ML20079Q508
| ML20079Q508 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Beaver Valley |
| Issue date: | 01/12/1984 |
| From: | Eisenhut D Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | DUQUESNE LIGHT CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20079Q511 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8402010198 | |
| Download: ML20079Q508 (4) | |
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7590-01 UNITEDSTATEDOFAMERICA$UCLEARREGULATORYCOMMISSION In the Matter of
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Docket No. 50-334
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DEQUESHE LIGHT COMPANY
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OHIO EDISON COMPANY
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PENNSYLVANIA POWER COMPANY
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(Beaver Valley Power Station
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Unit No. 1)
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EXEMPTION I.
The Duquesne Light Company (DLC), Ohio Edison Company, and Pennsyi/ania Power Company (the licensees), are the holder of Facility Operating License fic. DPR-66 (the licensee) which authorizes cperation of the Beaver Valley Power Station, Unit No.1.
The license provides, among other things, that it is subject to all rules, regulations and Orders of the Commission now and hereafter in effect.
The facility comprises a pressurized water reactor at the licensee's site located at Beaver County, Pennsylvania.
II.
On December 2,1981 the Commission issueti the final rule (10 CFR 50.44) on combustible gas control (46 FR 58484).
The rule requires licensees of each light-water reactor to provide, by the end of the first scheduled outage beginning after July 1,1982, improved operational capability to maintain 8402010198 840112 DRADOCK05000g
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7590-01
. adequate core cooling following an accident. Specifically, high point
- vents are rec' aired for the -reactor coolant system, for the reactor vessel h'end, and for other systems required to maintain adequate core cooling if the accumu-lation of noncondensible gases would cause the loss of function of these systems.
By letter dated August 25, 1983, Duquesne Light Company requested exemp-tion to the schedular requirement of 10 CFR 50.44(c)(3)(iii) and proposed that the operability date of the reactor coolant vent system be changed from the end of the third refueling outage to the end of the fourth refueling outage.
Contrary to what the rule requires, the fourth refue? lng outage is not the first, but the second " outage of sufficient duration after July 1, 1982." Two reasons were providsd by DLC to support the request:
(1)not having NRC authcrization for u,se of the system, and (2) the solenoid-operated vent valves already installed in the system have demonstrated an operational anomaly which requires resolution prior to declaring the system operational.
The system has been fully installed by DLC. However, pre-implementation review and approval by the staff is not required by the regulation and an exemption request based on the lack of staff approval is thus invalid.
III.
The second reason for the request is that the recently installed solenoid-operated valves which activate the vent system have demonstrated an l
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operational anomaly which r.ould lead to a common-mode failure.
The licensee advises that these valves are currently unacceptable for operation, and that the RCS high point vent system will be isolated (using manually operated isolation valves) and de-energized during power operation over the present fuel cycle (Cycle 4).
In addition, the licensee has initiated efforts to resolve the problem, and estimates that the problem can be resolved by the end of the next refueling outage.
The staff's review of the facility shows that Beaver Valley has three power-operated relief valves (PORVs), mounted on top of the pressurizer, which could be used to vent the pressurizer as well as the remainder of the
'RCS on a more extended time basis, in the event such an e'mergency occurs.
The staff notes that the vent system required by the regulation have been fully installed and hydrostatically tested, and could be made operational except with the anomaly as described.
Therefore, on the basis that a good-faith effort has been demonstrated by the licensee to comply with the regulation, and that a compensatory measure is available, the staff concludes that the facility can be operated with a non-operable RCS high-point vent system until start-up from the fourth refueling outage (presently scheduled for December, 1984) without a significant impact on public health and safety.
IV.
Accordingly, the Commission has detemined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, en exemption is authorized by law and will not endanger life or
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. property or the common defense and security and is otherwise in the public interest and hereby grants the following exemption with respect to th'e requirements of 10 CFR 50.44(c)(3)(iii):
The operability date of the reactor coolant high point vent systen be extended to the end of the fourth re. fueling outage.
The NRC staff has determined that the granting of this Exemption will not result in any significant environmental impact and that pursuant to 10 CFR 951.5(d)(4) an envircnmental impact statenent or negative declaration and environmental impact appraisal need not be prepared in connection with this action.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ie t i r
Division of Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Dated at Bethesda, Maryland this-12thday of January 1984.
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