ML091671123

Summary of June 2, 2009, Conference Call with Exelon Generation Company, LLC, on the Cobalt Isotope Generation Project

ML091671123
Person / Time
Site:	Clinton
Issue date:	06/23/2009
From:	Gratton C Plant Licensing Branch III
To:	Exelon Generation Co
Gratton C, NRR/DORL, 415-1055
References
Download: ML091671123 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 June 23, 2009 LICENSEE: Exelon Generation Company, LLC.

FACILITY: Clinton Power Station, Unit NO.1 SUB..IECT:

SUMMARY

OF JUNE 2, 2009, CONFERENCE CALL WITH EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC, ON THE COBALT ISOTOPE GENERATION PROJECT On June 2, 2009, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and representatives of Exelon Generation Company, LLC (EGC), held a conference call to give the licensee the opportunity to clarify the guidance provided by the NRC staff in its May 19, 2009, withdrawal acknowledgement letter (See the enclosure to Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML091280171). A list of call participants is provided in the Enclosure.

Background

By letter dated April 8,2009, (ADAMS Accession No. ML090990454), EGC submitted a license amendment request for Clinton Power Station (CPS), Unit NO.1 that would revise the CPS operating license and technical specifications to allow the intentional production of the isotope Cobalt (Co)-60 from Co-59 targets inserted into the reactor. By letter dated May 11, 2009, (ADAMS Accession No. ML091320432), Exelon requested the withdrawal of the application from the NRC staffs review. The NRC staff was in the process of completing its acceptance review when it received the licensee's request for withdrawal. The NRC staff noted in its withdrawal acknowledgement letter that its review identified areas where the application did not provide sufficient technical information to enable the staff to complete its detailed review. The letter included guidance to aid the licensee should they decide to resubmit the application.

Summary Following introductions, EGC staff updated the call participants on the actions the licensee had taken since the withdrawal letter was submitted. The licensee informed the NRC staff that the technical evaluations needed to support a follow-up amendment were complete and the results were being incorporated into a new submittal. The licensee expects to send in the new submittal on or about June 26, 2009.

During the discussion of the current status of the project, the licensee and the NRC staff clarified several of the information items listed in the enclosure to the June 2, 2009, letter. The NRC staff also asked several questions about the pending licensing action, including to what extent were evaluations made under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR),

Section 50.59, included as part of the project. The licensee responded that the scope of the amendment will cover most aspects of the project, with the exception of those portions not normally covered by the amendment process (e.g., procedure development). When questioned, the licensee also indicated that they plan to use an approved cask design to store and transport the byproduct material.

-2 The licensee also indicated that they have alternative plans in place in the event the NRC staff does not accept the application, denies the application, or cannot complete the evaluation before the date when new fuel assemblies must be ordered, which is estimated to be August 20, 2009. In these instances, the license would order the production of new fuel assemblies to take the place of the assemblies containing the Co-59 targets. The NRC staff further clarified the L1C-109, "Acceptance Review Procedures," process is performed to ensure the application contains the technical information necessary for the NRC staff to perform its detailed review, but is not a determination of the application's acceptability. The licensee should not make any decisions about producing or not producing replacement fuel assemblies based on the results of the NRC acceptance review of the application.

The NRC staff also clarified that the project would not involve a new license under 10 CFR Part 30, "Rules of General Applicability to Domestic Licensing of Byproduct Material," to produce byproduct material, but noted that the licensee must fully describe in accordance with 10 CFR 50.90, "Application for amendment of license, construction permit, or early site permit,"

the changes planned for the operating license that would be necessary to authorize activities anticipated under this project.

The NRC emphasized with the licensee that, due to the short time allotted for review, the application needs to be complete and of very high quality as to minimize unnecessary questions between the staffs. The NRC staff also reminded the licensee that the responses to any request for additional information should be responded to expeditiously. The licensee stated that the General Electric Hitachi (GEH) Safety Analysis Report (SAR), Revision 0, will be complete and available to the NRC staff for audit by the time the application is ready for re submittal, but that the Cycle 13 reload analysis and the GEH SAR Revision 1, which evaluates the impact of Co-60 production on the Cycle 13 core physics, in-core signals, and accident analyses, will not be completed until November 2009. The licensee took an action to verify that the calculations necessary to support the application would be available for NRC review in the Washington D.C. area.

Questions regarding this call should be referred to Christopher Gratton at 301-415-1055, or Christopher.Gratton@nrc.gov.

Christopher Gratton, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 111-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-461

Enclosure:

List of Attendees cc w/encl: Distribution via Listserv

LIST OF ATIEI'JDEES JUNE 2,2009, MEETING WITH EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC CO-50 GENERATION PRO~IECT Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

Christopher Gratton, DORL Stephen Sands, DORL Paul Clifford, DSS Aleem Boatright, DRA Steven Garry, DIRS Methew Panicker, DSS Anthony Mendiola, DSS Mark Blumberg, DRA Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs (FSME)

Donna-Beth Howe, MSSA Exelon Generation Company, LLC (EGC)

Mike Reitmeyer Jeff Hansen Tim Byam Doug Wise Chris Monetta Brad Bloomquist Lisa Schichlein Jim Harrison Mike Downs Enclosure

-2 The licensee also indicated that they have alternative plans in place in the event the NRC staff does not accept the application, denies the application, or cannot complete the evaluation before the date when new fuel assemblies must be ordered, which is estimated to be August 20, 2009. In these instances, the license would order the production of new fuel assemblies to take the place of the assemblies containing the Co-59 targets. The NRC staff further clarified the L1C-109, "Acceptance Review Procedures," process is performed to ensure the application contains the technical information necessary for the NRC staff to perform its detailed review, but is not a determination of the application's acceptability. The licensee should not make any decisions about producing or not producing replacement fuel assemblies based on the results of the NRC acceptance review of the application.

The NRC staff also clarified that the project would not involve a new license under 10 CFR Part 30, "Rules of General Applicability to Domestic Licensing of Byproduct Material," to produce byproduct material, but noted that the licensee must fully describe in accordance with 10 CFR 50.90, "Application for amendment of license, construction permit, or early site permit,"

the changes planned for the operating license that would be necessary to authorize activities anticipated under this project.

The NRC emphasized with the licensee that, due to the short time allotted for review, the application needs to be complete and of very high quality as to minimize unnecessary questions between the staffs. The NRC staff also reminded the licensee that the responses to any request for additional information should be responded to expeditiously. The licensee stated that the General Electric Hitachi (GEH) Safety Analysis Report (SAR), Revision 0, will be complete and available to the NRC staff for audit by the time the application is ready for re submittal, but that the Cycle 13 reload analysis and the GEH SAR Revision 1, which evaluates the impact of Co-60 production on the Cycle 13 core physics, in-core signals, and accident analyses, will not be completed until November 2009. The licensee took an action to verify that the calculations necessary to support the application would be available for NRC review in the Washington D.C. area.

Questions regarding this call should be referred to Christopher Gratton at 301-415-1055, or Christopher.Gratton@nrc.gov.

IRA!

Christopher Gratton, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 111-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-461

Enclosure:

List of Attendees cc w/encls: Distribution via Listserv DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC RidsOgcRp Resource ABoatright. NRR Branch Reading LPL3-2 RidsRgn3MailCenter Resource MPanicker, NRR RidsAcrsAcnw_MailCTR Resource CTucci, NRR AMendiola, NRR RidsNrrDorlLpl3-2 Resource DHowe, FSME MBlumberg, NRR RidsNrrPMClinton Resource PClifford, NRR SBagley, EDO Region 3 RidsNrrLATHarris Resource SGarry, NRR ADAMS Accession No ML091671123 OFFICE DORULPL3-2IPM DORULPL3-2ILA DORULPL3-2IBC DORULPL3-2IPM NAME CGratton THarris SCampbell CGratton DATE 06123109 06123109 06123109 06123109 OFFICIAL RECORD COpy