ML20006C161

Responds to NRC Bulletin 89-003 Re Potential Loss of Required Shutdown Margin During Refueling Operations. Instructions for Determining Acceptable Refueling Boron Concentration Provided in Procedure RF-005-001

ML20006C161
Person / Time
Site:	Waterford
Issue date:	01/29/1990
From:	Burski R LOUISIANA POWER & LIGHT CO.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
IEB-89-003, IEB-89-3, W3P90-0219, W3P90-219, NUDOCS 9002060413
Download: ML20006C161 (3)

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- Louisione Power & Light Company ' !

317 Baronne Street -

~ P. O. Box 60340 New Orleans LA 70160 0340 Tel.- 504 $95 2805 R. F. Burski Nucioar Safety & Regulatory Affairs-Manager W3P90-0219 .

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t January 29, 1990  ;

'U.S. Nuclear Regulatory. Commission  !

ATTN: Document Control Desk C Washington, D.C. 20555

Subject:

'Waterford 3: SES 4 Docket.No. 50-382 ,

License No.;NPF-38 -

NRC Bulletin 89-03 0

. Gentlemen: <

L NRC Bulletin 89-03, Potential Loss of Required Shutdown Margin During- i Refueling Operations, was issued November- 21, 1989.. The bulletin addresses-the potential for loss of required shutdown margin during the' movement and j placement of highly reactive ~ fuel during refueling operations.

, The NRC had previously issued Information Notice 89-51 of the same subject H on May.31, 1989. In response to the information notice,'LP&L reviewed the .

L concerns for applicability to Waterford.3. Although no conditions.like l' that described had~been encountered, appropriate measures have been employed to prevent such a situation from occurring'at Waterford 3.  !

Attachment 8.1'of Procedure RF-005-001, Fuel Movement 'provides guidelines i

for development of th_c fuel shuffle sequence. _These= guidelines were

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L revised to incorporate provisions to. ensure that intermediate core

l. configurations which result during a shuffle sequence are not more. reactive-than the final Beginning of Cycle (BOC) core configuration on which j shutdown margin calculations are based. - This revision to RF-005-001 was ' .

approved September 30, 1989, prior to the-third refueling'. outage.

In Bulletin 89-03, all PWR licensees are required to:

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l 1. . Assure that any. intermediate fuel assembly configuration.(including .q

'_ control rods) intended to be used during-refueling is-identified and I l' ovaluated to. maintain sufficient refueling-boron' concentration to l-result-in a minimum shutdown margin of approximately 5%.-

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W3P90-0219

'NRC Bulletin 89-03 Page 2 January 29,~1990

2. Assure that fuel loading procedures only allow those intermediate fuel l assembly configurations that do not violate the' allowable shutdown margin and .: hat these procedures are strictly adhered to. l

3. Assure that the staff responsible for refueling operations is trained in the procedures recommended in Item 2 above and understand the potential consequences of violating these procedures. This training:

should. include the fundamental aspects of criticality control with higher enriched fuel assemblies.

The requirements of actions 1 and 2 are adequately addressed in refueling-procedure RF-005-001, Revision 1. Instructions for determining an' ,

acceptable refueling boron concentration are provided in Attachment 8.6 of-RF-005-001. Guidelines for developing a fuel' shuffle sequence that satisfies the concerns of the bulletin and notice are provided in Attachment 8.1 of RF-005-001, i

With respect to action 3, training on procedure RF-005-001, Revision 1, which contains the information and guidelines to ensure-the required-shut,down margin is maintained, will be prcvided'to operations personnel.  !

To reinforce the need for strict adherence to the refueling procedure and {

fuel shuffle sequence, the training department plans to add to its j refueling procedure lesson plan, a section addressing NRC Bulletin'89-03 '

and the concerns expressed therein.

Should there be any questions concerning this response, please contact L.W. haughlin, Site Licensing Supervisor, at (504) 464-3499. '{ ,

This response is submitted as required under affidavit'under provisions of  !

Section 182a of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended and l 10CFR50.54(f).  !

Very truly yours, f

a L' - > W RFB/DMU/ssf cc: Messrs. R.D. Martin, NRC Region IV <

F.J. Hebdon, NRC-NRR '

D.L. Wigginton, NRC-NRR E.L. Blake W.M. Stevenson  !

NRC Resident Inspectors Office I

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

-In the matter of' .)

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L Louisiana Power & Light Company ~) Docket No. 50-382 Waterford 3 Steam Electric Station ..?

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l- AFFIDAVIT-1 >

L R.F. Burski, being duly sworn, hereby : deposes and says that he is l Nuclear Safety and Regulatory Affairs. Manager.of Louisiana Power & Light.

l Company; that he is duly authorized to ::ign. and file with the Nucicar i Regulatory Commission the attached response to NRC Bulletin N6. 89-03; that he is familiar with the content thereof; and that the matters set forth i

therein are true and correct to the best of his knowledge, information,and belief.

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R.F. Burski Nuclear Safety &' Regulatory Affairs -

Manager

! s STATE OF LOUISIANA)

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PARISH OF ORLEANS )

n-and.for the Parish' Subscribedandsworntobefore[me,aNotaryPu and State above named this r9% day of L . 82ux.M4 ,-

1990'.

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• Notary Public/f/

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'My Commission expires /()/b -

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