ML21099A207

Summary of April 7, 2021, Meeting with Tennessee Valley Authority Related to a Planned Relief Request from ASME Code Testing Requirements

ML21099A207
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	04/13/2021
From:	Luke Haeg Plant Licensing Branch II
To:	Jim Barstow Tennessee Valley Authority
Green K, NRR/DORL, 415-1627
References
EPID L-2021-LRM-0038
Download: ML21099A207 (4)

Text

April 13, 2025 LICENSEE: Tennessee Valley Authority FACILITY: Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1

SUMMARY

OF APRIL 7, 2021, MEETING WITH TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY RELATED TO A PLANNED RELIEF REQUEST FROM ASME OM CODE TESTING REQUIREMENTS FOR WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 1 (EPID L-2021-LRM-0038)

On April 7, 2021, an Observation Public Meeting was held between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and representatives of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, the licensee) via teleconference. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a planned relief request (IST-RR-9) from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants, Division 1, (OM Code) requirements for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (Watts Bar), Unit 1, to allow for a one-time extension of the test frequency for three relief valves within testing Group 6. The planned relief request would allow the licensee an approximate 6-week extension to the test frequency that expires on October 12, 2021, to avoid the performance of a mid-cycle Unit 1 shutdown to facilitate testing of the relief valves.

The meeting notice and agenda dated March 23, 2021, are available in the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) at Accession No. ML21096A177. A list of attendees is provided as an enclosure.

The licensee presented information on the applicable ASME OM Code requirement, valve testing history, hardship that would be incurred, planned alternative to the requirement, and previously approved precedents for this type of relief (ADAMS Accession No. ML21096A131).

The licensee described the applicable ASME OM Code requirements for three pump suction relief valves within the Unit 1 charging and residual heat removal systems that were discovered to not have been scheduled for testing during the most recent Unit 1 outage in the spring of 2020. Because of the limited outage work scope due to the COVID-19 public health emergency and testing due dates for the valves, the licensee decided to invoke NRC-approved Code Case OMN-20 to allow a 6-month grace period to perform testing since the next Unit 1 outage was scheduled to allow for testing of these valves prior to the end of that grace period on October 12, 2021. Because the TVA nuclear plant outage sequence was modified such that the Watts Bar, Unit 1 outage was re-scheduled to commence on October 29, 2021, required testing of the three valves subject to this request would exceed the October 12, 2021 deadline, and an extension to perform testing no later than November 27, 2021 (scheduled completion of the fall, 2021 Unit 1 outage) will be requested.

The NRC staff queried the licensee to describe actions that were taken for valves within testing Group 6 that had not most recently passed inservice testing. The licensee responded that valves within testing Group 6 that had not recently passed inservice testing were no longer in service and were replaced with rebuilt valves. The NRC staff inquired whether the next Watts Bar, Unit 1 outage start date was fixed, or whether it could be scheduled at a date later than

October 29, 2021. The licensee responded that the next Watts Bar, Unit 1 outage date was fixed and that the start date could not move from October 29, 2021. The NRC staff also inquired what the make/model of the subject relief valves were. The licensee provided make/model information for the applicable relief valves. Finally, the NRC staff asked, in general, about the inservice test history of the Group 6 valves. The licensee stated that inservice test history for valves within Group 6 have demonstrated good performance, in general.

No comments or public meeting feedback were received. No regulatory decisions were made at this meeting.

Please direct any inquiries to me at 301-415-0272, or Lucas.Haeg@nrc.gov.

/RA/

Lucas Haeg, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch II-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-390

Enclosure:

List of Attendees cc w/ enclosure: Listserv

LIST OF ATTENDEES APRIL 7, 2021, MEETING WITH TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY RELATED TO A PLANNED RELIEF REQUEST FROM ASME OM CODE TESTING REQUIREMENTS FOR WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 1 Nuclear Regulatory Commission Kimberly Green Lucas Haeg Angela Buford Thomas Stephen Michael Farnan Gurjendra Bedi Tennessee Valley Authority Kimberly Hulvey Russell Wells Mark Gowin Gary Jordan Kevin Groom Members of the Public None Enclosure

ML21099A207 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/PM NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/LA NRR/DEX/EMIB/BC NAME LHaeg RButler ABuford DATE 04/09/2021 04/12/2021 04/12/2021 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/BC NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/PM NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/PM NAME DWrona KGreen LHaeg DATE 04/13/2021 04/13/2021 04/13/2021