ML20204E027

Forwards SE Accepting Licensee & Suppl, ,which Requested NRC Approval of Alternative Rv Weld Exam,Per 10CFR50.55a(a)(3)(i) & 10CFR50.55a(g)(6)(ii)(A)(5), for Plant,Unit 2 for 40-month Period

ML20204E027
Person / Time
Site:	Fermi
Issue date:	03/17/1999
From:	Carpenter C NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Gipson D DETROIT EDISON CO.
Shared Package
ML20204E031	List: ML20204E027 ML20204E037
References
TAC-MA3674, NUDOCS 9903240327
Download: ML20204E027 (3)

Text

DDL$N, f*% k UNITED STATES g j t

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20806-0001 g yf// {

\ . . . . . ,o8 March 17, 1999 Mr. Douglas R. Gipson Senior Vice President Nuclear Generation Detroit Edison Company 6400 North Dixie Highway Newport, MI 48166 ,

SUBJECT:

FERMI 2 - PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE TO CIRCUMFERENTIAL WELD i EXAMINATIONS, INSERVICE INSPECTION PROGRAM RELIEF REQUEST RR-A25, REVISION O (TAC NO. MA3674)

Dear Mr. Gipson- l l

By letter dated September 11,1998, as supplemented on February 12,1999, Detroit Edison j Company requested NRC approval of an alternative reactor vessel weld examination pursuant i to the provisions of 10 CFR 50.55a(a)(3)(i) and 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(6)(ii)(A)(5) for Fermi 2 for a 40-month period. Detroit Edison proposed that examination of longitudinal reactor pressure vessel (RPV) shell welds wiil be completed as scheduled, and approximately 5 percent of the I circumferential seam welds will be examined at their points of intersection with the longitudinal welds. In addition, a partial examination of one of the four circumferential welds was completed during the second refueling outage. '

These inspections were proposed as an attemative to the augmented examinations specified in 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(6)(ii)(A)(2) for circumferential welds, and as an alternative to the inservice inspection requirements for circumferential welds in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code,Section XI,1992 Edition, with portions of the 1993 Addenda, for circumferential welds.

The Boiling Water Reactor Vessel and Internals Project (BWRVIP) provided recommendations for alternative examinations in its proprietary report, "BWR Vessel and Internals Project, BWR Reactor Vessel Shell Weld Inspection Recommendations (BWRVIP-05)." In Information Notice 97-63, Supplement 1, " Status of NRC Staff's Review of BWRVIP-05," dated May 7,1998, the staff indicated that it would consider proposed attemative examinations, when technically justified, from BWR licensees who are scheduled to perform inspections of the RPV circumferential welds during the fall 1998 or spring 1999 outage seasons.

The NRC staff has reviewed your request and concluded that the Fermi 2 RPV can be operated during the 40-month delay with an acceptable level of quality and safety, and the inspection of the circumferential welds can be delayed for a 40-month period. Therefore, the proposed attemative is authorized pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(a)(3)(i).

During its review the NRC staff noted that Detroit Edison did not address the standby feedwater system in its discussion of the potential for a low-temperature overpressurization event. The staff considers the failure to address this system a weakness in the original submittal. On 1

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i I . D. Gipson March 17, 1999 l

February 12,1999, following discussions with the staff, you added a discussion of the standby feedwater system to the proposed request for relief.

The staff's safety evaluation is enclosed.

Sincerely, l

ORIGINAL SIGNED BY l

Cynthia A. Carpenter, Project Director l l Project Directorate lll-1

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Division of Licensing Project Management l Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-341 '

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Enclosure:

Safety Evaluation cc w/ encl: See next page i

DISTRIBUTION:

Docket File PUBLIC

' PD31 Reading

- J. Zwolinski/S. Black SEDB (RCN)

OGC G. Hill (2) J K._ Kavanagh A. Lee, EMCB T. Hiltz ACRS A. Vegel, Rlli DOCUMENT NAME: G:\PD3-1\WPDOCS\ FERMI \RLFA3674.WPD *See previous concurrence To receive a copi of this document. Indicate in the box: C" = Copy without attachment / enclosure "E" = Copy with attachment / enclosure "N" = No copy l

OFFICE PM:PD31 lE LA:PD31 , l ,E AC:EMCB* - OGC l D:PD31 ld l NAME- AKugler:db @v CJamerson (!hl ESullivan [] 7J7 ny r p CACarpentgr]B DATE 03/ 3 /99 V 03/ 3 /99 [J 02/26/99 03/ 8 /99 03/ 17 /99 l- OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

Mr. Douglas R. Gipson Fermi 2 Detroit Edison Company ec:

John Flynn, Esquire Senior Attorney Detroit Edison Company 2000 Second Avenue Detroit, Michigan 48226 Drinking Water and Radiological Protection Division Michigan Department of l

Environmental Quality 3423 N. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd P. O. Box 30630 CPH Mailroom Lansing, Michigan 48909-8130 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Resident inspector's Office I 6450 W. Dixie Highway Newport, Michigan 48166 Monroe County Emergency Management Division 963 South Raisinville Monroe, Michigan 48161 Regional Administrator, Region ill U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission  !

801 Warrenville Road Lisle, Illinois 60532-4351 Norman K. Peterson Director, Nuclear Licensing Detroit Edison Company Fermi 2 - 280 TAC ,

l 6400 North Dixie Highway Newport, Michigan 48166 December 1998 k