ML20151N254

Grants Temporary Waiver of Compliance from Tech Spec 3.6.3, Containment Isolation Valves, Per Justification Provided in & Upon Guidance Presented in Generic Ltr 87-09

ML20151N254
Person / Time
Site:	Millstone
Issue date:	04/15/1988
From:	Boger B Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Mroczka E NORTHEAST NUCLEAR ENERGY CO.
References
GL-87-09, GL-87-9, TAC-67867, NUDOCS 8804250236
Download: ML20151N254 (3)

Text

. April 15,1988

. Docket No. 50-423 DISTRIBUT"0N

, Oo'cket File 3 RFerguson Mr. Edward J. Mroczka NRG 5 L.ocal PDRs MBoyle Senior Vice President BBoger OGC-WF Nuclear Engineering and Operations SVarga EJordan Northeast Nuclear Energy Company JStolz JPartlow P. O. Box 270 SNorris ACRS(10)

Hartford, Connecticut 06141-0270 WKane(RI) Gray File

SUBJECT:

TEMPORARY WAIVER OF COMPLIANCE FROM TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION 3.6.3, "CONTAINMENT ISOLATION VALVES (TAC N0. 67867)

Re: Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit No. 3 By letter dated April 14, 1988 you requested a temporary waiver of compliance to allow the restart of Millstone Unit No. 3 while an emergency Technical Specification (TS) amendment is being processed by the NRC. The amendment to TS Section 3.6.3, "Containment Isolation Valves", to Facility Operating License No. NPF-49 would remove unnecessary restrictions on mode changes and would be consistent with guidance provided by the staff in Generic Letter 87-09, dated June 1987.

In your letter you noted that three containment isolation valves were found to be inoperable on March 1,1988 during surveillance testing and that the action statements required in TS 3.6.3, "Containment Isolation Valves", were satisfied allowing the plant to continue operation for an unlimited period of time. The three valves are the pressurizer relief tank gas sample line isolation valve 3SSR*CV8026, pressurizer vapor space sample line isolation valve 3SSR*CTV20, ard pressurizer liquid sample line isolation valve 3SSR*CTV22. All three sample lines are 3/4" and not nomally used during plant operation, nor are they required for post-accident sampling. The valves all located inside containment were isolated by closing their corresponding valves outside containment and removing power from the valve operators. The repair to these valves would require that the plant be in the cold shutdown condition.

i On April 13, 1988 Millstone Unit No. 3 tripped placin:; the plant in the hot l shutdown condition. The cause of the plant trip, low condenser vacuum due to intake structure travelling screen blockage, is being corrected. However, TS

! Section 3.0.4 states that entry into an operational mode is not pemitted j unless the conditions for the limiting condition for operation are met without t reliance on provisions contained in the action statements. This requirement will not allow the restart of Millstone Unit No. 3 with the three isolation valves being inoperable, while continued operation was allowed because the action statements in TS Section 3.6.3 were met.

l The staff issued Generic Letter 87-09 on June 4, 1987 to address the l implementation of short-term improvements to TS. One of these improvements recognizes the restrictions in mode changes by imposed TS 3.0.4, "Limiting

! Condition for Operation", which restricts facility operation when conformance l with action requirements provides an acceptable level of safety for continued operation.

l 8804250236 000415 PDR ADOCK 05000423 P PDR

2-We have made a preliminary review of the justification provided in your letter and conclude that operation of Millstone Unit No. 3 in conformance with the action requirements of TS 3.6.3 provides an acceptable level of safety and does not present any undue risk to the health and safety of the public. This conclusion is based upon the justification provided in your April 14, 1988 letter and upon the guidance presented in Generic Letter 87-09.

This letter grants a temporary waiver of compliance with the cited TS requirements and will be in effect until we complete the processing of an emergency license amendment.

Since rely, original signed by Bruce A. Boger, Assistant Director for Region I Reactors Division of Reactor Projects I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation cc: See next page 4

i Region s - -' :NRR LA:PDI p PM:PDI-4 WKanei g OGC A

, SN8ris ,g RFerguson:Tm ,

, er

4// 4/88 } 4/ld/88 4/li/88 . 4/ /88 4/p8

,- PD:PDI-4 gb has l

l I

4 Mr. E. J. Mroczka Millstone Nuclear Power Station Northeast Nuclear Energy Company Unit No. 3 cc:

Gerald Garfield, Esquire R. M. Kacich, Manager Day, Berry and Howard Generation Facilities Licensing Counselors at Law Northeast Utilities Service Company City Place Post Office Box 270 Hartford, Connecticut C6103-3499 Hartford, Connecticut 06141-0270 W. D. Romberg, Vice President D. O. Nordquist Nuclear Operations Fanager of Quality Assurance Northeast Utilities Service Company Northeast Nuclear Energy Company Post Office Box 270 Post Office Box 270 Hartford, Connecticut 06141-0270 Hartford, Connecticut 06141-0270 Kevin McCarthy, Director Regional Administrator Radiation Control Unit Region I Department of Envimnmental Protection U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission State Office Building 475 Allendale Road Hartford, Connecticut 06106 King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 19406 Bradford S. Chase, Under Secretary First Selectmen Energy Division Town of Waterford Office of Policy and Management Hall of Records 80 Washington Street 200 Boston Post Road Hartford, Connecticut 06106 Waterford, Connecticut 06385 S. E. Scace, Station Superintendent W. J. Raymond, Resident Inspector Millstone Nuclear Power Station Millstone Nuclear Power Station Northeast Nuclear Energy Company c/o U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Post Office Box 128 Post Office Box 811 Waterford, Connecticut 06385 Niantic, Connecticut 06357 1

C. H. Clement, Unit Superintendent M. R. Scully, Executive Director

Millstone Unit No. 3 Connecticut Municipal Electric Northeast Nuclear Energy Company Energy Cooperative Post Office Box 128 268 Thomas Road Waterford, Connecticut 06385 Groton, Connecticut 06340 l

Ms. Jane Spector Michael L. Jones, Manager l Proiect Management Department Federal Energy Regulatory Comission 825 N. Capitol Street, N.E. Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Room 8608C Electric Company l

Washington, D.C. 204?6 Post Office Box 426 i Ludlow, Massachusetts 01056 Burlington Electric Department c/o Robert E. Fletcher, Esq.

I 271 South Union Street I Burlington, Vermont 05402