ML18249A403
| ML18249A403 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Mcguire |
| Issue date: | 09/12/2018 |
| From: | Michael Mahoney Plant Licensing Branch II |
| To: | Teresa Ray Duke Energy Carolinas |
| Mahoney M NRR/DORL/LPL2-1 301-415-3867 | |
| References | |
| EPID L-2018-LLA-0236 | |
| Download: ML18249A403 (8) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 September 12, 2018 Mr. Thomas D. Ray Vice President McGuire Nuclear Station Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC 12700 Hagers Ferry Road Huntersville, NC 28078-8985
SUBJECT:
MCGUIRE NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 2 - PUBLIC NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR AMENDMENT TO RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE (EPID L-2018-LLA-0236)
Dear Mr. Ray:
The enclosed announcement was forwarded to the Charlotte Observer and the Herald Citizen for publication. This announcement relates to your application dated September 7, 2018, for amendment to Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-17. The proposed amendment would amend the McGuire Nuclear Station, Unit 2, Technical Specifications (TS) to add a footnote to TS 4.2.2, "Control Rod Assemblies," to allow the McGuire, Unit 2, operating cycle M2C26 core to contain 52 control rods with no control rod in core location H-08. This would be in lieu of the current TS 4.2.2 requirement of 53 control rods.
Docket No. 50-370
Enclosure:
Public Notice cc: Listserv Sincerely, (M1 Michael Mahoney, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 11-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
ENCLOSURE PUBLIC NOTICE
PUBLIC NOTICE NRC STAFF PROPOSES TO AMEND OPERATING LICENSE AT THE MCGUIRE NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 2 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has received an application dated September 7, 2018 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML18254A182), from Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, for an exigent amendment to the operating license for the McGuire Nuclear Station, Unit 2, located in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The application can be found by searching ADAMS using the instructions at the end of this notice.
The proposed one-time amendment would amend the McGuire, Unit 2, Technical Specifications (TS) to add a footnote to TS 4.2.2, "Control Rod Assemblies," to allow the McGuire, Unit 2, operating cycle M2C26 core to contain 52 control rods with no control rod in core location H-08. This would be in lieu of the current TS 4.2.2 requirement of 53 control rods. This change would only be applicable for one McGuire, Unit 2 operating cycle (i.e., M2C26).
While reviewing video taken during the previous McGuire, Unit 2, refueling outage, the licensee noticed indications that the H-08 thermal sleeve had lowered and is now in contact with the H-08 control rod guide tube. No rings on other Unit 2 CRGT were identified during review of the video. Additionally, video from the most recent McGuire, Unit 1, refueling outage was reviewed, and no McGuire, Unit 1, CRGT were identified with similar conditions.
The license amendment request (LAR) addresses removal of control rod H-08 from the upcoming McGuire, Unit 2, operating cycle M2C26 in the event the H-08 thermal sleeve cannot be successfully replaced during the upcoming refueling outage.
Although alternate reload core design (without H-08) and analysis work has been in progress since the thermal sleeve issue was initially identified, required technical inputs were not finalized in time to support a regular amendment submittal. The licensee is submitting this exigent amendment request to preclude an emergency amendment request if repairs, scheduled to begin on September 24, 2018, indicate an unsuccessful repair strategy. Core reload is scheduled to begin September 28, 2018. Approval by September 25, 2018, supports McGuire, Unit 2 planned entry into Mode 5 and to ascend to power operation following the refueling outage.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.91 (a)(6}, for amendments to be granted under exigent circumstances, the NRC has made a proposed determination that the license amendment requests involve no significant hazards consideration. The Commission's regulation at 10 CFR 50.91 (a)(1) requires that, at the time a licensee requests an amendment, the licensee must provide to the Commission the licensee's analysis about the issue of no significant hazards consideration using the standards in § 50.92, which concern whether the proposed amendment (1) involves a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated; or (2) creates the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated; or (3) involves a significant reduction in a margin of safety. Accordingly, the licensee provided the following information in its letter dated September 7, 2018.
- 1. Does the proposed amendment involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated?
Response: No Removal of control rod H-08 for M2C26 will be performed using approved plant processes and procedures. The change in the probability and consequence of accidents previously evaluated in the UFSAR has been evaluated and is shown to be non-significant. An evaluation of the impact on the safety analysis shows that the current safety analysis remains bounding.
- 2. Does the proposed amendment create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated?
Response: No Removal of Control Rod H-08 for M2C26 does not create any new failure modes, and the design function and operation of SSCs are unchanged. No new operator actions are created. The modification to remove Control Rod H-08 ensures that Reactor Coolant System flowrate through the reactor vessel remains unchanged.
Reactivity control and insertion characteristics continue to meet all design and safety functions, and plant equipment will continue to meet applicable design and safety requirements. Therefore, the proposed change does not create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident than those previously evaluated.
- 3. Does the proposed amendment involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety?
Response: No Removal of control rod H-08 does not exceed or alter a UFSAR design basis or safety limit. The minimum SOM requirement is not changed, and analysis shows that additional margin above this limit still exists even with the control rod removed. Therefore, the proposed change does not significantly reduce a margin of safety.
The NRC staff reviewed the licensee's analysis and, based on this review, it appears that the three standards of 50.92(c) are satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff proposes to determine that the amendment requests involve no significant hazards consideration.
The NRC is seeking public comments on this proposed determination that the license amendment requests involve no significant hazards consideration. All comments received through September 21, 2018, will be considered in reaching a final determination. The Commission may issue the amendments prior to the expiration of the comment period should circumstances change such that failure to act in a timely way would result, for example, in derating or shutdown of the facility. Should the Commission take action prior to the expiration of the comment period, it will publish in the Federal Register a notice of issuance. Before any issuance of the proposed license amendments, the NRC will need to make the findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and NRC's regulations.
If the proposed determination that the requested license amendment involves no significant hazards consideration becomes final, the staff will issue the amendments without first offering an opportunity for a public hearing. An opportunity for a hearing will be published in the Federal Register at a later date and any hearing request will not delay the effective date of the amendment. If the staff decides in its final determination that the amendment does involve a significant hazards consideration,.a notice of opportunity for a prior hearing will be published in the Federal Register and, if a hearing is granted, it will be held before the amendment is issued.
Comments on the proposed determination of no significant hazards consideration may be (1) telephoned to Michael Markley, Chief, Plant Licensing Branch 2-1, by collect call to 301-415-5723, or by facsimile to 301-415-2102, (2) e-mailed to Michael.Markley@nrc.gov, or (3) submitted in writing to the May Ma, Office of Administration, Mail Stop: OWFN-2-A 13, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. All comments received by close of business (i.e., 4:15 pm EDT) on September 21, 2018. Federal workdays will be considered in reaching a final determination.
The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact information in comment submissions that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your comment submission. The NRC will post all comment submissions at http://www.regulations.gov as well as enter the comment submissions into ADAMS, and the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove identifying or contact information.
If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove such information before making the comment submissions available to the public or entering the comment into ADAMS.
A copy of the application may be examined electronically through the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) in the NRC Library at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html and at the Commission's Public Document Room (PDR}, located at One White Flint North, Public File Area 01 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209, or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr.resource@nrc.gov.
Letter: ML18249A403 Public Notice: ML18249A400 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL2-1 /PM NAME MMahoney DATE 09/07/18 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL2-1 /BC NAME MMarkley DATE 09/11/18 NRR/DORL/LPL2-1/LA OGC(NLO)
KGoldstein BHarris 09/07/18 09/11/18 NRR/DORULPL2-1 /PM MMahoney 09/12/18