ML25069A253
| ML25069A253 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Byron, Braidwood  |
| Issue date: | 03/17/2025 |
| From: | Scott Wall Plant Licensing Branch III |
| To: | Rhoades D Constellation Energy Generation |
| Wall, S | |
| References | |
| EPID L-2023-LLA-0136 | |
| Download: ML25069A253 (5) | |
Text
March 17, 2025 David P. Rhoades Senior Vice President Constellation Energy Generation, LLC President and Chief Nuclear Officer Constellation Nuclear 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555
SUBJECT:
BRAIDWOOD STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2, AND BYRON STATION, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 - AUDIT
SUMMARY
FOR LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST REGARDING REVISION OF TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 3.7.15, SPENT FUEL POOL BORON CONCENTRATION, 3.7.16, SPENT FUEL ASSEMBLY STORAGE, AND 4.3.1 "FUEL STORAGE, CRITICALITY (EPID L-2023-LLA-0136)
Dear David P. Rhoades:
By letter dated September 29, 2023 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML23272A201), Constellation Energy Generation, LLC (Constellation, the licensee), submitted a license amendment request (LAR) for Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2, and Byron Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2. Specifically, the proposed LAR would modify several technical specifications related to spent fuel pool boron concentration, criticality, and spent fuel assembly storage.
To support its review, by letter dated April 22, 2024 (ML24113A127), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff notified the licensee that they would conduct a regulatory audit through an online portal (also known as electronic portal, ePortal, electronic reading room) established by the licensee. The regulatory audit summary is enclosed with this letter.
If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-2855, or by e-mail at Scott.Wall@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Scott P. Wall, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch III Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. STN 50-454, STN 50-455, STN 50-456, and STN 50-457
Enclosure:
Regulatory Audit Summary cc: Listserv
Enclosure REGULATORY AUDIT
SUMMARY
REGARDING LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST TO MODIFY TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 3.7.15, SPENT FUEL POOL BORON CONCENTRATION, 3.7.16, SPENT FUEL ASSEMBLY STORAGE, AND 4.3.1 FUEL STORAGE, CRITICALITY BRAIDWOOD STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2, AND BYRON STATION, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 CONSTELLATION ENERGY GENERATION, LLC.
DOCKET NOS. STN 50-454, STN 50-455, STN 50-456, AND STN 50-457
1.0 BACKGROUND
By letter dated September 29, 2023 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML23272A201), Constellation Energy Generation, LLC (Constellation, the licensee), submitted a license amendment request (LAR) for Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2, and Byron Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2. The proposed amendment revises Technical Specifications 3.7.15, Spent Fuel Pool Boron Concentration, 3.7.16, "Spent Fuel Assembly Storage, and 4.3.1 Fuel Storage, Criticality.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff performed a preliminary review of the LAR and determined that a regulatory audit would assist in the timely completion of the review.
An audit plan was provided to the licensee on April 22, 2024 (ML24113A127), which provided the list of requested documents and other details pertaining to the audit. The purpose of the audit was to gain an understanding of the information needed to support the NRC staffs licensing decision regarding the LAR and to develop requests for additional information (RAIs),
if necessary. The information submitted in support of the LAR is under final review, and any additional information needed to support the LAR review will be formally requested by the NRC staff using the RAI process in accordance with Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)
Office Instruction LIC-101, Revision 6, License Amendment Review Procedures (ML19248C539).
The regulatory audit is a planned license or regulation-related activity that includes the examination and evaluation of primarily non-docketed information. The regulatory audit is conducted with the intent to gain understanding, to verify information, and/or to identify information, that will require docketing to support the basis of a licensing or regulatory decision.
Performing a regulatory audit of the licensees information is expected to assist the NRC staff in efficiently conducting its review or gain insights on the licensees processes or procedures.
Information that the NRC staff relies upon to make the safety determination must be submitted
on the docket. However, the NRC staff may review supporting information retained as records under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) section 50.71, Maintenance of records, making of reports, and/or 10 CFR 54.37, Additional records and recordkeeping requirements, which, although not required to be submitted as part of the licensing action, would help the NRC staff better understand the licensees submitted information.
2.0 SCOPE By letter dated April 22, 2024 (ML24113A127), the NRC staff issued an audit plan. To support discussions, the NRC staff provided audit questions with items for CEG to clarify. CEG posted answers to these questions to the online portal. The NRC staff held clarification discussions with the CEG staff via Microsoft Teams. All audit questions were discussed. Technical discussions were focused on the spent fuel pool (SFP).
3.0 AUDIT TEAM The NRC audit team included the following:
Joel Wiebe, Plant Licensing Branch III (LPL3)
Kent Wood, SFNB, Nuclear Methods and & Fuel Analysis Branch (SFNB)
Joshua Wilson, Technical Specifications Branch (STSB)
Derek Scully, Containment and Plant Systems Branch (SCPB)
Thang Thawn, SCPB 4.0 DOCUMENT AND FILES REVIEWED The NRC staff reviewed the documents consistent with those listed in Section 4.0 of the April 22, 2024, audit plan.
5.0 RESULTS OF THE AUDIT As a result of the audit, the NRC staff gained a better understanding of the licensees analyses and calculations that provide the technical support for the LAR. Several RAIs were issued to the licensee on September 23, 2024 (ML24263A127). The licensee provided a response to the RAIs on October 23, 2024 (ML24297A657).
ML25069A253 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL3/PM NRR/DORL/LPL3/LA NRR/DSS/SNFB/BC NAME SWall SRohrer SKrepel DATE 03/10/2025 03/10/2025 03/12/2025 OFFICE NRR/DSS/SCPB/BC NRR/DSS/STSB/BC NRR/DORL/LPL3/BC(A)
NAME MValentin SMehta IBerrios DATE 03/10/2025 03/12/2025 03/14/2025 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL3/PM NAME SWall DATE 03/17/2025