ML25269A087
| ML25269A087 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000025, 05000026 |
| Issue date: | 11/18/2025 |
| From: | John Lamb NRC/NRR/DORL/LPL2-1 |
| To: | Coleman J Southern Nuclear Operating Co |
| Miller G, NRR/DORL/LPL2-1 | |
| References | |
| EPID L-2024-LLA-0171, EPID L-2025-LLA-0011 | |
| Download: ML25269A087 (1) | |
Text
November 18, 2025 Jamie M. Coleman Regulatory Affairs Director Southern Nuclear Operating Co., Inc.
3535 Colonnade Parkway Birmingham, AL 35243
SUBJECT:
VOGTLE ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT, UNITS 3 AND 4 - AUDIT
SUMMARY
REPORT FOR THE LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST TO INCREASE FLEXIBILITY IN MODE RESTRAINTS AND THE LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST FOR SHUTDOWN ACTIONS MODE CHANGE RESTRICTIONS (EPID NOS. L-2024-LLA-0171 AND L-2025-LLA-0011)
Dear Ms. Coleman:
By letter dated December 19, 2024 (Agencywide Documents and Access Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML24354A169), Southern Nuclear Operating Company (SNC, the licensee) submitted a license amendment request (LAR) for Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (Vogtle), Units 3 and 4. The proposed LAR (L-2024-LLA-0171) would change the Technical Specifications (TSs) to increase flexibility in mode restraints. The proposed changes are similar to those described in Technical Specification Task Force (TSTF) 359, Revision 9, Increased Flexibility in Mode Restraints, with changes similar to those identified in TSTF-529, Revision 4, Clarify Use and Application Rules, for Limiting Condition for Operation (LCO) 3.0.4.
By letter dated January 23, 2025 (ML25023A275), SNC submitted a LAR for Vogtle, Units 3 and 4. The proposed LAR (L-2025-LLA-0011) would revise TSs that may be unnecessarily restrictive and potentially conflicting Required Actions that may also restrict mode changes while shutdown.
The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff identified the need for a regulatory audit to examine SNCs non-docketed information with the intent to gain understanding, verify information, or identify information that will require docketing to support the basis of the licensing or regulatory decision.
By letter dated March 26, 2025 (ML25077A233), as supplemented by letter dated April 16, 2025 (ML25097A184), and email dated July 7, 2025 (ML25184A390), the NRC staff issued an audit plan.
By email dated August 20, 2025 (ML25232A247), the NRC staff extended the audit from August 15, 2025, to September 30, 2025. On May 13 and 14, June 10, August 21, and August 27, 2025, the NRC staff conducted an audit in accordance with the audit plan.
Attached is the audit summary report. If you have any questions, please contact me at john.lamb@nrc.gov or (301) 415-3100.
Sincerely,
/RA John G. Lamb, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch II-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos.52-025 and 52-026
Enclosure:
Audit Report cc: Listserv
Enclosure AUDIT
SUMMARY
REPORT BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION FOR THE LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST TO INCREASE FLEXIBILITY IN MODE RESTRAINTS AND LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST FOR SHUTDOWN ACTIONS MODE CHANGE RESTRICTIONS EPID NOS. L-2024-LLA-0171 AND L-2025-LLA-0011 VOGTLE ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT, UNITS 3 AND 4 DOCKET NOS.52-025 AND 52-026
1.0 BACKGROUND
By letter dated December 19, 2024 (Agencywide Documents and Access Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML24354A169), Southern Nuclear Operating Company (SNC, the licensee) submitted a license amendment request (LAR) for Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (Vogtle), Units 3 and 4. The proposed LAR (L-2024-LLA-0171) would change the Technical Specifications (TSs) to increase flexibility in mode restraints. The proposed changes are similar to those described in Technical Specification Task Force (TSTF) 359, Revision 9, Increased Flexibility in Mode Restraints, with changes like those identified in TSTF-529, Revision 4, Clarify Use and Application Rules, for Limiting Condition for Operation (LCO) 3.0.4.
By letter dated January 23, 2025 (ML25023A275), SNC submitted a LAR for Vogtle, Units 3 and 4. The proposed LAR (L-2025-LLA-0011) would revise TSs that may be unnecessarily restrictive and potentially conflicting Required Actions that may also restrict mode changes while shutdown.
The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff identified the need for a regulatory audit to examine SNCs non-docketed information with the intent to gain understanding, verify information, or identify information that will require docketing to support the basis of the licensing or regulatory decision.
By letter dated March 26, 2025 (ML25077A233), as supplemented by letter dated April 16, 2025 (ML25097A184), and email dated July 7, 2025 (ML25184A390), the NRC staff issued an audit plan.
2.0 SCOPE AND PURPOSE By email dated August 20, 2025 (ML25232A247), the NRC staff extended the audit from August 15, 2025, to September 30, 2025. On May 13 and 14, June 10, August 21, and August 27, 2025, the NRC staff conducted an audit in accordance with the audit plan.
3.0 AUDIT TEAM The audit team consisted of the following:
John G. Lamb, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing (DORL)/Plant Licensing Branch 2-1 (LPL2-1)
Ed Miller, DORL/LPL2-1 Keith Tetter, Division of Risk Assessment (DRA)/PRA [Probabilistic Risk Assessment]
Licensing Branch C (APLC)
Marie Pohida, DRA/APLC Michael Swim, DRA/APLC Alissa Neuhausen, DRA/APLC John Hughey, DRA/PRA Oversight Branch (APOB)
Norbert Carte, Division of Engineering and External Hazards (DEX)/Instrumentation and Controls Branch (EICB)
Angelo Stubbs, Division of Safety Systems (DSS)/Containment and Plant Systems (SCPB)
Brian Lee, DSS/SCPB Benjamin Rothberg, DSS/SCPB Raul Hernandez, DSS/SCPB Summer Sun, DSS/Nuclear Systems Performance (SNSB)
Robert Beaton, DSS/SNSB Rob Elliott, DSS/Technical Specifications Branch (STSB) 4.0 AUDIT REPORT During the audit, the licensee presented information on the audit items listed in section 4.0 of the audit plan. SNC also established an online portal and placed supporting information in the portal on each audit item. Section 7.0 of the audit plan lists the documents and files the NRC staff reviewed. The NRC staff discussed with SNC each audit question in section 7.0 of the audit plan dated March 26, 2025, in section 3 of the updated audit plan dated April 16, 2025, as well as the updated audit questions in the email dated July 2, 2025.
5.0 CONCLUSION
As a result of the audit, the NRC staff has the following conclusions:
(1) 22 of the questions that were resolved during the audit, and (2) 12 of the questions that will be issued as a request for additional information (RAI) questions.
The audit was closed out on August 27, 2025, and the draft RAIs were provided to SNC via email on September 4, 2025, and SNC responded to the RAIs dated October 31, 2025 (ML25304A235).
- via eConcurrence NRR-106 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL2-1/PM*
NRR/DORL/LPL2-1/LA*
NRR/DSS/SNSB/BC*
NRR/DRA/APLC/BC (A)*
NAME GEMiller KZeleznock NDiFrancesco SAlferink DATE 9/30/2025 9/30/2025 9/30/2025 9/30/2025 OFFICE NRR/DSS/SCPB/BC*
NRR/DSS/STSB/BC*
NRR/DORL/ LPL2-1/BC* NRR/DORL/LPL2-1/PM*
NAME MValentin SMehta MMarkley JLamb DATE 11/7/2025 11/13/2025 11/17/2025 11/18/2025