ML20212M260
| ML20212M260 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | LaSalle  |
| Issue date: | 10/01/1999 |
| From: | NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20212M258 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9910120291 | |
| Download: ML20212M260 (3) | |
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4 UNITED STATES g
j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 4001
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SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO.134 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE _ NO. NPF-11 AND AMENDMENT NO.119 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-18 COMMONWEALTH EDISON COMPANY LASALLE COUNTY STATION. UNITS 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-373 AND 50-374
- 1.0 INTRODUCTI N By letter dated May 19L 1999, the Commonwealth Edison Company (Comed or the licensee) proposed changes to the LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2, Technical Specifications (TSs).
The requested changes will relocate TS 3/4.4.4, " Chemistry, from the TS to the Updated Final Safety Analysis Report and an Administrative Technical Requirement (ATR) that has been incorporated into the UFSAR by reference and controlled by the 10 CFR 50.59 process.
The licensee intends to inject noble metal compounds into the reactor vessel to prevent crack initiation and to mitigate any existing crack growth in the reactor vessel surfaces, internal components and piping due to intergranular stress corrosion cracking. The noble metal solutions are expected to temporarily increase reactor coolant conductivity and pH levels which will later be reduced to normal pre-application operation levels by the reactor water cleanup system. The noble metal injection will be performed in Mode 3.
2.0 BACKGROUND
Section 182a of the Atemic Energy Act requires applicants for nuclear power plant operating licenses to state the TSs to be included as part of the license. The Commission's regulatory requiremenM related to the content of the TSs are set forth in 10 CFR 50.36. That regulation requires the TSs to include items in five specific categories, including (1). safety limits, limiting safety system settings and limiting control settings; (2) limiting conditions for operation; (3) surve;llance requirements; (4) design features; and (5) administrative controls. However, the regulation does not specify the particular requirements to be included in a plant's TSs.
The four criteria defined in 10 CFR 50.36 to be used in determining whether a particular matter it, required to be included in the TSs are as follows:
(1) installed instrumentation that is used to detect, and indicate in the control room a significant abnormal degradation of the reactor coolant pressure boundary; 9910120291 991001 PDR ADOCK 05000373 p
. (2) a process variable, design feature, or operating restriction that is an initial condition of a design basis accident or transient analysis that either assumes the failure of or presents a challenge to the integrity of a fission product barrier;
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(3) a structure, system, or component that is part of the primary success path and which functions or actuates to mitigate a design basis accident or transient that either j
assumes the failure of or presents a challenge to the integrity of a fission product barrier; and (4) a structure, system, or component which operating experience or probabilistic safety assessment has shown to be significant to public health and safety.
As a retult, existing TS requirements which fall within or satisfy any of the criteria in the Final Policy Statement must be retained in the TSs, while those TS requirements that do not fall within or satisfy these criteria may be relocated to other licensee controlled documents.
3.0 EVALUATION The licensee has proposed relocating TS 3/4.4.4, " Chemistry " to the UFSAR and to an ATR.
3 This TS contains the limits for reactor coolant chloride concentration, conductivity, and pH. The four criteria of 10 CFR 50.36 are addressed below:
l (1)
The reactor coolant chemistry limits as specified in TS 3/4.4.4 are not used to detect and indicate in the control room a significant abnormal degradation of the reactor coolant pressure boundary. The TS provides limits on particular chemical properties of the primary coolant, and surveillance requirements to monitor these properties to ensure that degradation of the reactor coolant pressure boundary is not exacerbated by poor chemistry condition. However, degradation of the reactor coolant pressure boundary is
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a long-term process. Other regulations and TS provide direct means to monitor and correct the degradation of the reactor coolant pressure boundary; for example, in-service inspection and primary coolant leakage limits.
-(2)
Chemistry parameters are not used as an initial condition of a Design Basis Accident or Transient Analysis that either assumes the failure of or presents a challenge to the integrity of a fission product barrier.
(3)
Reactor coolant conductivity, chloride concentration, and pH are not used as part of the primary success path which functions or actuates to mitigate a Design Basis Accident or Transient (4)
Operating experiences or probabilistic safety assessments have not shown chemistry parameters to be significant to pubic health'and safety.
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The licensee has stated that the reactor coolant chemistry requirements will be relocated to the UFSAR and ATR that have been incorporated into the UFSAR by reference. Therefore, any
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changes to these requirements will be controlled by the provisions of 10 CFR 50.59 and any j
unreviewed safety questions must obtain NRC review and approval.
The relocation of Section 3/4.4.4 from the TS to the UFSAR and ATR will continue to provide adequate assurance that concentrations in excess of the limits will be detacted and addressed.
The proposed TS is consistent with NUREG-1434, " Standard Technical Specifications, General Electric Plants, BWR/6".
1 in conclusion, the above relocated requirements are not required to be in the TS under 10 CFR 50.36 or $182a of the Atomic Energy Act, and are not required to obviate the possibility of an j
abnormal situation or event giving rise to an immediate threat to the pubic health and safety.
j in addition, the staff finds that sufficient regulatory controls exist under 10 CFR 50.59 to assure 1
continued protection of the public health and safety.
Accordingly, the staff has concluded that these requirements may be relocated from the TS to the licensee's UFSAR and ATR.
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4.0 STATE CONSULTATION
in accordance with the Commission's regulations, the Illinois State official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendments. The State official had no comments.
5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
The ainendments change a requirement with respect to the installation or use of a facility componeet located within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20. The NRC staff has determined hat tho amendments involve no significant increase in the amounts, and no significant change in the types, of any effluents that may be released offsite, and that there is no significant it. raase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure. The Commission has previously issued a proposed finding that the amendments involve no significant hazards consideration, and there has been no public comment on such finding (64 FR 38024). Accordingly, the amendments meet the eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared in connection with the issuance of the amendments.
6.0 CONCLUSION
The Commission has concluded, based.. i cor!Juadons discussed above, that: (1) there is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by operation in the proposed manner, (2) such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations, and (3) the issuance of the amendments will r ot be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.
Principal Contributor: D.Skay Date: October 1, 1999