ML17339A424
| ML17339A424 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Turkey Point  |
| Issue date: | 12/14/1979 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML17339A422 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8001020061 | |
| Download: ML17339A424 (8) | |
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UNITEDSTATES NI/CLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION SUPPORTING AMENDMENT NO.
43 TO FACILITY:OPERATING LICENSE NO.
DPR-41 FLORIDA POWER AND LIGHT COMPANY TURKEY POINT NUCLEAR GENERATING UNIT NO. 4
~ DOCKET NO. 50-251 INTRODUCTION By application dated august 7, 1979 (L-79-215), Florida Power and Light Company (the licensee) requested amendments to Facility Operating License Nos.
DPR-31 and DPR-4l,for the Turkey Point Plant, Unit Nos.
3 and 4.
The application requested amendments to allow ten effective full power months (EFPM) of operation for each unit prior to performing another steam generator inspection.
Operation for ten effective full power months had been requested in the applications for amendments dated March 6, 1979 (L-79-51) for Unit 3 and May 18, 1979 (L-79-122) for Unit.4.
On March 30, 1979, Amendment No. 46 authorized Unit"3 to operate for six EFPM and on June 15, 1979, Amendment No.
41 author ized Unit 4 to operate for 'six EFPM.
,In each.instance we took the position that we preferr ed not to predict the steam generator performance for longer than six months at a time.
In each instance the license condition permitted the submittal for an application for extended operation with acceptable justification.
BACKGROUND By letter (L-79-122) dated May 18; 1979, Florida Power and Light Company (the licensee) submitted the results of the most r ecent steam generator inspection for Turkey Point Unit' and requested authorization to operate ten (10) effective full power months (EFPM), beginning June 1, 1979, prior to the next -steam generator inspection.
The technical basis for the pre-ventative plugging program impl'emented subsequent to the inspection was 800> 0@0
consistent with that for programs performed previously at this and other similarly degraded units.
These programs have been determined adequate by the NRC to support six effective full power months of ooeration.
The plugging criteria implemented during this inspection were more conservative than those implemented previously for six (6) months operation to support the request for ten (10) effective full power months of operation.
As indicated in our Safety Evaluation supporting the current authorization to operate Turkey Point Unit 4, we did not have an adequate technical basis to predict steam generator performance for periods longer that six (6) months at a time, and that our consideration of extended operation beyond six months would depend on the operating expepience at this and similarly degraded PWR uni ts.
According ly, 1 i cense Amendment 41 authori zed Turkey Point Unit 4 to operate for only six (6) effective full power months.
By letter (1-79-215) dated August 7,
- 1979, the licensee has again requested an amendment to the operating license for Turkey Point Unit 4 to allow ten (10) effective full power months of operation prior to the next steam generator inspection.
'FPL has justified its request on the basis of its tiarch 6, 1979 'subm'i'ttal, existing steam generator operating restrictions, and the continued leak free'peration of Turkey Point Units 3'nd 4 following the most recent steam generator inspections in February 1979 and April 1979, respectively.
The tiay 18, 1979 submittal regarding the results of the most recent steam generator inspection and the implemented plugging criteria at Turkey Point Unit
'4 was discussed and evaluated in the SER attached to License Amendment-41 dated June 15, 1979.
The June 15, 1979 SER is incorporated into this Safety Evaluation by reference.
EVALUATION Turkey Point Unit 4 has essentially completed six months operation since the authorized re-start on June 1,
1979, without detectable steam generator leakage.
Similarly, Turkey Point Unit 3, which has also experienced extensive denting, recently completed a six month plus seven week operating cycle without detectable steam generator leakage.
The same conservative plugging criteria implemented at Turkey Point Unit 4 had also been imple-mented at Unit 3 during the previous inspection.
On the basis of 'observed leak free operation for six months, Unit 3 was authorized for an additional seven weeks operation, beyond six months, to its November 1979refueling outage.
Thi s experi-ence plus the resul ts of the previ ous inspecti ons at these uni ts indi cate the denting phenomenon at Turkey Point Unit '4 is continuing in a predi ctabl e manner.
The preventative plugging cri teri in our above referenced SER were finite element analysi s) of the 1
ten (10) month operating interval conservati ve than those empl oyed similarly degraded units which we 17.55 contour over a six (6) mont plugging criteria have been previ adequately support six (6) months a implemented in April 1979 and evaluated based upon the predicted growth (using 7.5% tube hoop strain contour during a
These criteria were proved to be more in pievious inspections at this and at re based upon the predicted growth of the h operating interval.
The basis for these ously accepted by NRC and been shown to of steam generator operation.
Whereas the licensee is requesting a four month extension to the currently authorized six month operating interval, NRC staff's dis-cussions with the licensee indicated 'that a
two month extension would permit Turkey Point Unit 4 to be operated until Unit 3 is returned to power (from its current refueling outage) some time in early Feb> uary 1980.
As expressed in our above referenced
- SER, we continue to have reservations regarding the validity of extrapolating the predictive methodology beyond six months.
Considering,
- however, (1) that the implemented plugging criteria were significantly more conservative than the criteria already accepted by NRC as being adequate to support six (6) months of operation, and (2) that the currently authorized six EFPM operating interval has'ssentially been completed with no detect-able steam generator
- leakage, we conclude that the operating interval may be extended for a
maximum of two (2) effective full power months without significantly altering our previous conclusions that the steam generator tubes will maintain an acceptable degree of integrity.
A similar extension was previously authorized for Turkey Point Uni';
3 based upon the same considerations.
These considerations together with the existing licensing conditions restricting steam generator operation provide reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will be protected.
I 4
Environmental Consideration We have determined that the amendment does not authorize a change in effluent types or total amounts nor an increase in power level and will not result in any significant environmental impact.
Having made this determination, we have further concluded that the amendment involves an action which is insignificant from the standpoint of environmental impact and, pursuant to 10 CFR
$51.5(d) (4), that an environmental impact statement or negative declaration and environ-mental impact appraisal need not be prepared in connection with the issuance of this amendment.
Conclusion We have concluded, based on the considerations discussed above, that:
(1) because the amendment does not involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of accidents previously considered and does not involve a signjf.cant decrease in a safety margin, the amendment does not involve a ",ignificant hazards consideration, (2)
~there is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by operation in the proposed
- manner, and (3) such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations and the issuance of this amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.
Date:
December 14, 1979