ML16340A048

Acceptance for Review - Request for Relief from ASME Section XI Coverage Examinations for Preservice Inspection (WBN-2_PSI-1)

ML16340A048
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	11/30/2016
From:	Robert Schaaf Plant Licensing Branch II
To:	Gordon A, Wells R Tennessee Valley Authority
Schaaf R
References
CAC MF8515
Download: ML16340A048 (2)

Text

From: Schaaf, Robert To: Gordon Arent; Wells, Russell Douglas Cc: Saba, Farideh; Nadel, Jared; "Edmondson, Carla"; Dion, Jeanne

Subject:

Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Unit 2 - Acceptance for Review - Request for Relief from ASME Section XI Coverage Examinations for Preservice Inspection (WBN-2/PSI-1) (CAC No. MF8515)

Date: Wednesday, November 30, 2016 9:33:00 AM Gentlemen, By letter dated October 5, 2016 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML16293A334), the Tennessee Valley Authority submitted a relief request for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (WBN), Unit 2. The proposed relief request would provide for the use of alternative volumetric and surface examinations of pressure retaining welds in ASME Code Class 1 and 2 components. The purpose of this e-mail is to provide you with the results of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staffs acceptance review of this submittal. 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.

The NRC staff has reviewed your submittal and concluded that it does provide technical information in sufficient detail to enable the NRC staff to proceed with its detailed technical review and make an independent assessment regarding the acceptability of the proposed relief request in terms of regulatory requirements and protection of public health and safety and the environment. Given the lesser scope and depth of the acceptance review as compared to the detailed technical review, there may be instances in which issues that impact the NRC staffs ability to complete the detailed technical review are identified despite completion of an adequate acceptance review. You will be advised of any further information needed to support the NRC staffs detailed technical review by separate correspondence.

Based on the information provided in your submittal, the NRC staff has estimated that this licensing request will take approximately 240 hours10 days <br />1.429 weeks <br />0.329 months <br /> to complete. The NRC staff expects to complete this review in approximately 10 months, which is September 2017. If there are emergent complexities or challenges in our review that would cause changes to the initial forecasted completion date or significant changes in the forecasted hours, the reasons for the changes, along with the new estimates, will be communicated during routine interactions with the assigned project manager.

These estimates are based on the NRC staffs initial review of the application and they could change, due to several factors including requests for additional information, unanticipated addition of scope to the review, and review by NRC advisory committees or hearing-related activities. Additional delay may occur if the submittal is provided to the NRC in advance or in parallel with industry program initiatives or pilot applications.

If you have any questions, please contact me at 301-415-6020.

Regards, Robert G. Schaaf

Robert G. Schaaf Senior Project Manager, Watts Bar/Bellefonte Plant Licensing Branch II-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mail Stop O-8G9A Washington, DC 20555 301-415-6020 (o)

Robert.Schaaf@nrc.gov