ML20207E735

Responds to Requesting Reduction in IGSCC Insp Frequency Per GL 88-01 to Be Performed During Upcoming RFO 12.Forwards SE Re Reduction of IGSCC Insp of Category D Welds Due to Implementation of H Water Chemistry

ML20207E735
Person / Time
Site:	Pilgrim
Issue date:	05/27/1999
From:	Wang A NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Ted Sullivan BOSTON EDISON CO.
Shared Package
ML20207E738	List: ML20207E735 ML20207E747
References
GL-88-01, GL-88-1, TAC-MA3554, NUDOCS 9906070127
Download: ML20207E735 (5)

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. UNITED STATES j

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 300064001 May 27,.1999 Mr. Theodore'A. Sullivan

.Vice President Nuclear and Station Director

. Boston Edison Company Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station

RFD #1 Rocky Hill Road '

Plymouth, MA 02360

SUBJECT:

SAFETY EVALUATION OF BOSTON EDISON COMPANY'S REQUEST FOR REDUCTION IN THE INTERGRANULAR STRESS CORROSION CRACKING INSPECTION FREQUENCIES PER GENERIC LETTER 88-01 FOR THE PILGRIM NUCLEAR POWER STATION (TAC NO. MA3554)

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Dear Mr. Sullivan:

By letter dated September 4,1998, Boston Edison Company (BECo, or the licensee) submitted l

a request for a reduction in the intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) inspection 1

frequency to be performed at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station (Pilgrim) during the upcoming j

refueling outage (RFO) 12. The licensee submitted this request consistent with the guidance in

' Generic Letter (GL) 88-01, "NRC Position on IGSCC in BWR Austinatic Stainless Steel Piping."

1 The licensee has implemented a hydrogen water chemistry (HWC) program at Pilgrim. Based on this HWC program, the licensee proposed to inspect 11 IGSCC Category D welds in the i

- recirculation piping system every 4 fuel cycles instead of every 2 fuel cycles per. GL 88-01.

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Pilgrim is the lead plant to apply for reduced IGSCC inspection frequency based on the use of

- HWC using'NEDC-3195P, Supplement 1, dated April 1998.

The staffs position in GL 88-01 allowed a reduced IGSCC inspection frequency when a fully effective HWC is maintained. To provide the industry with guidelines for implementing HWC and l

receiving inspection credit, the BWR Owners' Group (BWROG) issued a topical report in April 1991, NEDC-31951P, " Implementation of improved Water Chemistry and Technical Basis for Revised Piping Inspection Schedules." The staff reviewed the subject topical report and found

- that some of the BWROG proposed criteria were not adequately justified and required some L

modifications. The staff approved criteria for an acceptable HWC program and the reduced l

inspection frequency is provided in the staffs safety evaluation (SE) dated January 10,1995. In a response to the staffs SE, the BWROG submitted to the NRC Supplement 1 to Topical Report NEDC-31951P. Supplement 1 proposed alternative criteria for an acceptable HWC program.

Pilgrim has requested for reduced IGSCC inspections referencing Supplement 1 to NEDC-l 31951P dated April 1998. The staff, however, has not completed the review of Supplement 1.

l Based on the performance data provided, the staff agrees with the licensee that the projected I

two-cycle HWC average availability of > 90 percent will be attained. Considering the in-situ

. electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP) measurements performed in recent cycles (cycle 11 pA and in the current cycle) and that the HWC availability exceeds 90 percent in the current cycle, 7 the staff has determined that the licensee may inspect the referenced 11 Category D welds in r ".m n o o r

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~ T. Suitivan accordance with a reduced schedule of 25 percent for the upcoming refueling outage. This is a one-time inspection relief. For seeking a reduced inspection frequency for these welds beyond the uperming refueling outage, the licensee should follow the guidelines in the staff's SE dated January 10,1995, or the SE of the BWROG's Supplement 1 to NEDC-31591P when it become:; available. Inspection credit for HWC is also a topic that will be considered in the overall review of the inspection frequencies contained in NUREG 0313, " Technical Report on Material Selection and Processing Guidelines for BWR Coolant Pressure Boundary Piping, Revision 2." This is part of an action with industry to, if justified, reduce the burden of the augmented inspection.

Wdh the issuance of this safety evaluation we consider TAC No. MA3554 to be closed. The staff's safety evaluation is enclosed.

Sincerely, ORIGINAL SIGNED BY:

Alan B. Wang, Project Manager, Section 2 Project Directorate i Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-293

Enclosure:

Safety Evaluation cc w/enci: See next page PUBLIC PDl-2 R/F J. Zwolinski/S. Black J. Clifford T. Clark A. Wang W. Koo R. Norsworthy (email SE only to RCN)

G. Hill (2)

OGC ACRS A. Blough, RI DOCUMENT NAME: A:\\ SEA 3554.WPD

. See previous concurrence To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box:' "C" = Copy without attachment / enclosure "E" = Copy with attachment / enclosure "N" = No copy 0FFIM PII:PI 2 lE LA:P01 2'Ec. S////y ]

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T. Sullivan - accordance with a reduced schedule of 25 percent for the upcoming refueling outage. This is a one-time inspection relief. For seeking a reduced inspection frequency for these welds beyond the upcoming refueling outage, the licensee should follow the guidelines in the staffs SE dated January 10,1995, or the SE of the BWROG's Supplement 1 to NEDC-31591P when it becomes available. Inspection credit for HWC is also a topic that will be considered in the overall review of the inspection frequencies contained in NUREG 0313, " Technical Report on

' Material Selection and Processing Guidelines for BWR Coolant Pressure Boundary Piping, Revision 2." This is part of an action with industry to, if justified, reduce the burden of the augmented inspection.

Wdh the issuance of this safety evaluation we consider TAC No. MA3554 to be closed. The staffs safety evaluation is enclosed.

Sincerely, Alan B. Wang, Project Manager, Section 2 Project Directorate i Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-293

Enclosure:

Safety Evaluation cc w/ encl: See next page l

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station cc:

Mr. Ron Lodgett Mr. Jack Alexander a

Executive Vice President Manager, Reg. Relations and Quality 800 Boyleston Street Assurance Boston, MA 02199 Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station RFD #1 Rocky Hill Road Resident inspector Plymouth, MA 02360 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station Mr. David F. Tarantino Post Office Box 867 NuclearInformation Manager Plymouth, MA 02360 Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station i

RFD #1, Rocky Hill Road Chairman, Board of Selectmen Plymouth, MA 02360 11 Lincoln Street Plymouth, MA 02360 Ms. Kathleen M. O'Toole Secretary of Public Safety l

Chairman, Duxbury Board of Selectmen Executive Office of Public Safety Town Hall One Ashburton Place 878 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02108 Duxbury, MA' 02332 Mr. Peter LaPorte, Director Office.of the Commissioner Attn: James Muckerheide Massachusetts Department of Massachusetts Emergency Management Environmental Protection Agency One Winter Street 400 Worcester Road i

Boston, MA 02108 P.O. Box 1496 Framingham, MA 01701-0317 Office of the Attomey Geners!

One Ashburton Place Chairman, Citizens Urging 20th Floor Responsible Energy Boston, MA 02108 P.O. Box 2621 Duxbury, MA 02331 Mr. Robert M. Hallisey, Director Radiation Control Program Citizens at Risk Massachusetts Department of P.O. Box 3803 Public Health Plymouth, MA 02361 305 South Street Boston, MA 02130 W.S. Stowe, Esquire Boston Edison Company Regional Administrator, Region 1 800 Boyleston St.,36th Floor U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Boston, MA 02199 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 Chairman Nuclear Matters Committee i

Ms. Jane Fleming Town Hall 8 Oceanwood Drive 11 Lincoln Street Duxbury, MA 0233'

' Plymouth, MA 02360 Mr. James Keyes Mr. William D. Meinert Acting Licensing Division Manager Nuclear Engineer Boston Edison Company Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale 600 Rocky Hill Road Electric Company Plymouth, MA 02360-5599 P.O. Box 426 -

Ludlow, MA 01056-0426 u

cc 2-Ms. Mary Lampert, Director Massachusetts Citizens for Safe Energy.

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148 Washington Street Duxbury, MA 02332 l

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