ML18249A242

Closeout of Generic Letter 2016-01, Monitoring of Neutron-Absorbing Materials in Spent Fuel Pools (CAC Nos. MF9415 and MF9416; EPID L-2016-LRC-0001)

ML18249A242
Person / Time
Site:	Susquehanna
Issue date:	09/26/2018
From:	Doug Broaddus Special Projects and Process Branch
To:	Berryman B Susquehanna
Wall S
References
CAC MF9415, CAC MF9416, EPID L-2016-LRC-0001
Download: ML18249A242 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C 20555-0001 September 26, 2018 0MB Control No. 3150-0231 Mr. Brad Berryman Site Vice President Susquehanna Nuclear, LLC 769 Salem Boulevard NUCSB3 Berwick, PA 18603-0467

SUBJECT:

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2-CLOSEOUT OF GENERIC LETTER 2016-01, "MONITORING OF NEUTRON-ABSORBING MATERIALS IN SPENT FUEL POOLS" (CAC NOS. MF9415 AND MF9416; EPID L-2016-LRC-0001)

Dear Mr. Berryman:

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 October 31, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16305A323), as supplemented by letter dated May 24, 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18144A238), Susquehanna Nuclear, LLC (the licensee), responded to GL 2016-01 for Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 (SSES-1 and 2). In the licensee's response to GL 2016-01, as supplemented, the licensee stated that, for SSES-1 and 2, 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 for each SFP.

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.

As discussed in the information submitted in the licensee's response to GL 2016-01, the licensee stated that some deformation has been identified as part of their Boral monitoring program. In its request for additional information (RAI) response dated May 24, 2018, the licensee stated that criticality studies were performed using the Susquehanna nuclear criticality safety analysis of record model to assess potential reactivity changes due to deformation similar to that identified by the licensee's operating experience. The general modeling approach described in the RAI response appears to be reasonable, and even though the NRC staff has not reviewed the details of the studies, the results are consistent with similar calculations that the NRC has performed. Therefore, the licensee's response is sufficient to show that the analysis of record has sufficient margin to accommodate the deformation that the licensee has observed to date.

For SSES-1 and 2, the NRC staff's review determined that the information provided sufficiently addressed the five areas of information described in Appendix A to GL 2016-01. Based on the review of the information provided, the NRC staff concludes no further information is requested regarding GL 2016-01.

Docket Nos. 50-387 and 50-388 cc: Listserv Sincerely, Douglas A. Broaddus, Chief Special Projects and Process Branch Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

ML18249A242 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LSPB/PM NRR/DORL/LPL 1/PM*

NAME SWall THood DATE 9/25/18 9/17/18 OFFICE NRR/DMLR/MCCB/BC* NRR/DIRS/IRGB/BC*

NAME SBloom BPham DATE 9/25/18 9/17/18 N RR/DORL/LAiT PTalukdar 9/12/18 NRR/DSS/SNPB/BC*

Rlukes 9/17/18