ML20213G835

SER Supporting Util 870319 Request for Approval to Remove Primary Containment Head Prior to Connection of Standby Gas Treatment Sys to Refueling Floor Area

ML20213G835
Person / Time
Site:	Limerick
Issue date:	05/12/1987
From:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:
Shared Package
ML20213G825	List: ML20213G823 ML20213G835
References
TAC-64464, NUDOCS 8705180477
Download: ML20213G835 (2)

Text

ENCLOSURE SS KEG

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\/ o SAFETY EVALUATION REPORT PRIMARY CONTAIPMENT HEAD REMOVAL FOR REFUELING OUTAGE AT LIMERICK UNIT 1 PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC COMPANY (TAC 64464)

1. INTRODUCTION By letter dated March 19, 1987, the Philadelphia Electric Company sub-nitted a request to remova the primary containment head at Limerick Unit 1, prior to connection of the Standby Gas Treatment System (SGTS) to the refueling floor area.

The licensee has previously made commitments that neither the primary con-tainment head nor the reactor vessel head would be removed, without prior NRC approval, before the SGTS is connected to the refueling floor zone.

The NRC staff ircorporated the portien of this commitment dealing with the reactor vessel head into license condition 2.c(14) as discussed in Section 6.2.3 of SSER-3. The licensee's request of March 19, 1987 deals with its earlier commitments regarding the primary contairment head and does not request any change with respect to license condition 2.c(14).

The refueling outage at Limerick Unit 1 is scheduled for Mey 16, 1987.

To facilitate the preparational work, the licensee is seeking NRC's approval consistent with it earlier commitment, to remove the primary con-tainment head prior to connection of the SGTS to the refueling floor area.

2. EVALUATION The licensee's request is for relief to part of their eerlier commitment regarding removal of the primary containment head. Since the RPV will be intact, it provides a barrier against any radioactivity release from the primary system. The potential radioactivity inside the drywell is mainly from the vaporization of coolant in the wetwell, the background radiation from irradiated piping, and various coolant leakages. However, in accord-ance with Limerick's refueling procedure, prior to the renoval of the pri-mary containment head, the drywell will he purged to fulfill the require-ment of de-inerting the primary containment. Specifically, the licensee is required to purge the drywell until cirborne radioactive material con-centrations in the drywell air are less than the values specified in Appen-dix B, Table 1 of 10 CFR 20. This process will assist in the removal of airborne contamination in the drywell so that removal of the primary con-tainment head will not result in contamination of the refueling area.

The refueling procedures also call for a team of health physicists to monitor the air and floor radioactivity level in the refueling area. The licensee is required to monitor continuously the airborne radioactivity in the refuelina area for radioactive iodines, particulates, and noble gases using a portable airborne radioactivity monitor. This ensures the safety and health of the workers in the area.

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3. CONCLUSION On the basis of the above evaluation, the staff concludes that the removal of the primary containment head, prior to connection of the SGTS to the refueling area, will not endanger the safety and health of the workers in the area or that of the general public, and, therefore, the staff approves the licensee's request.

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