ML18030B361

Closeout of Generic Letter 2016-01, Monitoring of Neutron-Absorbing Materials in Spent Fuel Pools (CAC No. MF9427; EPID L-2016-LRC-0001)

ML18030B361
Person / Time
Site:	Oyster Creek
Issue date:	08/30/2018
From:	Doug Broaddus Special Projects and Process Branch
To:	Bryan Hanson Entergy Nuclear Operations
Wall S, NRR/DORL/LSPB, 415-2855
References
CAC MF9427, EPID L-2017-LRC-0001, GL 2016-01
Download: ML18030B361 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 Mr. Bryan C. Hanson Senior Vice President Exelon Generation Company, LLC President and Chief Nuclear Officer Exelon Nuclear August 30, 2018 Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 0MB Control No. 3150-0231

SUBJECT:

OYSTER CREEK NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION - CLOSEOUT OF GENERIC LETTER 2016-01, "MONITORING OF NEUTRON-ABSORBING MATERIALS IN SPENT FUEL POOLS" (CAC NO. MF9427; EPID L-2016-LRC-0001}

Dear Mr. Hanson:

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 (SFPs}.

By letter dated November 3, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16308A470}, as supplemented by letter dated April 27, 2017 (ADAMS Accession No. ML17117A554}, Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon or the licensee}, responded to GL 2016-01 for Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station (OCNGS}. The NRC staff intends to perform a followup inspection through the baseline reactor oversight process to ensure that the licensee is properly managing the degradation and maintaining the subcriticality of the SFP.

In its response to GL 2016-01, the licensee identified the Boraflex installed in the SFP at OCNGS as being in a degraded condition and entered the issue in its Corrective Action Program. This resulted in the licensee implementing corrective actions to manage Boraflex degradation and maintain subcriticality in the SFP. The NRC staff will also follow up through the reactor oversight process to ensure that the licensee is taking timely and adequate action to maintain subcriticality of the SFP.

Additionally, the licensee credits Boral for criticality control and has an established NAM monitoring program. The NRC staff's review determined that the provided response sufficiently addressed the five areas of information described in Appendix A of GL 2016-01 for Boral. In particular, the described monitoring program for the Boral includes the following key features:

Neutron attenuation testing of coupons.

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 10 years.

Acceptance criteria to ensure maintenance of the 5-percent subcriticality margin for the SFP.

The NRC staff found that the licensee intends to continue monitoring the condition of its NAMs as described in its response. Based on the above, the NRC staff does not intend to perform Boral-specific follow-up inspections of the SFP.

Based upon the information submitted by the licensee in response to GL 2016-01, the NRC staff has determined that the submission addresses the information requested in GL 2016-01, and no further information or current action is requested regarding this matter. The NRC staff intends to perform a Boraflex-specific follow-up inspection, through the baseline reactor oversight process, and, if needed, the decommissioning power reactor inspection program core procedures, to ensure that the licensee is properly managing the degradation and maintaining the subcriticality of the SFP. Any safety or timeliness issues associated with the degraded condition of the Boraflex will be addressed through NRC inspection activities consistent with Inspection Manual Chapter (IMC) 0326, "Operability Determinations & Functionality Assessments for Conditions Adverse to Quality or Safety," and, as needed, IMC 2561, "Decommissioning Power Reactor Inspection Program."

Docket No. 50-219 cc: ListServ Sincerely,

~~;za_

Douglas A. Broaddus, Chief Special Projects and Process Branch Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

ML180308361

• via email OFFICE NRR/DORULSPB/PM NRR/DORULSPB/PM NRR/DORULSPB/LA NRR/DMLR/MCCB/BC*

NAME SWall JLamb JBurkhardt SBloom DATE 02/14/18 02/21/18 02/14/18 08/20/18 OFFICE NRR/DIRS/IRGB/BC*

NRR/DSS/SNPB/BC*

NRR/DORULSPB/BC NAME BPham RLukes DBroaddus DATE 08/21/18 08/20/18 08/30/18