ML20059F296
| ML20059F296 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vogtle  |
| Issue date: | 10/26/1993 |
| From: | Varga S Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | GEORGIA POWER CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20059F298 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9311040230 | |
| Download: ML20059F296 (5) | |
Text
r 7590-01 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of
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GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
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OGLETHORPE POWER CORPORATION
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Docket No. 50-424 MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC AUTHORITY OF GEORGIA
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CITY OF DALTON, GEORGIA
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(Vogtle Electric Generating Plant,
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Unit No. 1)
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EXEMPTION I.
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The Georgia Power Company, et al. (GPC, the licensee), is the holder of Operating License No. NPF-68, which authorizes operation of the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Unit 1, at steady state reactor core power levels not in excess of 3411 megawatts thermal. The license provides, among other things, that the licensee is subject to the rules, regulations and orders of the Commission now or hereafter in effect.
The plant is a pressurized water reactor located at the licensee's site in Burke County, Georgia.
II.
Section 50.54(o) of 10 CFR Part 50 requires that primary reactor containments for water cooled power reactors be subject to the requirements of
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Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50.
Appendix J contains the leakage test requirements, schedules, and acceptance criteria for tests of the leak tight integrity of the primary reactor containment and systems and components which penetrate the containment.
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2 Section III.D.3 of Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50 requires that Type C leak rate tests be performed during each reactor shutdown for refueling but in no case at intervals greater than 2 years.
Type C tests are intended to measure containment isolation valve leakage rates for certain containment isolation valves.
III.
By letter dated September 9, 1993, the licensee requested a one-time exemption from the requirements of Appendix J,Section III.D.3, from 24 months to prior to entry into Mode 4 following the next scheduled refueling outage (or the next forced outage requiring entry into Mode 5), but no later than i
t November 1, 1994, for the Unit 1 auxiliary component cooling water (ACCW) j supply and return containment isolation valves lHV-1974 (and associated check valve 1-1217-04-113),1HV-1975, lHV-1978, and 1HV-1979.
In their request, the licensee provided the date when the leak tests had last been performed and the date when the current leak test will expire.
The leak tests for which the licensee has requested schedular exemption were last conducted during the fall 1991 refueling outage, based on the information provided in the licensee's application. The licensee has stated that, in the absence of the proposed relief, Unit I would have to be placed in Mode 5 sufficiently prior to October 28, 1993, so that the required testing could be performed.
IV.
The licensee presented information in support of their request for an extension of the Type C test intervals. The Appendix J leakage limit for all penetrations subject to Type B and C testing (0.6L,) at Vogtle is 228,273 sccm. The current total for Type B and C test leakage at Vogtle as of 4
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3 September 10, 1993, is 14,398.8 sccm. As of the last Type C local leak rate test (LLRT), the leakage for each of these four valves was as follows:
1HV-1974 - 152 sccm (this includes leakage past check valve 1-1217-04-113 in parallel with 1HV-1974); IHV-1975 - 11.6 sccm; IHV-1978 - 9.3 sccm; and 1HV-1979 - 11.4 sccm.
The licensee stated that, based on the past leakage test history of these valves, there is reasonable assurance that extending the test interval to no later than November 1,1994 (or the next forced outage that requires entry into Mode 5), will not adversely affect the ability of these valves to perform their isolation function.
V.
Based on the above, the staff finds there is reasonable assurance that the containment leakage-limiting function will be maintained and that a forced outage to perform Type C tests is not necessary.
Therefore, the staff finds the requested temporary exemption, to allow the Type C test interval for the ACCW supply and return containment isolation valves to be extended to prior to entry into Mode 4 following the next scheduled refueling outage (or the next forced outage requiring entry into Mode 5), but no later than November 1, 1994, to be acceptable.
The exemption request has been evaluated in a safety evaluation dated October 26, 1993.
Accordingly, the Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR j
50.12(a), the requested exemption is authorized by law, will not present an l
undue risk to public health and safety, and is consistent with the common defense and security. The Commission finds that the special circumstances as required by 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2) are present. As specified in 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii), special circumstances are present whenever the application of
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4 the regulation in the particular circumstance would not serve the underlying purpose of the rule or is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the rule.
The underlying purpose of the rule is to ensure that the components comprising the primary containment boundary are maintained and leak tested at periodic and appropriate intervals. The 24-month maximum interval was originally expected to bound the typical operating cycle, including a limited amount of mid-cycle outage time.
Strict adherence to the 24-month maximum interval is not necessary to meet the underlying purpose of the rule in that, taking into consideration the requested extension, the components that comprise the primary containment boundary will still be tested at a frequency.
that is appropriate to those components and their application.
Therefore, the staff finds the requested temporary exemption, to allow the Type C test interval for the ACCW supply and return containment isolation valves, as described in the licensee's September 30, 1993, to be extended to prior to entry into Mode 4 following the next scheduled refueling outage (or the next forced outage requiring entry into Mode 5), but no later than November 1, 1994, to be acceptable.
An exemption is hereby granted from the requirements of Section III.D.3 of Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50, which requires that Type C tests be performed during each reactor shutdown for refueling but in no case at intervals greater than 2 years, to prior to entry into Mode 4 following the next scheduled refueling outage (or the next forced outage requiring entry into Mode 5), but no later than November 1,1994, for the subject valves.
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Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that the g
granting of this Exemption will have no significant impact on the quality of the human environment (58 FR 54606 dated October 18,1993)
This exemption is effective upon issuance.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Original signed by:
l Steven A. Varga, Director Division of Reactor Projects - I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 26th day of October 1993 PDII-3/Lh PDII-3/PM PDI M M)-
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