ML20150A416

Summary of May 28, 2020, Teleconference Call with Tennessee Valley Authority Regarding a Planned License Amendment Request for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1

ML20150A416
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	06/24/2020
From:	Kimberly Green Plant Licensing Branch II
To:	Jim Barstow Tennessee Valley Authority
Green K
References
EPID L-2020-LRM-0042
Download: ML20150A416 (4)

Text

June 24, 2020 LICENSEE: Tennessee Valley Authority FACILITY: Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2

SUMMARY

OF MAY 28, 2020, TELECONFERENCE CALL WITH TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY REGARDING A PLANNED LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST FOR WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 1 (EPID L-2020-LRM-0042)

On May 28, 2020, a Category 1 public teleconference call was held between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff and representatives of Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss TVAs planned license amendment request (LAR) for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (WBN), Unit 1. The LAR would seek to revise WBN Unit 1, Technical Specification (TS) 3.3.3, Post Accident Monitoring (PAM) Instrumentation, Table 3.3.3-1, Post Accident Monitoring Instrumentation, to delete the term plasma from two footnotes in the table.

The meeting notice and agenda, dated May 15, 2020, are available at Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML20147A126. TVAs slides for the meeting are available at ADAMS Accession No. ML20147A013. A list of participants is provided as an enclosure to this summary. No regulatory decisions were made at this meeting.

TVA began its presentation with opening remarks and stated the purpose of the meeting. TVA reviewed the regulatory guidance associated with the PAM instrumentation, which includes NUREG-0737, Supplement 1, Clarification of TMI [Three Mile Island] Action Plan Requirements: Requirements for Emergency Response Capability, and Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.97, Revision 2, Criteria for Accident Monitoring Instrumentation for Nuclear Power Plants. These documents provide the requirements for instrumentation to assess plant and environs conditions during and following an accident used at WBN. RG 1.97 describes variables that provide the primary information required to permit the control room operators to take the appropriate manual actions, and those that provide information to indicate whether plant safety functions are being accomplished, as key variables. TVA emphasized that although RG 1.97 states, Continuous indication (it may be by recording) display should be provided, it makes no mention of what technology should be used to display the parameters in the control room.

TVA described the PAM system as a computer-based system that displays three post-accident parameters: core exit thermocouples, reactor vessel level, subcooled margin monitor, which are key variables as defined by RG 1.97. The PAM display panel in use at WBN Unit 1 from initial licensing to the present time is a plasma display. WBN Unit 1, TS Table 3.3.3-1 lists the PAM instrumentation required for operability. The table contains footnotes that provide clarifying information for the functions listed in this table. Currently, Footnotes (f) and (h) include the word plasma to describe the display associated with the Inadequate Core Cooling Monitor (ICCM).

TVA plans to submit a LAR to request removal of the word plasma from the two footnotes in TS Table 3.3.3-1. TVA explained that inclusion of the word plasma is too restrictive and is not found in NUREG-1431, Revision 4, Standard Technical Specifications Westinghouse Plants:

Specifications, nor in several other plants TSs. TVA stated that deleting the term plasma will allow future upgrades with new technology.

TVA explained the bases for its request, including that the ICCM PAM display panel does not perform any calculations or any critical functions other than as a visual display; the display is used as indication only; human factor standards for visual display units do not indicate any design requirements for a specific display technology; and there is no regulatory requirement for the display technology to be cited in the TSs. TVA stated that it believes the word plasma was included in the footnotes in TS Table 3.3.3-1 to highlight the latest technology was being used at the time of plant licensing.

The NRC staff asked if all displays at Watts Bar are currently plasma displays. TVA stated that the ICCM displays at Unit 1 are plasma displays, but the displays at Unit 2 are liquid crystal display touch screens. The NRC staff asked if TVA planned to upgrade the plasma displays.

TVA responded that it eventually plans to replace the plasma displays with newer technology in a couple of years.

TVA plans to submit the LAR by June 30, 2020 and will request approval within one year.

No comments or public meeting feedback were received.

Please direct any inquiries to me at 301-415-1627, or Kimberly.Green@nrc.gov.

/RA/

Kimberly J. Green, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch II-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-390

Enclosure:

List of Participants cc: Listserv

ML20150A416 *via email OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/PM NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/LA* NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/BC* NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/PM NAME KGreen BAbeywickrama UShoop KGreen DATE 06/03/2020 06/01/2020 06/24/2020 06/24/2020 LIST OF PARTICIPANTS MAY 28, 2020, PUBLIC TELECONFERENCE CALL TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY REGARDING PLANNED LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 1 Name Organization Kim Green U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

DaBin Ki NRC Tarico Sweat NRC Tom Stephen NRC Andy Taylor Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Dean Baker TVA Kim Hulvey TVA Mark Llewellyn TVA James Shea TVA Russ Wells TVA Ron Jarrett Member of the Public Enclosure