ML060530185

Summary of February 13, 2006, Telephone Conference with the Tennessee Valley Authority Regarding the Browns Ferry Extended Power Uprate Amendment Requests (TAC Nos. MC3812, MC3743, and MC3744

ML060530185
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry
Issue date:	03/02/2006
From:	Chernoff M Plant Licensing Branch III-2
To:	Singer K Tennessee Valley Authority
Chernoff Margaret H. NRR/DORL 415-4041
References
TAC MC3743, TAC MC3744, TAC MC3812
Download: ML060530185 (8)

Text

March 2, 2006 LICENSEE: Tennessee Valley Authority FACILITIES: Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3

SUMMARY

OF FEBRUARY 13, 2006, TELEPHONE CONFERENCE WITH THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY REGARDING THE BROWNS FERRY EXTENDED POWER UPRATE AMENDMENT REQUESTS (TAC NOS. MC3812, MC3743, MC3744)

On February 13, 2006, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff conducted a telephone conference with Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, the licensee). The objective of the meeting was to discuss technical items and the schedule for TVA to furnish the information necessary for the NRC staff to complete their review of TVAs requested Extended Power Uprate (EPU). The meeting was open to the general public. Enclosure 1 contains a list of NRC participants, and Enclosure 2 is a list of the TVA participants. Enclosure 3 is a copy of TVAs presentation materials.

BACKGROUND By letter dated June 28, 2004, TVA submitted an amendment request for Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN) Unit 1. The proposed amendment would change the BFN Unit 1, operating license to increase the maximum authorized power level from 3293 megawatts thermal (MWt) to 3952 MWt. This change represents an increase of approximately 20 percent above the current maximum authorized power level. Similarly in a letter dated June 25, 2004, TVA submitted an amendment request for BFN, Units 2 and 3. The proposed amendment would change the BFN, Units 2 and 3, operating licenses to increase the maximum authorized power level from 3458 MWt to 3952 MWt. This change represents an increase of approximately 15 percent above the current maximum authorized power level. The licensee has chosen to implement the EPU on Unit 1 in 2007, Unit 2 in 2007, and Unit 3 in 2008.

The NRC staff informed TVA of the information necessary to complete the application by letters dated November 18, 2004, and issued the first Request for Additional Information (RAI) in letters dated December 30, 2004 (for the Unit 1 application) and December 29, 2004 (for the Units 2 and 3 application). In submittals dated February 23, 2005, and April 25, 2005, TVA supplied the information requested by the NRC staff to complete the applications. The NRC staff accepted TVAs application and began its technical review of the applications on May 27, 2005.

TVA submitted a response to the first RAI on June 6, 2005. The NRC staff issued a second set of RAIs on October 3, 2005. TVA responded to most of the questions via letters dated December 19, 2005. The NRC staff issued the third set of RAIs on December 22, 2005.

DISCUSSION TVA presented an overview of their planned actions for the following topics:

Steam Dryers To address the NRC staffs questions regarding the effects of the uprated conditions on the steam dryers, TVAs actions include benchmarking, scale model testing, stress analysis, and development of limit curves for steam line monitoring during power ascension.

Containment Overpressure Credit TVA described their plans for resolving the NRC staffs questions regarding Containment Overpressure Credit for Emergency Core Cooling System Pump Net Positive Suction Head Requirements. The NRC staff reminded the licensee that, although they were pursuing a similar approach to that used successfully by Entergy in the Vermont Yankee Power Uprate application, the approach would need to be customized so that it was clearly applicable to the Browns Ferry plants.

Fuel Analysis Methods TVA described their plans for addressing the NRC staffs questions regarding fuel analysis methods. TVA mentioned their intent to attach or reference a draft topical report in their planned RAI response. The NRC staff cautioned TVA that their response should be standalone and should not be reliant on a draft topical report. TVA also stated their intent to employ a 0.02 Minimum Critical Power Ratio penalty. The NRC staff cautioned TVA to clearly demonstrate that this was a conservative penalty value for the Browns Ferry facility.

Unit 1 Transient Testing TVA also summarized their basis for stating that certain transient testing for the uprated conditions is not required for Unit 1. TVA will be providing more information on their basis in the upcoming response to the NRC staffs RAI.

Responses to RAIs TVA confirmed their intent to formally submit a response by March 7, 2006, to the NRC staffs third set of RAIs, issued on December 22, 2005. TVA also confirmed their response schedule for the remaining questions from the staffs second set of RAIs.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the NRC stated that the staff is still evaluating the schedule for review of the Browns Ferry Extended Power Uprate. No regulatory decisions were made by the NRC staff during the proceedings.

/RA/

Margaret H. Chernoff, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch II-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-259, 50-260 and 50-296

Enclosures:

1. List of NRC Participants

2. List of TVA Participants

3. TVA Handout cc w/encls: See next page

ML060530185 NRC-001 OFFICE LPL2-2/PM LPL2-2/LA LPL2-2/BC NAME MChernoff BClayton MMarshall DATE 2/27/06 2/27/06 3/02/06

NRC Attendees Telephone Conference with TVA February 13, 2006 Catherine Haney, Director, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing (DORL)

Edwin Hackett, Associate Director, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing (DORL)

Michael Marshall, Branch Chief, LPLII-2, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing (DORL)

Frank Akstulewicz, Branch Chief, Nuclear Performance and Code Review Branch Greg Cranston, Branch Chief, BWR Systems Branch Louise Lund, Branch Chief, License Renewal Branch A Staff:

Margaret Chernoff Dylanne Duvigneaud Zeyna Abdullahi George Thomas Muhammed Razzaque Tom Scarbrough Rich Lobel Raj Goel Martin Stutzke Steve Laur Jim Tatum Angelo Stubbs Bob Pettis Yoira Diaz-Sanabria Ralph Caruso, ACRS Staff Ann Hodgdon, Senior Attorney, OGC Enclosure 1

TVA Attendees Telephone Conference with NRC February 13, 2006 Brian O'Grady - Site Vice President Masoud Bajestani - Unit 1 Vice President Joe Valente - Unit 1 Engineering Manager Bob Moll - Unit 1 System Engineering Manager Bob Marks - EPU Project Manager Ed Hartwig - EPU Project Manager Jim Wolcott - EPU Engineering Manager Tony Langley - Unit 2/3 Licensing Supervisor Joe McCarthy - Unit 1 Licensing Supervisor Bill Crouch - Site Licensing Manager Enclosure 2

Page 1 of 2 Tennessee Valley Authority BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT cc:

Mr. Karl W. Singer Mr. John C. Fornicola, Manager Chief Nuclear Officer and Nuclear Assurance and Licensing Executive Vice President Tennessee Valley Authority Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402-2801 Mr. Bruce M. Aukland, Plant Manager Mr. Ashok S. Bhatnagar, Senior Vice President Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Nuclear Operations Tennessee Valley Authority Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 6A Lookout Place Decatur, AL 35609 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Masoud Bajestani, Vice President Browns Ferry Unit 1 Restart Mr. Larry S. Bryant, Vice President Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Nuclear Engineering & Technical Services Tennessee Valley Authority Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 6A Lookout Place Decatur, AL 35609 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Robert G. Jones, General Manager Browns Ferry Site Operations Brian OGrady, Site Vice President Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Decatur, AL 35609 Mr. Scott M. Shaeffer Mr. Robert J. Beecken, Vice President Browns Ferry Unit 1 Project Engineer Nuclear Support Division of Reactor Projects, Branch 6 Tennessee Valley Authority U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 6A Lookout Place 61 Forsyth Street, SW.

1101 Market Street Suite 23T85 Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Atlanta, GA 30303-8931 General Counsel Mr. Larry S. Mellen Tennessee Valley Authority Browns Ferry Unit 1 Project Engineer ET 11A Division of Reactor Projects, Branch 6 400 West Summit Hill Drive U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Knoxville, TN 37902 61 Forsyth Street, SW.

Suite 23T85 Atlanta, GA 30303-8931

Page 2 of 2 Tennessee Valley Authority BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT cc:

Mr. Glenn W. Morris, Manager Corporate Nuclear Licensing and Industry Affairs Tennessee Valley Authority 4X Blue Ridge 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. William D. Crouch, Manager Licensing and Industry Affairs Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant 10833 Shaw Road Athens, AL 35611-6970 State Health Officer Alabama Dept. of Public Health RSA Tower - Administration Suite 1552 P.O. Box 303017 Montgomery, AL 36130-3017 Chairman Limestone County Commission 310 West Washington Street Athens, AL 35611