ML25164A230
| ML25164A230 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | FitzPatrick  |
| Issue date: | 06/18/2025 |
| From: | Richard Guzman NRC/NRR/DORL/LPL1 |
| To: | Constellation Energy Generation |
| References | |
| EPID L-2025-LRM-0059 | |
| Download: ML25164A230 (1) | |
Text
June 18, 2025 LICENSEE:
Constellation FitzPatrick, LLC FACILITY:
James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF MAY 21, 2025, PRE-SUBMITTAL PUBLIC MEETING WITH CONSTELLATION FITZPATRICK, LLC TO DISCUSS FUTURE AMENDMENT ON JAMES A. FITZPATRICK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT MAIN STEAM TUNNEL AREA HIGH TEMPERATURE ISOLATION (EPID L-2025-LRM-0059)
On May 21, 2025, a virtual observation public meeting was held between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff and representatives of Constellation FitzPatrick, LLC (FitzPatrick or the licensee). The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the future license amendment request (LAR) to change the technical specification (TS) primary containment isolation instrumentation tables and add a new TS for main steam tunnel area temperature for the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant. The meeting notice and agenda, dated May 7, 2025, are available in the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System at Accession No. ML25140A042 A list of attendees is enclosed.
The licensee presented information from the slides contained in ML25140A042 to provide overview of the proposed changes and justifications to remove the Function 1.e, Main Steam Tunnel Area Temperature - High, in TS Table 3.3.6.1-1, Primary Containment Isolation Instrumentation, and add a new TS 3.7.8, Main Steam Tunnel (MST) Area Temperature.
During the presentation, the NRC staff and FitzPatrick representatives discussed the following:
The NRC staff inquired about the impacts of the proposed higher temperature of 195 degrees Fahrenheit and the safety-related equipment in the vicinity of the main steam tunnel to be considered in the proposed amendment. The licensee explained that the only safety-related equipment in the tunnel area are the main steam isolation valves (MSIVs),
and peripheral indications associated with the MSIVs such as limit switches and temperature detectors. The licensee stated that there is other potentially impacted equipment in the entirety of the turbine building which are evaluated as part of the environmental qualification (EQ) analysis.
The NRC staff also asked if the licensee had evaluated the impact of the elevated temperatures on the stated equipment. The licensee explained that while they have not conducted equipment-specific evaluations for the proposed temperature, they assess that the equipment will be subject to significantly more restrictive temperature limits than the proposed tunnel area temperature for their EQ steady state operation. The licensee stated that if those more restrictive limits were exceeded, the station would evaluate operability of the equipment accordingly.
The NRC staff inquired whether the licensee evaluated for any other events that could result in the elevated tunnel area temperatures. The licensee explained that the loss of ventilation was the only plausible instance that would result in elevated temperature in the tunnel area without the need to immediately shutdown the plant based on plant procedures. Other events such as feedwater line rupture could plausibly result in the elevated temperatures, but this would be covered by other technical specifications requiring immediate isolation of the MSIVs.
The NRC staff noted that the proposed amendment would eliminate the MSIV isolation function because of a higher temperature and instead result in an alarm function or monitoring condition that would be evaluated. The NRC staff asked the licensee to clarify whether the evaluation of the safety-related equipment and supporting components has already been completed. The licensee clarified that while it has not yet established any bounding time for operation at the elevated temperature, short term operation at the elevated temperatures were considered. The licensee acknowledged the need to capture the evaluation in procedure space to ensure the EQ analysis remains bounding.
The NRC staff asked whether a scenario has occurred at the plant where it needed approval for an exigent relief request or technical specification change to the setpoint because of elevated temperatures in the main steam tunnel area. The licensee explained that while it is typical for temperatures in the tunnel area to rise during the summer months, they are not aware of any license amendments that were needed for the resulting condition. The licensee noted that they have experienced the scenario where testing has inappropriately tripped the main steam tunnel exhaust fans, causing elevated temperatures approaching the limit but just short of the MSIV isolation condition.
The NRC staff asked differences between the stated precedents (Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant (Hatch) and Limerick Generating Station (Limerick) LARs). The licensee explained differences in the safety justification between the plants such that Limerick used a leak-before-break methodology whereas Hatch applied a de minimis rated steam flow threshold. FitzPatrick will also use a leak-before-break methodology, but the leak detection sensitivity to critical crack flowrate factor is different. Another key difference is in the scope and configuration of the room and tunnel areas between Hatch, Limerick, and FitzPatrick.
The NRC staff noted that the Limerick precedent submittal included risk insight information and asked whether the licensee would be including any risk insights with their LAR.
Licensee stated they were currently leaning toward not including any risk insight information.
The NRC staff asked licensee to confirm there were no proposed changes to operator actions as part of the LAR. The licensee confirmed that no changes are being proposed to operator actions. The licensee intends to include a statement in the LAR.
The licensee stated that it intends to submit the proposed LAR by the end of May 2025 and will be seeking NRC approval within 12 months.
Members of the public were not in attendance. No regulatory decisions or commitments were made at the meeting. Public Meeting Feedback forms were not received.
Please direct any inquiries to me at (301) 415-1030 or email Richard.Guzman@nrc.gov.
/RA/
Richard V. Guzman, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch I Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-333
Enclosure:
List of Attendees cc: Listserv
Enclosure LIST OF ATTENDEES
SUMMARY
OF MAY 21, 2025, PRE-SUBMITTAL PUBLIC MEETING WITH CONSTELLATION FITZPATRICK, LLC TO DISCUSS FUTURE AMENDMENT ON MAIN STEAM TUNNEL AREA HIGH TEMPERATURE ISOLATION ATTENDEES ORGANIZATION Richard Guzman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Raul Hernandez NRC William Roggenbrodt NRC Teko Foli NRC Jay Robinson NRC Michael Henry Constellation FitzPatrick, LLC (FitzPatrick)
Joshua Dumas Fitzpatrick Justin Knowles FitzPatrick Mark Hawes FitzPatrick Zachary Cox FitzPatrick Chelsea Troutman FitzPatrick
ML25164A230 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL1/PM NRR/DORL/LPL1/LA NRR/DORL/LPL1/BC NRR/DORL/LPL1/PM NAME RGuzman KEntz HGonzález RGuzman DATE 6/13/2025 6/16/2025 6/18/2025 6/18/2025