L-MT-12-081, Supplement to License Amendment Request: Revise Renewed Facility Operating License and Technical Specifications to Clarify Fuel Storage Capacity, Remove Obsolete Information and Make Minor Corrections and Miscellaneous Editorial Changes.

Supplement to License Amendment Request: Revise Renewed Facility Operating License and Technical Specifications to Clarify Fuel Storage Capacity, Remove Obsolete Information and Make Minor Corrections and Miscellaneous Editorial Changes.

ML12314A315
Person / Time
Site:	Monticello
Issue date:	11/07/2012
From:	Grubb J Northern States Power Co, Xcel Energy
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
L-MT-12-081, TAC ME9423
Download: ML12314A315 (3)

Text

Xcel EnergyB November 7,2012 Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant 2807 W County Road 75 Monticello, MN 55362 L-MT-12-08 1 10 CFR 50.90 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555-0001 Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant Docket 50-263 Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-22 Supplement to License Amendment Request: Revise Renewed Facility Operating License and Technical Specifications to Clarifv Fuel Storage Capacitv, Remove Obsolete lnformation and Make Minor Corrections and Miscellaneous Editorial Changes (TAC No. ME94231

References:

1) NSPM to NRC, "License Amendment Request: Revise Renewed Facility Operating License and Technical Specifications to Clarify Fuel Storage Capacity, Remove Obsolete lnformation and Make Minor Corrections and Miscellaneous Editorial Changes," (L-MT-12-055) dated August 21, 2012. 2) NRC e-mail to NSPM, "Monticello -A question on the 8/21/12 application for "clean up" amendment (TAC No. ME9423)," dated August 30,2012, 9:09 AM (ADAMS Accession No.

ML12243A144).

On August 21, 2012, in accordance with 10 CFR 50.90, the Northern States Power Company - Minnesota (NSPM), doing business as Xcel Energy, Inc., submitted a license amendment request (LAR) (Reference I) to revise the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant (MNGP) Renewed Facility Operating License and Technical Specifications (TSs) to reflect editorial corrections to the operating license, make changes in the utilized fuel storage capability, make minor corrections, and remove obsolete information.

On August 30, 2012, the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requested NSPM to provide additional information (Reference

2) with respect to the removal of two analytical methods(')

from Specification 5.6.3, "Core Operating Limits Report (COLR)," (Items b.2 and b.3) no longer utilized for licensing bases analyses.

1. The topical reports are: 1) NSPNAD-8608-A, "Reload Safety Evaluation Methods for Application to the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant," and NSPNAD-8609-A, "Qualification of Reactor Physics Methods for Application to Monticello."

Document Control Desk L-MT-12-081 Page 2 of 3 As part of the NRC acceptance review, in accordance with the guidance of NRR Office Instruction LIC-109, "Acceptance Review Procedures," the NRC has asked the following questions and requested additional information on the basis of this LAR to complete acceptance review.

NRC RAI Regarding the proposed deletion from [Technical Specification]

TS 5.6.3 of two topical reports, NSPNAD-8608-A and NSPNAD-8609-A, the sole reason given for the deletion ("Two analytical methods, no longer utilized for determination of the licensed operating limits, are proposed to be removed.") appears thin. What process (e.g., 10 CFR 50.59, 10 CFR 50.90) was used to determine that these topical reports are "no long utilized"?

Is the continued presence of these two topical reports in TS 5.6.3 simply an inadvertent error from a previous amendment? If the deletion should be reviewed but never reviewed before, then technical justification needs to be provided for the proposed deletion. NSPM Response The NRC approved Global Nuclear Fuels (GNF) I General ElectricIHitachi (GEH) licensing methods are currently used to determine operating limits for Monticello. These GNFIGEH methods are referred to in the TSs (and COLR) and have been used for Cycles 22 through 26 (approximately 10 years). The Northern States Power (NSP) Nuclear Analysis Department (NAD) methods provided an alternative to the GNFIGEH methods, and no inadvertent error was involved in their retention.

Use of the NAD methods was discontinued due to these methods being superseded by the GNFIGEH methods. Under 10 CFR 50.90, i.e., in accordance with the LAR process, it was identified and determined that these topical reports should not be retained. Licensing action would be required to upgrade the NSP-NAD methods (computer codes and modeling) to allow their use once the plant is licensed for Extended Power Uprate (EPU) and MELLLA+ (*), This was determined to be an appropriate time to remove these topical reports from the TSs and the COLR since NSPM has no plans to apply these methods for future cycles under EPU and MELLLA+. The removal of these topical reports does not affect the validity of the GNFIGEH methods and analyses, since the GNFIGEH methods are independent of the NSP-NAD methods. The No Significant Hazards Determination provided in the LAR was reviewed and determined to be unaffected by this response to the proposed change.

2. MELLLA+ stands for Maximum Extended Load line limit Analysis-Plus.

Document Control Desk L-MT-12-081 Page 3 of 3 Summary of Commitments This letter proposes no new commitments and does not revise any existing commitments.

I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on November '7,201 2. John C,Grubb Plant Manager, Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant Northern States Power Company - Minnesota cc: Administrator, Region Ill, USNRC Project Manager, Monticello, USNRC Resident Inspector, Monticello, USNRC Minnesota Department of Commerce