ML20129E580
| ML20129E580 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Oyster Creek |
| Issue date: | 09/26/1996 |
| From: | Eaton R NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | Roche M GENERAL PUBLIC UTILITIES CORP. |
| References | |
| GL-88-01, GL-88-1, GL-89-10, TAC-M93315, NUDOCS 9610030209 | |
| Download: ML20129E580 (4) | |
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k UNITED STATES l
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NUCLEAR REttULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D C. 30086 4 001 o( *****,/
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September 26, 1996
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Mr. Michael B. Roche Vice President and Director L
GPU Nuclear Corporation l
Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station Post Office Box 388 Forked River, New Jersey 08731
SUBJECT:
REVIEW OF INTERGRANULAR STRESS-CORROSION CRACKING INSPECTION PLAN OF
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REACTOR WATER CLEANUP SYSTEM PIPING WELDS OUTBOARD OF THE PRIMARY CONTAINMENT ISOLATION VALVES - OYSTER CREEK NUCLEAR GENERATING l
STATION (TAC NO. M93315) i
Dear Mr. Roche:
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The staff issued NRC Generic Letter (GL) 88-01, "NRC Position on Intergranular Stress-Corrosion Cracking (IGSCC) in Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) Austenitic i
Stainless Steel Piping," to address IGSCC near weldments in BWR piping.
Supplement 1 to GL 88-01 provided alternatives regarding the inspection of i
reactor water clean-up (RWCU) system piping outboard of the containment j
isolation valves and recommended inspection of the subject piping on a sampling basis of at least 10% of the weld population each refueling outage (RF0) until completion of NRC GL 89-10, " Safety-Related Motor Operated Valve Testing and Surveillance," activities.
By letter dated August 12, 1988, GPU j
Nuclear Corporation (GPU) provided a response to GL 88-01, where it informed the staff of its future plans for IGSCC inspection. Also, by letter dated June 7, 1990, GPU accepted the staff's position concerning ultrasonic inspections of at least 10% of the RWCU piping welds outboard of the secondary containment isolation valves for RF013.
In addition, GPU indicated that it 1
tentatively planned to inspect an additional 10% of these welds during future l
RFOs, depending on the results of the RF0 13 inspections.
J l
=In its submittal dated June 26, 1992, GPU proposed a change to the Oyster Creek IGSCC Inservice Inspection (ISI) Program and'provided technical J
justification for not inspecting the RWCU system welds outside the second j-
-isolation valve. :By NRC letter dated September 30, 1992, the staff indicated that'even though GPU provided some reasons to support its proposal not to inspect the' subject piping outside the second isolation valve, GPU should not j
reduce the minimum of 10% sampling during each refuCng outage because it had j-not'yet completed GL 89-10 recommended actions.
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-By letter dated February 17, 1995, GPU notified the NRC that it considered.
j that the recommended actions of GL 89-10 were complete.
Subsequently, by-letter dated August II,1995, GPU provided additional information indicating that it had inspected all. the RWCU welds inboard-of the containment isolation valves and 29 of 85 welds outboard'of the second containment isolation valves fd and found no IGSCC indications, NRC FRE CENTER COPY D mn s
u 9610030209 960926 PDR ADOCK 05000219 p
PDR a
f Michael B. Roche 2-i Therefore, GPU requested NRC approval for eliminating the IGSCC inspection of the RWCU system piping welds outside the second isolation valve as part of its augmented ISI at Oyster Creek.
l On December 4,1995, a conference call between the NRC and GPU was held to discuss GPU's actions in response to the Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI's) recent information to prevent potential damage to isolation valves that may be required to operate under blowdown conditions and EPRI's recommendations concerning sharp edges and clearances for gate valves. The staff emphasized that part of NRC's basis for allowing reduced weld inspections downstream of the second isolation valve is confidence that the isolation valves will be capable of isolating under blowdown conditions.
Therefore, the NRC staff requested that GPU provide NRC with its plans to address the concerns regarding potential damage to the blowdown gate valves by measures such as rounding sharp edges and verifying proper clearances.
I 1
GPU prepared an internal memorandum that addressed plans for responding to the EPRI information but did not have a specific date for completion of its i
actions.
The NRC staff did not agree with GPU's proposed plan to address EPRI's reccomendations only if and when the particular valve failed a local i
leak rate test.
By letter dated March 8, 1996; in response to the staff's request for additional information dated January 22, 1996, GPU indicated it L
planned to modify the RWCU isolation valves in accordance with the EPRI recommendations if the valves required disassembly for maintenance purposes.
BLW on the staff's concerns regarding the isolation capability of the gate 1-valves under blowdown conditions, and the uncertainty of when the i
modifications to these valves will be completed, the staff has' determined that l
9PU's request of eliminating the IGSCC inspection of the RWCU system piping i
welds outside the second isolation valve should be denied at this time.
GPU's
?
i request may be resubmitted after this new issue concerning the-performance of-the subject gate valves under blowdown conditions has been resolved.
This completes all action associated with and closes. TAC No. M93315.
i Sinc ely, l
R nald B. Eaton, Senior Project Manager Project Diractorate I-2 j-Division ot :leactor Projects - I/II l
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulatinn Docket No. 50-219 cc:
See next page e
t i
Michael B. Roche September 26, 1996 1
Therefore, GPU requested NRC approval for eliminating the IGSCC inspection of the RWCU system piping welds outside tFe second isolation valve as part of its augmented ISI at Oyster Creek.
On December 4, 1995, a conference call between the NRC and GPU was held to discuss GPU's actions in response to the Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI's) recent information to prevent potential damage to isolation valves that may be required to operate under blowdown conditions and EPRI's recommendations concerning sharp edges and clearances for gate valves.
The staff emphasized that part of NRC's basis for allowing reduced weld inspections downstream of the second isolation valve is confidence that the icolation valves will be capable of isolating under blowdown conditions.
Therefore, the NRC staff requested that GPU provide NRC with its plans to address the concerns regarding potential damage to the blowdown gate valves by measures such as rounding sharp edges and verifying proper clearances.
GPU prepared an internal memorandum that addressed plans for responding to the EPRI information but did not have a specific date for completion of its actions. The NRC staff did not agree with GPU's proposed plan to address EPRI's reccamendations only if and when the particular valve failed a local leak rate test.
By letter dated March 8, 1996; in response to the staff's request for additional information dated January 22, 1996, GPU indicated it planned to modify the RWCU isolation valves in accordance with the EPRI recommendations if the valves required disassembly for maintenance purposes.
Based on the staff's concerns regarding the isolation capability of the gate valves under blowdown conditions, and the uncertainty of when the modifications to these valvcs will be completed, the staff has determined that GPU's request of eliminating the IGSCC inspection of the RWCU system piping welds outside the second isolation valve should be denied at this time.
GPU's request may be resubmitted after.this new issue concerning the performance of the subject gate valves under blowdown conditions has been resolved.
This completes all action associated with and closes TAC No. M93315.
Sincerely, Original signed by:
Ronald B. Eaton, Senior Project Manager Project Directorate I-2 Df is'on of Reactor Projects - I/II Offh a of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-219 Distribution Docket File.
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M. Roche Oyster Creek Nuclear GPU Nuclear Corporation Generating Station cc:
Ernest L. Blake, Jr., Esquire Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge
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2300 N Street, NW.
i Washington, DC 20037 Regional Administrator, Region I U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 BWR Licensing Manager GPU Nuclear Corporation 1 Upper Pond Road Parsippany, NJ b7054 Mayor Lacey Township i
818 West Lacey Road i
Forked River, NJ 08731 Licensing Manager i
Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station Mail Stop; Site Emergency Bldg.
P.O. Box 3CR Forked River, NJ 08731 l
i Resident Inspector c/o U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 445 i
Forked River, NJ 08731 Kent Tosch, Chief New Jersey Departe:ent of Environmental Protection Bureau of Nuclear Engineering CN 415 Trenton, NJ 05625 I
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