ML20055C634

Advises That Revised Schedule to Perform Blackness Testing within 2 Yrs of Placing Racks in Svc & Every 5 Yrs Thereafter,Acceptable

ML20055C634
Person / Time
Site:	Byron, Braidwood
Issue date:	05/23/1990
From:	Shemanski P Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Kovach T COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO.
References
TAC-62112, TAC-63266, TAC-72234, TAC-72235, NUDOCS 9005290231
Download: ML20055C634 (3)

Text

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May 23, 1990 Docket Nos. STN 50-454, STN 50-455 l STN 50-456, STN 50-457  !

Mr. Thomas J. Kovach il Nuclear Licensing Manager i Commonwealth' Edison Company-Suite 300 OPUS West III I 1400 OPUS' Place.

Downers Grove Illinois 60515  !

Dear Mr. Kovach:

l

SUBJECT:

HIGH DENSITY FUEL STORAGE RACKS BLACKNESS TESTING - BYRON STATION UNIT NOS 1 AND 2; BRAIDWOOD STATION UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 (TAC NOS. 62112, 63266, 72234 AND 72235) j

-By letter dated February 27, 1990, Commonwealth Edison Company (CECO) provided the NRC staff with a schedule for performing the first and subsequent blackness tests and the evaluations performed to support that test rhedule.

The commitment to perform blackness testing after the first refuelic to ensure fuel rack acceptability with Boraflex shrinking and cracking was ,

provided in~ Amendments 20 and 25 for Braidwood and Byron, respectively. The ,

revised schedule'to perform the blackness testing within 2 years of placing  ;

4

. the racks in service and every 5 years, thereafter, has been reviewed by the

-NRC staff and found acceptable, j r

The staff determined that reasonable assurance exists that physical restraints are absent-in the Boraflex panels of the Byron Station because the Boraflex sheets are not physically fastened to or permanently glued onto any structure.

Also, in Section 10-of the Criticality Analysis of the High Dendty Fuel Racks,  :

the addition of Boral. inserts has eliminated the Boraflex shrinking / cracking i concern in the Region I racks which store the most reactive fuel. -l 1

While it is not'likely that gaps will form in any significant extent in the

c. Boraflex panels during the projected life of the Boraflex panels, it is expected that the monitoring program under the revised schedule will detect such degraded Boraflex panels, and there would be sufficient time to perform a

= criticality evaluation.

. Sincerely,-

Originai signed by Stephen P. Sands for i Paul C. Shemanski, Project Manager I Project Directorate III-2

~ 9003290231 900523 Division of Reactor Projects - III, PDR ADOCK 05000454 IV, V and Special Projects

• P PDC Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation cc: See next page  !

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.j May 23, 1990 Docket Nos. STN 50-454, STN 50-455 STN 50-456, STN 50-457  ;

LMr.ThomasJ.Kovach Nuclear Licensing Manager-r Connonwealth. Edison Company-Suite- 300 '

OPUS-West-III-1400 OPUS Place

,, : Downers Grove,11111nois. 60515 i

Dear Mr. Kovach:

y ~

SUBJECT:

HIGH DENSITY FUEL STORAGE RACKS BLACKNESS TESTING - BYRON STATION UNIT NOS.>1 AND 2; BRAIDWOOD STATION UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 (TAC NOS. 62112, 63266,.72234AND72235)-

L lBy letter ' dated February 27, 1990, Commonwealth Edison Company (CECO) provided

• -the NRC staff.with a schedule for performing the first and subsequent

-blacknes" Wsts and the evaluations performed to support that test schedule.

The co r tment to perform blackness testing after the first refueling to-ensurt Nel rack acceptability with Boraflex shrinking and cracking was ,

provid., in Amendments 20 and 25 for Braidwood and Byron, respectively. The l

' revised schedule to perform the blackness testing within-2 years.of placing _ a

' the racks-in service, and every 5 years, thereaf ter, has been' reviewed by the . J

NRC staf_f and-found acceptable.- -

s j nThe' staff determined that reasonable assurance exists that physical restraints p .are absent;in the Boraflex panels' of the Byron Station because.the Boraflex h

sheets are.'not physically fastened to or permanently- glued onto any- structure, p i Also, in Section 10 of the Criticality Analysis of the High Density Fuel Racks, the addition of Bora1' inserts has eliminated the Boraflex-shrinking / cracking concern'in the Region I racks which store the most reactive fuel. '

l WhileitIisnot.likelythatgapswillforminanysignificantextentinthe Boraflex: panels duringithe projected life-of the Boraflex panels, it is ,

expected .that the monitoring program under the revised schedule will detect '

l such: degraded Boraflex panels, and there would be sufficient time to perform a 3 criticality evaluation, j L

f Sincerely, 6A d Paul C emanski, Project Manager

[r Project Directorate III-2 Division of Reactor Projects - III, IV,.Y and Special Projects  ;

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation cc: See next page v

8 1

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.y Mr. - Thomas J. Kovach Byron /Braidwood Power Station Comonwealth Edison Company Units 1 and 2 CC' Mr. Gabe Toth U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Westinghouse Electric Corporation Byron /Resioent Inspectors Office  ;

Energy Systems Business Unit 4448 North German Church Road Post Office Box 355, Bay 236 West Byron, Illinois 61010- ,

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230 ' '

Ms. Lorraine Creek Joseph Gallo, Esq. Rt. 1, Box 182 Hopkins and Sutter Manteno Illinois 60950 .;

888 16th Street, N.W.

Suite 700 Mrs. Phillip-B. Johnson Washington, D.C. 20006 1907 Stratford Lane Rockford, Illinois 61107 Regional Administrator-U. S. NRC, Region III Douglass Cassel,-Esq.

799 Roosevelt Road, Bldg. #4 109 N. Derarborn. Street-Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60137 Suite 1300 Chicago, Illinois 60602 Ms. Bridget Little Rorem l Appleseed Coordinator David C. Thomas, Esq.

117 North Linden Street. 77 S. Wacker Drive Essex, Illinois 60935 Chicago, Illinois 60601 Mr. Edward R. Crass Michael Miller, Esq.

Nuclear Safeguards and Licensing Sidley and Austin 1 Division One First National Plaza l

Sargent~& Lundy Engineers Chicago, Illinois 60690 .

55 East Monroe Street

-Chicago, Illinois 60603 George L. Edgar .

L O .

Newman & Holtzinger, P.C.

U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission 1615 L Street, N.W.

l- Resident Inspectors Office Washington, D.C. 20036

, RRf1, Box 79 -

i.

Braceville, Illinois 60407 Comonwealth Edison Company Byron Station Manager Mr. Thomas W. Ortciger, Director 4450 North German Church Road-Illinois Emergency Scrvices Byron, Illinois' 61010 R and Disaster Agency 110 East Adams Street Springfield, Illinois 62706

1. Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety Office of Nuclear Facility Safety l 1035 Outer Park Drive Springfield, Illinois 62704 L

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