ML18059A324

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Audit Plan for Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Units 3 and 4 (LAR 17-024) Request for License Amendment and Exemption: Technical Specifications Updates for Reactivity Controls and Other Miscellaneous Changes
ML18059A324
Person / Time
Site: Vogtle  Southern Nuclear icon.png
Issue date: 03/01/2018
From: Donald Habib
NRC/NRO/DNRL/LB4
To: Jennifer Dixon-Herrity
NRC/NRO/DNRL/LB4
habib d/415-1035
References
LAR 17-024
Download: ML18059A324 (8)
v • d • e


Text

March 1, 2018 MEMORANDUM TO: Jennifer Dixon-Herrity, Chief Licensing Branch 4 Division of New Reactor Licensing Office of New Reactors FROM: Donald Habib, Project Manager /RA/

Licensing Branch 4 Division of New Reactor Licensing Office of New Reactors

SUBJECT:

AUDIT PLAN FOR VOGTLE ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT UNITS 3 AND 4, REQUEST FOR LICENSE AMENDMENT REGARDING TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION UPDATES FOR REACTIVITY CONTROLS AND OTHE MISCELLANEOUS CHANGES (LAR 17-024)

By letter dated July 28, 2017 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML17209A755), Southern Nuclear Operating Company (the licensee) requested an amendment to Combined License (COL) Numbers NPF-91 and NPF-92, for Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Units 3 and 4.

The requested amendment proposes changes to revise COL Appendix A, plant-specific Technical Specifications (TS) by modifying the TS to make them consistent with the remainder of the design and licensing basis, including TS.

NRC staff from the Reactor Systems branch, Instrumentation and Control branch, and Technical Specifications branch plan to conduct an audit to gain better understanding of proposed changes to reach reasonable findings and review related documentation and non-docketed information to evaluate conformance with the Standard Review Plan or technical guidance.

Docket Nos.: 52-025 and 52-026

Enclosure:

Regulatory Audit Plan cc: See next page CONTACT: Don Habib, NRO/DNRL/LB4 301-415-1035

ML18059A324 NRO-008 OFFICE DNRL/LB4/PM DNRL/LB4/LA DNRL/LB4/BC NAME DHabib RButler JDixon-Herrity DATE 3/1/2018 3/1/2018 2/28/2018 Vogtle Units 3 & 4 Mailing List (Revised 01/29/2018) cc:

Southern Nuclear Operating Company Mr. Barty Simonton Document Control Coordinator Team Leader 42 Inverness Center Parkway, Bin 237 Environmental Radiation Program Birmingham, AL 35242 Air Protection Branch Environmental Protection Division Office of the Attorney General 4244 International Parkway, Suite 120 40 Capitol Square, SW Atlanta, GA 30354-3906 Atlanta, GA 30334 George B. Taylor, Jr.

Resident Manager 2100 East Exchange Pl Oglethorpe Power Corporation Atlanta, GA 30084-5336 Alvin W. Vogtle Nuclear Plant 7821 River Road Brian H. Whitley Waynesboro, GA 30830 Regulatory Affairs Director Southern Nuclear Operating Company Anne F. Appleby 42 Inverness Center Parkway, BIN B237 Olgethorpe Power Corporation Birmingham, AL 35242 2100 East Exchange Place Tucker, GA 30084 Mr. Michael Yox Site Regulatory Affairs Director County Commissioner Vogtle Units 3 & 4 Office of the County Commissioner 7825 River Road, Bin 63031 Burke County Commission Waynesboro, GA 30830 Waynesboro, GA 30830 Mr. Wayne Guilfoyle Commissioner District 8 Augusta-Richmond County Commission 4940 Windsor Spring Rd Hephzibah, GA 30815 Gwendolyn Jackson Burke County Library 130 Highway 24 South Waynesboro, GA 30830 Mr. Reece McAlister Executive Secretary Georgia Public Service Commission Atlanta, GA 30334 Resident Inspector Vogtle Plant Units 3 & 4 8805 River Road Waynesboro, GA 30830 Page 1 of 3

Vogtle Units 3 & 4 Mailing List Email acchambe@southernco.com (Amy Chamberlain) agaughtm@southernco.com (Amy Aughtman)

ALPUGH@southernco.com (Amanda Pugh) annacom@westinghouse.com (Michael J. Annacone) awc@nei.org (Anne W. Cottingham) becky@georgiawand.org (Becky Rafter) bhwhitley@southernco.com (Brian Whitley)

Bill.Jacobs@gdsassociates.com (Bill Jacobs) bjadams@southernco.com (Brad Adams) bwwaites@southernco.com (Brandon Waites) castelca@westinghouse.com (Curtis Castell) comerj@westinghouse.com (James Comer) crenshjw@westinghouse.com (John Crenshaw) crpierce@southernco.com (C.R. Pierce) dahjones@southernco.com (David Jones) david.hinds@ge.com (David Hinds) david.lewis@pillsburylaw.com (David Lewis) dgbost@southernco.com (Danny Bost) dlfulton@southernco.com (Dale Fulton) drculver@southernco.com (Randy Culver) durhamdc@westinghouse.com (David Durham) ed.burns@earthlink.net (Ed Burns) edavis@pegasusgroup.us (Ed David) erg-xl@cox.net (Eddie R. Grant) fdhundle@southernco.com (Forrest Hundley) fhwillis@southernco.com (Fred Willis)

G2NDRMDC@southernco.com (SNC Document Control) graysw@westinghouse.com (Scott W. Gray) jadwilli@southernco.com (J.D. Williams) james1.beard@ge.com (James Beard) jannina.blanco@pillsburylaw.com (Jannina Blanco) jantol1dj@westinghouse.com (David Jantosik) jenmorri@southernco.com (Jennifer Buettner)

JHaswell@southernco.com (Jeremiah Haswell) jim@ncwarn.org (Jim Warren)

John.Bozga@nrc.gov (John Bozga)

Joseph_Hegner@dom.com (Joseph Hegner) jpredd@southernco.com (Jason R. Redd) jranalli@meagpower.org (Jerry Ranalli) jtgasser@southernco.com (Jeff Gasser) karen.patterson@ttnus.com (Karen Patterson) karlg@att.net (Karl Gross) kdfili@southernco.com (Karen Fili) Page 2 of 3

Vogtle Units 3 & 4 Mailing List kmstacy@southernco.com (Kara Stacy)

KSutton@morganlewis.com (Kathryn M. Sutton) kwaugh@impact-net.org (Kenneth O. Waugh) lchandler@morganlewis.com (Lawrence J. Chandler) markus.popa@hq.doe.gov (Markus Popa) mdmeier@southernco.com (Mike Meier) media@nei.org (Scott Peterson)

Melissa.Smith@Hq.Doe.Gov (Melissa Smith)

Michael.Kuca@hq.doe.gov (Michael Kuca) mike.price@opc.com (M.W. Price) mlgraves@southernco.com (Michelle Graves)

MSF@nei.org (Marvin Fertel) myox@southernco.com (Mike Yox) nirsnet@nirs.org (Michael Mariotte)

Nuclaw@mindspring.com (Robert Temple) patriciaL.campbell@ge.com (Patricia L. Campbell)

Paul@beyondnuclear.org (Paul Gunter) pbessette@morganlewis.com (Paul Bessette) r.joshi15@comcast.net (Ravi Joshi) rjarrett@southernco.com (Robyn Jarrett)

RJB@NEI.org (Russell Bell)

Ronald.Jones@scana.com (Ronald Jones) rwink@ameren.com (Roger Wink) sabinski@suddenlink.net (Steve A. Bennett) sara@cleanenergy.org (Sara Barczak) sblanton@balch.com (Stanford Blanton)

Shiva.Granmayeh@hq.doe.gov (Shiva Granmayeh) sjackson@meagpower.org (Steven Jackson) skauffman@mpr.com (Storm Kauffman) sroetger@psc.state.ga.us (Steve Roetger) stephan.moen@ge.com (Stephan Moen) stephen.burdick@morganlewis.com (Stephen Burdick) tom.miller@hq.doe.gov (Tom Miller)

TomClements329@cs.com (Tom Clements)

Vanessa.quinn@dhs.gov (Vanessa Quinn) vcsummer2n3@gmail.com (Brian McIntyre) wasparkm@southernco.com (Wesley A. Sparkman) wayne.marquino@gmail.com (Wayne Marquino) weave1dw@westinghouse.com (Doug Weaver) x2gabeck@southernco.com (Gary Becker) x2kmseib@southernco.com (Kristin Seibert)

Page 3 of 3

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Audit Plan for Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Units 3 and 4 Request for License Amendment Regarding Technical Specification Updates for Reactivity Controls and other Miscellaneous Changes (LAR 17024)

Applicant: Southern Nuclear Operating Company (SNC)

Applicant Point of

Contact:

Ryan Henderson, SNC Date and Duration: Audit documents will be made available in an electronic reading room (ERR) from February 28, 2018, through March 30, 2018.

Audit Location: The licensee will arrange for access to the ERR by U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) audit team members.

Purpose The staff will perform a regulatory audit to examine and evaluate technical information in order to understand or verify the motions of control rods that support the basis of information stated in License Amendment Request (LAR)17-024, Technical Specification Updates for Reactivity Controls and other Miscellaneous Changes, Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP) Units 3 and 4 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML17209A755).

Request for Additional Information (RAI) 17-024-1 requests information justifying the licensees proposal to exclude axial offset (AO) control banks from Surveillance (SR) 3.1.4.2 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18054B559). The staff will review the licensees documentation to determine whether the information in LAR 17-024 meets applicable regulations and guidance.

Background

On July 28, 2017, SNC submitted VEGP Units 3 and 4 LAR-17-024 to the NRC. The requested amendment includes changes to the technical specifications (TS) information to make it consistent with the design and remainder of the licensing basis in the following areas:

  • TS 3.3.17 Post-Accident Monitoring Instrumentation
  • TS 3.3.19 Diverse Actuation System Manual Controls
  • TS 3.8.3 Inverters - Operating The applicable criteria for reactivity and power distribution design requirements are found in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Appendix A, General Design Criterion (GDC) 10, Reactor Design, GDC 26, Reactivity Control System Redundancy and Protection, and 10 CFR 50.46, Acceptance Criteria for Emergency Core Cooling Systems for Light Water Nuclear Power Plants. Vogtle LAR-17-024 on pages 5 and 7 of Enclosure 1 proposes to remove the AO control bank rod cluster control assemblies (RCCAs) from SR 3.1.4.2 for verification of rod freedom of movement. The rationale for this change is given on page 7 of Enclosure 1 stating Moving the AO control bank will significantly and inappropriately perturb the power distribution. While the technical basis for SR 3.1.4.2 provided on page 6 of Enclosure 3 states that [m]oving each RCCA by 10 steps will not cause radial or axial power tilts, or oscillations, to occur, no technical basis revision is being proposed to state movement of the AO control bank RCCAs would cause a perturbation to the power distribution.

Additionally, while the justification on page 7 of Enclosure 1 states that several steps of motion of the AO control bank RCCAs are expected during normal operations, several steps is not defined as being in line with the surveillance requirement of rod movement greater than or equal to 10 steps in either direction.

Additionally, in Section 7.7.1.1.2, Axial Offset Control, of Revision 6 of the VEGP Updated Final Safety Analysis Report, it states, in part, To minimize the potential for interactions between the power and axial offset rod control subsystems, the power control subsystem takes precedence. This statement coupled with the statement made in Section 7.7.1.2, Rod Control System, that states, in part, For axial offset control, the rod speed demand signals are set to a fixed constant speed of 5 inches per minute (8 steps per minute). Therefore, the staff understands the power control subsystem takes priority over the AO rods such that the movement of the AO rods would be minimized when compared to the operational use of the power control rods and that, during normal operation, the AO rods would have to operate for 75 seconds (i.e., 10 steps per the current technical specification, for rods that travel at 8 steps per minute, thus 10 steps / 8 steps per minute = 1.25 minutes) to satisfy the current SR.

The staff will perform an audit to assess the RCCA operation and control strategy for the expected movement of the AO control bank in comparison to implementing the current SR 3.1.4.2 of moving each individual RCCA (including the AO rods) by at least 10 steps in either direction.

Regulatory Bases 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix A, GDC 10 requires that the reactor core and associated coolant, control, and protection systems shall be designed with appropriate margin to assure that specified acceptable fuel design limits are not exceeded during any condition of normal operation, including the effects of anticipated operational occurrences.

10 CFR Part 50, Appendix A, GDC 26 requires that two independent reactivity control systems of different design principles shall be provided. One of the systems shall use control rods, preferably including a positive means for inserting the rods, and shall be capable of reliably controlling reactivity changes to assure that under conditions of normal operation, including anticipated operational occurrences, and with appropriate margin for malfunctions such as stuck rods, specified acceptable fuel design limits are not exceeded. The second reactivity control system shall be capable of reliably controlling the rate of reactivity changes resulting from planned, normal power changes (including xenon burnout) to assure that the acceptable fuel design limits are not exceeded. One of the systems shall be capable of holding the reactor core subcritical under cold conditions.

The NRC staff will follow the Office of New Reactors (NRO) Office Instruction NRO-REG-108 (Revision 0), Regulatory Audits, (ADAMS Accession No. ML081910260) in performing the audit of the report cited below.

Regulatory Audit Scope

1. NRC staff seeks clarification of the expected movement of the AO control bank while the reactor is under load-follow or load-regulation response control and in regards to how would SR 3.1.4.2 be implemented if the reactor has not been under load-follow or load-regulation during the surveillance completion time of 92 days.
2. Staff will review the following document:

WCAP-17603-P, Revision 0, titled Implementation of the MSHIM Operation and Control Strategy in the AP1000 Pressurized Water Reactor, August 2012 The staff will identify additional documents, if necessary.

3. One or more audit teleconferences will be scheduled, as necessary, to clarify any information in the documents reviewed.

Audit Team Assignments The audit team comprises of the following NRC staff. These individuals will review the relevant documents that are related to the audit and are available at the time of the audit:

  • Don Habib, Project Manager, Licensing Projects Branch 4 Deliverables Once the regulatory audit is completed, the audit team will issue an audit summary within 90 days.
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