ML20217K696
| ML20217K696 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Catawba  |
| Issue date: | 04/27/1998 |
| From: | NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20217K680 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9805040073 | |
| Download: ML20217K696 (4) | |
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UNITED STATES g
j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20006 4 001 SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RFI ATED TO AMENDMENT NO.165 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NPF-35 AND AMENDMENT NO.157 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NPF-52 DUKE EMERGY CORPORATION. ET AL.
- CATAWBA iC0 LEAR STATION UNITS 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-413 AND 50-414
1.0 INTRODUCTION
By letter dated March 3,1998, Duke Energy Corporation, et al. (the licensee) submitted a request for changes to the Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, Technical Specifications (TS). The requested change would revise TS 6.2.3.2, which specifies the qualification requirements for members of the Catawba Safety Review Group (SRG). The Catawba SRG was established to meet the requirements of NUREG-0737, item 1.B.1.2, " Independent Safety 4
Engineering Group." Subsequent changes by license amendments dated August 20,1990, and
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May 7,1992, led to the the current version of the TS requirement:
6.2.3.2 The SRG shall be composed of at least five individuals and at least three of these shall have a bachelor's degree in engineering or related science and at least 2 years professional level experience in his/her field, at least 1 year of which experience shall be in the nuclear field.
The remaining individuals in the SRG shall have either (1) at least 5 years of nuclear experience and hold or have held a Senior Reactor Operator license; or (2) at least 8 years of professional level experience in his/her field, at least 5 years of which experience shall be in the nuclear field.
The licensee proposed that the entire requirement be revised as follows:
6.2.3.2 The SRG shall be composed of at least five individuals. Each individual shall have either:
a.
A bachelor's degree in engineering or related science and at least 2 years professional level experience in his/her field, at least 1 year of which experience
~ shall be in the nuclear field; or 9005040073 980427 PDR ADOCK 05000413 P
. b.
At least 15 years of professionallevel experience in his/her field, at least 10 years of which experience shall be in the nuclear field, at least 3 years of which nuclear experience shall be supervisory / managerial experience in Engineering, and shall hold or have held a Senior Reactor Operator license; c.
At least 5 years of nuclear experience and hold or have held a Senior Reactor Operator license, or i
d.
At least 8 years of professional level experience in his/her field, at least 5 years of which experience shall be in the nuclear field.
A minimum of two of these individuals shallhave the quali& cations speciRedin 6.2.3.2a provided that at least one individua' has the qualihcations 6.2.3.2b.
Otherwise, a minimum of three of these individuals shallhave the qualifications specifiedin 6.2.3.2a.
The TS has been reformatted to list items (a)-(d). Items (1) and (2) of the second paragraph (regarding the " remaining individuals") of the current TS would only be changed editorially to items (c) and-(d) of the proposed new requirement.
The requirement for three degreed individuals in the first paragraph of the current TS 6.2.3.2 would be changed such that two of them would meet the current degreed requirement; this is stated in paragraph a of the revised TS 6.2.3.2. The third individual could meet, as an altemative, the requirement stated in paragraph b. The revised requirements, italicized above to highlight the changes, also limit to only one individual meeting the requirement of paragraph
- b. The italicized wording above is the subject of the evaluation below.
2.0 DISCUSSION AND EVALUATION The regulatory position regarding the composition of the independent safety engineering group, as stated in NUREG-0737, is that it is an independent group of a minimum of five dedicated full-time engineers. The principal function of this group is to examine plant characteristics, NRC issuances, Licensing Information Service advisories, and other appropriate sources of plant design and operating experience information that may indicate areas for improving plant safety.
As further delineated by NUREG-0800, " Standard Review Plan," Section 13.4, levels of individuals performing this function shall meet or exceed that described in Section 4.4 of ANSI 3.1; i.e., a bachelor's degree in engineering, and 2 tc 4 years experience in their field, including _1 to 2 years nuclear experience, as required by the current first paragraph of TS 6.2.3.2 (that paragraph has become paragraph a. of the proposed TS 6.2.3.2).
The staff has previously approved attematives to the education requirements of ANSI 3.1, as evidenced by the current TS 6.2.3.2. The main difference in the attemative proposed herein is that the third individual constituting the required SRG majority would no longer be required io -
" hold a bachelor's degree in engineering or related science."
, In the technicaljustification supporting the proposed attemative, the licensee maintains that an individual meeting the proposed requirements would have the depth of knowledge and insight into all facets of station operation to effectively carry out the SRG function. In particular, engineering experience would provide a good understanding of the design control process and i
j.
associated programs; the Senior Reactor Operator license would evidence a good l
understanding of the various technical aspects of plant operation. In addition, supervisory /
managerial engineering experience would provide firsthand experience in overseeing a broad range of design and operational programs, procedures, and plant activities.
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In the course of acquiring the required 15 years of experience,10 of which involve the nuclear field, the individual would likely have held several different positions within a nuclear organization. This experience would enhance the individual's understanding of the various l
programs and procedures important to plant operation and facilitate the individual's review of plant programs for effectiveness, investigation of events and other occurrences, identification of potentialimprovements, and recommendation of appropriate corrective actions.
The staff finds that the proposed requirements for SRG members provide a reasonable alternative to the bachelor of science requirement and satisfies the intent of NUREG-0737 in ensuring that the individual can carry out the independent safety engineering function. The proposed attemate requirements are more stringent than the two attemate requirements i
already approved for TS 6.2.3.2 and can be considered equivalent to a bachelor's degree in engineering or related science for constituting the required three-member majority, as required by the first paragraph of the current TS 6.2.3.2.
Based on the considerations previously described, the staff concludes that the proposed revision to TS 6.2.3.2, speedying SRG qualification requirements and renumbering the items, is acceptable.
3.0 STATE CONSULTATION
in accordance with the Commission's regulations, the South Carolina State official, Mr. Virgil Autrey, was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendments. The State official had no comments.
4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
The amendments change recordkeeping, reporting, or administrative procedures or requirements. Accordingly, the amendments meet the eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(10). 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.
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5.0 CONCLUSION
The Commission has concluded, based on the considerations 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 not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.
Principal Contributors: Kenneth C. Heck Date:
April 27,1998 I
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