ML20077S428
| ML20077S428 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vogtle  |
| Issue date: | 08/09/1991 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20077S421 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9108270255 | |
| Download: ML20077S428 (2) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES n
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I NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASH 1NotoN. D C. 20046 e...*
j SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO. 41 TO FAClllTY OPERATING LICENSE NPF-68 AND AMENOMENT NO. 21 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NPF-81 GEORGIA POWER COMPANY. ET AL.
V0GTLE ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT. UNITS 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-424 AND 50-425
1.0 INTRODUCTION
By letter dated March 29, 1991, Georgia Power Company (the licensee) submitted a request for changes to the Vogtle [lectric Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2 TechnicalSpecifications(TSs). The requested changes would revise the visual inspection requirements for snubbers in TS 4.7.8 in response to the guidance provided in the NRC's Generic Letter 90-09. " Alternative Requiremente for Snubber Visual Inspection Intervals and Corrective Action."
2.0 EVALUATION The present snubber visual examination schedule in the TSs is based on the number of inocerable snubbers identified in the previous visual examination.
The schedule is determined only by the absolute number of the inoperable
-snubbers discovered during the previous visual-examination and does not depend on the size of the snubber population. Therefore, licensees with a large snubber population find the schedule excessively restrictive.
Generic Letter 90-09 provides an acceptable alternative visual examination schedule permitting licensees to perform visual examinations and corrective actions during refueling outages without-decreasing the confidence level provided by_the existing surveillance requirements.
The basic examination interval is the normal fuel cycle up to 24 months.
This intorval may be extended to as long as twice the fuel cycle or reduced to as small as two-thirds of the fuel-cycle depending.on the number of unacceptable snubbers:
found during the visual; examination. The examination' interval _ may vary by 225
~
percent to coincide.with the actual outage, if one or more snubbers are found inoperable during a visual-examination, the Limiting Conditions for Operation (LCO) in the present TSs require the licensee to restore or replace the inoperable snubber (s) to_ operable status within 72 hours8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br />, or declare the attached system inoperable and follow the i-appropriate-action' statement for that system.. This LCO will remain in the TSs. However, the permissible number of inoperable snubber (s) and the
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subsequent visual examination interval will.now be determined in accordance with the new visual examination schedule ( "o)osed TS Table 4.7-2).
As noted in the guidance of Generic Letter 90-09 fo t11s line item TS improvement,
.certain corrective actions may have to b?,.erformed-depending on the number of 9108270253 910009 PD9 - ADOCK 05000424 P
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inoperable snubbers found. All requirements for corrective actions snd evaluations associated with the use of the visual examination schedule and those stated in Footnotes 1 through 6 (Table 1 of Generic Letter 90 09) are proposed to be included in the TSs.
The NRC staff has reviewed the proposed amendments, and finds the licensee's proposed changes to TS 3/4.7.8 to be consistent with the guidance provided in Generic Letter 90-09 for the replacement of the snubber visual exanination schedule with Table 1 (including Footnotes 1 through 6) ~~ Gen.!ri' etter 90 09 with three minor exceptions.
These minor exceptions are:
- 1) The term
" category of snubbers" is substituted for " type of snubber" in TS 4.7.8b, 2)
The term "other snubbers" in TS 4.7.Bc, criteria 1 conem ning reclassification of snubbers with regard to acceptability is clarified to indicate that any type ofsnubberismeant,and3) The requirement concerning hydraulic snubbers found connected to an inoperable comon hydraulic fluid reservoir is supplemented to indicate that the snubber shall be counted as unacceptable and may be reclassified as acceptable for determining the next visual inspection interval provided that certain criteria which currently exist in TS 4.7.8c are met. The staff finds these minor changes to be of an editorial or clarification nature and to be consistent with the intent of the NRC Generic Letter 90-09. Accordingly, and on the basis of acceptable conformance to Generic Letter 90-09, we find the proposed changes to the TSs for Vogtle Units 1 and 2 to be acceptable.
3.0 STATE CONSULTATION
n accordance with the Comission's regulations, the Georgia State of ficial Jas notified of the proposed issuance of the amendments. The State official had no comments.
4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
The anendments change surveillance requirements. The.NRC staff has determined that the amendments involve no significant increase in the amounts, and in the types, of any effluents that may be released offsite, and that there is no impact to the individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure. The Comission has areviously issued a proposed finding that the amendments involve no significant iazards consideration, and there has been no public coment on such finding (56 FR 20040). Accordingly, the amendments meet the elignility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b) no envirnnmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared in connection with the issuance of the amendments.
5.0 CONCLUSION
The Comission has concluded, based on the considerations discussed above, that:
(1) there is_ reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by operation in the proposed manner, (2) such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Comission's regulations, and (3) the issuance of the amendments will not be inimical to the comon defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.
Principal Contributors:
D. Hood, P0ll-3/DRPE L. Raghavan, P0ll-3/0RPE Oate: August 9, 1991 i