ML20236U809
| ML20236U809 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Wolf Creek  |
| Issue date: | 07/21/1998 |
| From: | NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20236U807 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9807310089 | |
| Download: ML20236U809 (5) | |
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g UNITED STATES
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t NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 30006 0001 49.....
SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION l
RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO.119 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-42 WOLF CREEK NUCLEAR OPERATING CORPORATION l
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WOLF CRFFK GENERATING STATION l
DOCKET NO. 50 482
1.0 INTRODUCTION
l By letter dated March 24,1995, as supplemented by htters dated July 26,1995, and September 5,1996, Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation (the licensee) requested changes to the Technical Specifications (Appendix A to Facility Operating License No. NPF 42) for the Wolf Creek Generating Station. The proposed changes would add a new action statement to Technical Specification (TS) 3.5.1 which would provide a 72-hour allowed outage time (AOT) for one accumulator to be inoperable because its boron concentration did not meet the 2300-2500 parts per million (ppm) band. The current action statement would be followed if an accumulator is inoperable for any other reason. This approach is consistent with NUREG-1431, " Standard Technical Specifications - Westinghouse Power Plants."
Changes to the surveillance requirements are also proposed which would base the operability of the accumulator on the contained water volume and cover gas pressure and move the requirement to perform calibrations of the pressure and level channels from the TS to Chapter l
16 of the Updated Safety Analysis Report (USAR). In addition, the Bases section for TS 3/4.5.1 l
is being revised to reflect the changes described above.
i The proposal to eliminate the requirement to verify boron concentration after an accumulator l
volume increase, provided the source of makeup water is the refueling water storage tank, was l
l approved on May 30,1995, as Amendment 87. The change that allowed verification of l
accumulator operability based on acceptable level and pressure instead of the absence of l
alarms was approved on November 22,1996, in Amendment 103. By letter dated July 17, 1998, the proposal to change the AOT for other reasons of inoperability from 1 hour1.157407e-5 days <br />2.777778e-4 hours <br />1.653439e-6 weeks <br />3.805e-7 months <br /> to 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> was withdrawn.
The July 26,1995, and September 5,1996, supplemental letters provided additioral clarifying information and did not change the initial no significant hazards consideration determination published in the Federal Register on April 12,1995 (60 FR 18632).
l 9807310089 980721
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PDR ADOCK 05000482 P
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2.0 EVALUATION The changes proposed by the licensee to TS 3.5.1 to incorporate a 72-hour AOT because of boron concentration limits are ansistent with NUREG 1431 (April 1995), " Standard Technical Specifications for Westinghouse Power Plants." The current action statement would be followed if an accumulator is inoperable for any other reason. The 72-hour AOT ensures core l-subcriticality during reflood. With an accumulator declared inoperable due to its boron l
concentration being out of specification, the ability to maintain suberiticality or minimum boron precipitation time may be reduced. The boron in the accumulators contributes to the assumption that the combined emergency core cooling system water in the partially recovered core during the early reflooding phase of a large break loss of coolant accident is sufficient to l
keep that portion of the core subcritical. One accumulator below the minimum boron I
concentration limit, however, will have no effect on available emergency core cooling system water and an insignificant effect on core suberiticality during reflood. As such, 72 hours8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br /> is appropnate to re'um the boron concentration to within limits and is therefore, acceptable, j
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The changes proposed by the licensee to relocate TS Surveillance Requirement 4.5.1.2 to
. Chapter 16 of t!ie USAR is consistent with the guidance of GL 93-05 regarding removal of l
surveillance requirements for instrumentation. The basis for this revision is to eliminate 4
l ineffective tests that place undue burden on plant personnel without commensurate safety benefit. The current Wolf Creek TS do not differentiate between an accumulator that ic inoperable due to tank inventory or nitrogen gas pressure discrepancies and an accumulator whose inventory or gas pressure cannot be verified due solely to malfunctioning water level instrumentation or pressure instrumentation. Because these instruments provide no safety l
l function, it is reasonable to relocate the instrumentation surveillance requirements from the TS to Chapter 16 of the USAR. In addition, the staff evaluated the proposed changes to determine if the surveillance requirement to be relocated met any of the four criteria in 10 CFR l
50.36 for items to be included in the technical specifications. The staff concluded that the surveillance requirements did not meet any of the four criteria. Based oa the above, the l
proposed relocation is acceptable. A condition has been added to Appendix D of the license to reflect this relocation.
. The changes proposed to the Bases section for TS 3/4.5.1 were determined to reflect the changes described above, and are therefore acceptabie.
3.0 STATE CONSULTATION
in accordance with the Commission's regulations, the Kansas State Official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendment. The State official had no comments.
4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
The amendment changes a requirement with respect to installation or use of a facility component located within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20 and changes a surveillance requirement. The NRC staff has determined that the amendment involves no I
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significant increase in the amounts, and no significant change in the types, of any effluents that may be released offsite, and that there is no significant increase in individual or cumulative i
occupational radiation exposure. The Commission has previously issued a proposed finding that the amendment involves no significant hazeds consideration, and there has been no public comment on such finding (60 FR 18362). Accordingly, the amendment meets the eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b) no environmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared in connection with the issuance of the amendment.
5.0 CONCLUSION
The Commission has concluded, based on the considerations discussed above, that: (1) there l
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 amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.
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PrincipalContributor: K. Thomas l
l Date: July 21,1998 l
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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WOLF CREEK NUCLEAR OPERATING CORPORATION DOCKET NO. 50 482 f
I NOTICE OF PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL OF APPLICAT*ON FOR AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comm!ssion (the Commission) has granted a request by Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation (the licensee) to withdraw part of its March 24,1995, application for an amendment to Facility Operating License No. NPF-42, issued to the licensee for operation of the Wolf Creek Nuclear Generating Station, Unit No.1, located in Coffey County, Kansas. Notice of Cons!deration of issuance of this amendment was published in the FEDERAL REGISTER on April 12,1995 (60 FR 18632).
The portion of the licensee's amendment request which is beirs withdrawn is the revision of the Technical Specifications (TS) that would change the allowed outage time (AOT)
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I for other reasons of accumulator inoperability from 1 hour1.157407e-5 days <br />2.777778e-4 hours <br />1.653439e-6 weeks <br />3.805e-7 months <br /> to 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />.
Subsequently the licensee informed the staff that this portion of the amendment will be resubmitted at a later time. Thus, this portion of the amendment application is considered to be withdrawn by the licensee.
For further details with respect to this action, see (1) the application for amendment dated March 24,1995. as supplemented by letters dated July 26,1995 and September 5,1996, and (2) the staffs letter dated July 21,1998.
These documents are available for public inspection at the Commission's Public l
Document Room, the Gelman Building,2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC and at the
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1 Emporia State University, Wiliam Allen White Library,1200 Commercial Street, Emporia, Kansas 66801 and Washbum University School of Law Library, Topeka, Kansas 66621.
i Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day of July 1998.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION N
Kristine M. Thomas, Project Manager Project Directorate IV-2 Division of Reactor Projects Ill/IV l
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 4
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