ML20055G032

Forwards Safety Evaluation Re Criticality Analysis of Fuel in Spent Fuel Racks Including Effect of Boraflex Gaps Which Could Occur Up Through Cycle 4.Storage Racks Can Safely Accomodate Max Reactivity of Unit 1 Cycle 1 Through Cycle 4

ML20055G032
Person / Time
Site:	Grand Gulf
Issue date:	07/16/1990
From:	Kintner L Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Cottle W ENTERGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Shared Package
ML20055G033	List: ML20055G032 ML20055G034
References
IEIN-87-043, IEIN-87-43, TAC-72718, NUDOCS 9007200074
Download: ML20055G032 (3)

Text

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'$ I July 16,1990  ;

C - t)ocket No EO-416 DISTRIBUTION N

• OGC JWing Mr. William T. Cottle NRC PDR EJordan Vice President, Operations-Grand Gulf Local PDR ACRS(10)

Entergy Operations, Inc. PD4 1 Reading GPA/PA ~

Post Office Box 756 RDudley PD4 1 Gray File Port Gibson, Mississippi 39150 AD/ Region II LReyes PNoonan HAshar *

Dear Mr. Cottle:

LKintner LKopp

SUBJECT:

GAPS IN BORAFLEX PANELS OF SPENT FUEL STORAGE RACKS (TAC NO. 72718) 1 By Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Information Notice No. 87-43 entitled, .

" Gaps in Neutron-Absorbing Material in High Density Spent Fuel Storage Racks"  !

dated September 8, 1987, the NRC alerted licensees of operating reactors that gaps had been found in Boraflex pancis of spent fuel storage racks. In

" , response to this information, the licensee (System Energy Resources before June 6,1990 and Entergy Operations, Inc. af ter June 6,1990}initiated Inc, blackness testing of the Boraflex panels in the spent fuel storage racks of Grand Gulf Nuclear Station Unit 1 (GGNS.1). By letter dated February 27, 1989, in response to NRC staff requests, the licensee submitted a criticality analysis of fuel stored in the spent fuel racks including the effect of iBoraflex gaps which auld occur up through Cycle 4. In the February 27, 1989 letter and letters dat a December 5, 1989, April 30, 1990 and June 22, 1990, the licensee also committed to perform blackness testing each refueling outage, and following an earthquake, to assure that the required shutdown margin of the spent fuel-racks will be maintained.

The NRC staff has completed its review of the criticality analysis, including the effect of. gaps in the Boraflex and the surveillance testing to measure any changes in. gap dimensions and distribution. The staff's Safety Evaluation is enclosed. The staff concludes that: (1) the storage racks can safely accommodate the' maximum reactivity of GGNS.1 Cycle 1 through Cycle 4 fuel,

-(2) the GGNS-1 storage rack Boraflex surveillance program is acceptable for longtermstorage,and(3)intheeventofanearthquake,performanceof

, additional surveillance testing and analyses is an acceptable means of confirming that any movement of Boraflex is bounded by criticality analyses.

$o Sincerely, s

$gg. Original signed by

+o Lester L. Kintner, Senior Project Manager 88 Project Directorate IV-1 90 -Division of Reactor Projects - III e IV, V and Special Projects

$8 Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation oc Y

Enclosure:

'Se ' Safety Evaluation

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OFFICIAL RECORD COPY </

Document Name: GG LTR/ TAC 72718

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ff, g UNITED STATES

{ j; NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

• s j WASHINGTON, D C. 20655 July 16,1990

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Docket No. 50-416 Mr. William T. Cottle Vice President, Operations-Grand Gulf Entergy Operations, Inc.

Post Office Box 756 Port Gibson, Mississippi 39150

SUBJECT:

GAPS IN BORAFLEX PANELS OF SPENT FUEL STORAGE RACKS (TAC NO. 72718)

By Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Information Notice No. 87-43 entitled,

" Gaps in Neutron-Absorbing Material in High Density Spent Fuel Storage Racks" dated September 8, 1987, the NRC alerted licensees of operating reactors that gaps had been found in Boraflex panels of spent fuel: storage racks. In response to this information, the licensee (System Energy Resources, Inc.

before June 6,1990 and Entergy Operations, Inc. after June 6,1990) initiated blackness testing of the Boraflex panels in the sprmt fuel storage racks of Grand Gulf Nuclear Station Unit 1 (GGNS-1). By letter dated February 27 1989, in response to NRC staff requests, the licensee submitted a criticality analysis of fuel-stored in the spent fuel racks including the effect of Boraflex gaps which could occur up through Cycle 4. in the February 27, 1989 letter and-letters dated December 5, 1989, April 30, 1990 and June 22, 1990, the licensee also comitted to perform blackness testing each refueling outage, and following an earthquake, to assure that the required shutdown margin of the spent fuel racks will be maintained.

The NRC staff ha: completed its review of the criticality analysis, including-

. the effect of gaps in the Boraflex and the surveillance testing to measure any changes in gap dimensions and distribution. The staff's Safety Evaluation is enclosed. The staff concludes that: (1) the storage racks can safely accommodate the maximum reactivity of GGNS-1 Cycle 1 through Cycle 4 fuel, (2) the GGNS-1 storago rack Boraflex surveillance program is acceptable for

- long term storage, and (3) in the event of an earthquake, performance of aoditional surveillance testing and analyses is'an acceptable means of confirming that any movement of Boraflex is bounded by criticality analyses.

Sincerely, e .

Mb Lester L. Kint r, Senior Project Manager Project Directorate IV-1 Division of Reactor Projects - III IV, Y and Special Projects Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Safety Esaluation cc w/ enclosure:

See next page

l

.- - - Mr. W. T. Cottle Entergy Operations, Inc. Grand Gulf Nuclear Station CC:

Mr. T. H. Cloninger Mr. C. R. Hutchinson Vice President, Engineering GGNS General Manager Entergy Operations Inc. Entergy Operations, Inc.

P. O. Box 31995 P. O. Box 756 Jackson, Mississippi 39286-1995 Port Gibson, Mississippi 39150 Robert B. McGehee, Esquire The Honorable William J. Guste, Jr.

Wise, Carter, Child, and Attorney General Caraway Department of Justice P. O. Box 651 State of Louisiana Jackson, Mississippi 39205 P. O. Box 94005 Nicholas S. Reynolds, Esquire Bishop Cook, Purcell Alton B. Cobb, M.D.

and Reynolds State Health Officer 1400 L Street,-N.W. - 12th Floor State Board of Health Washington, D.C. 20005-3502 P. O. Box 1700 Jackson, Mississippi 39205 Mr. Jim T. LeGros Manager of Quality Assurance Office of the Governor Entergy Operations, Inc. State of Mississippi P. O. Box 31995 Jackson, Mississippi 39201 Jackson, Mississippi 39286-1995 President, '

Mr. Jack McMillan, Director Claiborne County Board of Supervisors Division of Solid Waste Management Port Gibson, Mississippi 39150 Mississippi Department of Natural Resources Regional Administrator, Region II P. O. Box 10385 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Jackson, Mississippi 39209 101 Marietta St., Suite 2900 Atlanta, Georgia 30323 .

Mr. John G. Cesare Director, Nuclear Licensing Mike Morre, Attorney General Entergy Operations, Inc. Frank Spencer, Asst. Attorney General P. O. Box 756 State of Mississippi..

Port Gibson, Mississippi 39150 Post Office Box 229r!

Jackson, Mississippi 39225 Mr. C. B. Hogg, Project Manager Bechtel Power Corporation Mr. Gerald W. Muench P. O. Box 2166 Vice President, Operations Support Houston, Texas 77252-2166 Entergy Operations, Inc.

P. O. Box 31995 Mr. H. O. Christensen Jackson, Mississippi 39286-1995 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nucleat Regulatory Commission Mr. Donald C. Hintz, Executive Vice

-Route 2, Box 399 President & Chief Operating Officer Port Gibson, Mississippi 39150 Entergy Operations, Inc.

P. O. Box 31995 Jackson, Mississippi 39286-1995 l

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