ML16014A001

Supplemental Information Needed for Acceptance of Requested Licensing Action, Revise Technical Specifications to Incorporate Updated Criticality Safety Analysis

ML16014A001
Person / Time
Site:	Palo Verde
Issue date:	01/15/2016
From:	Watford M Plant Licensing Branch IV
To:	Edington R Arizona Public Service Co
Watford M
References
CAC MF7138, CAC MF7139, CAC MF7140
Download: ML16014A001 (5)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 January 15, 2016 Mr. Randall K. Edington Executive Vice President Nuclear/

Chief Nuclear Officer Mail Station 7602 Arizona Public Service Company P.O. Box 52034 Phoenix, AZ 85072-2034

SUBJECT:

PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNITS 1, 2, AND 3-SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION NEEDED FOR ACCEPTANCE OF REQUESTED LICENSING ACTION RE: LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST TO REVISE TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS TO INCORPORATE UPDATED CRITICALITY SAFETY ANALYSIS (CAC NOS. MF7138, MF7139, AND MF7140)

Dear Mr. Edington:

By letter dated November 25, 2015 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML15336A251), Arizona Public Service Company (APS, the licensee) submitted a license amendment request for Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3. The proposed amendment would modify technical specification (TS) requirements to incorporate the results of an updated criticality safety analysis for both new and spent fuel storage. The purpose of this letter is to provide the results of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff's acceptance review of this amendment request. The acceptance review was performed to determine if there is 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.

Consistent with Section 50.90 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), an amendment to the license (including the TSs) must fully describe the changes requested, and following as far as applicable, the form prescribed for original applications. Section 50.34 of 10 CFR addresses the content of technical information required. This section stipulates that the submittal address the design and operating characteristics, unusual or novel design features, and principal safety considerations.

The NRC staff has reviewed your application and concluded that the information delineated in the enclosure to this letter is necessary to enable the staff to make an independent assessment regarding the acceptability of the proposed amendment in terms of regulatory requirements and the protection of public health and safety and the environment.

In order to make the application complete, the NRC staff requests that APS supplement the application to address the information requested in the enclosure by February 4, 2016. This will enable the NRC staff to begin its detailed technical review. If the information responsive to the NRC staff's request is not received by the above date, the application will not be accepted for

R. Edington review pursuant to 10 CFR 2.101, and the NRC will cease its review activities associated with the application. If the application is subsequently accepted for review, you will be advised of any further information needed to support the staff's detailed technical review by separate correspondence.

A clarification call was held on January 15, 2015, to discuss the draft set of information insufficiencies submitted by e-mail dated January 11, 2015 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16012A003). The information requested and associated time frame in this letter were discussed with Tom Weber during the clarification call.

If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-1233 or via e-mail at Margaret.Watford@nrc.gov.

Margaret M. Watford, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch IV-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. STN 50-528, STN 50-529, and STN 50-530

Enclosure:

Supplemental Information Needed cc w/encl: Distribution via Listserv

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION NEEDED AMENDMENT REQUEST TO INCORPORATE UPDATED CRITICALITY ANALYSIS ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION. UNITS 1. 2. AND 3 DOCKET NOS. STN 50-538. STN 50-529. AND STN 50-530 By letter dated November 25, 2015 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML15336A251), Arizona Public Service Company (APS, the licensee) submitted a license amendment request for Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3. The proposed amendment would modify technical specification (TS) requirements to incorporate the results of an updated criticality safety analysis for both new and spent fuel storage.

The NRC staff has reviewed your application and concluded that the information delineated below is necessary to enable the staff to make an independent assessment regarding the acceptability of the proposed amendment in terms of regulatory requirements and the protection of public health and safety and the environment.

1. In Section 4.3, "Significant Hazards Consideration," the licensee answers "No" to all three questions.

a. In Question 1, please explain how the increased complexity of the spent fuel pool storage requirements and the transitional period when two separate sets of requirements will be in place do not result in a significant increase in the probability of a fuel assembly misleading or justify your current answer. While there will be procedures controlling the movement of fuel, the requirements will be more complex indicating the likelihood of an increased probability of a human error in creating the fuel handling move sheets.

b. Section 5.6.5, "Inadvertent Removal of a SNAP-IN Insert," of Westinghouse Electric Company LLC's WCAP-18030-P, Revision 0, "Criticality Safety Analysis for Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3," September 2015, 1 states, in part, that "With the incorporation of SNAP-IN inserts, a new potential accident event is created." However, Question 2 of the Significant Hazards Consideration indicates there is no potential for a new or different accident than was previously analyzed. Please revise the Significant Hazards Consideration or justify the current answer.

2. The requirements for maintaining an adequate interface between different arrays is described in WCAP-18030-P, Section 5.3, "Interface Conditions" are not captured in the 1 A non-proprietary version, designated as WCAP-18030-NP, Revision 0, is publicly available in ADAMS at Accession No. ML15336A083.

Enclosure

proposed technical specifications. Please revise the proposed TSs to include the interface requirements or justify why interface conditions are not included in the TSs.

3. Please provide the analysis supporting the modeling of fuel assembly grids and spacers discussed in WCAP-18030-P, Section 5.1.2.3, "Grid and Sleeves."

ML16014A001 *via email OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL4-1/PM NRR/DORL/LPL4-1 /LA NRR/DSS/SRXB/BC(A) NRR/DORL/LPL4-1 /BC NRR/DORL/LPL4-1 /PM NAME MWatford JBurkhardt* EOesterle* RPascarelli MWatford DATE 1/14/16 1/14/16 1/14/16 1/15/16 1/15/16