ML18030B238

Closeout of Generic Letter 2016-01, Monitoring of Neutron-Absorbing Materials in Spent Fuel Pools

ML18030B238
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry, Palisades, Cooper, Summer, Columbia, Seabrook, Ginna, Duane Arnold
Issue date:	04/13/2018
From:	Doug Broaddus Special Projects and Process Branch
To:	Energy Northwest, Entergy Nuclear Operations, Exelon Generation Co, Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), NextEra Energy Duane Arnold, NextEra Energy Seabrook, South Carolina Electric & Gas Co, Tennessee Valley Authority
Wall S
References
0MB 3150-0231, CAC MF9417, CAC MF9420, CAC MF9426, CAC MF9439, CAC MF9442, CAC MF9446, CAC MF9447, CAC MF9453, CAC MF9454, CAC MF9455, EPID L-2016-LRC-0001
Download: ML18030B238 (6)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 April 13, 2018 0MB Control No. 3150-0231 To Those on the Attached List

SUBJECT:

CLOSEOUT OF GENERIC LETTER 2016-01, "MONITORING OF NEUTRON-ABSORBING MATERIALS IN SPENT FUEL POOLS" (CAC NOS. MF9417, MF9420, MF9426, MF9439, MF9442, MF9446, MF9447, MF9453, MF9454, AND MF9455; EPID L-2016-LRC-0001)

Dear Sir or Madam:

On April 7, 2016, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Generic Letter (GL) 2016-01, "Monitoring of Neutron-Absorbing Materials in Spent Fuel Pools" (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML16097A169), to address the degradation of neutron-absorbing materials (NAMs) in wet storage systems for reactor fuel at power and non-power reactors.

The generic letter requested that licensees provide information to allow the NRC staff to verify continued compliance through effective monitoring to identify and mitigate any degradation or deformation of NAMs credited for criticality control in spent fuel pools.

The Enclosure provides a list of GL 2016-01 responses where the licensee provided a response to the generic letter consistent with the level of detail described in Appendix A to GL 2016-01.

The NRC staff has completed its review of the responses associated with GL 2016-01 for the plants referenced in the Enclosure, any documents referenced therein, and other applicable licensing basis documents. The NRC staff's review determined that the licensees listed in the Enclosure credit NAMs for criticality control and have established NAM monitoring programs.

For the power reactor facilities listed in the Enclosure, the NRG staff's review determined that the information provided sufficiently addressed the five areas of information described in Appendix A to GL 2016-01. Additionally, the NRC staff understands that the licensees intend to continue monitoring the condition of their NAMs as described in the responses listed in the Enclosure. Based on the review of the information provided, the NRC staff concludes no further information or action is requested regarding GL 2016-01 for those plants listed in the Enclosure.

Docket Nos. 50-244, 50-255, 50-259, 50-260, 50-296, 50-298, 50-331, 50-395, 50-397, and 50-443

Enclosure:

List of Plants, Incoming Letters, CAC Numbers, and Testing Frequency cc: ListServ Sincerely, llMtr D

glas A. Broaddus, Chief S

cial Projects and Process Branch Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

LETTER TO THOSE ON THE ATTACHED LIST DATED APRIL 13, 2018

SUBJECT:

CLOSEOUT OF GENERIC LETTER 2016-01, "MONITORING OF NEUTRON-ABSORBING MATERIALS IN SPENT FUEL POOLS" (CAC NOS. MF9417, MF9420, MF9426, MF9439, MF9442, MF9446, MF9447, MF9453, MF9454, AND MF9455; EPID L-2016-LRC-0001)

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1. 2.

and 3 Tennessee Valley Authority Docket Nos. 50-259, 50-260, 50-296 License Nos. DPR-33, DPR-52, DPR-68 Mr. Joseph W. Shea Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Support Services Tennessee Valley Authority 1101 Market Street, LP 4A Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Columbia Generating Station Energy Northwest Docket No. 50-397 License No. NPF-21 Mr. Mark E. Reddemann Chief Executive Officer Energy Northwest MD 1023 76 North Power Plant Loop P.O. Box 968 Richland, WA 99352 Cooper Nuclear Station Nebraska Public Power District Docket No. 50-298 License No. DPR-46 Mr. John Dent, Jr.

Vice President-Nuclear and CNO Nebraska Public Power District Cooper Nuclear Station 72676 648A Avenue Brownville, NE 68321 Duane Arnold Energy Center NextEra Energy Duane Arnold, LLC Docket No. 50-331 License No. DPR-49 Mr. Dean Curtland, Site Director Next Era Energy Duane Arnold Energy Center 3277 DAEC Road Palo, IA 52324-9785 R. E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant Exelon Generation Company, LLC Docket No. 50-244 License No. DPR-18 Mr. Bryan C. Hanson Senior Vice President Exelon Generation Company, LLC President and Chief Nuclear Officer (CNO)

Exelon Nuclear 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Palisades Nuclear Plant Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Docket No. 50-255 License No. DPR-20 Vice President, Operations Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

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

Seabrook Station, Unit 1 NextEra Energy Seabrook, LLC Docket No. 50-443 License No. NPF-86 Mr. Mano Nazar President and Chief Nuclear Officer Nuclear Division NextEra Energy Seabrook, LLC Mail Stop: EX/JB 700 Universe Blvd.

Juno Beach, FL 33408 Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Unit 1 South Carolina Electric & Gas Company Docket No. 50-395 License No. NPR-12 Mr. George Lippard Ill, Vice President Nuclear Operations South Carolina Electric & Gas Company Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station P.O. Box 88, Mail Code 800 Jenkinsville, SC 29065

LIST OF PLANTS, INCOMING LETTERS, CAC NUMBERS, AND TESTING FREQUENCY The licensees listed in the table below have provided an adequate description of an effective monitoring program, as part of their listed response to Generic Letter (GL) 2016-01, "Monitoring of Neutron-Absorbing Materials in Spent Fuel Pools." All monitoring programs include the following key features:

Neutron attenuation testing of coupons, or in-situ neutron attenuation testing.

Established processes to ensure that the licensee will take the appropriate corrective actions if any potentially non-conforming material is discovered.

A testing frequency not to exceed the time period(s) listed in the table below.

Acceptance criteria to ensure maintenance of the 5-percent subcriticality margin for the spent fuel pool.

In addition, the licensees marked with an asterisk in the table below have provided information demonstrating that the amount of Boral deformation resulting from blistering or bulging that can be accommodated by the assumptions and margin to the regulatory limit in their nuclear criticality safety analysis of record is greater than that which has been identified in their relevant operating experience to date. The remaining licensees listed in this table, as of the time of the response to GL 2016-01, have not recorded plant-specific operating experience in their GL 2016-01 responses that shows Boral deformation or degradation due to blistering or bulging.

Incoming Letter Date/

Neutron-Absorbing Plant ADAMS Accession No.

Material CAC Nos.

Testing Frequency Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 12/19/2016 (ML163548569) Boral*

MF9453; Every 10 years 1, 2, and 3 MF9454; MF9455 Columbia Generating Station 9/1/2016 (ML16245A899); Tetrabor MF9447 Every 4 years (coupons);

5/2/2017 (ML17122A233)

Every 10 years (in-situ)

Cooper Nuclear Station 10/27/2016 (ML16326A334) Boral*

MF9446 Every 8 years (Boral);

Metamic Every 4-8 years (Metamic)

Duane Arnold Energy Center 11/3/2016 (ML16312A050) Boral (PaR)*

MF9442 Every 10 years (PaR racks);

Boral (Holtec)

Every 6 years (Holtec racks)

R. E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant 11/3/2016 (ML16308A470) Borated stainless steel MF9439 Every third refueling cycle (-54 months)

Palisades Nuclear Plant 10/25/2016 (ML16299A164) Metamic MF9426 Every 3 to 9 years (based on schedule)

Seabrook Station, Unit 1 11/3/2016 (ML16312A050) Bora I*

MF9420 Every cycle (18 months)

Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, 11/3/2016 (ML16312A177) Boral MF9417 Every 1 O years Unit 1 Enclosure

ML180308238

• via email OFFICE N RR/DORL/LSPB/PM NRR/DORL/LSPB/LA NRR/DMLR/MCCB/BC*

NAME SWall JBurkhardt SBloom DATE 2/14/2018 2/14/2018 4/10/2018 OFFICE NRR/DLP/IRGB/BC*

NRR/DSS/SNPB/BC(A)*

NRR/DORL/LSPB/BC NAME HChernoff SAnderson DBroaddus DATE 4/5/2018 4/5/2018 4/13/2018