ML17059C200

Forwards RAI Re Increased Spp Storage Capacity at Plant,Unit 1.Response Requested within 45 Days of Receipt of Ltr

ML17059C200
Person / Time
Site:	Nine Mile Point
Issue date:	08/11/1998
From:	Hood D NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Mueller J NIAGARA MOHAWK POWER CORP.
References
TAC-MA1945, NUDOCS 9808170257
Download: ML17059C200 (8)

Text

Mr. John H. Mueller Chief Nuclear Officer Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station Operations Building, Second Floor P.O. Box 63, Lycoming, NY 13093 August 11, 1998

SUBJECT:

REQUEST FOR ADDITIONALINFORMATION REGARDING INCREASED SPENT FUEL POOL STORAGE CAPACITY AT NINE MILEPOINT NUCLEARSTATION UNIT 1 (TAC NO. MA1945)

Dear Mr. Mueller.

By letter dated May 15, 1998, you submitted an application for license amendment to change Technical Specification 5.5, "Storage of Unirradiated and Spent Fuel." The changes would reflect proposed modifications to increase the storage capacity of the spent fuel pool at Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Unit 1. The NRC staff is reviewing this application and finds that additional information, identified in the enclosure, is needed.

Your response to the enclosure is requested within 45 days of receipt of this letter.

Ifyou should have any questions regarding this request or are unable to meet the requested response schedule, please contact me by phone at (301) 415-3049 or by electronic mail at dsh@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, ORIGINAL SIGNED BY:

Docket No. 50-220

Enclosure:

Request for Additional Information ccw/encl: See next page Darl S. Hood, Senior Project Manager Project Directorate l-1 Division of Reactor Projects - I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation DISTRIBUTION:

Docket File SBajwa PUBLIC SLittle PDI-1 R/F DHood JZwolinski (A) LKopp OGC ACRS LDoerflein, Rl KParczewski YKim CHinson DShum DOCUMENT NAME: G')NMP1)NM1A1945.RAI To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box: "C" = Copy without attachment/enclosure "E" = Copy with attachment/enclosure "N"= No co E

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Mr. John H. Mueller Chief Nuclear Officer Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation Nine'ile Point Nuclear Station Operations Building, Second Floor P.O. Box 63 Lycoming, NY 13093 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON> D.C. 205554001 August 11,

$ 998

SUBJECT:

REQUEST FOR ADDITIONALII%FORMATION REGARDING INCREASED SPENT FUEL POOL STORAGE GAPA'TY AT NINE MlLEPOINT NUCLEAR STATION UNIT NO. 1 (TAC NO. MA1945)

'y letter dated May 15, 1998, you submitted an application for license amendment to change Technical Specification 6.6, "Storage of Uniriadlated and Spent Fuel." The changes would refiect proposed modifications to increase the storage capacity of the spent fuel pool at Nine Mite Point Nuclear Station, Unit No. 1. The.NRC staff is reviewing this application and finds that additional information, identified in the enclosure, is needed.

Your response to the enclosure is requested within 45 days of receipt of this letter, Ifyou should have any questions regarding this request or are unable,to meet the requested response schedule, please contact me by phone on (301) 415-3049 or by electronic mail at dsh@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Docket No. 50-220 Darl S. Hood, Senior Project Manager

'roject Directorate I-1 Division of Reactor Projects - I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosure:

Request for Additional Information ccw/encl: See next page

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John H. Mueller Niaghra Mohawk Power Corporation Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station Unit No. 1 CC:

Regional Administrator, Region I

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of.Prussia, PA 19406 Resident inspector U;S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 126 Lycoming, NY 13093 Charles Donaldson, Esquire Assistant Attorney General New York Department of Law 120 Broadway New York, NY 10271 Mr. Paul D. Eddy State of New York Department of Public,Service Power Division, System Operations 3 Empire State Plaza Albany, NY 12223 Mr. F. WilliamValentino, President New York State Energy, Research, and Development Authority

<<Corporate Plaza West 286 Washington Avenue Extension Albany, NY 12203-6399 Mark J. Wetterhahn, Esquire Winston 8 Strawn 1400 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20005-3502 Gary D. Wilson, Esquire Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation 300 Erie Boulevard West

Syracuse, NY 13202 Supervisor Town of Scriba Route 8, Box 382 Oswego, NY 13126

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Provide the following additional information regarding the application for license amendment by letter dated May 15, 1998:

The proposed changes to Technical Speciflcatioq (TS) 5.5 contain requirements for both the current spent fuel pool stor'age racks (flux trap and Boraflex) and the new'Boral racks to be installed in,2 campaigns.

Pr'esumably, this is to allow intermediate configurations during reiacking.

Discuss the applicability of the TS following each campaign, including the flinal

.rerack configuration. When willthe reference to the current non-poison fluxtrap racks be eliminated from the TS'?

2.

How.does the reactivity with the assumption of a maximum lattice-average enrichment compare to that using the actual enrichment distribution'?

3.

Since initiallyonly the non-poisoned racks in the north half of the pool willbe replaced with Boral racks, why have you not analyzed the misloading of fuel with the maximum allowed enrichment in the Boral racks (4.6 w/o and k-infno greater than 1.31) into the south half Boraflex racks' 4.

Describe how zirconium flow channel bulging is modeled in the criticality calculations and explain why a positive reactivity effect is obtained.

5.

Although Boral neutron absorbers are expected to exhibit significant corrosion resistance in the spent fuel. pool environment, some corrosion may still occur. While this corrosion should not cause significant degradation of neutron absorption capability of Boral panels, the

, resulting hydroge'n generated by corrosion rea'ction, ifnot vented, may produce pressures within the Boral enclosing sheathirig which may cause distortion of the fuel cells. This could be especially significant in the early stages when Boral panels have not yet developed protective oxide films.

Does the'design of the Nine Mile Point 1(NMP1) spent fuel racks include a hydrogen venting feature' 6.

Use of Boral in many nuclear power plants has indicated that the material exhibits a high degree of stability to radiation.

However, it is not known if, under certain circumstances, some degree. of degradation will not occur. A verification is needed, therefore, for determining that Boral willperform its neutron absorbing function throughout the life of the spent fuel racks.

Describe the measures you willtake to ensure satisfactory performance of Boral in the NMP1 spent fuel racks.

Discuss the extent to which Niagara Mowhawk Power Corporation willimplement the Boral integrity 'surveillance program described in the Holtec report enclosed with your submittal.

Enclosure

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