ML20138G412

Forwards RAI Re Relief Requests Not Being Submitted When Required by 10CFR50.55a.Response Requested to Be Provided within 180 Days of Date of Ltr

ML20138G412
Person / Time
Site:	Duane Arnold
Issue date:	05/01/1997
From:	Kelly G NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Leslie Liu IES UTILITIES INC., (FORMERLY IOWA ELECTRIC LIGHT
References
NUDOCS 9705060290
Download: ML20138G412 (4)

Text

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May 1, 1997 Mr. Lee Liu Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer IES Utilities Inc.

200 First Street, SE P.O. Box 351 Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-0351

SUBJECT:

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR INSERVICE INSPECTION PROGRAM

Dear Mr. Liu:

The NRC has become aware that some licensees have misinterpreted portions of 10 CFR 50.55a. Specifically, the NRC is concerned that relief requests are ,

not always being submitted when required by 10 CFR 50.55a. The enclosure outlines the applicable portions of the regulation and the specific information requested. Please provide your response to this request within 180 days of the date of this letter.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely, Original signed by:

Glenn B. Kelly, Senior Project Manager Project Directorate III-3 Division of Reactor Projects III/IV Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-331

Enclosure:

Request for Information cc w/ encl: See next page g gy Distribution w/ encl: s

Docket File JRoe j)

PUBLIC PD3-3 r/f EAdensam (EGAl)

TMcClellan Of 0GC JCaldwell, RIII ACRS CG003 DOCUMENT NAME:G:\DUANEARN\DARBISI.LTR To receive a copy of tHs document, indicate in the box: "C" = Copy wi losures *E" = Copy with enclosures "N" = No copy 0FFICE PD33:LA_ E PD33 lE PD33:PM.l E_ ECG8:BC l AREW',d P.DShKl_ ~

NAME CBoyleU14 DWeavbriC GKelly/#AA Ggagchi JLed) G) fat ci #

0(/) /97 DATE 04/9@9h 04/)$/97 04/$d/97 04/ 'W97 04 M /97 0FFICIAL RECORD COPY 9705060290 970501 PDR ADOCK 05000331 P PDR

l .

I May 1, 1997 Mr. Lee Liu Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer IES Utilities Inc.

200 First Street, SE P.O. Box 351 Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-0351  ;

SUBJECT:

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR INSERVICE INSPECTION PROGRAM

Dear Mr. Liu:

I The NRC has become aware that some licensees have misinterpreted portions of 10 CFR 50.55a. Specifically, the NRC is concerned that relief requests are  ;

not always being submitted when required by 10 CFR 50.55a. The enclosure l outlines the applicable portions of the regulation and the specific l information requested. Please provide your response to this request within 180 days of the date of this letter.

Thank you for your cooperation.  !

Sincerely,  !

Original signed by:

Glenn B. Kelly, Senior Project Manager Project Directorate III-3 Division of Reactor Projects III/IV Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-331

Enclosure:

Request for Information cc w/ encl: See next page Distribution w/ encl:

Docket File JRoe PUBLIC EAdensam (EGA1)

PD3-3 r/f TMcClellan OGC JCald'well, RIII ACRS DOCUMENT NAME:G:\DUANEARN\DARBISI.LTR To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box: *C" = Copy wi losures *E" = Copy with enclosures "N" = No copy 0FFICE PD33:LA. E PD33 J E PD33:PM,lE. ECG6:BC l MttM/,d P.DS;9TfQ .

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NAME CBoyleU1/ DWeavbrtC GKelly M M Ggagchi JLekM Gliar'cuF 04/Pg/9A 04/,)$/97 04/9)/97 0(/\ /97 DATE 04 / 'W97 04/QJe7 0FFICIAL RECORD COPY

1 .

l Mr. Lee Liu Duane Arnold Energy Center l IES Utilities Inc.

cc:

Jack Newman, Esquire Kathleen H. Shea, Esquire Morgan, Lewis, & Bockius igo C bO36-5869 j Chairman, Linn County l Board of Supervisors  !

Cedar Rapids, IA 52406 1 l

IES Utilities Inc.

ATTN: Gary Van Middlesworth Plant Superintendent, Nuclear 3277 DAEC Road Palo, IA 52324 Mr. John F. Franz, Jr.

Vice President, Nuclear Duane Arnold Energy Center 3277 DAEC Road Palo, IA 52324 Mr. Ken Peveler Manager, Nuclear Licensing Duane Arnold Energy Center i 3277 DAEC Road i Palo, IA 52324 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Resident Inspector's Office I Rural Route #1 Palo, IA 52324 Regional Administrator, RIII  !

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 801 Warrenville Road Lisle, IL 60532-4531 Ms. Parween Baig Utilities Division Iowa Department of Commerce .

Lucas Office Building, 5th floor Des Moines, IA 50319

= --. .- .- - -

, RE0 VEST FOR INFORMATION ON THE INSERVICE INSPECTION PROGRAM 1.0 Backaround l Technical Specifications for the Duane Arnold Nuclear Power Plant require that the inservice inspection (ISI) of ASME Code Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 components be performed in accordance with Section XI of the ASME Boiler and l Pressure Vessel Code and applicable Addenda as required by 10 CFR 50, Section 50.55(g), except where relief has been granted by the Commission pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55(g)(6)(i).

i Section 50.55a(g)(5)(iii) of 10 CFR Part 50 requires, "If the licensee has l determined that conformance with certain code requirements is impractical 'for i its facility, the licensee shall notify the Commission and submit, as specified in 6 50.4, information to support the determinations."

Section 50.55a(g)(5)(iv) of 10 CFR Part 50 requires, "Where an examination 4 requirement by the code or addenda is determined to be impractical by the licensee and is not included in the revised inservice inspection program as permitted by paragraph (g)(4) of this section, the basis for this determination must be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Commission not later than 12 months after the expiration of the initial 120-month period of operation from start of facility commercial operation and each subsequent i 120-month period of operation during which the examination is determined to be impractical . " l Section 50.55a(g)(6)(1) of 10 CFR Part 50 states, "The Commission will evaluate determinations under paragraph (g)(5) of this section that code  ;

requirements are impractical. The Commission may grant such relief and may impose such alternative requirements as it determines is authorized ...."

2.0 Information Reauested It was brought to the NRC's attention that a number of licensees may be misinterpreting 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(4) that states in part, "... components ... l must meet the requirements ... to the extent practical within the limitations of design, geometry, and materials of construction of the components." As with relief requests for other code components for incomplete or partial ASME Code-required ISI examinations, NRC authorization is required when all the code requirements are not met. For further clarification, see NRC Information Notice 96-32, " Implementation of 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(6)(ii)(A), Augmented Examination of Reactor Vessel," dated June 5, 1996.

The staff is requesting information and/or clarification regarding the licensee's implementation of this requirement. The staff requires the following information for fuel cycles 12 and 13: 1) Were requests for relief submitted for all documented welded components that received less than essentially 100% examination coverage; 2) Did the licensee complete the examinations for the sample weld population as required by the ASME Code,Section XI; and 3) Were there any preservice indications that should have been reevaluated for structural integrity, giving due consideration to in-service degradation, but were not because the ISI examinations were limited by design / access restrictions?

ENCLOSURE