ML20137B437

SER Accepting Request for Relief for 120-month Update of Facility Inservice Insp & Inservice Testing Programs & Code Addition & Addenda of Asme/Ansi Parts 6 & 10

ML20137B437
Person / Time
Site:	Farley
Issue date:	03/20/1997
From:	NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:
Shared Package
ML20137B429	List: ML20137B424 ML20137B437
References
NUDOCS 9703210328
Download: ML20137B437 (3)

Text

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@ Riou p k UNITED STATES j

j' s" NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION j 2 WASHINGTON, D.C. - aaN

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j SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION i RELATED TO REOUEST FOR RELIEF FOR I20-MONTH UPDATE OF UNIT 2 INSERVICE INSPECTION AND INSERVICE TESTING PROGRAMS AND CODE ADDITION AND ADDENDA 0F ASME/ ANSI PART 6 AND PART 10 i

i Egg I SOUTHERN NUCLEAR OPERATING COMPANY. INC.  !

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

1.0 INTRODUCTION

By letter dated January 9, 1997, Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.

(SNC) requested NRC authorization to update the Farley Nuclear Plant (FNP) i Unit 2 Inservice Inspection (ISI) and Inservice Testing (IST) programs for the third 10-year interval approximately 44 months ahead of schedule in order to l 1

coincide with the updates for Unit 1. SNC further requested NRC approval to 1 l update the IST programs for FNP Units 1 and 2 to a version of the American i Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code other than that specified in

10 CFR 50.55a.

l 2.0 EVALUATION l

j 2.1 FNP Unit 2 ISI and IST Schedules i The FNP Unit 2 third 10-year ISI and IST interval begins on July 31, 2001.

l The FNP Unit I third 10-year ISI and IST interval starts on December 1,1997.

SNC requested NRC authorization to place the Unit 2 ISI and IST programs on i

the same 10-year interval schedule as the Unit 1 program by updating the Unit 2 program approximately 44 months early.

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The purpose of an early update of the Unit 2 ISI and IST programs is primarily

] to use the same edition of the ASME Code,Section XI, and/or the addenda for both units. This will impose identical ISI and IST requirements on the i components and systems of each unit and thereby reduce the administrative i' burden in implementing the programs. Placing both units on the same schedule will further facilitate maintaining effective control over both programs.

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! On August 31, 1988, NRC approved the Unit 2 ISI and IST programs to be updated d

3 years in advance in order to coincide with the Unit 1 program update. The

approval required that the 10-year interval for FNP Unit 2 be maintained and

the ISI and IST programs be updated on December 1, 1997. In the current request, SNC stated that it would continue to update the ISI and IST programs for Unit 1 and Unit 2 concurrently for the remainder of the plant life. The i

fourth 10-year interval update will commence on December 1, 2007, for both

units. l As discussed in the staff's letter of August 31, 1988, FNP Units 1 and 2 are i nearly identical and only one ISI and IST program would be adequate to meet

the basic intent of 10 CFR 50.55a(f) and 10 CFR 50.55a(g). Licensees with l

! similar units at the same site have routinely realigned the units' programs

! for ISI and IST to the requirements of a single Code at some point in time  ;

i during the licensed life of the units. This alternative has provided an j acceptable level of quality and safety. The NRC specifically recommended in l NUREG-1482, Section 3.3.2, that licensees with two or more similar units at

. the same site consider placing the units on concurrent intervals to achieve j consistency between the IST programs.

SNC proposes to update the FNP ISI and IST programs concurrently on December 1, 1997, to the Code of record referenced in paragraph (b) of

! 10 CFR 50.55a with the exception as discussed in the second request in SNC's

! letter. Based on SNC's submittal, the staff concludes that the proposed

! alternative to update the Unit 2 ISI and IST programs concurrently with Unit 1

! to be acceptable. This will help improve reasonable assurance of operational i readiness and allow both units to be updated to a common ASME Section XI Code l edition for IST and ISI in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR 50.55a(f)(4)(ii) and 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(4)(ii).

i i The IST program for Unit 2 will not be adversely affected by the early update j because the normal pump and valve surveillance frequencies, with the possible l exception of the relief valves, will not change. SNC should address the i effect of the early Unit 2 update on the test frequency of relief valves in i its IST program submittal to the NRC. The proposed alternative for the early j update of the IST program is authorized pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(a)(3)(i).

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2.2 Use of Alternative ASME Code i

h SNC requested NRC authorization to use t'he requirements of ASME OM-1990 for i the inservice testing requirements for pumps and valves. SNC had compared the i OMa-1988 Addenda to the OM-1987 Standards with the OM Code-1990 and concluded i that ASME OM Code-1990 contains essentially the same requirements as the i OMa-1988 Addenda to the OM-1987 Standards with the exception that the general i administrative requirements, which were previously covered by Subsection IWA i of Section XI, are now included in Subsection ISTA of the OM Code. SNC states i that other differences are format, editorit1, and errata changes.

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l The sthii agrees that the 1990 Edition of the OM Code contains essentially the

same requirements as Parts 6 and 10 of the OMa-1988 Addenda to the 1987 Edition of the ASME ON Code with the exception that the general administrative requirements, which were previously covered by Subsection IWA of ASME Section XI, are now included in Subsection ISTA of the OM Code. - The updating of the Code edition for the ISI program has not identified any request for j relief except for the implementation of the repair and replacement criteria for the containment inspection under the IWE and IWL provisions of the ASME i

Section XI criteria. A separate relief request was authorized under 10 CFR 50.55a(a)(3)(ii), delaying the implementation of the repair and replacement criteria for the containment inspections, by letter dated March 4, 1997.

Since the ISI and IST programs are to be conducted in accordance with requirements that are essentially the same as those referenced in the current regulations, the proposed plan will provide an acceptable level of quality and safety. Therefore, the proposed alternative is authorized pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(a)(3)(1).

3.0 CONCLUSION

Based on the review of the information provided in the relief request, the staff considers the request to be reasonable and acceptable. Therefore, the staff concludes that the IST program for Unit 2 will not be adversely affected by the early update because the normal pump and valve surveillance frequencies, with the possible exception of the relief valves, will not change. The proposed alternative for the early update of the IST program would provide an acceptable level of quality and safety and is authorized pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(a)(3)(1). In addition, the ISI and IST programs are to be conducted in accordance with requirements that are essentially the same as those referenced in the current regulations. The proposed plan will provide an acceptable level of quality and safety. Therefore, the proposed alternative is authorized pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(a)(3)(i).

Principal Contributors: Z. Abdullahi P. Patnaik Date: March 20,1997 I

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