ML18249A407

Closeout of Generic Letter 2016-01, Monitoring of Neutron-Absorbing Materials in Spent Fuel Pools (CAC MF9920, MF9452, MF9451, MF9425, MF9406-MF9408; EPID L-2016-LRC-0001)

ML18249A407
Person / Time
Site:	Perry, Wolf Creek, Watts Bar, Brunswick, Callaway
Issue date:	09/26/2018
From:	Doug Broaddus Special Projects and Process Branch
To:	Diya F, William Gideon, Hamilton D, Heflin A, James Shea Duke Energy Progress, FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co, Tennessee Valley Authority, Union Electric Co, Wolf Creek
Wall S NRR/DORL/LSPB 301-415-2855
References
0MB 3150-0231, CAC MF9406, CAC MF9407, CAC MF9408, CAC MF9425, CAC MF9451, CAC MF9452, CAC MF9920, EPID L-2016-LRC-0001
Download: ML18249A407 (5)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 September 26, 2018 0MB Control No. 3150-0231 To Those on the Attached List

SUBJECT:

CLOSEOUT OF GENERIC LETTER 2016-01, "MONITORING OF NEUTRON-ABSORBING MATERIALS IN SPENT FUEL POOLS" (CAC NOS. MF9920, MF9452, MF9451, MF9425, MF9407, MF9408, AND MF9406; 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).

The Enclosure provides a list of licensee responses to address the requested details described in Appendix A to GL 2016-01. In the licensees' responses to GL 2016-01, as supplemented, the licensees stated that they rely on continual monitoring industry operating experience, including ongoing participation in the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Neutron Absorber Users Group (NAUG) and its related programs, to evaluate the condition of the Boral in their SFPs.

The licensees indicated that the NAUG, through EPRI, has completed a study which analyzes the criticality impact of blisters and pits on Boral. This study is described in EPRI document 3002013119, "Evaluation of the Impact of Neutron Absorber Material Blistering and Pitting on Spent Fuel Pool Reactivity," May 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18226A292).

• The licensees also stated that the NAUG, through EPRI, is developing an industry-wide program to gather water chemistry and Boral coupon data for SFPs. This program is described in EPRI document 3002013122, "Roadmap for the lndustrywide Learning Aging Management Program (i-LAMP) for Neutron Absorber Materials in Spent Fuel Pools," May 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18226A291 ). The licensees stated that relevant issues emerging from such industry efforts will be monitored through the licensees' Operating Experience Program and Corrective Action Program.

The stated purpose of this program is to inform the condition of the Boral at sites with no coupon, or in-situ, testing of its Boral, with results from other sites using the "sister pool criteria."

The NRC staff notes that aspects of the industry-wide program referenced in EPRI Report 3002013122 (i.e., the Boral coupon database, water chemistry database, sister pool criteria, etc.) are not yet complete and some guidelines might not be fully developed until 2020.

While the program as described in EPRI Report 3002013122 is not yet complete, the NRC staff did use the information found in EPRI Report 300203119 to support the conclusion that no additional information is needed, at this time, to address the five areas of information described in Appendix A to GL 2016-01 for Boral.

The NRC staff also notes that the studies documented in EPRI Reports 3002013119 and 3002013122 are intended to be generic analyses and were not provided as site-specific analyses. Therefore, the results of the analyses, or any part of those analyses, have currently not been shown as directly applicable to the plants listed in the Enclosure. In addition, the NRC staff did not review whether the EPRI Reports could be used to justify equipment operability, design basis changes, or licensing changes requested pursuant to Title 1 O of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 50.90, "Application for amendment of license, construction permit, or early site permit." However, the NRC staff's review determined that the EPRI reports provide the information required to satisfy the request in GL 2016-01 for Boral, at this time.

For the power reactor facilities listed in the Enclosure, 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 for Boral. Based on the review of the information provided, the NRC staff concludes no further information is requested regarding GL 2016-01 for those plants listed in the Enclosure.

Docket Nos. 50-325, 50-324, 50-483, 50-440, 50-390, 50-391, and 50-482

Enclosure:

List of Plants, Incoming Letters, and CAC Numbers cc: ListServ Sincerely,

~~/µL Douglas A. Broaddus, Chief Special Projects and Process Branch Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

LETIER TO THOSE ON THE ATIACHED LIST DATED SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

SUBJECT:

CLOSEOUT OF GENERIC LETIER 2016-01, "MONITORING OF NEUTRON-ABSORBING MATERIALS IN SPENT FUEL POOLS" (CAC NOS. MF9920, MF9452, MF9451, MF9425, MF9407, MF9408, AND MF9406; EPID L-2016-LRC-0001)

Brunswick Steam Electric Plant, Units 1 and 2 Duke Energy Progress, LLC Docket Nos. 50-325, 50-324 License Nos. DPR-71, DPR-62 Mr. William R. Gideon, Vice President Brunswick Steam Electric Plant Duke Energy Progress, LLC 8470 River Rd. SE (M/C BNP001)

Southport, NC 28461

• Callaway Plant, Unit 1 Union Electric Company Docket No. 50-483 License No. NPF-30 Mr. Fadi Diya Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer Union Electric Company 8315 County Road 459 Steedman, MO 65077 Perry Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 1 FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Docket No. 50-440 License No. NPF-58 Mr. David B. Hamilton Site Vice President FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Mail Stop A-PY-A290 P.O. Box 97, 10 Center Road Perry, OH 44081-0097 Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 Tennessee Valley Authority Docket No. 50-390, 50-391 License No. NPF-90, NPF-96 Mr. Joseph W. Shea Vice President, Nuclear Regulatory Affairs and Support Services Tennessee Valley Authority 1101 Market Street, LP 4A Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Wolf Creek Generating Station Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation Docket No. 50-482 License No. NPF-42 Mr. Adam C. Heflin President and Chief Executive Officer, Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation P.O. Box 411 Burlington, KS 66839

LIST OF PLANTS, INCOMING LETTERS, AND CAC NUMBERS Neutron-Incoming Letters Absorbing Plant (ADAMS Accession No.)

Material CAC Nos.

Brunswick Steam Electric Plant, Units 1 10/31/2016 (ML16306A036)

Baral MF9920, MF9452 and 2 5/30/2018 (ML18150A703)

Callaway Plant, Unit 1 11/3/2016 (ML16308A443)

Baral MF9451 5/31/2018 (ML18151A422)

Perry Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 1 10/19/2016 (ML16294A072)

Baral MF9425 5/25/2018 (ML18145A039)

Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 12/19/2016 (ML163548569)

Baral MF9407, MF9408 5/31/2018 (ML18158A330)

Wolf Creek Generating Station 11/2/2016 (ML16313A080)

Baral MF9406 5/29/2018 (ML18156A128)

Enclosure

ML18249A407 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LSPB/PM NRR/DORL/LAiT NAME SWall PTalukdar DATE 09/25/18 09/11/18 OFFICE NRR/DIRS/IRGB/BC*

NRR/DSS/SNPB/BC*

NAME BPham Rlukes DATE 09/25/18 09/19/18 RidsNrrLASRohrer Resource RidsNrrPMBrunswick Resource RidsNrrPMCallaway Resource RidsNrrPMPerry Resource RidsNrrPMWattsBar Resource RidsNrrPMWolfCreek Resource RidsRgn2MailCenter Resource RidsRgn3MailCenter Resource RidsRgn4MailCenter Resource BBenney, NRR SWall, NRR SKrepel, NRR

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

JBurkhardt SBloom 09/14/18 09/25/18 NRR/DORL/LSPB/BC DBroaddus 09/26/18