NRC 2009-0037, Response to Request for Additional Information License Amendment Request 247 Spent Fuel Pool Storage Criticality Control

Response to Request for Additional Information License Amendment Request 247 Spent Fuel Pool Storage Criticality Control

ML091050499
Person / Time
Site:	Point Beach
Issue date:	04/14/2009
From:	Meyer L Florida Power & Light Energy Point Beach
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
LAR 247, NRC 2009-0037
Download: ML091050499 (5)

Text

Point Beach Nuclear Plant April 14, 2009 NRC 2009-0037 10 CFR 50.90 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555-0001 Point Beach Nuclear Plant Units 1 and 2 Docket No. 50-266 and 50-301 Renewed License Nos. DPR-24 and DPR-27 Response to Request for Additional lnformation License Amendment Reauest 247 Spent Fuel Pool Storarre Criticalitv Control (1) FPL Energy Point Beach Letter to NRC, License Amendment Request 247, Transmittal of Changes to Technical Specifications re: Spent Fuel Pool Storage Criticality Control, dated July 24, 2008 (ML082240685)

(2) FPL Energy Point Beach Letter to NRC, Supplement to License Amendment Request Number 247, Spent Fuel Pool Storage Criticality Control, dated September 19, 2008 (ML082630114)

(3) NRC letter to FPL Energy Point Beach, Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units Iand 2 - Request for Additional lnformation from CSGB Branch Related to License Amendment Request No. 247 Spent Fuel Pool Storage Criticality Control, dated March 16, 2009 (TAC Nos. MD9321 and MD9322) (ML090650276)

FPL Energy Point Beach, LLC submitted a proposed license amendment request for Commission review and approval pursuant to 10 CFR 50.90 for the Point Beach Nuclear Plant (PBNP), Units Iand 2 (Reference I). The proposed amendment revises the licensing basis to reflect a revision to the spent fuel pool (SFP) criticality analysis methodology. The revised criticality analysis for the SFP storage racks credits burnup, integral fuel burnable absorber (IFBA), Plutonium-241 decay, and soluble boron, where applicable. FPL Energy Point Beach provided a supplemental response (Reference 2) containing additional quantitative information to support the fidelity of key methodology aspects described in Reference (1).

On March 6,2009, a teleconference was held between NRC and FPL Energy Point Beach personnel to discuss additional information that was requested by the Commission to enable further review of the application. During the teleconference, FPL Energy Point Beach stated that the response to the request for additional information would be submitted within 30 days of receipt. of this letter provides the FPL Energy Point Beach response to the request for additional information in Reference (3). Enclosure 2 provides a drawing of the poison insert assembly and details.

An FPL Group company

Document Control Desk Page 2 This supplement does not affect the no significant hazards conclusion, as defined in 10 CFR 50.92, provided in Reference (I).

This letter contains no new commitments and no revisions to existing commitments.

In accordance with 10 CFR 50.91, a copy of this letter is being provided to the designated Wisconsin Official.

I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing and enclosed information is true and correct. Executed on April 14, 2009.

Very truly yours, FPL Energy Point Beach, LLC Larry Meyer Site Vice President

Enclosures:

cc: Administrator, Region Ill, USNRC Project Manager, Point Beach Nuclear Plant, USNRC Resident Inspector, Point Beach Nuclear Plant, USNRC PSCW

ENCLOSURE I FPL ENERGY POINT BEACH, LLC POINT BEACH NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST 247 SPENT FUEL POOL STORAGE CRITICALITY CONTROL RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The following information is provided by FPL Energy Point Beach, LLC in response to the NRC staff's request for additional information dated March 16, 2009.

Question I In the application, the licensee is proposing to no longer credit Boraflex for criticality in Point Beach's Boraflex storage racks. Currently, the licensee is committed to periodic sampling of the Boraflex in the spent fuel pool as stated in their October 23, 1996, response to Generic Letter 96-04, "Boraflex Degradation in the Spent Fuel Pool Storage Racks. " However, it is not clear in the submittal whether the licensee is intending to continue the Boraflex Monitoring Program. Please clarify whether the existing Boraflex Monitoring Program will continue to be implemented.

FPL Enernv Point Beach Response The Boraflex Surveillance Program described in the letter dated October 23, 1996, was discontinued on December 21, 2006. Commitments to implement a Boraflex monitoring program for the period of extended operation remain in place. The Boraflex monitoring program commitments made for the period of extended operation will be discontinued when the proposed license amendment is approved.

Question 2 If the Boraflex monitoring program will be discontinued as a result of this proposed license amendment request, please explain how Point Beach will be able to identify and mitigate any degradation of the Boraflex that may impede other plant operations. Examples may include excessive silica levels impacting the spent fuel pool chemistry or an unforeseen damage mechanism to the Boraflex cladding that may impact safe fuel handling, The spent fuel pool water is sampled for silica monthly. Periodic sampling of silica levels in the spent fuel pool will continue. The PBNP operating experience program provides sharing of industry lessons learned. This program will provide industry information for new Boraflex problems that may impede plant operations. The Boraflex poison panels at PBNP are designed with openings at the top of each panel. These openings allow gas to vent, precluding warping of the poison panels that could impact safe fuel handling. A drawing of the poison panel construction is included in Enclosure 2.

ENCLOSURE 2 FPL ENERGY POINT BEACH, LLC POINT BEACH NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS I AND 2 PBNP DRAWING OF POISON INSERT ASSEMBLY AND DETAILS 1 page follows