ML24221A238

Change in Estimated Review Schedule and Level of Effort for Palo Verde Units 1, 2, and 3

ML24221A238
Person / Time
Site:	Palo Verde
Issue date:	08/06/2024
From:	William Orders Plant Licensing Branch IV
To:	Dilorenzo M Arizona Public Service Co
Orders, William
References
EPID L-2023-LLA-0098
Download: ML24221A238 (2)

Text

From: William Orders To: Michael.Dilorenzo@aps.com

Subject:

CHANGE IN ESTIMATED REVIEW SCHEDULE and LEVEL OFEFFORT FOR Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 modifying the LCO for TS 3.5.2, the LCO for TS 3.6.5, SRs for 3.5.1.2 and 3.5.2.2 for TS 3.TS 3.5.1, and TS 3.5.(EPID: L-2023-LLA-0098)

Date: Tuesday, August 6, 2024 10:13:05 AM

Mr. Michael Dilorenzo,

By letter dated June 29, 2023 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML23180A222), as supplemented by letters dated March 6, 2024, and June 18, 2024 (ML24066A047 and ML24170A996), respectively, Arizona Public Service Company (APS, the licensee) submitted a license amendment request (LAR) for Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 (Palo Verde or PVNGS). The LAR would modify the Limiting Condition for Operation (LCO) for Technical Specification (TS) 3.5.2, Safety Injection Tanks (SITs) - Shutdown, LCO for TS 3.6.5, Containment Air Temperature, and Surveillance Requirements (SRs) 3.5.1.2 and 3.5.2.2 for TS 3.5.1, Safety Injection Tanks (SITs)

- Operating, and TS 3.5.2, respectively. On July 20, 2023 (ML23202A016), the NRC staff notified you that your request had been accepted for review, and the NRC staff estimated it would complete the review by June 29, 2024, and require 370 hours0.00428 days <br />0.103 hours <br />6.117725e-4 weeks <br />1.40785e-4 months <br />. During routine weekly status interactions by phone on I informed you of a potential delay and increase in resources to complete the subject LAR.

The purpose of this email is to inform you that the NRC will not complete its review by June 29, 2024 and within 370 hours0.00428 days <br />0.103 hours <br />6.117725e-4 weeks <br />1.40785e-4 months <br /> estimated due to schedule and technical complexities. The NRC transmitted the draft request for additional information (RAI) to APS on October 5, 2023, and scheduled a clarification call at APS request on November 6, 2023. The clarification call was cancelled by APS due to Unit 1 outage conflicts and was eventually held on November 28, 2023. As mutually agreed during this clarification call, APS was requested to provide an additional response to the RAI by January 19, 2024. The APS response to the RAI was provided in the enclosure to APS letter dated March 6, 2024.

After reviewing the enclosures of the APS March 6, 2024, letter, and in consideration of the information exchanged during a clarification call between the NRC staff and APS, held on May 15, 2024, the NRC staff requested an RAI via email dated May 20, 2024 (ML24143A111). The enclosure to APS letter of June 18, 2024, responded to the NRC RAI.

The NRC staff now estimates that this licensing request will take a total of approximately 400 hours0.00463 days <br />0.111 hours <br />6.613757e-4 weeks <br />1.522e-4 months <br /> and expects to complete its review by August 30, 2024. These estimates could change due to several factors such as RAI and an unanticipated addition of the scope to the review. If there are emergency complexities or challenges in our review that would result in a change to the estimated completion date or significant changes in the estimated hours, the reasons for the change and a revised estimate will be communicated during our routine interactions.

The change in the estimated completion date and estimated hours was approved by the Deputy Director of the Division of Operating Reactor Licensing.

If you have any questions, please contact me William.Orders@nrc.gov or (301)415-3329.

V/r, Bill