ML20217E710

Forwards Safety Evaluation Re Alternative to Insp of Reactor Pressure Vessel Circumferental Welds,Requested by Util

ML20217E710
Person / Time
Site:	Brunswick
Issue date:	04/21/1998
From:	Kuo P NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Hinnant C CAROLINA POWER & LIGHT CO.
Shared Package
ML20217E713	List: ML20217E710 ML20217E747
References
IEIN-97-063, IEIN-97-63, TAC-MA0345, TAC-MA345, NUDOCS 9804270386
Download: ML20217E710 (3)

Text

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,f cy* "%e, y" t UNITED STATES i g

, 't j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION I WASHINGTON. D.C. 20665-0001

\.....,o8 April 21, 1998 l

Mr. C. S. Hinnant. Vice President Carolina Power & Light Company Brunswick Steam Electric Plant Post Office Box 10429 Southport. North Carolina 28461 Dear Mr. Hinnant

SUBJECT:

APPROVAL OF ALTERNATIVE TO INSPECTION OF REACTOR PRESSURE VESSEL CIRCUMFERENTIAL WELDS - BRUNSWICK STEAM ELECTRIC PLANT.

UNIT 1 (TAC NO. MA0345)

By letter dated November 17. 1997 Carolina Power & Light Company (CP&L or the licensee) requested NRC approval of an alternative reactor vessel weld examination pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR 50.55a(a)(3)(i) and 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(6)(ii)(A)(5) for the Brunswick Steam Electric Plant Unit 1 (BSEP1) for the next two operating cycles. CP&L has proposed inspections of essentially 100 percent of the longitudinal seam welds in the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) shell and essentially 0 percent of the RPV circumferential seam welds, which will result in partial examination (2 - 3 percent) of the circumferential welds at their points of intersection with the longitudinal welds.

These inspections were proposed as an alternative 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 i circumferential welds in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

Code.Section XI, 1980 Edition, through Winter 1981 Addenda, for circumferential welds.

In Information Notice (IN) 97-63. " Status of NRC Staff's Review of BWRVIP-05."

the NRC staff indicated that it would consider such requests, when technically justified, from Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) licensees who are scheduled to

perform inspections of the BWR RPV circumferential welds during the Fall 1997 or Spring 1998 outage seasons. BWRVIP-05 provides BWR Owners Group recommendations for RPV shell weld inspections.

The NRC staff has reviewed your request and concluded that the Brunswick Unit 1 RPV can be operated during the next two operating periods with an r acceptable level of quality and safety and the inspection of the Y )

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2 circumferential welds can be delayed for two operating periods. Therefore.

the proposed alternative is authorized pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(a)(3)(1).

l- Further details regarding the staff's evaluation and conclusions are contained in the enclosed Safety Evaluation.

Sincerely.

(Original Signed By)

P. T. Kuo. Acting Director Project Directorate II-1 Division of Reactor Projects - I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-325

Enclosure:

Safety Evaluation cc w/ enc 1: See next page DISTRIBUTION:

Ocdct 444e- PUBLIC OGC PD II-1 RF ACRS JZwolinski GHill (2) MTschiltz CECarpenter LPlisco EJSullivan RHermann THarris (TLH3)

DOCUMENT NAME: G:\BRUNSWIC\BRMA0345.REL To receive a copy of this document. indicate in the box: "C" - Copy without attachment / enclosure

'E" = Copy with attachment / enclosure "N" ~ No copy 0FFICE PM:PD2-1 E LA:PD2-1 E EMCB / OGC M PD:PD2-1 NAME DTrimble EDunningtbn SEdck Mirfaw na PTKuofi' DATE 04/ /98 04/9/98 N/I/98 04/8/98 04/h/98 0FFICfAL RECORD COPY l

Mr. C. S. Hinnant Brunswick Steam Electric Plant Carolina Power & Light Company Units 1 and 2 l

cc:

1 Mr. William D. Johnson Ms. Karen E. Long Vice President and Senior Counsel Assistant Attorney General  ;

Carolina Power & Light Company State of North Carolina Post Office Box 1551 Post Office Box 629 Raleigh, North Carolina 27602 Raleigh, North Carolina 27602 Mr. Jerry W. Jones, Chairman Mr. Robert P. Gruber Brunswick County Board of Commissioners Executive Director Post Office Box 249 Public Staff - NCUC Bolivia, North Carolina 28422 Post Office Box 29520 l Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0520 i Resident inspector i U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 8470 River Road Director Southport, North Carolina 28461 Site Operations Brunswick Steam Electric Plant Regional Administrator, Region ll Post Office Box 10429 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Southport, North Carolina 28461 Atlanta Federal Center 61 Forsyth Street, SW, Suite 23T85 Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Mr. William H. Crowe, Mayor City of Southport Mr. Mel Fry, Acting Director 201 East Moore Street Division of Radiation Protection Southport, North Carolina 28461 N.C. Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources Mr. Dan E. Summers 3825 Barrett Dr. Emergency Management Coordinator Raleigh, North Carolina 27609-7721 New Hanover County Department of Emergency Management Mr. J. J. Lyash Post Office Box 1525 Plant Manager Wilmington, North Carolina 28402 Carolina Power & Light Company Brunswick Steam Electric Plant Ms. D. B. Alexander Post Office Box 10429 Manager Southport, North Carolina 28461 Performance Evaluation and Regulatory Affairs Public Service Commission Carolina Power & Light Company State of South Carolina 412 S. Wilmington Street Post Office Drawer 11649 Raleigh, North Carolina 27601

Columbia, South Carolina 29211 Mr. K. R. Jury Mr. Milton Shymfock Manager - Regulatory Affairs U. S. Nuclear Regulattry Commission Carolina Power & Light Company Atlanta Federal Center Post Office Box 10429 61 Forsyth Street, SW, Suite 23T85 Southport, NC 28461-0429 Atlanta, Georgia 30303 i

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