ML20236M117

Responds to 960717 TIA 96-010 Requesting NRR Assistance in Evaluating Position Taken by Licensee for VC Summer Nuclear Station Re Interpretation of TS Definition of Core Alteration

ML20236M117
Person / Time
Site:	Summer
Issue date:	12/10/1996
From:	Charemagne Grimes NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Reinhart F NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
Shared Package
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References
FOIA-98-155, RTR-NUREG-1431 TAC-M96128, NUDOCS 9807130301
Download: ML20236M117 (3)

Text

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P; NUCLEAR REQULATORY CCMMISSION WAsMINGToN. D.C. 20006 4001 g,,,,,,*j' December 10, 1996 MEMORANDUM TO: F. Mark Reinhart, Acting Director Project Directorate ll-1 Division of Reactor Projects 1/11, NRR FROM: Christopher 1. Grimes, Chief - '

Technical Specifications Branch , ,

Associate Director for Projects, NRR

SUBJECT:

V. C. SUMMER NUCLEAR STATION TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS -DEFINITION OF CORE ALTERATIONS (TAC M96128)

By memo dated July 17,1996, Region ll forwarded TIA 96-010. This TlA requested NRR assistance in evaluating the position taken by the licensee for the V. C. Summer Nuclear Station regarding interpretation of their Technical Specification (TS) definition of CORE ALTERATION. The TIA includes the list of specific activities that the licensee does not consider to be CORE ALTERATIONS.

At Summer, a CORE ALTERATION is defined as follows: " CORE ALTERATION shall be the movement or manipulation of any component within the reactor pressure vessel with the vessel head removed and fuelin the vessel." Because of the language " movement or manipulation of any component" in that definition, a literalinterpretation of the Summer TS would include, as CORE ALTERATIONS, the following activities within the pressure vessel from TIA 96-010 which the licensee believes should be excluded:

• Exercising the Internals Vent Valves.

• All video camera inspections external to the volume of the CORE.

• Control Component Retainer handling operations.

• Suspension and manipulation of lightweight tools or components within the vessel but outside the Core Region.

• Indexing the Main and Auxiliary Fuel Handling Bridges fuel and control rod grapples to the reactor core locations.

• Withdrawal / Insertion of incore detectors.

• Movement of lights, cameras and reactor vessel material specimon's within the reactor vessel.

Movement of ENA Flux thimbles within the Core (but not the detectors which could be considered a source).

• Movement of the reactor vessel upper internals within the reactor vessel with fuel in the vessel.

CONTACT: E. B. Tomlinson, NRR 415-3137 9007130301 900624 PDR FOIA UNNERST98-155 PDR

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, , M. Reinhart December 10, 1996 l The definition of CORE ALTERATION in NUREG-1431, Standard Technical Specifications (STS) for Westinghouse Plants, is derived from the need for control of reactivity changes

, and the consequences of fuel handling accidents. Therefore, the NUREG-1431 definition of CORE ALTERATION was limited to movement of any fuel, sources, or reactivity control components within the reactor vessel:

1 CORE ALTERATION shall be the movement of any fuel, sources, or reactivity control components, within the reactor vessel with the vessel head removed and fuelin the vessel. Suspension of CORE ALTERATIONS shall not preclude completion of movement of a component to a safe position.

l l In developing the STS definition, the staff recognized that licensees must satisfy the l

guidance in NUREG-0612 with respect to an adequate design basis for controlling heavy loads, including movement of loads within the reactor vessel when there is fuel in the vessel. Additional restrictions like those imposed by the Summer definition of CORE j ALTERATIONS would preclude the licensee from exercising design options relative to load handling as detailed in NUREG-0612.

While there is considerable difference between the NUREG-1431 and the Summer TS

. regarding the definition of CORE ALTERATION, the Summer TS are subject to literal l l

interpretation. Therefore, the activities listed above must be considered as CORE I ALTERATIONS at Summer until such time as the licensee amends the license to, include l the NUREG-1431 definition. l l In the list of activities in Tl/ 96-010, there are some activities that are not considered to be CORE ALTERATIONS by 3ither the Summer TS or NUREG-1431 definitions. Those l' activities involve movement of loads over the open reactor vessel. The conduct of these activities should conform with the guidelines in NUREG-0612.

l The Reactor Systems Branch and the Plant Systems Branch concur in this position. If you j have any questions, please contact E. 8. Tomlinson of my staff on 415 3137. This l completes our efforts under TAC No. M96128.

t .

cc: R. Zimmerman S. Varga J. Roe A. Johnson G. Holahan T. Collins L. Marsh J. Lieberman i

l l

s . , .

M. Reinhart December 10, 1996 The definition of CORE ALTERATION in NUREG-1431, Standard Technical Specifications (STS)is Westinghouse Plants,is derived from the need for control of reactivity changes and the consequences of fuel handling accidents. Therefore, the NUREG-1431 definition of CORE ALTERATION was limited to movement of any fuel, sources, or reactivity control components within the reactor vessel:

CORE ALTERATION shall be the movement of any fuel, sources, or reactivity control components, within the reactor vessel with the vessel head removed and fuelin the vessel. Suspension of CORE ALTERATIONS shall not preclude completion of movement of a component to a safe position. l In developing the STS definition, the staff recognized that licensees must satisfy the guidance in NUREG-0612 with respect to an adequate design basis for controlling heavy loads, including movement of loads within the reactor vessel when there is fuel in the l vessel. Additional restrictions like those imposed by the Summer definition of CORE l ALTERATIONS would preclude the licensee'from exercising design options relative to load l handling as detailed in NUREG-0612. '

While there is considerable difference between the NUREG-1431 and the Summer TS '

regarding the definition of CORE ALTERATION, the Summer TS are subject to literal interpretation. Therefore, the activities listed above must be considered as CORE ALTERATIONS at Summer until such time as the licensee amends the license to include the NUREG-1431 definition.

In the list of activities in TIA 96-010, there are some activities that are not considered to be CORE ALTERATIONS by either the Summer TS or NUREG-1431 definitions. Those activities involve movement of loads over the open reactor vessel. The conduct of these activities should conform with the guidelines in NUREG-0612.

The Reactor Systems Branch and the Plant Systems Branch concur in this position. If you have any questions, please contact E. B. Tomlinson of my staff on 415 3137. This completes our efforts under TAC No. M96128.

cc: R. Zimmerman DISTRIBUTION:

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