ML20135E481

Safety Evaluation Accepting Implementation of 10CFR50.55a Requirements Related to Repair & Replacement Activities for Containment at Plant

ML20135E481
Person / Time
Site:	Farley
Issue date:	03/04/1997
From:	NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:
Shared Package
ML20135E476	List: ML20135E472 ML20135E481
References
NUDOCS 9703070090
Download: ML20135E481 (2)

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t NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20066 4001 SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION IMPLEMENTATION OF 10 CFR 50.55a RE0VIREMENTS RELATED TO THE REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT ACTIVITIES FOR CONTAINMENT fE

, SOUTHERN NUCLEAR OPERATING COMPANY. INC.

JOSEPH M. FARLEY NUCLEAR PLANT. UNITS 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-348 AND 50-364

1.0 INTRODUCTION

On August 8,1996, the Nuclear Regulatory Commis: ion amended its regulations to incorporate, by reference, the 1992 Edition with 1992 Addenda of Subsections IWE and IWL of Section XI of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, 61 FR 41303 (1996). Subsections IWE and IWL provide the requirements for inservice inspection (ISI) repair and replacement of Class CC Iconcrete containments), and Class MC (metallic containments) of the light .ater cooled power plants. The effective date for the amended rule was September 9,1996, and it requires t5e licensees to incorporate the new requirements into their ISI plans and to complete the first containment inspection within 5 years (by September 9,2001). Since the amended rule became effective on September 9, 1996, any repair or replacement activity to be performed for the containments after that date has to be in accordance with the respective requirements of Subsections IWE and IWL. However, a licensee can submit a request for relief for the date of implementation of its containment repair and replacement activities with proper justification.

This evaluation addresses the merits of the relief request proposed by the licensee, Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. (SNC), for Joseph M.

Farley Nuclear Plant (Farley), Units 1 and 2, by letter dated December 4, 1996.

2.0 EVALUATION Citing the hardship and difficulty of implementing the repair and replacement requirements and utilizing 10 CFR 50.55a(a)(3)(ii) provision of the rule, SNC requests relief from implementing the rule until March 15, 1997. This date coincides with the beginning of the Unit I refueling outage. SNC commits to implement the requirements of the rule for repair and replacement activities for both units at Farley starting March 15, 1997.

SNC, moreover, states that it is not aware of any safety concerns related to Farley's containments' structural integrity and their ability to perform their 9703070090 970304 PDR ADOCK 05000348 P PDP

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i intended safety function. Also, the plant's technical specification requirements (Sections 3.6.1.6, 4.6.1.6 and 6.16) mandate detailed ISIS of'the containments. They also require SNC to document the findings from the ISIS, and any repair / replacement (R/R) performed to ensure the structural and leak-tight integrity of the containments. Recognizing the difficulties involved in fully implementing the R/R requirements of Subsections IWE and IWL of the ASME Code Section XI as endorsed by 10 CFR 50.55a, for the short interim period, i

the staff finds SNC's existing technical specification commitments (including those for R/R activities) adequate to ensure the integrity of the

containments.

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3.0 CONCLUSION

Based on the review of the information provided in the relief request, the

plant's technical specification requirement for R/R, and the short-term associated with the relief request, the staff considers the request to be reasonable and acceptable. Therefore, the staff concludes that compliance i

with the IWE/IWL ASME Code requirements for containment R/R activities during

! the period September 9, 1996, through March 15, 1997, would result in hardship

! or unusual difficulty without a compensating increase in the level of quality and safety. Accordingly, the alternative contained in request for relief dated December 4,1996, of delaying implementation of repair and replacement activities until March 15, 1997, is authorized pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(a)(3)(ii).

Principal Contributor: H. Ashar Date: March 4, 1997

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