ML26021A074
| ML26021A074 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Sequoyah, Watts Bar  |
| Issue date: | 01/22/2026 |
| From: | Kimberly Green NRC/NRR/DORL/LPL2-2 |
| To: | |
| Green K, NRR/DORL/LPL2-2 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML26021A072 | List: |
| References | |
| EPID L-2025-LRM-0158 | |
| Download: ML26021A074 (0) | |
Text
January 22, 2026 LICENSEE:
Tennessee Valley Authority FACILITY:
Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF JANUARY 14, 2026, PUBLIC TELECONFERENCE WITH TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY TO DISCUSS A PLANNED ALTERNATIVE REQUEST REGARDING VALVE MECHANICAL AGITATION (EPID L-2025-LRM-0158)
On January 14, 2026, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff held a public observation meeting via Microsoft Teams with representatives from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to discuss a forthcoming alternative request for the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 (SQN), and the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 (WBN). The meeting notice and agenda for this meeting, dated December 19, 2025, are available at Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML25356A061, and TVAs slides for the meeting are available at ADAMS Accession No. ML26007A227. A list of the meeting attendees is enclosed.
TVA plans to request alternatives to specific requirements in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants, Division 1, OM Code: Section IST (OM Code) as incorporated by reference in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Section 50.55a, Codes and standards, for the next Inservice Test (IST) Program intervals at SQN, Units 1 and 2, and WBN, Units 1 and 2, to use mechanical agitation of pressure isolation valves (PIVs) in support of their leakage testing. TVA also plans to implement the 2022 Edition of the ASME OM Code as incorporated by reference in 10 CFR 50.55a as the Code of Record for the next IST Program intervals at SQN and WBN.
TVA requested NRC staff feedback on the level of detail needed for the planned alternative requests since the NRC staff previously authorized the use of mechanical agitation in response to TVAs alternative request for SQN, Units 1 and 2, on September 29, 2022 (ML22263A375),
and a revision to the alternative request on September 17, 2025 (ML25251A095).
TVA plans to submit a single request for both SQN and WBN and stated that it will provide any experience with mechanical agitation and leak rate history for the WBN PIVs similar to the information provided for SQN in the previous request (ML22179A357). TVA proposes to reference the previous TVA and NRC correspondence, if acceptable to NRC staff, rather than repeating information from the previous SQN request.
NRC Feedback The NRC staff stated that referencing information related to the previous SQN alternative request is acceptable to allow a more efficient review of the new requests provided the references are clear and applicable. The staff encouraged TVA to include the following information in the new alternative request:
Make it clear in the submittal that the technical evaluation to support the mechanical agitation request for WBN is identical to the technical evaluation that was previously developed for SQN Consider how it plans to train the WBN staff to perform the mechanical agitation activity because the SQN staff are already trained and might have experience using the procedure compared to the WBN staff Specify the applicable requirements from the 2022 Edition of the ASME OM Code because this is the Code edition that will be implemented Reference the SQN responses to the NRC requests for additional information related to the previous SQN request, where appropriate Include a discussion of the operating history of the applicable valves at WBN similar to the information provided for the SQN valves in support of the previous SQN request Make it clear that the engineering work request for the mechanical agitation activity at WBN has been developed to match the SQN work request Schedule TVA plans to request another pre-submittal meeting with the NRC to address all of the planned alternative requests for the next IST Program interval, of which this mechanical agitation request will be one, in March 2026.
No regulatory decisions were made at this meeting.
No comments or public meeting feedback forms were received.
Please direct any inquiries to me at 301-415-1627 or Kimberly.Green@nrc.gov.
/RA/
Kimberly J. Green, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch II-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-327, 50-328, 50-390, and 50-391
Enclosure:
List of Attendees cc: Listserv
Enclosure LIST OF ATTENDEES JANUARY 14, 2026, TELECONFERENCE WITH TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY PLANNED ALTERNATIVE REQUEST REGARING MECHANICAL AGITATION Name Organization Kim Green U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Tom Scarbrough NRC Nick Hansing NRC Chris Kline NRC Russ Wells Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
Jesse Baron TVA Shawna Hughes TVA Mark Gowin TVA Shad Wright TVA Robin Roberts TVA Charles Driskell TVA Channing Mitchell TVA Anne Robinson-Givens TVA Fred Nilsen TVA Jerry Bingaman State of Tennessee, Division of Radiological Health
ML26021A072 (Package)
ML26007A227 (Slides)
ML25356A061 (Meeting Notice)
ML26021A074 (Meeting Summary)
NRC-001 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/PM NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/LA NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/BC NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/PM NAME KGreen ABaxter DWrona KGreen DATE 01/20/2026 01/22/2026 01/22/2026 01/22/2026