ML22329A138

Summary of Meeting with Tennessee Valley Authority Related to Planned Alternative Request WBN-2-ISI-01 for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 2

ML22329A138
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	12/05/2022
From:	Kimberly Green Plant Licensing Branch II
To:
Green K
References
EPID L-2022-LRM-0092
Download: ML22329A138 (1)

Text

December 5, 2022

LICENSEE: Tennessee Valley Authority

FACILITY: Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 2

SUMMARY

OF NOVEMBER 16, 2022, MEETING WITH TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY RELATED TO PLANNED ALTERNATIVE REQUEST WBN-2-ISI-01 FOR WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 2 (EPID L-2022-LRM-0092)

On November 16, 2022, a public observation was held between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and representatives of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, the licensee) via teleconference. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a planned alternative request (WBN-2-ISI-01) for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (Watts Bar), Unit 2. The planned alternative request would allow the volumetric examination frequency of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel (BPVC) Code Case N-770-5, Inspection B-1, for the Watts Bar, Unit 2, upper head injection (UHI) dissimilar metal butt welds containing Alloy 82/182 to be extended, on a one-time basis, for approximately 30 days from the required frequency of not to exceed 7 yr. The meeting notice and agenda dated November 3, 2022, are available in the Agencywide Documents Access and Managemen t System (ADAMS) at Accession No. ML22307A255. The licensees slide presentation is available at ML22318A104. A list of meeting participants is provided as an enclosure.

The licensee explained that Watts Bar, Unit 2, began commercial operation on October 19, 2016. As required by Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.55a(g)(6)(ii)(F) and ASME Code Case N-770-5, the examination of the UHI butt welds is required to be completed by October 19, 2023. Because the examinations could not be conducted during the Unit 2 Cycle 4 refueling outage in spring 2022, the examinations were rescheduled to be performed during the Unit 2 Cycle 5 (U2R5) refueling outage. However, the U2R5 outage, which was previously scheduled to take place starting October 13, 2023, was rescheduled to begin on November 3, 2023. Therefore, TVA plans to request a one-time extension of approximately 30 days to the inspection frequency requirement to allow the required inspections to be performed during the U2R5 outage. The NRC staff encouraged TVA to be mindful of the wording in the request regarding the amount of time it would need to complete the examinations.

The licensee stated that the Watts Bar, Unit 2, UHI nozzles were last examined during the preservice inspection before Unit 2 started commercial operation, and that no recordable indications were observed (ML16293A334). Additionally, similar UHI nozzles were inspected at Watts Bar, Unit 1, during the spring of 2014 and spring of 2020, and no recordable indications were observed. The NRC staff asked TVA if it will need to request relief for limited coverage examinations. TVA stated that based on the angles at which the preservice examinations were conducted, it was able to achieve full coverage, therefore, it does not anticipate that it will need a relief request for limited coverage examinations.

The licensee stated that it plans to submit the proposed alternative by the end of November 2022 and will ask the NRC to authorize it in accordance with 10 CFR 50.55a(z)(1),

which means that the alternative would provide an acceptable level of quality and safety. The NRC staff noted that although TVA can request approval under that provision, it might be more conducive to request approval in accordance with 10 CFR 50.55a(z)(2), which means that compliance with the specified requirements would result in a hardship or unusual difficulty without a compensating increase in the level of quality and safety.

No comments or public meeting feedback were received. No regulatory decisions were made at this meeting.

Please direct any inquiries to me at 301-415-1627, or Kimberly.Green@nrc.gov.

/RA/

Kimberly Green, Sr. Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch II-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Docket No. 50-391

Enclosure:

List of Attendees

cc: Listserv

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

NOVEMBER 16, 2022, MEETING WITH TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY

RELATED TO PLANNED ALTERNA TIVE REQUEST WBN-2-ISI-01

FOR WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 2

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Kimberly Green Jay Collins

Tennessee Valley Authority Russell Wells Dean Baker Dylan Merrell Anne Robinson

Members of the Public Jerry Bingaman, State of Tennessee - Division of Radiological Health

Enclosure

ML22329A138 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/PM NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/LA NRR/DNRL/NPHP/BC NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/BC NAME KGreen RButler MMitchell DWrona DATE 11/23/22 11/30/22 12/05/22 12/05/22