ML17157A031
| ML17157A031 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Susquehanna  |
| Issue date: | 02/16/1990 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML17157A030 | List: |
| References | |
| GL-88-01, GL-88-1, NUDOCS 9002270393 | |
| Download: ML17157A031 (3) | |
Text
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1 UNITED STATES t NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 ENCLOSURE 1
SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION EVAI UATION OF NRC GENERIC LETTER 88-01
RESPONSE
PENNSYLVANIA POWER AND LIGHT COMPANY SUSQUEHANNA STEAN ELECTRIC STATION UNITS 1 and 2
DOCKET NOS. 50-387 and 50-388
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Pennsylvania Power and Light Company, the licensee, submitted its response to NRC Generic Letter (GL) 88-01, "NRC Position on IGSCC in BWR Austenitic Stain-less Steel Piping" for Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2, by letter dated August 10, 1988.
Additional information requested by the staff was provided by letters dated August 18, 1989, and October 2, 1989.
GL-88-01 requested licensees and construction permit holders to resolve the IGSCC issue for BWR piping made of austenitic stainless steel that is 4 inches or larger in nominal diameter and contains reactor coolant at a temperature above 200 degrees Fahrenheit during power operation regardless of Code classi-fication.
The licensee was requested to address the following:
1.
The current plans regarding pipe replacement and/or other measures taken to mitigate IGSCC and provide assurance of continued long term integrity and reliabi 1 ity.
2.
The Inservice Inspection (ISI) Program to be implemented at the next refueling outage for austenitic stainless steel piping covered under the scope of this letter that conforms to the staff positions on inspection schedules, methods and personnel, and sample expansion included in GL-88-01.
3.
The Technical Specification change to include a statement in the section on ISI that the ISI Program for piping covered by the scope of this letter will be in staff positions on schedule, methods and personnel, and sample expansion included in GL-88-01 (See model BWR Standard Technical Specification enclosed in GL-88-01). It is recognized that the Inservice Inspection and Testing sections may be removed from the Technical Specifications Improvement programs.
In this case, this requirement shall remain with the ISI section when it is included in an alternative document.
4.
The confirmation of your plans to ensure that the Technical Specifications related to leakage detection will be in conformance with the staff positions on leak detection included in GL-88-01.
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5.
The plans to notify the NRC in accordance with 10 CFR 50.55a(g) of any flaws identified that do not meet IMB-3500 criteria of Section XI of the Code for continued operation without evaluation, or a change found in the condition of the welds previously known to be cracked and your evaluation of the flaws for continued operation and/or your repair plans.
2.0 DISCUSSION The licensee's response to NRC GL-88-01 has been reviewed by the staff with the assistance of its contractor, Viking Systems International (VSI).
The Technical Evaluation Reports (TERs) provided as Attachments 1
and 2 are VSI's evaluation of the licensee's response to NRC GL-88-01.
The staff has reviewed the TERs and concurs with the evaluations, conclusions, and recommendations contained in the TERs with the exception of VCI's evaluation of the licensee's position on the method of crack evaluation.
In the review of the licensee's GL-88-01 submittal, the staff has found the following positions to be unaccep-table:
1.
The licensee's position concerning crack evaluation.
The staff has taken exception to the TERs because the licensee's method of crack evaluation is not as required by GL-88-01.
However, the staff may review the use of the licensee's proposed method of crack evaluation on a case by case basis.
2.
The licensee's position concerning limiting the rate of 2 gpm increase of unidentified leakage within a period of 4 hours4.62963e-5 days <br />0.00111 hours <br />6.613757e-6 weeks <br />1.522e-6 months <br /> instead of 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> or less as required in GL-88-01.
3.
The licensee's position on Reporting of Flaws.
4.
The licensee's classification of two SI-treated welds which were not given post treatment inspections.
For discussion of these items see sections 2.0 and 3.0, attached TERs of the enclosed SE.
The staff has re-evaluated the frequency of leakage monitoring.
After dis-cussions with several BWR operators the staff concluded that monitoring every four hours creates an unnecessary administrative hardship to the plant operators.
- Thus, RCS leakage measurements may be taken every eight hours instead of every four hours as required in GL-88-01.
3.0 CONCLUSION
Based on the review of the licensee's NRC GL-88-01 response the staff concludes that the response as evaluated is acceptable with the exception of the licensee's positions as identified above.
The licensee is requested to submit a TS change that would require plant shutdown when, within any period of 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> or less (rather than 4 hours4.62963e-5 days <br />0.00111 hours <br />6.613757e-6 weeks <br />1.522e-6 months <br />),
an increase in the rate of unidentified leakage in the excess of 2 gpm or its equivalent.
The staff also concludes that the proposed IGSCC inspection and mitigation rogram will provide reasonable assurance of maintaining the long-term struc-ural integrity of austenitic stainless steel piping in the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2.