ML16238A030

Supplemental Information Needed for Acceptance of Requested Licensing Action Control Rod Drive Exercise Surveillance

ML16238A030
Person / Time
Site:	Palisades
Issue date:	08/29/2016
From:	Kimberly Green Plant Licensing Branch III
To:	Entergy Nuclear Operations
Rankin J, NRR/DORL/LPL3-1, 415-1530
References
CAC MF8297
Download: ML16238A030 (4)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 August 29, 2016 Vice President, Operations Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Palisades Nuclear Plant 27780 Blue Star Memorial Highway Covert, Ml 49043-9530

SUBJECT:

PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT - SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION NEEDED FOR ACCEPTANCE OF REQUESTED LICENSING ACTION RE: CONTROL ROD DRIVE EXERCISE SURVEILLANCE (CAC NO. MF8297)

Dear Sir or Madam:

By letter dated August 22, 2016, Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Entergy) submitted a license amendment request for Palisades Nuclear Plant. The proposed amendment would replace existing license condition 2.C.(4) with a new license condition to state that technical specification (TS) surveillance requirement (SR) 3.1.4.3, which verifies control rod freedom of movement, is not required for control rod drive 13 (CRD-13) during cycle 25 until the next entry into Mode 3. In addition, the condition would state that CRD-13 seal leakage shall be repaired prior to entering Mode 2, following the next Mode 3 entry, and that the reactor shall be shut down if CRD-13 seal leakage exceeds two gallons per minute. The proposed amendment also requests replacement of the obsolete note in TS SR 3.1.4.3 with a note to clarify that TS SR 3.1.4.3 is not required to be performed or met for CRD-13 during cycle 25 provided CRD-13 is administratively declared immovable, but trippable and Condition Dis entered for CRD-13. 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 technical specifications) 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/relief request 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 Entergy supplement the application to address the information requested in the enclosure by September 14, 2016. This will enable the 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 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.

The information requested and associated time frame in this letter were discussed with Mr. Jeff Erickson of your staff on August 24, 2016.

If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-1627.

Sincerely, r<w)g~~

Kimberly J. Green, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 111-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-255

Enclosure:

As stated cc w/encl: Distribution via Listserv

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION NEEDED AMENDMENT REQUEST REGARDING CONTROL ROD DRIVE EXERCISE SURVEILLANCE ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC.

PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT DOCKET NO. 50-255

1. Page 3 of Attachment 1 to the license amendment request (LAR) - Provide the basis and adequacy for the statement that the seal leakage from control rod drive (CRD)-13 will increase to the extent that continued operation to the planned refueling outage is unlikely.

2. Page 7 of Attachment 1 to the LAR - Discuss any operational procedures that exist for operating the "rod rundown" feature, and address the effect on the Updated Final Safety Analysis Report, Chapter 14, transient and accident analyses of operating the "rod rundown" feature.

3. Page 13 of Attachment 1 to the LAR - Provide the basis and adequacy for the 2 gallon per minute (gpm) seal leakage limit for manual plant shutdown.

4. Page 14 of Attachment 1 to the LAR - Provide industry and/or plant data that demonstrate the following:

a. CRDs with seal leakage are trippable on a reactor trip signal including a discussion of the associated seal leakage rate (up to 2 gpm) for the applicable CRDs; and

b. CRDs declared "immovable" (with and without seal leakage) are trippable.

5. Provide information regarding the use of high seal temperature to manually trip the reactor, if applicable to this LAR, and the adequacy of the seal temperature trip point.

Enclosure

ML16238A030 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL3-1 /PM N RR/DORL/LPL3-2/LA NRR/DSS/SRXB/BC NAME KGreen SRohrer EOesterle DATE 8/25/2016 8/25/2016 8/25/2016 OFFICE N RR/DORL/LPL3-1 /BC N RR/DORL/LPL3-1 /PM NAME DWrona KGreen DATE 8/26/2016 8/29/2016