 or via e-mail at Nicholas.DiFranceso@nrc.gov.

Sincerel.J..<-__

Nicholas DiFrancesco, Senior Project Manager Hazards Management Branch Japan Lessons-Learned Division Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-293 cc: Distribution via Listserv

J. Dent identified and evaluated the seismic capacity of certain key installed mitigating strategies equipment that is used for core cooling and containment functions to cope with scenarios that involve a loss of all alternating current power and loss of access to the ultimate heat sink to withstand a seismic event up to two times the safe shutdown earthquake. The licensee's ESEP assessment provides additional assurance which supports continued plant safety while the longer-term seismic evaluation is completed to support regulatory decision making. The NRC staff concludes that the licensee responded appropriately to Enclosure 1, Item (6) of the 50.54(f) letter. Application of this review is limited to the interim evaluation as part of the Recommendation 2.1 Seismic review.

The NRC staff notes that Section 8.4 of the ESEP report contains regulatory commitments to complete one plant modification within two planned refueling outages after December 31, 2014, and submitt a results letter to the NRC within 60 days of completion of ESEP activities.

If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-1115 or via e-mail at Nicholas.DiFranceso@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, IRA/

Nicholas DiFrancesco, Senior Project Manager Hazards Management Branch Japan Lessons-Learned Division Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-293 cc: Distribution via Listserv DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC RidsNrrDorllpl1-1 DJackson, NRO JLD R/F RidsNrrLASLent MShams, NRR RidsOeMailCenter RidsRgn1 MaiiCenter NDiFrancesco, NRR RidsNrrPMPilgrim RidsNrrOd ADAMS Accession Number: ML15154A975

• via concurrence e-mail OFFICE NRR/JLD/JHMB/PM NRR/JLD/LA OGC NAME SWyman SLent BHarris (NLO w/comments)

DATE 06/08/15 06/08/15 06/09/15 OFFICE DSEA/RGS2* NRR/JLD/JHMB/BC NRR/JLD/JHMB/PM NAME DJackson MShams NDiFrancesco DATE 06/10/15 06/13/15 06/15/15 OFFICIAL RECORDS COPY