ML22348A116

Acceptance of Requested Licensing Actions Application for License Amendment & Regulatory Exemptions for TS Change & Exemption Request Regarding Use of Framatome Gaia Fuel (EPID L-2022-LLA-0150 & EPID L-2022-LLE-0030)

ML22348A116
Person / Time
Site:	Callaway
Issue date:	12/21/2022
From:	Mahesh Chawla NRC/NRR/DORL/LPL4
To:	Diya F Ameren Missouri
References
EPID L 2022-LLA-0150, EPID L-2022-LLE-0030
Download: ML22348A116 (1)

Text

December 21, 2022 Mr. Fadi Diya Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer Ameren Missouri Callaway Energy Center 8315 County Road 459 Steedman, MO 65077

SUBJECT:

CALLAWAY PLANT, UNIT NO. 1 ACCEPTANCE OF REQUESTED LICENSING ACTIONS RE: APPLICATION FOR LICENSE AMENDMENT AND REGULATORY EXEMPTIONS FOR TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION CHANGE AND EXEMPTION REQUEST REGARDING USE OF FRAMATOME GAIA FUEL (EPID L-2022-LLA-0150 AND EPID L-2022-LLE-0030)

Dear Mr. Diya:

By letter dated October 12, 2022 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML22285A115), supplemented by letter dated December 1, 2022 (ML22335A497), Union Electric Company, doing business as Ameren Missouri (the licensee),

pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 50.90, Application for amendment of license, construction permit, or early site permit, requested an amendment for the technical specification (TS) change and regulatory exemptions regarding use of Framatome GAIA fuel. The proposed amendment would revise the TS to allow use of Framatome GAIA fuel with M51 as a fuel cladding material. Since the Framatome GAIA fuel will use M5 fuel rod cladding, a 10 CFR 50.46 and 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix K exemption request is included as part of this licensing amendment request LAR.

By an email dated November 17, 2022 (ML22322A006), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff provided the results of the acceptance review as Unacceptable with Opportunity to Supplement, and included the request for supplemental information. In order to make the license amendment and regulatory exemptions application complete, the NRC staff requested that the licensee supplement the application to address the information requested to enable the NRC staff to begin its detailed technical review. By letter dated December 1, 2022, the licensee submitted the requested supplemental information.

The purpose of this letter is to provide the results of the NRC staffs acceptance review of this amendment request and regulatory exemptions. The acceptance review was performed to determine if there is sufficient technical information in scope and depth to allow the NRC staff to complete its detailed technical review. The acceptance review is also intended to identify whether the application has any readily apparent information insufficiencies in its characterization of the regulatory requirements or the licensing basis of the plant.

Consistent with 10 CFR 50.90, an application for an amendment to a license (including the TSs) must fully describe the changes requested, and following, as applicable, the form prescribed for original applications. Section 50.34 of 10 CFR addresses the content of technical information required. This section stipulates that the submittal address the design and operating characteristics, unusual or novel design features, and principal safety considerations.

Consistent with 10 CFR 50.12, the Commission may, upon application by any interested person or upon its own initiative, grant exemptions from the requirements of the regulations of this part, which are authorized by law, will not present an undue risk to the public health and safety, and are consistent with the common defense, and security. The Commission will not consider granting an exemption unless special circumstances are present, as specified in 10 CFR, Section 50.12(a)(2).

The NRC staff has reviewed your application and the supplemental information and concluded that it does provide technical information in sufficient detail to enable the NRC staff to complete its detailed technical review and make an independent assessment regarding the acceptability of the proposed amendment in terms of regulatory requirements and the protection of public health and safety and the environment. Given the lesser scope and depth of the acceptance review as compared to the detailed technical review, there may be instances in which issues that impact the NRC staffs ability to complete the detailed technical review are identified despite completion of an adequate acceptance review. You will be advised of any further information needed to support the NRC staffs detailed technical review by separate correspondence.

Based on the information provided in your submittal and discussions during the pre-licensing meeting on September 12, 2022 (meeting summary dated October 12, 2022 (ML22259A119)),

the NRC staff has estimated that this licensing request will take approximately 1,000 hours0 days <br />0 hours <br />0 weeks <br />0 months <br /> for the license amendment request and 400 hours0.00463 days <br />0.111 hours <br />6.613757e-4 weeks <br />1.522e-4 months <br /> for the exemptions to be completed. The NRC staff expects to complete this review in approximately 9 months, which is September 30, 2023.

These estimates are based on the NRC staffs initial review of the application, and they could change due to several factors including requests for additional information, unanticipated addition of scope to the review, and review by NRC advisory committees or hearing-related activities. Any significant changes in the forecasted hours and/or the forecasted completion date, the reasons for the changes, along with the new estimates, will be communicated during the routine interactions with the assigned project manager.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact me at 301-415-8371 or via email at Mahesh.Chawla@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Mahesh L. Chawla, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-483 cc: Listserv

ML22348A116

• by email OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL4/PM NRR/DORL/LPL4/LA*

NRR/DRO/IQVB/BC NAME MChawla PBlechman (RButler for)

FVega for KKavanagh DATE 12/20/2022 12/20/2022 12/21/2022 OFFICE NRR/DSS/SFNB/BC*

NRR/DSS/SNSB/BC (A)*

NMSS/REFS/ELRB/(BC)*

NAME SKrepel DWoodyatt TSmith (JRikhoff for)

DATE 12/20/2022 12/20/2022 12/20/2022 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL4/BC*

NRR/DORL/LPL4/PM*

NAME JDixon-Herrity MChawla DATE 12/21/2022 12/21/2022