ML20247G158
| ML20247G158 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | North Anna  |
| Issue date: | 05/12/1998 |
| From: | Hartz L VIRGINIA POWER (VIRGINIA ELECTRIC & POWER CO.) |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM) |
| References | |
| 97-176A, NUDOCS 9805200153 | |
| Download: ML20247G158 (3) | |
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Vim;iM A Ei.EcTn C ANI) POWER CmwA N Y Riesium >, Vim;tNI A 232t,I May 12, 1998 United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Serial No.
98-176A Attention: Document Control Desk NL&OS/ETS R0 Washington, D.C. 20555 Docket No.
50-338/339 License No.
NPF-4/7 Gentlemen:
VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER CCMPANY NORTH ANNA POWER STATION UNITS 1 & 2 REQUEST FOR USE OF ASME SECTION XI CODE CASE SECOND INTERVAL INSERVICE INSPECTION PROGRAMS On October 15,1997, Virginia Electric and Power Company requested relief from the AMSE Code to use Code Case N-535, " Alternative Requirements for Inservice Inspection Intervals." Footnote 6 of 10 CFR 50.55a states that other Code Caya may be authorized upon request pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a (a)(3). In a May 4,1998 telephone conference call, the NRC requested additional information to complete the review of this relief request.
Code Case N-535 interprets interval inspection scheduling requirements and allows l
both interval and period extensions of up to one year to enable an inspection to coincide with a plant outage. Application of this Code Case would provide additional inspection scheduling flexibility in completing interval inspections. The Code Case allows examinations to be performed to satisfy the requirements of the extended interval in conjunction with examinations performed to satisfy requirements of the successive interval. However, an examination performed to satisfy requirements of either the extended interval or the sticcessive interval shall not be credited to both intervals.
In order to eliminate unnecessary radiation exposure and reduce outage critical path time, Virginia Electric and Pcwer Company requested relief from ASME Code requirements, paragraph IWA-2400(c) (1983 Edition with Summer 1983 Addenda) to extend the Unit I second inservice inspection interval 127 days to April 30,1999. This schedule relief, in concert with the one-year allowance provided in Code IWA-2400(c),
would permit completion of the second ten-year inservice inspection interval reactor vessel internal examination requirements in concert with the first period of the third l
inspection interval reactor vessel internal examination requirements. These inspections will be conductsd during the refueling outage currently scheduled for March of 2000.
l The Unit 1 second interval extension was approved by the NRC staff in a letter dated l
March 6,1998. In order to perform the reactor vessel internal examinations for the 40i o
980,5200153 980512-oo-23e eo r3 PDR
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second and third interval concurrently and avoid a compliance issue with the Code requires the use of Code Case N-535.
Consistent with the approved relief for the second interval extension, we consider it a hardship, without a compensating increase in quality and safety, if Code Case N-535 l
cannot be used for the following reasons:
The reactor vessel examinations that are scheduled for the end of the second interval and the beginning of the third interval could not be performed concurrently. This would require two separate evolutions with the reactor vessel inspection tool. The added evolution of removing the inspection tool from the reactor vessel and the site would result in the hardship of increased radiation exposure due to the associated man-hours to remove the inspection tool and reinstall it back on the vessel at a later date to complete the third interval inspections.
The start of performing third interval examinations would be delayed for Unit 1 until the September 9,20G I refueling outage, under the current schedule. This would result in a delay of a refueling cycle (eighteen months) into the third interval befcre performing any third interval inservice examinations and would require that an entire period of examinations be completed in one refueling l
outage.
Although Code relief is not necessary to extend the Unit 2 second interval, we intend to implement the second and third interval reactor vessel internal examination requirements concurrently.
Therefore, based on the identified hardships, we are requesting relief to use Code Case N-535 for Unit 2 also as identified in our October 1997 submittal.
Currently, the North Anna Unit 1 second interval will end on April 30,1999, and the North Anna Unit 2 second interval will end on December 14,2000.
If you have any additional questions concerning this request, please contact us.
Very truly yours, L. N. Hartz l
Vice President - Nuclear Engineering and Services l
Commitments made in this letter:
None
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cc:
U. S. Nuclear Reguistory Commission l
Region 11 Atlanta Federal Center I
61 Forsyth St., SW, Suite 23T85 Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Mr. M. J. Morgan NRC Senior Resident inspector North Anna Power Station i
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