NRC Generic Letter 1983-27

NRC Generic Letter 1983-027: Surveillance Intervals in Standard Technical Specifications

ML031080248
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, Monticello, Calvert Cliffs, Dresden, Davis Besse, Peach Bottom, Browns Ferry, Salem, Oconee, Mcguire, Nine Mile Point, Palisades, Palo Verde, Perry, Indian Point, Fermi, Kewaunee, Catawba, Harris, Saint Lucie, Point Beach, Oyster Creek, Watts Bar, Grand Gulf, Cooper, Sequoyah, Byron, Pilgrim, Arkansas Nuclear, Braidwood, Susquehanna, Summer, Prairie Island, Columbia, Seabrook, Brunswick, Surry, Limerick, North Anna, Turkey Point, River Bend, Vermont Yankee, Crystal River, Haddam Neck, Ginna, Diablo Canyon, Vogtle, Waterford, Duane Arnold, Farley, Robinson, Clinton, South Texas, San Onofre, Cook, Comanche Peak, Yankee Rowe, Maine Yankee, Quad Cities, La Crosse, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Zion, Midland, Bellefonte, Fort Calhoun, FitzPatrick, McGuire, LaSalle, 05000000, 05000496, 05000497, Zimmer, 05000103, Fort Saint Vrain, Washington Public Power Supply System, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Bailly, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant, Clinch River, Skagit, Marble Hill, Crane
Issue date:	07/06/1983
From:	Eisenhut D Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:
References
GL-83-027, NUDOCS 8307060329
Download: ML031080248 (2)

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July 6, 1983 TO ALL LICENSEES AND APPLICANTS FOR OPERATING POWER REACTORS

POWER REACTORS.

AND HOLDERS OF CONSTRUCTION PERMITS FOR

Gentlemen:

Specifications Subject: Surveillance Intervals in Standard Technical (Generic Letter No. 83-27 )

as to the basis for the surveillance There appears to be a misunderstanding Specifications (STS) and.in some intervals given in the Standard Technical in use by a number of licensees.

existing custom Technical Specifications from licensees converting to 18- We have received several requests recently intervals for the 12-month month fuel cycles to increase the surveillance in plant-specific Technical Specifi- and 18-month surveillance requirements the increase in surveillance intervals cations. The requests indicated thatperiod beyond nominal fuel cycle periods would malntain the same contingency for shorter fuel that existed In their approved Technical Specifications was not established to provide cycles. The nominal surveillance interval fuel cycle periods. The purpose a fixed contingency period beyond nominal for the specified surveillance of this letter is to reiterate the bases current practice with respect to intervals and to advise licensees of our requests to increase surveilance intervals.

The 18-month surveillance intervals STS contained in the STS were established after consultations with various senior during the original development of fuel vendors. The 18-month surveil- staff members and with the reactor and upon operating experience and the lance intervals were established based utilizing 18-month fuel cycles. To knowledge that some reactors would be which may be required due to provide the necessary operational flexibility the STS, and most custom Technical scheduling and performance considerations, permits any surveillance interval Specifications, include a provision which provided that the total time to be extended by 25X of the nominal interval specified surveillance interval over interval does not exceed 3.26 times the any three consecutive surveillance intervals.

8307060329

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- ^ -2- The effect of extended outages was also considered during our development and establishment of the 18-month surveillance interval. We presumed that If a plant incurs an extended outage during a fuel cycle, the licensee would perform the appropriate surveillances during the extended outage so that required surveillances will not become due before completion of the fuel cycle.

The 12-month surveillance intervals applicable to certain portions of the fire protection (fire water systems) Technical Specifications were based upon annual climatic conditions rather than on the length of a fuel cycle;

therefore, these intervals should not be changed. As stated in the STS Bases for the snubbers, establishment of the snubber surveillance intervals was based upon maintaining a constant level of protection. The assumptions used for maintaining the constant level of protection would be invalidated if the surveillance intervals are changed.

We intend to retain the 18-month and 12-month surveillance intervals given in the STS and plant-specific Technical Specifications except that infrequent, one time only changes may be granted for plant-specific conditions where adequate Justification is given.

Sincerely, Ori illal sjignedb Darrell 0G,

Darrell G. Elsenhut, Director Division of Licensing DISTRIBUTION:

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