ML16069A169

LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2 - Response to Your Letter Dated November 6, 2015 Regarding Schedule and Costs Associated with Issuance of Amendment Revising the Ultimate Heat Sink Temperature Limit (CAC Nos. MF9076 and MF9077)

ML16069A169
Person / Time
Site:	LaSalle
Issue date:	03/15/2016
From:	Boland A T Division of Operating Reactor Licensing
To:	Fewell J B Exelon Generation Co
Vaidya B K, NRR/DORL/LPL3-1, 415-3308
References
CAC MF9076, CAC MF9077
Download: ML16069A169 (3)

Text

Mr. J. Bradley Fewell UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 March 15, 2016 Senior Vice president Regulatory Affairs Exelon Generation Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way Kennett Square, PA 19348 SUBJECT: LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNITS 1AND2 -RESPONSE TO YOUR LETTER DATED NOVEMBER 6, 2015, REGARDING SCHEDULE AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT REVISING THE UL Tl MATE HEAT SINK TEMPERATURE LIMIT (CAC NOS. ME9076 AND ME9077) Dear Mr. Fewell: By letter dated November 6, 2015 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML 1531OA173), Exelon Generation Company, LLS (Exelon) expressed several concerns regarding the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC's) review of your license amendment request (LAR) to revise the temperature of the ultimate heat sink (UHS) at LaSalle County Station (LSCS), Units 1 and 2. The NRC issued the amendment on November 19, 2015 (ADAMS Accession No. ML 15202A578). The NRC shares Exelon's view that a predictable and transparent LAR review process is aligned with the Principles of Good Regulation and is essential to ensuring NRC efficiency and reliability. With that in mind, the NRC staff conducted a lessons-learned evaluation associated with the LSCS UHS LAR review. The NRC staff's evaluation identified that: the LAR could have been identified as unusually complex earlier in the review process; gaps existed in the internal expertise available to validate key UHS assumptions; turnovers in Project Managers and technical reviewers challenged continuity during the review; tracking of hours in excess of initial estimates was not well monitored; and earlier contractor engagement, improved oversight, and a better understanding of the contractor's availability/capability could have improved LAR timeliness. These learned are being shared with a wide audience of project managers, technical reviewers, and management in the NRC Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation and the Office of New Reactors. Our review also identified that the significant supplement to the original Exelon submittal, and the subsequent request-for-additional-information responses which substantially revised previous information and methodologies, contributed to the lengthy LAR review. A number of internal corrective actions have been completed or are underway. For instance, workload management oversight and tracking processes were modified to more closely monitor work hour expenditures, and continue to evolve and be improved. In addition, changes are being implemented to our Acceptance Review Procedure and a new tracking system, expected to come on line during the summer of 2016, will incorporate capabilities to better assess the status of our reviews and provide early indicators when LARs become delayed.

J. Fewell -2 -The NRC appreciates Exelon's input regarding the amendment review process and would like to assure you that the NRC will continue to monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of the LAA review process. Docket Nos. 50-373 and 50-37 4 cc: Mr. Bryan C. Hanson Senior Vice President Sincerely, Anne . Boland, Director, D"

• ion of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Exelon Generation Company, LLC President and Chief Nuclear Officer (CNO) Exelon Nuclear 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Distribution via ListServ J. Fewell -2 -The NRC appreciates Exelon's input regarding the amendment review process and would like to assure you that the NRC will continue to monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of the LAR review process. Docket Nos. 50-373 and 50-37 4 cc: Mr. Bryan C. Hanson Senior Vice President Sincerely, IRA/ Anne T. Boland, Director, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Exelon Generation Company, LLC President and Chief Nuclear Officer (CNO) Exelon Nuclear 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Distribution via ListServ DISTRIBUTION: PUBLIC LPL3-2 R/F Rids OedoEdo Resource Rids NrrOd Resource RidsNrrDorl Resource RidsNrrPMLaSalle Resource RidsNrrDorlLpl3-2 Resource RidsAcrs_MailCTR Resource P. Krohn, DORL/DD RidsNrrLASRohrer Resource RidsRgn3MailCenter Resource RidsOgcRp Resource G. Wilson, DORL/DD\ M. Evans, NRR/DD ADAMS Accession No. ML 16069A169 NAME DORL/LPL3-2PM DORL/LPL3-2LA DORL/LPL3-2/BC(A) DORL/DD DORL/D OFFICE BVaidva SRohrer JPoole PKrohn ABolamd DATE 3/15/16 3/15/16 3/15/16 3/10/16 3/15/16 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY