ML20138J973
| ML20138J973 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Salem  |
| Issue date: | 05/02/1997 |
| From: | Stolz J NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20138J977 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9705090220 | |
| Download: ML20138J973 (6) | |
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7590-01-P UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION PUBLIC SERVICE ELECTRIC & GAS COMPANY PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC COMPANY DELMARVA POWER AND LIGHT COMPANY ATLANTIC CITY ELECTRIC COMPANY SALEM NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION. UNITS 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-272 AND 50-311 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is considering issuance of a license amendment for Facility Operating Licenses Nos. DPR-70 and DPR-75, issued to Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G. the licensee), for operation of the Salem Nuclear Generating Station. Units 1 and
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4 2 (Salem Units 1 a'nd 2).
I The facility consists of two pressurized-water reators located at the licensee's site in Salem County, New Jersey.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Identification of Prooosed Action:
i The proposed action would change Technical Specification (TS) 3.4.3.
" Relief Valves." for Salem Unit 1. and TS 3.4.5 " Relief Valves." for Salem Unit 2 to ensure that the automatic capability of the power operated relief valves (PORVs) to relieve pressure is maintained when these valves are isolated by closure of the block valves.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's application for amendment dated January 31, 1997, as supplemented by letter dated March 14 1997.
9705090220 970502 DR ADOCK 0500 2
Jhe Need for the ProDosed Action:
In June of 1990, the NRC issued Generic Letter (GL) 90-06 entitled
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" Resolution of Generic Issue 70. ' Power-0perated Valve and Block Valve Reliability.' and Generic Issue 94 ' Additional Low-Temperature Overpressurization Protection For Light-Water Reactors.'" This GL was issued to increase the reliability of the PORVs and block valves to assure that they l
would function as required for certain transients and accidents including i
. Steam Generator Tupe Rupture (SGTR). low temperature overpressurization protection, and plant cooldown. One of the actions required by the GL was to revise the limiting conditions for operation (LCO) of the PORVs and block valves in the TSs.
PSE&G complied by submitting a request to change the TSs', by letter NLR-N93163 dated December 8. 1993. which was incorporated in the Salem Unit 1 and 2 licenses via Amendments 150 and 130. dated April 7.1994, respectively.
l The submitted request and amendments were based on the guidance provided in the GL and also later revisions that were made to the LC0 under NUREG-1431.
" Standard Technical Specifications Westinghouse Plants." Revision. O. dated l
September 1992. One of the changes afforded by NUREG-1431 was to allow PORV i
isolation provided the PORVs are capable of manual operation based.on the mitigation of a Steam Generator Tube Rupture event: whereas, the TSs recommended in GL 90-06 addressed isolation only for valves with excessive seat leakage.
In June of 1993. Westinghouse issued Nuclear Safety Advisory letter, t
NSAL 93-013. which addressed the Inadvertent Safety Injection (SI) Actuation
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t at Power event and informed plants that potential nonconservative assumptions
. were used in evaluating the Inadvertent SI analyses.
Westinghouse determined that crediting PORV operation could be a potential solution for the mitigation j
i of this event. The spurious operation of the SI System at power is classified as a Condition II event, a fault of moderate frequency, as referenced in l
Salem's Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR) Section 15.2.14. A l
Condition 11 event should result in a reactor shutdown with the plant being i
capable of returning to operation.
PSE&G has determined that an inadvertent SI at power could cause the pressurizer to become water-solid if the resulting injection of borated water is not terminated.
In the event that the pressurizer becomes fully water-
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4 l
solid. timely PORV actuation successfully mitigates the event. However.
without automatic operation of the PORVs. the Reactor Coolant ' System (RCS) i pressure may increase to the lift setpoint of the pressurizer safety relief valves before the PORVs are manually opened.
The Salem pressurizer safety valves are not designed to relieve water.
It is postulated. therefore, that one or more of the valves could fail to completely reseat if relieving a water-solid pressurizer. A resulting unisolable loss of RCS inventory has l
been analyzed in Salem's UFSAR as a Condition III event.
A review of the current Salem TSs indicates that a TS revision is necessary to preclude the possibility of operating with PORVs that can only be cycled manually.
PSE&G's re-analysis of the Inadvertent SI at Power performed i
i to support resolution of NSAL 93-013, credits operator action to unblock the PORVs. if necessary. However, once unblocked it is unlikely that operator actions can be readily accomplished to manually cycle the PORVs such that the 4
pressurizer safety valve pressure is not reached. Therefore. PSE&G submitted j
the proposed TS changes by letter dated January 31. 1997, to incorporate the results of PSE&G's analysis, (i.e., to credit automatic operation of PORVs for an Inadvertent SI event), into the TSs.
Environmental Imoacts of the Prooosed Action:
As indicated in Salem UFSAR Section 15.2.4. " Spurious Operation of The Safety Injection System at Power." the results of this tran.sient do not lead to fuel cladding damage and thus no fission products are released.
The proposed changes to the TSs assure that post transient reactor coc~6 ' system pressure relief will continue to be controllable: thus, no change in the transient result will occur. Accordingly, no changes are being made in the types of any effluent that may be released offsite. and there is no significant increase in the allowable individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure. Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no l
significant radiological environmental impacts associata with the proposed action.
With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed action involves features located entirely within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part'20.
It does not affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant nonradiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Alternatives to the Prooosed Action-Since the Commission has concluded there is no measurable environmental impact associated with the proposed action, any alternatives with equal or greater environmental impact need not be evaluated. The principal alternative
' to the action would be to deny the request. Such action would not change any current environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of the proposed action and the alternative action are tim ^r.
Alternative Use of Resources:
This action does not involve the use of any resources not previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement related to the operation of Salem Nuclear Generating Station Units 1 and 2 dated April 1973.
Aaencies and Persons Consulted-In accordance with its stated policy, on April 15, 1997, the staff consulted with the New Jersey State official, Mr. R. Pinney, of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The State official had no comments.
FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT f
Based upon the environmental assessment, the Commission concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the Commission has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed action.
For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the licensee's letter dated January 31, 1997, and supplement dated March 14, 1997.
which are available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, The Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC and at the local i
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l "a
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6-i public document room located at the Salem Free Library,112 West Broadway.
Salem New Jersey 08079.
Dated at Rockville. Maryland, this 2nd day of May 1997.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION dY Jo trF. Stolz.
1 rector oject Directorate I Division of Reactor Projects - I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation i
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m,.y.
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