ML18197A411

Supplemental Information Needed for Acceptance of Requested Licensing Action License Amendment Request to Reduce the Number of Control Element Assemblies

ML18197A411
Person / Time
Site:	Saint Lucie
Issue date:	08/01/2018
From:	Michael Wentzel Plant Licensing Branch II
To:	Nazar M NextEra Energy
Buckberg P, NRR/DORL/LPL2-2, 415-1447
References
EPID L-2018-LLA-0181
Download: ML18197A411 (5)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 August 1, 2018 Mr. Mano Nazar President, Nuclear Division and Chief Nuclear Officer Florida Power & Light Company Mail Stop EX/JB 700 Universe Blvd.

Juno Beach, FL 33408

SUBJECT:

ST. LUCIE PLANT, UNIT NO. 2- SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION NEEDED FOR ACCEPTANCE OF REQUESTED LICENSING ACTION RE: LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CONTROL ELEMENT ASSEMBLIES (EPID L-2018-LLA-0181)

Dear Mr. Nazar:

By letter dated June 29, 2018 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML18180A094), Florida Power and Light Company (the licensee) submitted a license amendment request to the Technical Specifications (TSs) of Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-16 for St. Lucie Plant, Unit No. 2 (St. Lucie Unit 2). The proposed amendment would revise the St. Lucie Unit 2 TSs by reducing the total number of control element assemblies.

The purpose of this letter is to provide the results of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRG) staff's acceptance review of this license amendment request. The acceptance review was performed to determine if there is sufficient technical information in scope and depth to allow the NRG staff to complete its detailed technical review. The acceptance review is also intended to identify whether the application has any readily apparent information insufficiencies in its characterization of the regulatory requirements or the licensing basis of the plant.

Consistent with Section 50.90 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), an amendment to the license (including the TSs) must fully describe the changes requested, and following as far as applicable, the form prescribed for original applications. Section 50.34 of 10 CFR addresses the content of technical information required. This section stipulates that the submittal address the design and operating characteristics, unusual or novel design features, and principal safety considerations.

The NRG staff has reviewed your application and concluded that the information delineated in the enclosure to this letter is necessary to enable the staff to make an independent assessment regarding the acceptability of the proposed amendment in terms of regulatory requirements and the protection of public health and safety and the environment.

In order to make the application complete, the NRG staff requests that the licensee supplement the application to address the information requested in the enclosure within 13 working days from the date of this letter (i.e., by August 20, 2018). This will enable the NRC staff to begin its detailed technical review. If the information responsive to the NRC staff's request is not

M. Nazar received by the above date, the application will not be accepted for review pursuant to 10 CFR 2.101, and the NRC will cease its review activities associated with the application. If the application is subsequently accepted for review, you will be advised of any further information needed to support the NRC staff's detailed technical review by separate correspondence.

The information requested and the associated timeframe in this letter were discussed in a conference call with Mr. Steve Catron on August 1, 2018.

If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-6459 or Michael.Wentzel@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Michael J. Wentze, reject Manager Plant Licensing Br h 11-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-389

Enclosure:

Supplemental Information Needed cc: Listserv

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION NEEDED LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CONTROL ELEMENT ASSEMBLIES FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY, ET AL.

ST. LUCIE PLANT, UNIT NO. 2 DOCKET NO. 50-389

Background

By letter dated June 29, 2018 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML18180A094), Florida Power and Light Company (the licensee) submitted a license amendment request to the Technical Specifications {TSs) of Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-16 for St. Lucie Plant, Unit No. 2 (St. Lucie Unit 2). The proposed amendment would revise the St. Lucie Unit 2 Technical Specifications by reducing the total number of control element assemblies.

Supplemental Information Needed The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has reviewed the application and has determined that the following additional information is necessary for the staff to make an independent assessment regarding the acceptability of the proposed amendment:

1. Provide details of the St. Lucie Unit 2 specific core design and safety analysis or evaluation, including the evaluation of the Updated Final Safety Analysis (UFSAR)

Chapter 15 events (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML16194A073 and ML16194A112). The Applicable Chapter 15 events may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Section 15.1.5, "Pre-Trip Steam System Piping Failure"

• Section 15.1.6, "Post-Trip Steam System Piping Failures"

• Section 15.4.1, "Uncontrolled Control Element Assembly Bank Withdrawal from a Subcritical or Low Power Startup Condition"

• Section 15.4.2, "Uncontrolled Control Element Assembly Bank Withdrawal At Power"

• Section 15.4.3, "Control Element Assembly (CEA) Misoperation"

• Section 15.4.8, "Spectrum of Control Element Assembly Ejection Accidents" The licensee's amendment request briefly describes an evaluation against the UFSAR; however, it lacks details about which of and how the Chapter 15 events have been evaluated for the reduction in the number of CEAs. The licensee's request provides no detailed information for the NRC staff to determine if the evaluation is complete and the method, as applied, is approved. The regulatory basis for the information includes Appendix A to Title 1O of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 50 "General Design Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants," General Design Criteria (GDC) 10, "Reactor design,"

Enclosure

GDC-25 "Protection system requirements for reactivity control malfunctions," and GDC-28, "Reactivity limits."

2. Provide details of the St. Lucie Unit 2-specific evaluation of reactor protection, control, and monitoring. The licensee's request provides no information for the NRC staff to evaluate. The regulatory basis for the information includes GDC-10, GDC-13, "Instrumentation and control," GDC-25, and GDC-28.

ML18197A411 OFFICE NRR/D0RL/LPL2-2/PM NRR/D0RL/LPL2-2/LA NRR/DSS/SRXB/BC(A)

NAME MWentzel BClayton (PBlechman for) JWhitman DATE 07/31/18 07/23/18 08/01/18 OFFICE NRR/D0RL/LPL2-2/BC(A) NRR/D0RL/LPL2-2/PM NAME BVenkataraman MWentzel DATE 08/01/18 08/01/18