ML20217Q665

Discusses Request for Approval of Alternative RPV Weld Exam Pursuant to Provisions of 10CFR50.55a(a)(3)(i) & 10CFR50.55a(g)(ii)(A)(5),submitted on 980211 & 980310. Forwards SE Authorizing Proposed Postponement

ML20217Q665
Person / Time
Site:	Grand Gulf
Issue date:	05/06/1998
From:	Hannon J NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Hagan J ENTERGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Shared Package
ML20217Q669	List: ML20217Q665 ML20217Q670
References
TAC-MA0859, TAC-MA859, NUDOCS 9805080276
Download: ML20217Q665 (4)

Text

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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 2006H001 g

• • • • • May 6, 1998 Mr. Joseph J. Hagan Vice President, Operations GGNS Entergy Operations, Inc.

P. O. Box 756 Port Gibson, MS 39150

SUBJECT:

ALTERN ATIVE TO REACTOR VESSEL CIRCUMFERENTIAL WELD 9(AMINATION PURSUANT TO 10 CFR 50.55A FOR GRAND GULF NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 1 (TAC NO. MA0859)

Dear Mr. Hagan:

By letters dated February 11 (GNRO-98/00015) and March 10, (GNRO-98/00030) 1998, you requested approval of an altemative reactor pressure vessel (RPV) 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 Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Unit 1 (GGNS). The attemative is to postpone beginning the examination of the RPV circumferential welds for the next two operating cycles. This period would be for about 3 years from the plant shutdown for the 9th refueling outage for GGNS in April 1998. The relief request was based in part on the RPV neutron fluence values submitted in the attachment to your letter of May 2,1996. The letter of May 2,1996, requested a change in the schedule for the removal of the surveillance capsules that was later approved in the staffs letter of August 21, 1996. '

These inspections were proposed as an attemative to the augmented examinations specified in 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(6)(ii)(A)(2) for circumferential welds and as an attemative to the inservice inspection (ISI) requirements for circumferential welds in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME Code),Section XI,1992 Edition, with portions of the 1993 Addenda, for circumferential welds.

In NRC Information Notice (iN) 97-63, " Status of NRC Staffs Review of BWRVIP-05," dated

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August 7,1997, the staff indicated that it would consider such requests, when technically e /

justified, from Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) licensees, as yourself, who are scheduled to perform inspections of the BWR RPV circumferential welds during the fall 1997 or spring 1998 outage seasons. Your 9th refueling outage begins in April 1998. BWRVIP-05 provides the BWR Owners Group recommendations for RPV shell weld inspections.

As discussed in the enclosed Safety Evaluation, the staff has reviewed your request and concluded that the GGNS RPV can be operated during the next two operating cycles with an acceptable level of quality and safety, and the inspection of the circumferential welds can be delayed for the next two operating cycles. Beginning with the 11th refueling outage, the inspections of the RPV circumferential welds would have to be completed by the end of the current 10-year interval. Therefore, your proposed altemative is acceptable and the Commission hereby authorizes the attemative RPV circumferential weld examination schedule for GGNS pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(s)(3)(i), as an altemative which has an acceptable level of quality and safety.

You also stated in your letters that the inspections of essentially 100 percent of the longitudinal seam welds in the RPV shell and essentially 0 percent of the RPV circumferential seam welds, 9805

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P"00027698050a"'W i NRC Filf CENTER CDPV

Joseph J. Hagan 1 I

which will result in partial examination (2 to 3 percent) of the circumferential welds at their points of intersection with the longitudinal welds, will be in accordance with the BWRVIP-05. The staff -  ;

is reviewing, but has not approved, the use of the BWRVIP-05 requirements for this examination. I If the staff approves the BWRVIP-05 requirements, you will need to request relief from the ASME Code requirements to use these requirements, if the staff does not approve these requirements, you will need to redo the examinations or request relief from the ASME Code requirements.

Sincerely, W '

John N. Hannon, Director Project Directorate IV-1 Division of Reactor Projects lil/IV -

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-416

Enclosure:

Safety Evaluation cc w/ encl: See next page I

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f  :# , i

^ Joseph J. Hagan . -2 .

4 i0 twhich will resuN in partial examination (2 to 3 percent) of the circumferential welds at their points

' of intersection with the longitudinal welds, will be in accordance with the BWRVIP-05. The sta#

is reviewing, but has not approved, the use of the BWRVIP-05 requirements for this examination.

11f the staff approves the BWRVIP-05 requirements; you will need to request relief from the ASME Codo requirements to use these requirements. If the sta# does not approve these requirements, you will need to redo the examinations or request relief from the ASME Code requirements.

~ Sincerely,-

ORIGINAL SIGNED BY:.

' John' N. Hannon, Project Director Project Directorate IV-1 Division of Reactor Projects lil/IV Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

. Docket No. 50-416

Enclosure:

Safety Evaluation

- cc w/ encl: ' See next page DISTRIBUTION:

Docket File PUBLIC PD4-1 r/f THarris (TLH3)

EAdensam (EGA1) JDonohew TGwynn, RIV ACRS OGC (15818) CHawes JHannon. ESullivan TCollins KKavanagh Alee LLois

• See previous concurrence ' (SRXB SE Memo dated March 23,1998)

Document Name: G:\GGMA0859.REL (SRXB/EMCB SE Memo dated March 18,1998)

OFC PM/R@ 1 LA/PD4-1 OGC* i hPDIV-1 NAME Jdrhew CHaNhd MYoung JHannon DATE E7$/98 $/$/98 04/23/98 (/[/98 COPY YES/NO YES/NO YES/NO YEh V OFFICIAL RECORD COPY I

i I

1 1

J

• Mr. Joseph J. Hagan Entergy Operations, Inc. Grand Gulf Nuclear Station l

cc:

Executive Vice President General Manager, GGNS

& Chief Operating Officer - Entergy Operations, Inc.

Entergy Operations, Inc. P. O. Box 756 P. O. Box 31995 Port Gibson, MS 39150 Jackson, MS 39286-1995 Attomey General Wise, Carter, Child & Caraway Department of Justice P. O. Box 651 State of Louisiana

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Attomey General 1 President, Asst. Attomey General Claibome County Board of Supervisors State of Mississippi l- P. O. Box 339 P. O. Box 22947 l . Port Gibson, MS 39150 Jackson, MS 39225 Regional Administrator, Region IV Vice President, Operations Support U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Entergy Operations, Inc.

611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 1000 P.O. Box 31995 Ar1ington, TX 76011' Jackson, MS 39286-1995 Senior Resident inspector. Director, Nuclear Safety U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Regulatory Affairs e Route 2, Box 399 Entergy Operations, Inc.

Port Gibson, MS 39150 P.O. Box 756 Port Gibson, MS 39150 i