NOC-AE-05001896, Day Response to NRC Bulletin 2003-02, Leakage from Reactor Pressure Vessel Lower Head Penetrations and Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Integrity
| ML051610219 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | South Texas  |
| Issue date: | 06/02/2005 |
| From: | Jordan T South Texas |
| To: | Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| BL-03-002, NOC-AE-05001896 | |
| Download: ML051610219 (4) | |
Text
NE_
Nuclear Operating Company South 7basPraEkcte &catInSbSbUon PO. Box 28.9 WPa.vr 7b8743 June 2, 2005 NOC-AE-05001896 10CFR50 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attention: Document Control Desk One White Flint North 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852 South Texas Project Unit 1 Docket No. STN 50-498 60-Day Response to NRC Bulletin 2003-02, "Leakage from Reactor Pressure Vessel Lower Head Penetrations and Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Integrity"
Reference:
Letter dated November 4, 2003 from T. J. Jordan, STP to NRC Document Control Desk, "Response to NRC Bulletin 2003-02, "Leakage From Reactor Pressure Vessel Lower Head Penetrations and Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Integrity," (NOC-AE-03001586)
In accordance with the referenced correspondence, attached is the South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC) Unit 1, 60-Day Response to NRC Bulletin 2003-02, "Leakage From Reactor Pressure Vessel Lower Head Penetrations and Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Integrity" dated August 21, 2003. This response fulfills a STPNOC commitment in the original bulletin response to inform the NRC of inspection results for the STP reactor vessel lower head penetrations.
There are no commitments identified in this letter. If you should have any questions regarding this submittal, please contact me at 361-972-7902 or Mr. Tim Powell at 361-972- 7566.
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.
Executed on: JV,^f Z, 2005 Vice President of Engineering jch/jal
Attachment:
Unit 1 60-day Response to Bulletin 2003-02 STI: 31890718
NOC-AE-05001 896 Attachment Page 2 of 2 cc:
(paper copy) (electronic copy)
Bruce S. Mallett A. H. Gutterman, Esquire Regional Administrator, Region IV Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 David H. Jaffe Arlington, Texas 76011-8064 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Richard A. Ratliff Jack A. Fusco Bureau of Radiation Control Michael A. Reed Texas Department of State Health Services Texas Genco, LP 1100 West 49th Street Austin, TX 78756-3189 Jeffrey Cruz C. Kirksey U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission City of Austin P. 0. Box 289, Mail Code: MN1 16 Wadsworth, TX 77483 Jon C. Wood Cox Smith Matthews C. M. Canady J. J. Nesrsta City of Austin R. K. Temple Electric Utility Department E. Alarcon 721 Barton Springs Road City Public Service Austin, TX 78704
NOC-AE-05001896 Attachment Page I of2 60 Day Response to NRC Bulletin 2003-02, "Leakage from Reactor Pressure Vessel Lower Head Penetrations and Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Integrity" Below is the South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC) Unit I 60-day response to Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Bulletin 2003-02, "Leakage From Reactor Pressure Vessel Lower Head Penetrations And Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Integrity," dated August 21, 2003.
Bulletin 2003-02 Request:
Within 60 days of plant restart following the next inspection of the RPV lower head penetrations, the subject PWR addressees should submit to the NRC a summary of the inspections performed, the extent of the inspections, the methods used, a description of the as-found condition of the lower head, any findings of relevant indications of through-wall leakage, and a summary of the disposition of any findings of boric acid deposits and any corrective actions taken as a result of indications found.
STPNOC Response:
STPNOC completed the Unit 1 12th Refueling Outage (lRE12) on April 16, 2005 and submits the information below describing the results of the STP Unit 1 reactor pressure vessel (RPV) lower head inspection.
Inspection Performed The lower head and bottom mounted instrumentation (BMI) penetrations of the STP Unit 1 RPV were visually inspected on March 11, 2005. This inspection was governed by NRC Generic Letter 88-05 and STPNOC "RCS Pressure Boundary Inspection for Boric Acid Leaks" procedure. No indications of through-wall leakage were observed.
Extent of the Inspections The lower head of the reactor is surrounded by an insulating box structure with no insulation directly in contact with the lower head. The inspection of all 58 BMI penetrations in the vessel lower head was accomplished by removing three of twelve equidistantly spaced inspection panels forming the periphery of the insulating structure.
Performance of a local visual inspection of the exterior of the tubing from three directions, 1200 apart, provided assurance that the entire annulus area between each tube and the vessel is viewed. In addition, an observation of the general area (including the insulation beneath the vessel) was made for signs of leakage or boric acid residue.
NOC-AE-05 001896 Attachment Page 2 of 2 Methods Used Visual VT-2 inspection methods were used. Personnel performing inspections are certified in accordance with ASME Section XI IWA 2300 and Code Case N546. With the inspection panels removed, the view to the vessel bottom head and BMI tubes is unobstructed. The maximum viewing distance to the center tubes is about 5 feet. Still photographs were obtained from all three inspection panels.
Description of the As-Found Condition of the Lower Head The lower head and BMI penetrations were generally clean. No indications of primary system leakage or introduction of foreign material was noted. General corrosion of a superficial nature was observed at some head locations due to variances in coating application. Comparison of this benign corrosion condition to that observed in previous outages revealed no discernable changes.
Findings of Relevant Indications of Through-Wall Leakage No indications of through-wall leakage were observed.
Summary of the Disposition of Any Findings of Boric Acid Deposits and Any Corrective Actions Taken as a Result of Indications Found No boric acid deposits were identified. The head condition was documented using digital photography.
Text
NE_
Nuclear Operating Company South 7basPraEkcte &catInSbSbUon PO. Box 28.9 WPa.vr 7b8743 June 2, 2005 NOC-AE-05001896 10CFR50 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attention: Document Control Desk One White Flint North 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852 South Texas Project Unit 1 Docket No. STN 50-498 60-Day Response to NRC Bulletin 2003-02, "Leakage from Reactor Pressure Vessel Lower Head Penetrations and Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Integrity"
Reference:
Letter dated November 4, 2003 from T. J. Jordan, STP to NRC Document Control Desk, "Response to NRC Bulletin 2003-02, "Leakage From Reactor Pressure Vessel Lower Head Penetrations and Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Integrity," (NOC-AE-03001586)
In accordance with the referenced correspondence, attached is the South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC) Unit 1, 60-Day Response to NRC Bulletin 2003-02, "Leakage From Reactor Pressure Vessel Lower Head Penetrations and Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Integrity" dated August 21, 2003. This response fulfills a STPNOC commitment in the original bulletin response to inform the NRC of inspection results for the STP reactor vessel lower head penetrations.
There are no commitments identified in this letter. If you should have any questions regarding this submittal, please contact me at 361-972-7902 or Mr. Tim Powell at 361-972- 7566.
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.
Executed on: JV,^f Z, 2005 Vice President of Engineering jch/jal
Attachment:
Unit 1 60-day Response to Bulletin 2003-02 STI: 31890718
NOC-AE-05001 896 Attachment Page 2 of 2 cc:
(paper copy) (electronic copy)
Bruce S. Mallett A. H. Gutterman, Esquire Regional Administrator, Region IV Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 David H. Jaffe Arlington, Texas 76011-8064 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Richard A. Ratliff Jack A. Fusco Bureau of Radiation Control Michael A. Reed Texas Department of State Health Services Texas Genco, LP 1100 West 49th Street Austin, TX 78756-3189 Jeffrey Cruz C. Kirksey U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission City of Austin P. 0. Box 289, Mail Code: MN1 16 Wadsworth, TX 77483 Jon C. Wood Cox Smith Matthews C. M. Canady J. J. Nesrsta City of Austin R. K. Temple Electric Utility Department E. Alarcon 721 Barton Springs Road City Public Service Austin, TX 78704
NOC-AE-05001896 Attachment Page I of2 60 Day Response to NRC Bulletin 2003-02, "Leakage from Reactor Pressure Vessel Lower Head Penetrations and Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Integrity" Below is the South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC) Unit I 60-day response to Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Bulletin 2003-02, "Leakage From Reactor Pressure Vessel Lower Head Penetrations And Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Integrity," dated August 21, 2003.
Bulletin 2003-02 Request:
Within 60 days of plant restart following the next inspection of the RPV lower head penetrations, the subject PWR addressees should submit to the NRC a summary of the inspections performed, the extent of the inspections, the methods used, a description of the as-found condition of the lower head, any findings of relevant indications of through-wall leakage, and a summary of the disposition of any findings of boric acid deposits and any corrective actions taken as a result of indications found.
STPNOC Response:
STPNOC completed the Unit 1 12th Refueling Outage (lRE12) on April 16, 2005 and submits the information below describing the results of the STP Unit 1 reactor pressure vessel (RPV) lower head inspection.
Inspection Performed The lower head and bottom mounted instrumentation (BMI) penetrations of the STP Unit 1 RPV were visually inspected on March 11, 2005. This inspection was governed by NRC Generic Letter 88-05 and STPNOC "RCS Pressure Boundary Inspection for Boric Acid Leaks" procedure. No indications of through-wall leakage were observed.
Extent of the Inspections The lower head of the reactor is surrounded by an insulating box structure with no insulation directly in contact with the lower head. The inspection of all 58 BMI penetrations in the vessel lower head was accomplished by removing three of twelve equidistantly spaced inspection panels forming the periphery of the insulating structure.
Performance of a local visual inspection of the exterior of the tubing from three directions, 1200 apart, provided assurance that the entire annulus area between each tube and the vessel is viewed. In addition, an observation of the general area (including the insulation beneath the vessel) was made for signs of leakage or boric acid residue.
NOC-AE-05 001896 Attachment Page 2 of 2 Methods Used Visual VT-2 inspection methods were used. Personnel performing inspections are certified in accordance with ASME Section XI IWA 2300 and Code Case N546. With the inspection panels removed, the view to the vessel bottom head and BMI tubes is unobstructed. The maximum viewing distance to the center tubes is about 5 feet. Still photographs were obtained from all three inspection panels.
Description of the As-Found Condition of the Lower Head The lower head and BMI penetrations were generally clean. No indications of primary system leakage or introduction of foreign material was noted. General corrosion of a superficial nature was observed at some head locations due to variances in coating application. Comparison of this benign corrosion condition to that observed in previous outages revealed no discernable changes.
Findings of Relevant Indications of Through-Wall Leakage No indications of through-wall leakage were observed.
Summary of the Disposition of Any Findings of Boric Acid Deposits and Any Corrective Actions Taken as a Result of Indications Found No boric acid deposits were identified. The head condition was documented using digital photography.