ML061010420

Unit 2 - Withdrawal of Relief Request (TAC No'S. MC8949 and MC8950)

ML061010420
Person / Time
Site:	Salem
Issue date:	04/27/2006
From:	Stewart Bailey Plant Licensing Branch III-2
To:	Levis W Public Service Enterprise Group
Bailey S , NRR/ADRO/DORL, 415-1321
References
TAC MC8949, TAC MC8950
Download: ML061010420 (4)

Text

April 27, 2006 Mr. William Levis Senior Vice President & Chief Nuclear Officer PSEG Nuclear LLC - N09 Post Office Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038

SUBJECT:

SALEM NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT 1 AND UNIT 2 -

WITHDRAWAL OF RELIEF REQUEST (TAC NOS. MC8949 AND MC8950)

Dear Mr. Levis:

By letter dated November 16, 2005, PSEG Nuclear LLC (PSEG), the licensee for the Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (Salem), applied for relief from certain provisions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME Code) at Salem. The proposed relief would permit application of the ASME Code,Section VIII, Division 2, 2004 Edition, plastic analysis methodology for determining the pressure rating of the component cooling (CC) heat exchangers. The purpose of the request was to align the design pressure of the CC heat exchangers with the design pressure of the remainder of the CC system. The relief was requested pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Section 55a(a)(3)(i).

In a conference call on January 31, 2006, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff discussed the subject application with members of your staff. The NRC staff explained that the proposed change could not be granted as a relief request pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(a)(3)(i) because this regulation applies to the inspection and repair/replacement activities in Sections III and XI of the ASME Code, not design under Section VIII of the ASME Code. The proposed change to the CC heat exchanger design code should be evaluated in accordance with 10 CFR 50.59 and, if necessary, a license amendment should be requested in accordance with 10 CFR 50.90. The NRC staff also discussed several technical issues related to the proposed change, in part because the CC heat exchanger does not meet all of the provisions of the ASME Code sections you propose to adopt. The NRC staff questioned the material properties used in the design calculation (which do not appear consistent with Section II of the ASME Code), the mixing of requirements from different parts of the ASME Code, and the need to consider fatigue. The NRC staff was also concerned about the lack of full radiography of the welds, which is not required by the code of record for the CC heat exchanger, but is required for the sections of the ASME Code you propose to adopt. In the conference call, members of your staff indicated that the relief request would be withdrawn.

By letter dated April 12, 2006, PSEG withdrew the relief request. Therefore, the NRC staff is discontinuing its efforts under TAC Nos. MC8949 and MC8950.

W. Levis If you have any questions about this matter, please contact me at (301) 415-1321 or snb@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Stewart N. Bailey, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch I-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-272 and 50-311 cc: See next page

ML061010420 OFFICE LPL1-2/PM LPL1-2/LA DE/EEMB LPL1-2/BC NAME SBailey/em CRaynor KManoly DRoberts (REnnis for)

DATE 4/27/06 4/26/06 4/19/06 4/27/06 Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 cc:

Mr. Dennis Winchester Mr. Steven Mannon Vice President - Nuclear Assessment Manager - Regulatory Affairs PSEG Nuclear P.O. Box 236 P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Township Clerk Mr. Thomas P. Joyce Lower Alloways Creek Township Site Vice President - Salem Municipal Building, P.O. Box 157 PSEG Nuclear Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Mr. Paul Bauldauf, P.E., Asst. Director Radiation Protection Programs Mr. George H. Gellrich NJ Department of Environmental Plant Support Manager Protection and Energy PSEG Nuclear CN 415 P.O. Box 236 Trenton, NJ 08625-0415 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Mr. Brian Beam Mr. Carl J. Fricker Board of Public Utilities Plant Manager - Salem 2 Gateway Center, Tenth Floor PSEG Nuclear - N21 Newark, NJ 07102 P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Regional Administrator, Region I U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mr. Darin Benyak 475 Allendale Road Director - Regulatory Assurance King of Prussia, PA 19406 PSEG Nuclear - N21 P.O. Box 236 Senior Resident Inspector Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Salem Nuclear Generating Station U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mr. James Mallon Drawer 0509 Manager - Licensing Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 200 Exelon Way, KSA 3-E Kennett Square, PA 19348 Jeffrie J. Keenan, Esquire PSEG Nuclear - N21 P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038