NUREG-1609, Responds to Util 950627,960102 & 0216 Responses to GL 95-03 Re Circumferential Cracking of SG Tubes.Responses Acceptable

Responds to Util 950627,960102 & 0216 Responses to GL 95-03 Re Circumferential Cracking of SG Tubes.Responses Acceptable

ML20196G226
Person / Time
Site:	Millstone
Issue date:	05/13/1997
From:	Mckee P NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Carns N NORTHEAST NUCLEAR ENERGY CO.
References
RTR-NUREG-1609 GL-95-03, GL-95-3, TAC-M92253, TAC-M92254, NUDOCS 9705150293
Download: ML20196G226 (5)

Text

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30536 j ( p t UNITED STATES

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j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION l WASHINGTON, D.C. 3066&o001

\, ,,, g +/ May 13, 1997 Mr. Neil S. Carns

Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer Northeast Nuclear Energy Company c/o Ms. Patricia A. Loftus l Director - Regulatory Affairs P.O. Box 128 Waterford, CT 06385

SUBJECT:

COMPLETION OF LICENSING ACTION FOR GENERIC LETTER 95-03, "CIRCUMFERENTIAL CRACKING OF STEAM GENERATOR TUBES," DATED APRIL 28, 1995, FOR THE MILLSTONE NUCLEAR POWER STATION, UNIT NOS. 2 AND 3 (TAC NOS. M92253 AND M92254) l

Dear Mr. Carns:

On April 28, 1995, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Generic Letter (GL) 95-03, "Circumferential Cracking of Steam Generator Tubes," to all holders of operating licenses or construction permits for pressurized-water l reactors. The NRC issued GL 95-03 for three principal reasons:

(1) Notify addressees about the safety significance of the recent steam generator tube inspection findings at Maine Yankee Atomic Power Station.

(2) Request that all addressees implement the actions described within the

. generic letter.

(3) Require that all addressees submit to the NRC a written response regarding implementation of the requested actions.

In addition, GL 95-03 alerted addressees to the importance of performing

comprehensive examinations of steam generator tubes using techniques and l equipment capable of reliably detecting the types of degradation to which the steam generator tubes may be susceptible. The staff also noted that the performance of steam generator tube examinations is controlled, in part, by Appendix B to Title 10, Part 50, of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 50).

I In GL 95-03, the NRC staff also requested that licensees take the following actions:

(1) Evaluate recent operating experience with respect to the detection and sizing of circumferential indications to determine the applicability to their plants.

i (2) On the basis of the evaluation in Item (1) above, as well as past  ;

inspection scope and results, susceptibility to circumferential /

cracking, threshold of detection, expected or inferred crack growt ,/ g 150070 9705150293 970513 NRC FILE CENTER COPY PDR ADOCK 05000336 -

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Neil S. Carns rates, and other relevant factors, develop a safety assessment justifying continued operation until the next scheduled steam generator tube inspections.

(3) Develop plans for the ne'xt steam generator tube inspections as they pertain to the detection of circumferential cracking. The inspection plans should address, but not be limited to, scope (including sample expansion criteria, if applicable), methods, equipment, and criteria (including personnel training and qualification).

To document the' outcome of these actions, the NRC staff requested that addressees prepare and submit the following:

(1) A safety assessment justifying continued operation, predicated on the evaluation performed in accordance with requested actions 1 and 2 (above).

(2) A summary of the inspection plans developed in accordance with requested action 3 (above) and a schedule for the next planned inspection.

By letter dated June 27, 1995, Northeast Nuclear Energy Company (NNECO) provided its initial response to GL 95-03 for the MilhMne Nuclear Power Station, Unit Nos. 2 and 3. On December 11, 1995, the NRC staff _ issued a request for additional information (RAI) a_nd NNEC0 provided its response to the RAI by letters dated January 2 and February 16, 1996. j j

The NNECO submittals provided the information requested by GL 95-03 and the subsequent RAI; therefore, we have closed TAC Nos. M92253 and M92254. For your information, the staff's findings regarding this issue are contained in NUREG-1609, "Circumferential Cracking of Steam Generator Tubes."

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact the Unit 2 Project Manager, Daniel Mcdonald, at (301) 415-1408, or the Unit 3 Project Manager, James Anderson, at (301) 415-1437.

Sincerely, '

An~

Phillip F. M Kee \

. Deputy Director for Licensing Special Projects Office Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-336 and 50-423 cc: See next page i

_ . _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ - ~-_..- _ _. _ .._._ _ _ _ _ . _ . _ _ _ .~ __

. Nail <S. Carns May 13, 1997 D4 I

! rates, and other relevant factors, develop a safety assessment justifying continued operation until the next scheduled steam generator. I

! tube' inspections. r f (3) Develop plans for the next steam generator tube inspections as they

, pertain to the detection of circumferential cracking. The inspection plans should address, but not be limited to, scope (including sample s expansion criteria, if applicable), methods, equipment, and' criteria (including personnel training and qualification).

[ <

To document the outcome of these actions, the NRC staff requested that i addressees prepare and submit the.following:

1 ,

! (1) A safety assessment justifying continued operation, predicated on the  !

evaluation performed in accordance with' requested actions 1 and 2

1 (above).  ;

2 1-(2) A summary of the inspection plans developed in accordance with requested action 3 (above)'and a schedule for the next planned  !

inspection.

i By letter dated June 27, 1995, Northeast Nuclear Energy Company (NNECO) provided its initial response to GL 95-03 for.the Millstone Nuclear Power  ;

Station, Unit ~Nos. 2 and 3. On December 11, 1995, the NRC staff issued a l request for additional information (RAI) and NNECO'provided its response to  :

the RAI by letters dated January 2 and February 16,c1996. i The NNEC0 ~submittals_ provided the information: requested by GL 95-03 and the subsequent RAI; therefore, we have closed TAC Nos.,M92253 and M92254. i If you have any questions regarding this matter,.please contact the Unit 2 Project Manager, Daniel Mcdonald,. at (301) 415-1408, or the Unit 3 Project Manager, James Anderson, at-(301):415-1437.

Sincerely, Original' signed by:

MC_N CMB COM Phillip F. McKee Deputy Director for Licensing Special Projects Office Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-336 and 50-423 cc: See'next page

]

DISTRIBUTION:

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NAME DMcDonald( U K 1 LBerFyi 9p@'l PBcKel( j/ /

DATE 04/t%/97 UY/ OA/iv/97 pM9V Q4/ @Y7 I 04/ /97 04/ /97  ;

0FF:CIAL RECORD COPY

.-- . - - .- -.- - - . ~ - . - - . - . - - . . - . - - . - - -- - . - . . .

Northeast Nuclear Energy Company Millstone Nuclear Power Station i Units 2 and 3

) CC:

Lillian N. Cuoco, Esquire Charles Brinkman, Manager Senior Nuci a r Counsel Washington Nuclear Operations

' Northeast Utinties Service Company ABB Combustion Engineering P. O. Box 270 12300 Twinbrook Pkwy, Suite 330 Hartford, CT 06141-0270 Rockville, MD 20852 Mr. John Buckingham Mr. F. C. Rothen Department of Public Utility Control Vice President - Work Services Electric Unit Northeast Nuclear Energy Company 10 Liberty Square P. O. Box 128  ;

New Britain, CT 060S1 Waterford, CT 06385 l Mr. Kevin T. A. McCarthy, Director Ernest C. Hadley, Esquire I Monitoring and Radiation Division 1040 B Main Street  !

Department of Environmental Protection P.O. Box 549 l 79 Elm Street West Wareham, MA 02576  !

Hartford, CT 06106-5127

)

Mr. D. W. Goebel Mr. Allan Johanson, Assistant Director Vice President - Nuclear Oversight Office of Policy and Management .

Northeast Nuclear Energy Company Policy Development and Planning Division P. O. Box 128  !

450 Capitol Avenue - MS 52ERN Waterford, CT 06385 P.O. Box 341441 Hartford, CT 06134-1441 Mr. M. L. Bowling, Jr.

Millstone Unit No. 2 Nuclear Regional Administrator, Region I Recovery Officer U.S. . Nuclear Regulatory Commission Northeast Nuclear Energy Company 475 Allendale Road -

P. O. Box 128 I King of Prussia, PA 19406 Waterford, CT 06385 First Selectmen Mr. J. K. Thayer Town of Waterford Recovery Officer - Nuclear Hall of Records Engineering and Support 200 Boston Post Road Northeast Nuclear Energy Company Waterford, CT 06385 P. O. Box 128 Waterford, CT 06385 Mr. Wayne D. Lanning Deputy Director of Inspections Special Projects Office 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415 i

1 l .

i Northeast Nuclear Energy Company Millstone Nuclear Power Station Units 2 and 3- .

i l cc:

L l Deborah Katz, President l

Citizens Awareness Network P.O. Box 83 l Shelburne Falls, MA 03170

! Senior Resident Inspector -

l Millstone Nuclear Power Station c/o U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 513  ;

l Niantic, CT 06357 i

Citizens Regulatory Commission ATTN: Ms. Susan Perry Luxton 180 Great Neck Road l Waterford, Connecticut 06385 l

The Honorable Terry Concannon Co-Chair Nuclear Energy Advisory Council l- Room 4035 Legislative Office Building

• Capitol Avenue Hartford, Connecticut 06106 Mr. Evan W. Woo 11acott Co-Chair Nuclear Energy Advisory Council l 128 Terry's Plain Road Simsbury, Connecticut 06070

! Little Harbor Consultants, Inc.

! Millstone - ITPOP Project Office l

P. O. Box 0630 Niantic, Connecticut 06357-0630 l