ML20212A984
| ML20212A984 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | River Bend  |
| Issue date: | 02/20/1987 |
| From: | Martin R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20212A988 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8703030452 | |
| Download: ML20212A984 (8) | |
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7590-01 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION GULF STATES UTILITIES COMPANY DOCKET NO. 50-458 NOTICE OF CONSIDERATION OF ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE AND PROPOSED NO SIGNIFICANT HAZARDS CONSIDERATION DETERMINATION AND OPPORTUNITY FOR HEARING The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission (the Commission) is consi.dering issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License No. NPF-47 issued to Gulf States Utilities Company, for operation of the River Bend Station, Unit 1, located in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana.
The proposed amendment to the River Bend Station operating license would change the requirements to perfonn channel calibrations of the recirculation flow transmitters for two functions of the Average Power Range Monitor (APRM) and one function of the Reactor Coolant System Recirculation Flow from once per six months to once per 18 mnnths.
These changes would be implemented through amending Technical Specification 5
3.3.1, Reactor Protection System Instrumentation, Table 4.3.1.1-1, Reactor aceo a.
O Protection System Instrumentation Surveillance Requirements Item 2.b, Average g
So Power Range Monitor (APRM) Flow Biased Simulated Thermal Power - High, and eg Technical Specification 3.3.6, Control Rod Block Instrumentation, Table 4.3.6-1, nc Control Rod Block Instrumentation Surveillance Requirements, Item 2.a. APRM S$a.
Flow Biased Neutron Flux-Upscale and Item 6.a. Reactor Coolant System Recircula-tion Flow-Upscale. The Technical Specifications presently have requirements
. to perform a channel calibration of these functions at least once per SA (semiannually, 6 months, 184 days). This change request permits the recircula-tion flow transmitters for these three (3) functions to be calibrated on an 18 month basis in accordance with the licensee's application for amendment dated August 29, 1986 as supplemented on February 19, 1987.
Before issuance of the proposed license amendment, the Commission will have made findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act) and the Commission's regulations.
The Commission has made a proposed determination that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration. Under the Comission's regulations in 10 CFR 50.92, this means that operation of the facility in accordance with the proposed amendment would not (1) involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated; or ('i) c.eate the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated; or (3) involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety.
The licensee in their February 19, 1987 letter provided a justification for the license amendment.
Based on that justification as discussed below the staff concurs with the licensee that:
The proposed chance does not involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated because the change in the frequency of calibration is considered within the design specift-l cation for the recirculation system and the safety analysis. The proposed change does not revise the Trip Setpoint or Allowable Value as stated in Tech-nical Specification 3.3.1 and 3.3.6, but rather only extends the surveillance l
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. interval of the recirculation flow transmitters. The drift allowance is the only term in the setpoint determination affected by the surveillance interval.
The existing Flow Biased Scram total instrument drift allowance is 3.0% NBR (Nuclear Boiler Rated) as presented in the Neutron Monitoring System Design Specification.
Based upon the methods outlined in the licensees February 19, 1987 letter, the instrument drift is 2.2% for 18 months. The 2.2% calculated drift is lower than the allowed 3% instrument drift utilized for determination of the current Technical Specification setpoints. Therefore, the calculated drift for these instruirents with an eighteen (18) month surveillance frequency is within the allowed drift used to develop the current setpoints. There is no impact on the safety analysis since credit for the flow biased trips is not taken in the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR). This proposed change does not involve a design change or physical change to the plant. Thus there is no increase in the probability or consequence of any accident previously evaluated.
The proposed change does not create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated because the change in the frequency of calibration of flow transmitters, is considered within the design specification for the recirculation system and the safety analysis, and does not involve a design change or physical change, and therefore does not alter the single failure design of the instrumentation. Thus, no new i
accident scenario is introduced by this revised frequency of calibration of the flow transmitters.
The proposed change to the flow transmitter surveillance period does not involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety because the change in
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j the frequency of calibration of the flow transmitters is considered within
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the design specification of the recirculation system and the safety analysis.
j As discussed above, the design specifications for the Technical Specifications i
are based upon an allowed 3% instrument drift. The licensee in its February 19, 1987 letter, calculated the total loop drift over an 18 month period to be 2.2%
which is within the 3% instrument drift of the design basis. There is no impact on the safety analysis since credit for the flow biased trips is not taken in the FSAR. Additionally, as delineated in the justification, the l
proposed change does not impact the Limiting Conditions of Operation of the TS.
Thus the margin of safety is not reduced.
The staff concurs with the above analysis. Accordingly, the staff has made a proposed determination that the application involves no significant hazards consideration.
The Commission is seeking public comments on this proposed determination.
Any comments received within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice will be considered in making any final determination. The Commission will not normally make a final determination unless it receives a request for i
a heering.
4 Written comments may be submitted by mail to the Rules and Procedures i
Branch, Division of Rules and Records, Office of Administration. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C.
20555, and should cite the publication i
date and page number of the FEDERAL REGISTER notice. Fritten comments may also be delivered to Room 4000 Maryland National Bank Building, 7735 Old Georgetown i
i Road, Bethesda, Maryland from 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Copies of written coments i'
received may be examined at the NRC Public Document Room, 1717 H Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
The filing of requests for hearing and petitions for leave to intervene is discussed below.
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e By March 27, 1987
. the licensee may file a request for a hearing with respect to issuance of the amendment to the subject facility operating license and any person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding and who wishes to participate as a party in the proceeding must file a written petition for leave to intervene. Request for a hearing and petitions for leave to intervene shall be filed in accordance with the Consnission's " Rules of Practice for Domestic Licensing Proceedings" in 10 CFR Part 2.
If a request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene is filed by the above date, the Commission or an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, designated by the Commission or by the Chairman of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, will rule on the request and/or petition and the Secretary or:the designated Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will issue a notice of hearing or an appropriate order.
As required by 10 CFR 92.714, a petition for leave to intervene shall set forth with particularity the interest of the petitioner in the proceeding, and how that interest may be affected by the results of the proceeding. The petition should specifically explain the reasons why intervention should be permitted with particular reference to the following factors: (1) the nature of the petitioner's right under the Act to be made a party to the proceeding; (2)thenatureandextentofthepetittorer'sproperty, financial,orother interest in the proceeding; and (3) the possible effect of any order which may be entered in the proceeding on the petitioner's interest. The petition should also identify the specific aspect (s) of the subject matter of the proceeding as to which petitioner wishes to intervene. Any person who has filed a petition for leave to intervene or who has been admitted as a party
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, may amend the petition without requesting leave of the Board up to fifteen (15) days prior to the first prehearing conference scheduled in the proceeding, but such an amended petition must satisfy the specificity requirements described above.
Not later than fifteen (15) days prior to the first prehearing conference scheduled in the proceeding, a petitioner shall file a supplement to the petition to intervene which must include a list of the contentions which are sought to be litigated in the matter, an' the bases for each contention set forth with reasonable specificity. Contentions shall be limited to matters within the scope of the amendment under consideration. A petitioner who fails to file such a supplement which satisfies these requirements with respect to at least one contention will not be pemitted to participate as a party.
Those permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding, subject to any limitations in the order granting leave to intervene, and have the opportunity to participate fully in the conduct of the hearing, including the opportunity to present evidence and cross-examine witnesses.
If a hearing is requested, the Commission will make a final detemination on the issue of no significant hazards consideration. The final detem*1ation will serve to decide when the hearing is held.
If the final determination is that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration, the Commission may issue the amendment and make it effective, notwithstanding the request for a hearing. Any hearing held would take place after issuance of the amendment.
If the fisial determination is that the amendment involves a significant hazards consideration, any hearing held would take place before the issuance of any amendment.
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, Normally, the Commission will not issue the amendment until the expiration of the 30-day notice period. However, should circumstances change during the notice period such that failure to act in a timely way would result in derating or shutdown of the facility, the Connission may issue the license amendment before the expiration of the 30-day notice period, provided that its final determination is that the amenc.ent involves no significant hazards consideration. The final determination will consider all public and State coments received. Should the Commission take this action, it will publish a notice of issuance and provide for opportunity for a hearing after issuance.
The Commission expects that the need to take this action will occur very infrequently.
A request for a hearing or a petitien for leave to intervene must be filed with the Secretary of the'Connission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C.
20555 Att: Docketing and Service Branch, or may be delivered to the Connission's Public Document Room,1717 H Street, NW Washington, D.C., by the above date. Where petitions are filed during the lastten(10)daysofthenoticeperiod,itisrequestedthatthepetitioner prortptly so inform the Cow.ission by a toll-free telephone call to Western Union at (800) 325-6000 (in Missouri (800) 342-6700). The Western Union operator should be given Datagram Identification Number 3737 and the following message addressed to Walter R. Butler, Director, BWR Project Directorate No. 4. Division of BWR Licensing: petitioner's name and telephone number; date petition was mailed; plant name; and publication date and page number of this FEDERAL REGISTER notice. A copy of the petition should also be sent to the Executive Legal Director, U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Connission, I
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. Washington, D.C.
20555, and to Troy B. Conner, Jr., Esq., Conner and Wetterhahn, 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.
20006, attorney for the licensee.
Nontimely filings of petitions for leave to intervene, amended petitions, supplemental petitions and/or requests for hearing will not be entertained absent a determination by the Commission, the presiding officer or the presiding Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, that the petition and/or request should be granted baseduponabalancingoffactorsspecifiedin10CFR2.714(a)(1)(1)-(v)and 2.714(d).
For further details with respect to this action, see the application for amendment dated August 29, 1986, as amended and supplemented February 19, 1987, which is available for public inspection at the Comission's Public Document Room, 1717 H Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20555, and at the Gnvernment Documents Department, Louisiana State University, Baton Route Louisiana 70803.
Dated at Bethesda, Maryland, this 20th day of February 1987.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION A/D 6L
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. Martin, Acting Director BWR Project Directorate No. 4 Division of BWR Licensing