ML20045B233
| ML20045B233 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Cooper  |
| Issue date: | 06/07/1993 |
| From: | Horn G NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM) |
| References | |
| NSD930699, NUDOCS 9306170002 | |
| Download: ML20045B233 (2) | |
Text
,
B GENERALOF4CE T ' f]
P.O BOX 499, COLUVBUS. NEBRASKA 68602-0499 h Ol Nebraska Public Power District
- Tl"AnfC**
Cd W
__m2w
=uaz-======.
====
= - - - - -
NSD930699 June 7, 1993 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attn:
Document Control Desk Washington, D.C.
20555 Subj ec t :
Reactor Vessel Beltline Veld Inspections Cooper Nuclear Station NRC Docket No. 50-298, DPR No. 46 Gentlemen:
A recent revision to 10CFR50.55a, which became effective on September 8, 1992, imposes on licensees such as Cooper Nuclear Station, an augmented examination of reactor vessel shell welds as specified in the 1989 Edition of Section XI of the ASME Code. These examinations are to be made on essentially all Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) shell welds and within the schedule stated in the regulation. The Nebraska Public Power District (the District) presently plans to commence performing these inspections prior to 1996 based on our current schedule for refueling outages and our ten year inservice inspection interval.
The inspection criteria for RPV shell weld examinations will change in 1996 with the adoption of Appendix VIII of ASME Section XI for pressure vessel examination qualifications.
Appendix VIII will significantly change the requirements for demonstrating the adequacy of nondestructive examination procedures and inspection personnel from those presently specified by the code. The resources needed to implement Appendix VIII are not expected to be developed or available in time to support reactor vessel shell examinations prior to 1996. Hence, the RPV shell weld inspections performed by the District prior to 1996 most likely will not be to the Appendix VIII criteria.
There is a concern among licensees, including the District, that RPV shell weld examinations performed prior to the implementation of Appendix VIII could somehow be ruled invalid or inadequate.
If this was the case, then RPV shell weld examinations conducted prior to 1996 would have to be reperformed at an additional cost of resources and personnel exposure.
The possibility of a requirement to reexamine welds to Appendix VIII criteria c1 eates uncertainty in our planning which is significcnt due to the large impact which may be incurred.
The District requests consideration of this concern by the NRC. Notification of the NRC's position on this matter, to the industry, would remove the uncertainty and would assist utilities in their planning for the most effective implementation of RPV shell weld examinations.
! /
I D i M 193 o'h 9306170002 930607 d
PDR ADOCK 05000298 G
PDR q
wwny3 gg g3 j
gr~q.
wa._ ;
.--+{
f"~~~
wrm v
~
~
mamaa-
]=
=W
1
-6 NSD930699 1
Page 2 of.2
{
If u h ve questions on this matter, please call.
i L
l G
.. Horn Nu ' ear Power Group Manager t
/ dis
'l cc:
Regional Administrator NRC Region IV Arlington, TX NRC Resident Inspector Office Cooper Nuclear Station 9
1 o
i b
b
?
- f 6
l
' l i
I d
i i
4
--