ML20214N314
| ML20214N314 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Maine Yankee |
| Issue date: | 09/11/1986 |
| From: | Thadani A Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Randazza J Maine Yankee |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8609160237 | |
| Download: ML20214N314 (4) | |
Text
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September 11, 1986 Distribution Docket No. 50-309
!Docket File ~
J. Partlow NRC PDR N. Thompson Local PDR P. Sears Mr. J.B. Randazza P8D8 Reading P. Kreutzer Executive Vice President F. Miraglia ACRS (10)
Maine Yankee Ateaic Power Co.
OGC-Bethesda D. Crutchfield 83 Edison Drive E. Jordan C. Thomas Augusta, ME 04336 B. Grimes G. Schwenk Gray File 3.4a
Dear Mr. Woody:
SUBJECT:
PROPOSED REMOVAL OF CERTAIN CYCLE-DEPENDENT CORE OPERATING LIMITS FROM THE TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS By letter dated July 16, 1986 (MN-86-94), you proposed a change to your Technical Specifications (TS) which would remove the cycle specific parameters from your TS in order to eliminate the necessity of TS amendments with each cycle reload.
You also stated that, additionally, you would continue to submit Core Performance Analysis Reports with each cycle to the NRC staff for their information.
The staff has reviewed your proposed TS changes and finds that they cannot be approved under present NRC regulations because if controls on the rod insertion and/or power peaking limit curves are removed, the process variables (i.e., moderator temperature coefficient, etc.) remaining in the TS are not sufficient to ensure that LOCA and rod ejection accident analyses assumptions as well as core safety limits are met.
The staff would, however, be willing to consider alternative approaches for controlling such process variables if you wish to propose them.
One such approach would be to specify an approved method of calculating the numeric values of the process variables in the TS which would allow you to make changes to the values of the process variables without prior approval (i.e., license amendment) so long as the approved method is followed.
The staff believes that these specific findings apply to othee similar cycle-dependent core operating limits (COLS) as well.
The staff must consider the following when reviewing licensee requests to remove cycle-dependent COLS from TS:
1.
If the staff requires the review of any safety limit or curve change prior to its implementation, such a revision requires a license amendment.
2.
10 CFR 50.36 requires that safety limits and/or Limiting Conditions for Operations (LCO's) be placed on the process variables which are required for safe operation of the plant.
3.
The staff's proposed policy for improving TS, delineated in SECY-86-10 " Recommendations for Improving TS", states that a
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. process variable which is an initial condition of a Design Basis Analysis (DBA), or a structure, system or component that is part of the primary success path of a safety sequence analysis and functions or actuates to mitigate a DBA, must be controlled by LCOs in the TS.
This policy allows such process variables to be controlled by specifying them numerically in the TS or by specifying the method of calculating their numerical values if the staff finds that the method provides adequate assurance that the correct limits will be followed in operating the plant.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your Project Manager.
Sincerely,
/S/ by Thomas V. Wambach for Ashok C. Thadani, Director PWR Project Directorate #8 Division of PWR Licensing-B cc: See next page
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> process variable which is an initial condition of a Design Basis Analysis (DBA), or a structure, system or component that is part of the primary success path of a safety sequence analysis and functions of the primary success path of a safety sequence analysis and functions or actuates to mitigate a DBA, must be controlled by LCOs in the TS.
This policy allows such process variables to be controlled by specifying them numerically in the TS or by specifying the method of calculating their numerical values if the staff finds that the method provides adequate assurance that the correct limits will be followed in operating the plant.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your Project Manager.
Sincerely, Ashok C. Thadani, Director PWR Project Directorate #8 Division of PWR Licensing-B cc: See next page MMb NI PBDS PBD8 PBD8 R
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Charles *E. Monty, President Mr. P. L. Anderson, Project Manager Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company Yankee Atomic Electric Company 83 Edison Drive 1671 Worchester Road Augusta, Maine 04336 Framingham, Massachusetts 07101 Mr. Charles B. Brinkman Mr. G. D. Whittier Manager - Washington Nuclear Licensing Section Head Operations Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company Combustion Engineering, Inc.
83 Edison Drive 7910 Woodmont Avenue Augusta, Maine 04336 Bethesda, Maryland 20814 John A. Ritsher, Esquire Ropes & Gray 225 Franklin Street Boston, Massachusetts 02110 State Planning Officer Executive Department 189 State Street Augusta, Maine 04330 Mr. John H. Garrity, Plant Manager Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company P. O. Box 408 Wiscasset, Maine 04578 Regional Administrator, Region I U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission 631 Park Avenue King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 19406 First Selectman of Wiscasset Municipal Building U.S. Route 1 Wiscasset, Maine 04578 Mr. Cornelius F. Holden Resident Inspector c/o U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P. O. Box E Wiscasset, Maine 04578