ML20070N794
| ML20070N794 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palisades  |
| Issue date: | 01/21/1983 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20070N789 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8301250609 | |
| Download: ML20070N794 (3) | |
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'[Y g'o UNITED STATES q
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION n
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,E WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 s, j SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION SUPPORTING AMENDMENT N0. 74 TO PROVISIONAL OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-20, CONSUMERS POWER COMPANY PALISADES PLANT DOCKET NO. 50-255
1.0 INTRODUCTION
By letter dated December 15, 1982, Consumers Power Company (the licensee) requested an amendment to the Appendix A Technical Specifications appended to License No. DPR-20 for the Palisades Plant.
The amendment would change the provisions for required coron concentration and sampling frequency of one of the four safety injection tanks for the remainder of Cycl _e 5.
2.0 BACKGROUND
AND DISCUSSION e
The Palisades Plant has been experiencing minor leakage (within Technical Specification limits) of primary coolant into Safety Injection Taik (SIT)
T-82B.
In order to prevent this leakage from causing the boron concentration in T-82B to decrease below the Techn.ical Specification lower limit of 1720 ppm, operator action is currently required to restore the boron concentration in T-82B by frequently raising and lowering the fluid level in this tank.
The problem has been compounded by a failure of the SIT level indicating system which necessitates operator reliance on the high and low ~ level switch alarms for level indication.
Each time one of the alarms is received,-the SIT must be declared inoperable until the level and boron concentration are reestablished ithin the Tecnnical Specification limits (TS 3.3.1.b). Since maintain,ing the fluid level in T-828 is important with regard to Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) analyses, the licensee has proposed Technical Spec-ification changes which will allow the fluid level in T-828 to be within the Technical Specification limits a greater percentage of the time than at present.
The proposed Technical Specification changes would reduce the minimum' required boron conce-tration in SIT T-828 from 1720 ppm to not less than the primary coolant system boron concentration for the remainder of Cycle 5.
The fre-quencies for sampling the boren concentration in T-828 will be increased to
" weekly" from " monthly" and to within one hour of a primary coolant system boration greater than 70 ppm.
8301250609 830121 PDR ADOCK 05000255 P
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. 3.0 EVALUATION The licensee has stated that safety analyses were performed for LOCA events to determine the SIT boron concentration required to mair.tain' the reactor in a shutdown condition during a LOCA.
The analyses assumed that~
cll control rods remained fully withdrawn and that the contents of one SIT with a boron concentration of 1720 ppm emptied into the containment via the primary coolant system break, leaving two tanks with 1720 ppm and one tank with a boron concentration equal to that in the primary coolant system.
The results showed that these assumptions were sufficient to shutdown the reactor and maintain it in a shutdown condition throughout the LOCA under all conditions of burnup, power level, and xenon level.
We find the assumptions to be conservative and the results acceptable.
In addition, by maintaining the boron concentration in one SIT equal to or greater than the primary coolant system boron concentration, a boron dilution event cannot occur. Therefore, the proposed Technical Specifi-cation change which would allow the SIT T-828 to have a boron concentration lower limit equal to the primary coolant system boron concentration is acceptable for the remainder of Cycle 5.
The proposed changes in the frequencies for sampling the T-82B boron concentration allow for a closer monitoring of the boron concentration in T-82B and are, therefore, acceptable.
c Based on the above evaluation, we find the Technical Specification changes proposed for Palisades to deal'with the current problems invol.ving primary coolant leakage into SIT T-828 acceptable for the remainder of Cycle 5.
4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
We have determined that the amendment does not authorize a change in effluent types or total amounts nor an increase in power level and will not result in any significant environmental impact.
Having made this determination, we have further concluded that the amendment involves an action which is insignificant from the standpoint of environmental impact and pursuant to 10 CFR 551.5(d)(4) that an environmental impact ~ statement or negative declaration and environmental impact appraisal need not be prepared in connection with the issuance of this amendment.
5.0 CONCLUSION
We have concluded, based on the considerations dis' cussed above, that:
,(1 ) because the amendmen.t does not involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated, does not create the possibility of an accident of a type different from any evaluated previously, and does not involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety, the amendment does not involve a significant. hazards consideration; 1,
c 3-(2) there is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public 1
will not be endangered by operation in thi proposed manner; and -(3) such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations and the issuance of this amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.
6.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Lawrence Kopp contributed to this evaluation.
Date: January 21, 1983 4
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