ML18031A995

Closeout of Generic Letter 2016-01, Monitoring of Neutron-Absorbing Materials in Spent Fuel Pools (CAC No. MF9423; EPID L-2016-LRC-0001)

ML18031A995
Person / Time
Site:	River Bend
Issue date:	08/27/2018
From:	Doug Broaddus Special Projects and Process Branch
To:	Entergy Operations
Wall, S, 301-415-2855, NRR/DORL/LSPB
References
CAC MF9423, EPID L-2016-LRC-0001, OMB 3150-0231
Download: ML18031A995 (3)

Text

Vice President, Operations Entergy Operations, Inc.

River Bend Station 5485 U.S. Highway 61 N St. Francisville, LA 70775 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 August 27, 2018 0MB Control No. 3150-0231

SUBJECT:

RIVER BEND STATION, UNIT 1 - CLOSEOUT OF GENERIC LETTER 2016-01, "MONITORING OF NEUTRON-ABSORBING MATERIALS IN SPENT FUEL POOLS" (CAC NO. MF9423; 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 (SFPs).

By letter dated November 2, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16323A224), Entergy Operations, Inc. (the licensee), responded to GL 2016-01 for River Bend Station, Unit 1 (RBS). The NRC staff has completed its review of the information contained in this response, any documents referenced therein, and other applicable licensing basis documents.

After submitting its response to GL 2016-01, in its License Renewal Application (ADAMS Accession No. ML17153A282), the licensee identified the Boraflex installed in the SFP at RBS 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 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.

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 follow-up inspection through the baseline reactor oversight process 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 0326, "Operability Determinations & Functionality Assessments for Conditions Adverse to Quality or Safety."

Docket No. 50-458 cc: ListServ Sincerely, Douglas A. Broaddus, Chief Special Projects and Process Branch Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

ML18031A995 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LSPB/PM NRR/DORL/ LPL4/PM NAME SWall LRegner DATE 2/14/2018 2/21/2018 OFFICE NRR/DIRS/IRGB/BC*

NRR/DSS/SNPB/BC*

NAME BPham Rlukes DATE 8/21/2018 8/20/2018

• via email NRR/DORL/LSPB/LA NRR/DMLR/MCCB/BC*

JBurkhardt SBloom 2/14/2018 8/20/2018 NRR/DORL/LSPB/BC DBroaddus 8/27/2018