ML26040A106
| ML26040A106 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Salem  (DPR-070, DPR-075) |
| Issue date: | 02/23/2026 |
| From: | Audrey Klett NRC/NRR/DORL/LPL1 |
| To: | Mcfeaters C Public Service Enterprise Group |
| References | |
| EPID L-2025-LLA-0112 | |
| Download: ML26040A106 (0) | |
Text
OFFICIAL USE ONLYPROPRIETARY INFORMATION OFFICIAL USE ONLYPROPRIETARY INFORMATION February 23, 2026 Mr. Charles V. McFeaters President and Chief Nuclear Officer PSEG Nuclear LLC - N09 P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038
SUBJECT:
SALEM NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 - REGULATORY AUDIT PLAN IN SUPPORT OF LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST TO REVISE CRITICALITY SAFETY ANALYSIS FOR SPENT FUEL POOL AND NEW FUEL VAULT (EPID L-2025-LLA-0112)
Dear Mr. McFeaters:
By letter LR-N25-0050 dated July 21, 2025, PSEG Nuclear LLC (the licensee) requested to amend Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-70 and DPR-75 for the Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2, respectively. The licensee requested to revise the spent fuel pool and new fuel vault criticality safety analysis with a new analysis based on the latest Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC methodology.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has reviewed the licensees application and determined that a regulatory audit would assist in the timely completion of the review. The NRC staff will conduct a regulatory audit to support its review in accordance with the enclosed audit plan. A regulatory audit is a planned activity that includes the examination and evaluation of primarily non-docketed information.
The NRC staff will conduct the audit to increase its understanding of the application and identify information that will require docketing to support the NRC staffs regulatory findings. The NRC staff will conduct the audit virtually from approximately March 2, 2026, through April 3, 2026.
to this letter contains proprietary information.
When separated from Enclosure 1, this document is DECONTROLLED.
OFFICIAL USE ONLYPROPRIETARY INFORMATION OFFICIAL USE ONLYPROPRIETARY INFORMATION If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-0489 or by e-mail at Audrey.Klett@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Audrey L. Klett, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch I Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-272 and 50-311
Enclosures:
- 1. Proprietary Audit Plan
- 2. Nonproprietary Audit Plan cc: without Enclosure 1: Listserv
OFFICIAL USE ONLYPROPRIETARY INFORMATION OFFICIAL USE ONLYPROPRIETARY INFORMATION REGULATORY AUDIT PLAN PSEG NUCLEAR LLC CONSTELLATION ENERGY GENERATION, LLC SALEM NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-272 AND 50-311
1.0 BACKGROUND
By letter LR-N25-0050 dated July 21, 2025 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML25203A071), PSEG Nuclear LLC (the licensee) submitted License Amendment Request (LAR) S25-02 for the Salem Nuclear Generating Station (Salem),
UnitNos. 1 and 2. The licensee requested to revise the spent fuel pool and new fuel vault criticality safety analysis with a new analysis based on the latest Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC (Westinghouse) methodology. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has started its review of the LAR per the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) Office Instruction LIC-101, License Amendment Review Procedures (ML19248C539), and has determined that it needs to conduct an audit per NRR Office Instruction LIC-111, Regulatory Audits (ML24309A281), to complete its review.
2.0 REGULATORY AUDIT BASIS A regulatory audit is a planned license-or regulation-related activity that includes the examination and evaluation of information of primarily non-docketed information. NRC staff conducts an audit to gain understanding, verify information, and identify information that will require docketing to support the basis of a licensing or regulatory decision. An audit helps the NRC staff with understanding the licensees proposed changes, conducting its review, and gaining insights on the licensees processes and procedures related to the proposed changes.
The NRC staff will conduct this audit per NRR Office Instruction LIC-111, with exceptions noted within this audit plan. The NRC staff will perform the audit to support its evaluation of whether the licensees request can be approved per Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Section 50.90, Application for amendment of license, construction permit, or early site permit. The NRC staff will use NRR Office Instruction LIC-115, Processing Requests for Additional Information (ML21141A238), to request information needed to make a licensing or regulatory decision.
OFFICIAL USE ONLYPROPRIETARY INFORMATION OFFICIAL USE ONLYPROPRIETARY INFORMATION 3.0 REGULATORY AUDIT SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY The NRC staffs goals of the audit are the following:
Gain a better understanding of the detailed calculations, analyses, and bases underlying the LAR and confirm the staffs understanding of the LAR.
Gain a better understanding of plant design features and their implications for the LAR.
Identify any information needed to enable the staffs evaluation of whether the proposed changes challenge design-basis functions or adversely affect the capability or capacity of plant equipment to perform design-basis functions.
Identify questions and requests that may become information requests per NRR Office Instruction LIC-115.
4.0 INFORMATION AND OTHER MATERIAL NECESSARY FOR THE AUDIT The NRC staff will request information (e.g., methodology, process information, and calculations) and interviews throughout the audit period. The NRC staffs initial audit questions and discussion topics are listed in the attachment to this audit plan. The NRCs licensing project manager will email any additional audit questions or requests as supplements to this audit plan so that the licensee can better prepare for audit discussions with NRC staff. The NRC staff requests the licensee to have the requested audit information listed in the audit items list to be readily available and accessible for the NRC staffs review via a Web-based portal. Any information accessed through the licensees portal will not be held or retained in any way by NRC staff. The NRC staff will schedule audit meetings with the licensee as needed.
5.0 TEAM ASSIGNMENTS The audit team will consist of the following NRC staff:
Name Email Role Organization Audrey Klett Audrey.Klettt@nrc.gov project manager NRR/DORL/LPL1 Brandon Wise Brandon.Wise@nrc.gov technical reviewer NRR/DSS/SFNB Clint Ashley Clinton.Ashley@nrc.gov technical reviewer NRR/DSS/STSB James Drabble James.Drabble@nrc.gov technical reviewer NMSS/DRM/NARAB 6.0 LOGISTICS To support the schedule established when the NRC staff accepted the LAR for technical review, audit activities will be performed remotely and virtually using Microsoft Teams, teleconference, and any Web-based portals or meeting spaces created by the licensee or its contractor(s). NRC information requests and communications with licensee staff will be coordinated through the NRCs licensing project manager.
The audit will start March 2, 2026, or when the licensee can make the requested information available to NRCs review team. The NRC staff estimates that the audit activities will occur through April 3, 2026; however, if additional time is needed, the NRC licensing project manager will inform licensee staff. If requested, NRCs audit team will conduct a telephone conference with the licensee for the purposes of introducing the team, discussing the scope of the audit, and describing the information to be made available on the internet portal. The NRCs audit team will also confirm with the licensee if the information made available on the online portal
OFFICIAL USE ONLYPROPRIETARY INFORMATION OFFICIAL USE ONLYPROPRIETARY INFORMATION contains any sensitive or proprietary information. The NRCs audit team may request that the licensee and its representatives answer any audit team questions during the audit related to information provided on the portal at mutually agreeable days and times by telephone conference or Microsoft Teams meetings. The NRC will work with the licensee to schedule additional audit meetings to discuss information needs and questions arising from the NRCs review of the audited information.
The NRC staff requests the licensee to have the information referenced in Section 4.0 of this audit plan available and accessible for the NRC staffs review via an internet-based portal within two weeks of the date of this audit plan. The NRC staff requests that any supplemental information requested be available and accessible for the NRC staffs review within one week of the date of the NRCs notification to the licensee of the new requests. The NRCs licensing project manager will inform the licensee via routine communications when the NRC staff no longer needs access to the portal. The NRC staff requests the licensee to notify the NRCs licensing project manager when an audit item is added to its portal.
The NRC staff does not anticipate the need for an onsite visit or in-person discussions between the NRC and licensee staff to discuss information to be provided on the portal at this time.
However, if the need for such a meeting is confirmed, the NRC project manager will coordinate the meeting logistics with the licensee.
7.0 SPECIAL REQUESTS The NRC requests access to requested documents and information through a Web-based portal that allows the NRC staff to access documents over the Internet. The following conditions associated with the online portal must be maintained while the NRC staff has access to the online portal:
The online portal will be password-protected. A separate password will be assigned to each member of the NRC staff and NRC contractors participating in the audit.
The online portal will prevent the NRC participants from printing, saving, downloading, or collecting any information directly from the online portal.
Conditions of use of the online portal will be displayed on the login screen and will require acknowledgment by each user.
Username and password information should be provided directly to members of the NRC staff.
The NRC licensing project manager will provide the licensee names and contact information of the NRC staff participating in the audit. All other communications should be coordinated through the NRC project manager.
8.0 DELIVERABLES The NRC staff will develop any requests for additional information or requests for confirmation of information, as needed, via NRR Office Instruction LIC-115 and issue such requests separately from audit-related correspondence. The NRC staff will issue an audit summary report prior to completing its review of the LAR.
OFFICIAL USE ONLYPROPRIETARY INFORMATION OFFICIAL USE ONLYPROPRIETARY INFORMATION Attachment LIST OF AUDIT REQESTS ITEM No.
AUDIT REQUEST 1
NRC Reviewer: Brandon Wise Request: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff requests the licensee to clarify how the boron areal density is modeled when varying boral panel thickness and width as described in Section 4.2.5.1.7 of WCAP-18886-P.
2 NRC Reviewer: Brandon Wise Request: The NRC staff requests the licensee to discuss the language inconsistencies in revisions to technical specification (TS) 5.6.1.2 (for both units),
specifically the phrase, in any cell not designated as an empty location for a fuel storage configuration, that appears in TS 5.6.1.2.g, but not TS 5.6.1.2.f.
3 NRC Reviewer: Brandon Wise Request: The NRC staff requests the licensee to clarify the permissible burnable absorber loadings described in Table 4-3 of WCAP-18886-P. Does the analysis permit the use of both Cobalt-60 Cobalt burnable absorbers (COBAs) and integral fuel burnable absorbers (IFBAs) in a single assembly and, if so, in what quantities?
4 NRC Reviewer: Brandon Wise Request: The NRC staff requests the licensee to clarify the statement and implications of the statement in footnote 8 of Figure 4-2 in WCAP-18886-P, which states,... the CFD [criticality fuel design] of the fuel stored adjacent to the wall is not required to match the CFD of the fuel stored in the interior. The implication is that the CFDs of interior assemblies must match within their respective storage configurations (II-A and II-B).
5 NRC Reviewer: Brandon Wise Request: The NRC staff requests the licensee to discuss the rationale for modeling the inadvertent removal of a single absorber in a Region II rack and not a Region I rack, despite panels in both racks being characterized similarly as fixed.
6 NRC Reviewer: Brandon Wise Request: The NRC staff requests the licensee to discuss Section 6.3.1 of WCAP-18886-P wherein it is stated that ((
)) The submittal does not define what constitutes ((
))
7 NRC Reviewer: Brandon Wise Request: The NRC staff requests the licensee to describe the geometric modeling of fuel pellets in the criticality model with respect to dished and chamfered pellets and what properties are conserved when modeling simplifications are applied.
OFFICIAL USE ONLYPROPRIETARY INFORMATION OFFICIAL USE ONLYPROPRIETARY INFORMATION ITEM No.
AUDIT REQUEST 8
NRC Reviewer: Brandon Wise Request: The NRC staff requests the licensee to discuss handling procedures for assemblies, with particular interest in the handling of assemblies with chromium coated fuel rods. Section 3 of Enclosure 1 states that there are no changes in how assemblies are handled or moved, nor are there any changes in how they are inserted or removed. Section 4.2.8.2.1 of WCAP-18886-P ((
)) and indicates that assemblies with coated cladding ((
)) Please describe the ((
))
9 NRC Reviewer: Brandon Wise Request: The NRC staff requests the licensee to describe the manufacturing tolerances and uncertainties associated with chromium-coated cladding and their impact on the area of applicability described in WCAP-18886-P. The NRC staff notes that the application does not appear to have limitations in the area of applicability associated with coated cladding.
10 NRC Reviewer: Brandon Wise Request: The NRC staff requests the licensee to describe how chromium coated cladding is modeled in the criticality analysis and, where necessary, provide justification that the model is conservative.
11 NRC Reviewer: Brandon Wise Request: The NRC staff requests the licensee to discuss the applicability of the discussion in Section 3.1 of WCAP-18886-P related to the reactivity effect of zirconium-based alloys to chromium coated cladding.
12 NRC Reviewer: Brandon Wise Request: The NRC staff requests the licensee to discuss the applicability of the PAD5-to-chromium-coated cladding as this methodology was used in Section 4.2.5.1.17 of WCAP-18886-P to model chromium coated cladding.
13 NRC Reviewer: Brandon Wise Request: The NRC staff requests the licensee to make available the documents related to the sensitivity studies described in bullet 5 of Section 4.1.1 of WCAP-18886-P related to the ((
))
14 NRC Reviewer: Brandon Wise Request: The NRC staff requests the licensee to make available the documents related to the moderator temperature sensitivity studies described in Section 4.2.5.1.14 of WCAP-18886-P.
OFFICIAL USE ONLYPROPRIETARY INFORMATION OFFICIAL USE ONLYPROPRIETARY INFORMATION ITEM No.
AUDIT REQUEST 15 NRC Reviewer: Brandon Wise Request: The NRC staff requests the licensee to make available the documents justifying the conclusions in Section 3.1 of WCAP-18886-P regarding the reactivity effect of zirconium based structural materials.
16 NRC Reviewer: Brandon Wise Request: The NRC staff requests the licensee to make available the documents and analysis results related to the cases described in Section 4.2.5.1.17 of WCAP-18886-P.
ML26040A104 (Package)
ML26040A106 (Redacted Version)
OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL1/PM NRR/DORL/LPL3/LA NRR/DSS/SFNB/BC NAME AKlett SLent SKrepel DATE 2/18/26 2/17/26 2/20/26 OFFICE NRR/DSS/STSB/BC NRR/DORL/LPL1/BC (A)
NRR/DORL/LPL1/PM NAME SMehta UShoop AKlett DATE 2/20/26 2/20/26 2/23/26