ML20076L362

Application to Amend License NPF-8 Requesting one-time Tech Spec Change to Permit Foregoing Turbine Valve Testing After 830729 by Advancing Approval Date to 830718.Approval by 830718 Requested

ML20076L362
Person / Time
Site:	Farley
Issue date:	07/13/1983
From:	Clayton F ALABAMA POWER CO.
To:	Varga S Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 8307190144
Download: ML20076L362 (2)

Text

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4- *e Malling Address

. Atattama Pcwer Company .

600 Worth 18th Street -

- Post Office Box 2641

. Birmingham Alabama 35291 Telephone 205 783-6081 F. L Clayton, Jr. Ji;ly 13, 1983 l

- Senior Vice President Flintridge Building AlabamaPower thesouthemelectnc sys!te Docket No. 50-364 Director, Nuclear Reactor Regulation U. S.L. Nuclear Regulatory Commission-Washington, D. C. 20555 Attention: Mr. S. A. Varga Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant - Unit 2 Turbine Valve Technical Specification Change Request Gentlemen:

-In accordance with the Unit 2 Technical Specification 3/4.3.4, Alabama Power Company is reluired to perform weekly surveillance testing of turbine valves to demonstrate valve operability. 0n May 27,1983 a one-time Technical Specification change was requested to allow Alabama Power Company to forego turbine valve testing on Unit 2 after July 28, 1983. .The basis for this request was operational- difficulties associated with power reductions necessary to accomplish turbine -valve testing.

Subsaluently, Alabama Power Company's Farley Nuclear Plant - Unit 2_has developed additional operational problems which necessitate advancing the reauested approval date of July 29, 1983 to no later than noon July 18, 1983. These problems involve increased seal leakoff through the #1 seal of. reactor coolant pump 2A that could become excessive requiring a plant -

shutdown.

' Westinghouse has advised Alabama Power Company that, based upon current -seal performance, it is expected that Unit 2 can remain on-line until September 17, 1983, the scheduled start of the second refueling outage. This assumption is based upon minimizing operational perturbations experienced by the #1 seal on reactor' coolant pump 2A.

l Alabama Power Company has continually experienced changes in #1 seal i

l-leakoff flowrates as'a~ result of changes in reactor power levels due to boration and dihition. Westinghouse has verified that such variations

- are common at other plants and Alabama Power Company has personally

, verified this to be the case. Alabama Power Company feels that the l turbine valve testing with associated power reductions unnecessarily risks a forced shutdown to repair the seals on reactor coolant pump 2A.

.Such a shutdown would require a minimum outage down time of at least 6 days during a period when system loads are at, or near, peak power demand. In addition, Alabama Power Company also believes that such an outage would entail' a substantial risk of being longer than.6 days due to

. ' surveillance tests and system perturbations associated.with bringing the

_ plant,to a cold shutdown condition required for seal ' repair. )

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Mr. 'S. A. Varga .

July 13, 1983 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Page 2 Approval of this one-time Technical Specification change by noon July 18, 1983 does not constitute a significant hazards consideration as defined in 10 CFR 50.92 and described in our May 27, 1983 letter, and does -not jeopardize the safe operation of the Farley Nuclear Plant - Unit

2. This change is requested under exigent circumstances as the signifi-cant hazards notice was given in the Federal Register on June 29, 1983 and failure to approve this change in a timely manner could result in an unnecessary plant shutdown.

This change is requested by noon, July 18, 1983 as the next turbine valve testing on Unit 2 will be required to be completed by 6:55 p.m. in order to comply with the current Technical Specification.

If you have any questions, please advise.

Yours very truly, b

F p . L. Clayton, Jr. .

FLCJr/AEH:1sh-D31 cc: Mr. R. A. Thomas Mr. G. F. Trowbridge Mr. J. P. O'Reilly Mr. E. A. Reeves Mr. W. H. Bradford Dr. I. L. Myers j

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