ML25050A204
| ML25050A204 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Turkey Point  |
| Issue date: | 03/24/2025 |
| From: | Blake Purnell Plant Licensing Branch II |
| To: | Coffey B Florida Power & Light Co |
| Buckberg, P. NRR/DORL 415-1383 | |
| References | |
| EPID L-2025-LLA-0026 | |
| Download: ML25050A204 (10) | |
Text
March 24, 2025 Robert Coffey Executive Vice President, Nuclear and Chief Nuclear Officer Florida Power & Light Company Mail Stop: EX/JB 700 Universe Blvd.
Juno Beach, FL 33408
SUBJECT:
TURKEY POINT NUCLEAR GENERATING UNIT NO. 4 - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT NO. 295 REGARDING EXTENSION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE OF A PREVIOUSLY ISSUED LICENSE AMENDMENT (EPID L-2025-LLA-0026)
Dear Robert Coffey:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 295 to Subsequent Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-41 for Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 4 (Turkey Point Unit 4). This amendment is in response to the Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) application dated February 4, 2025, as supplemented by \
letter dated February 18, 2025.
This amendment extends the implementation date for Amendment No. 291 to the Turkey Point Unit 4 license from the spring 2025 refueling outage to the spring 2027 refueling outage. The NRC issued Amendment No. 291 by \
letter dated January 22, 2024, which was corrected by \
letter dated June 26, 2024. Amendment No. 291 approved changes to the fire protection program to support the reactor coolant pump seal replacement at Turkey Point Unit 4 that was scheduled to occur during the spring 2025 refueling outage. The licensee stated in its February 4, 2025, application that this seal replacement has been delayed until the spring 2027 refueling outage.
A copy of the related safety evaluation is also enclosed. Notice of issuance will be included in the Commissions monthly Federal Register notice.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Blake A. Purnell, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch II-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-251
Enclosures:
- 1. Amendment No. 295 to DPR-41
- 2. Safety Evaluation cc: Listserv
FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY DOCKET NO. 50-251 TURKEY POINT NUCLEAR GENERATING UNIT NO. 4 AMENDMENT TO SUBSEQUENT RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 295 Subsequent Renewed License No. DPR-41
- 1.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:
A.
The application for amendment by Florida Power & Light Company dated February 4, 2025, as supplemented by \
letter dated February 18, 2025, complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commissions rules and regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I; B.
The facility will operate in conformity with the application, the provisions of the Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission; C.
There is reasonable assurance (i) that the activities authorized by this amendment can be conducted without endangering the health and safety of the public, and (ii) that such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commissions regulations; D.
The issuance of this amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public; and E.
The issuance of this amendment is in accordance with 10 CFR Part 51 of the Commissions regulations and all applicable requirements have been satisfied.
- 2.
Accordingly, by Amendment No. 295, Subsequent Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-41 is hereby amended to authorize a change to the implementation date of Amendment No. 291, dated January 22, 2024, as corrected by \
letter dated June 26, 2024, from by the completion of refueling outage 4R35 (spring 2025) for Unit No. 4 to by the completion of refueling outage 4R36 (spring 2027) for Unit No. 4.
- 3.
This license amendment is effective as of the date of its issuance.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION David Wrona, Chief Plant Licensing Branch II-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Date of Issuance: March 24, 2025 DAVID WRONA Digitally signed by DAVID WRONA Date: 2025.03.24 15:21:15 -04'00'
SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO. 295 TO SUBSEQUENT RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-41 FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY TURKEY POINT NUCLEAR GENERATING UNIT NO. 4 DOCKET NO. 50-251 1.0 INTRODUCTION By application dated February 4, 2025 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML25036A099), as supplemented by \
letter dated February 18, 2025 (ML25049A133), the Florida Power & Light Company (FPL, the licensee) submitted a license amendment request for Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 4 (Turkey Point Unit 4). The proposed amendment would extend the implementation period for Amendment No. 291 to the Turkey Point Unit 4 license by one refueling outage.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) issued Amendment No. 291 by \
letter dated January 22, 2024 (ML23320A306), which was corrected by \
letter dated June 26, 2024 (ML24159A265). Amendment No. 291 approved changes to the fire protection program (FPP) to support the reactor coolant pump (RCP) seal replacement at Turkey Point Unit 4 that was scheduled to occur during the spring 2025 refueling outage. The licensee stated in its application that this RCP seal replacement has been delayed until the spring 2027 refueling outage.
The licensees February 18, 2025, supplement was in response to an NRC request for additional information dated February 13, 2025 (ML25044A247). The supplement did not expand the scope of the application as originally noticed and did not change the NRC staffs original proposed no significant hazards consideration determination as published in the Federal Register on February 19, 2025 (90 FR 9932).
2.0 REGULATORY EVALUATION
2.2 Licensees Proposed Changes The licensee requested additional time to implement Amendment No. 291 to the Turkey Point Unit 4 license. Specifically, the licensee requested to change the implementation date for Amendment No. 291 from by the completion of refueling outage 4R35 (spring 2025) for Unit No. 4 to by the completion of refueling outage 4R36 (spring 2027) for Unit No. 4.
2.2 Regulatory Requirements Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 50.48, Fire protection, provides the requirements for nuclear power plant fire protection. The regulations at 10 CFR 50.48(c) incorporates by reference the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 805, Performance-Based Standard for Fire Protection for Light Water Reactor Electric Generating Plants, 2001 Edition, with certain exceptions, modifications, and supplements.
As required by paragraph 3.D, Fire Protection, of the Turkey Point Unit 4 license, the licensee maintains an FPP that complies with NFPA 805 as specified in 10 CFR 50.48(c). Section 2.4.3.3 of NFPA 805 requires, in part, that the approach, methods, and data used for probabilistic risk assessments (PRA)1 in fire risk evaluations to be based on the as-built and as-operated and maintained plant. A similar requirement is also included in paragraph 3.D of the Turkey Point Unit 4 license.
Amendment No. 291 to the Turkey Point Unit 4 license authorized changes to the licensees FPP to support the RCP seal replacement at Turkey Point Unit 4. In issuing an amendment to an operating license, the NRC specifies when the amendment is effective and when the amendment must be implemented. Amendment No. 291 states, in part, that:
This license amendment is effective as of the date of its issuance and shall be implemented by the completion of refueling outage 4R35 (spring 2025) for Unit No. 4.
There are no specific regulatory requirements regarding the time period for amendment implementation. Since the implementation period specified by the NRC in an amendment is part of the operating license, a licensee is required to fully implement the amendment on or before the date specified or be in violation of its operating license. Any extension of the implementation period requires prior NRC approval via a license amendment issued pursuant to 10 CFR 50.90, Application for amendment of license, construction permit, or early site permit.
3.0 TECHNICAL EVALUATION
Amendment No. 291 to the Turkey Point Unit 4 license authorized changes to the licensees FPP to support the RCP seal replacement at Turkey Point Unit 4. Specifically, the amendment authorized changes to the units fire PRA to incorporate the new RCP seal design and make certain model refinements. By \
letter dated February 4, 2025, the licensee requested to extend the implementation date for Amendment No. 291 from the spring 2025 refueling outage to the spring 2027 refueling outage. The letter stated that the installation of the new RCP seals will be done in the spring 2027 outage instead of the spring 2025 outage as previously planned.
The February 4, 2025, application also stated that rotating assembly replacements would still occur during the spring 2025 outage (4R35). In its \
letter dated February 18, 2025, the licensee stated that the rotating assemblies will be replaced like-for-like and there would be no new or heightened risk associated with these replacements. Based on this information, the NRC staff determined that installation of the rotating assembly replacements during the spring 2025 outage would not preclude a delay in implementing Amendment No. 291.
1 Also called a probabilistic safety assessment (PSA).
NFPA 805 Section 2.4.3.3 and paragraph 3.D of the Turkey Point Unit 4 license both require the fire PRA model to be based on the as-built, as-operated, and maintained plant. To comply with these requirements, implementation of Amendment No. 291 must coincide with the installation of the new RCP seals. Given that the licensee will delay the installation of the new RCP seals to the spring 2027 outage, the NRC staff determined that it is appropriate for the licensee to also delay the implementation of Amendment No. 291 to the spring 2027 outage. Therefore, the NRC staff finds the request to extend the implementation date for Amendment No. 291 acceptable.
4.0 FINAL NO SIGNIFICANT HAZARDS CONSIDERATION
DETERMINATION The NRC proposed to find that the requested amendment involves no significant hazards consideration in its Federal Register notice of February 19, 2025 (90 FR 9932). The NRCs regulation at 10 CFR 50.92(c) states that the NRC may make a final determination, under the procedures in 10 CFR 50.91, that a license amendment involves no significant hazards consideration if operation of the facility, in accordance with the amendment, would not:
(1) involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated; or (2) create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated; or (3) involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety.
An evaluation of the issue of no significant hazards consideration is presented below:
- 1. Does the proposed amendment involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated?
Response: No.
The proposed change would extend the implementation date for Amendment No. 291 from refueling outage (RFO) 4R35 (spring 2025) to RFO 4R36 (spring 2027) for Turkey Point Unit 4. Since the current FPP reflects the current RCP seal design, the proposed change neither alters plant equipment nor the manner in which plant equipment is operated and maintained, and thereby cannot increase the probability of an accident. The proposed change cannot affect the type or quantity of radioactive effluent that may be released or increase occupational exposures resulting from any accident, and thereby cannot increase the consequences of a previously evaluated accident. The proposed change is an administrative change with no technical or safety aspects.
Therefore, the proposed amendment does not involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated.
- 2. Does the proposed amendment create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated?
Response: No.
The proposed change would extend the implementation schedule for Amendment No. 291 for Turkey Point Unit 4, and is thereby an administrative change with no technical or safety aspects. The proposed change neither installs new equipment nor introduces new equipment failure modes and thereby cannot introduce a new or different type of malfunction or accident.
The proposed change does not create or revise any safety analysis inputs or projections and thereby cannot create new accident initiators or precursors.
Therefore, the proposed amendment does not create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any previously evaluated.
- 3. Does the proposed amendment involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety?
Response: No.
The proposed change would extend the implementation schedule for Amendment No. 291 for Turkey Point Unit, and is thereby an administrative change with no technical or safety aspects. The proposed change does not alter the approach to any safety limits, limiting safety system settings, or safety analysis assumptions or inputs, and thereby cannot affect plant operating margins. The proposed change does not modify the design and capability of equipment credited in safety analyses, or introduce new energy sources, and thereby cannot affect the integrity of any radiological barrier.
Therefore, the proposed amendments do not involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety.
Based on the above evaluation, the NRC staff concludes that the three standards of 10 CFR 50.92(c) are satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff has determined that no significant hazards consideration is involved for the proposed amendment and that the amendment should be issued as allowed by the criteria contained in 10 CFR 50.91.
5.0 STATE CONSULTATION
In accordance with the Commissions regulations, the Florida State official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendment on February 19, 2025. The State official had no comments.
6.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION The amendment changes requirements with respect to the installation or use of facility components located within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20. The NRC staff has determined that the amendment involves no significant increase in the amounts, and no significant change in the types, of any effluents that may be released offsite, and that there is no significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure. The Commission previously issued a proposed finding that the amendment involves no significant hazards consideration published in the Federal Register on February 19, 2025 (90 FR 9932) and there has been no public comment on such finding. Accordingly, the amendment meets the eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared in connection with the issuance of the amendment.
7.0 CONCLUSION
The Commission has concluded, based on the considerations discussed above, that: (1) there is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by operation in the proposed manner, (2) there is reasonable assurance that such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commissions regulations, and (3) the issuance of the amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.
Principal Contributors: J. Robinson, NRR B. Purnell, NRR Date: March 24, 2025
ML25050A204 NRR-058 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/PM NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/LA NRR/DRA/APLB NAME BPurnell ABaxter EDavidson DATE 3/7/2025 2/19/2025 2/18/2025 OFFICE OGC - NLO NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/BC NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/PM NAME SGellen DWrona BPurnell DATE 3/11/2025 3/13/2025 3/24/2025