ML23265A151
| ML23265A151 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Watts Bar  |
| Issue date: | 09/28/2023 |
| From: | Kimberly Green Plant Licensing Branch II |
| To: | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Green K | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML23265A171 | List: |
| References | |
| EPID L-2023-LRM-0061 | |
| Download: ML23265A151 (4) | |
Text
September 28, 2023 LICENSEE:
Tennessee Valley Authority FACILITY:
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF SEPTEMBER 12, 2023, PARTIALLY CLOSED MEETING WITH TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY TO DISCUSS PROPOSED LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST (EPID L-2023-LRM-0061)
On September 12, 2023, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff held a partially closed meeting with representatives of Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, the licensee) to discuss a potential license amendment request (LAR) to modify the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (Watts Bar), Units 1 and 2 technical specifications (TS). The meeting notice and agenda for this meeting, dated August 8, 2023, are available in the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) at Accession No. ML23243A831. The meeting slides are available at ADAMS Accession No. ML23251A125. A list of attendees is enclosed.
TVA stated its intent to submit a license amendment request to revise Watts Bar, Units 1 and 2 TS Surveillance Requirement (SR) 3.9.5.1, Residual Heat Removal (RHR) and Coolant Circulation - High Water Level, to revise the current flow rate of 2,500 gallons per minute (gpm) to 2,000 gpm. TVA noted that the proposed change is consistent with similar RHR flow requirements in Watts Bar, Units 1 and 2, SR 3.9.6.1, Residual Heat Removal (RHR) and Coolant Circulation - Low Water Level, and Sequoyah Nuclear Plant SRs 3.9.5.1 and 3.9.6.1.
TVA described the purpose of the RHR system in Mode 6 which is to remove decay heat and sensible heat from the reactor coolant system, to provide mixing of borated coolant, and to prevent boron stratification. Portions of the RHR system also serve as parts of the emergency core cooling system during the injection and recirculation phases of a loss of coolant accident.
The RHR system is also used to transfer refueling water between the refueling cavity and the refueling water storage tank at the beginning and end of the refueling operations. TVA explained that the proposed change would allow operation of the RHR system at reduced flow during refueling operations with high water level conditions. The NRC staff questioned why theres a difference between TS SR 3.9.5.1 (flow rate of 2,500 gpm) and TS SR 3.9.6.1 (flow rate 2,000 gpm). TVA reasoned that it is likely due to Standard Technical Specifications, which the Watts Bar TSs are not modeled after. The NRC staff asked if the basis for the flow rate for a refueling water level < 23 feet bounds the flow rate for a refueling water level > 23 feet. TVA replied that it could not readily say if one bounds the other because the limiting condition for operation for TS 3.9.5 is different than the limiting condition for operation TS 3.9.6.
Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Westinghouse) has prepared a technical evaluation, LTR-SEE-23-4-P, Revision 1, Technical Evaluation in Support of Watts Bar Units 1 & 2 Residual Heat Removal System (RHRS) Flow Rate Reduction During Mode 6 Operation at Refueling Water Level 23 Feet, to support the proposed change. The details of the evaluation were the subject of the closed portion of the meeting.
TVA plans to submit the LAR by September 30, 2023, and will request approval within 1 year from the date of the submittal.
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 J. Green, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch II-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-390 and 50-391
Enclosure:
List of Attendees cc: Listserv
Enclosure LIST OF ATTENDEES SEPTEMBER 12, 2023, PUBLIC PORTION OF PARTIALLY CLOSED MEETING WITH TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY REGARDING PROPOSED LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST Name Organization Kim Green U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Tony Sierra NRC Tom Scarbrough NRC Andrea Russell NRC Clint Ashley NRC Jo Ambrosini NRC Russ Wells Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
Dustin Martin TVA Sara Nolan TVA Chris Kerlin TVA Jim Smith Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC (Westinghouse)
Gary Whiteman Westinghouse Shaun Smith Westinghouse
ML23265A171 Package ML23243A831 Notice ML23265A151 Summary ML23251A125 Slides OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/PM NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/LA NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/BC NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/PM NAME KGreen RButler DWrona KGreen DATE 9/21/2023 9/25/2023 9/28/2023 9/28/2023