ML061010420

Salem Nuclear Generating Station Unit 1 and Unit 2 - Withdrawal of Relief Request (TAC No'S. MC8949 and MC8950)

ML061010420
Person / Time
Site:	Salem
Issue date:	04/27/2006
From:	Bailey S N Plant Licensing Branch III-2
To:	Levis W Public Service Enterprise Group
Bailey S N , NRR/ADRO/DORL, 415-1321
References
TAC MC8949, TAC MC8950
Download: ML061010420 (4)

Text

April 27, 2006Mr. William LevisSenior Vice President & Chief Nuclear Officer PSEG Nuclear LLC - N09 Post Office Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038

SUBJECT:

SALEM NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT 1 AND UNIT 2 -WITHDRAWAL OF RELIEF REQUEST (TAC NOS. MC8949 AND MC8950)

Dear Mr. Levis:

By letter dated November 16, 2005, PSEG Nuclear LLC (PSEG), the licensee for the SalemNuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (Salem), applied for relief from certain provisions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME Code) at Salem. The proposed relief would permit application of the ASME Code,Section V III,Division 2, 2004 Edition, plastic analysis methodology for determining the pressure rating of the component cooling (CC) heat exchangers. The purpose of the request was to align the design pressure of the CC heat exchangers with the design pressure of the remainder of the CC system. The relief was requested pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations(10 CFR) Part 50, Section 55a(a)(3)(i).In a conference call on January 31, 2006, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staffdiscussed the subject application with members of your staff. The NRC staff explai ned that theproposed change could not be granted as a relief request pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(a)(3)(i) because this regulation applies to the inspection and repair/replacement activities in Sections III and XI of the ASME Code, not design under Section VIII of the ASME Code. The proposedchange to the CC heat exchanger design code should be evaluated in accordance with 10 CFR 50.59 and, if necessary, a license amendment should be requested in accordance with 10 CFR 50.90. The NRC staff also discussed several technical issues related to the proposedchange, in part because the CC heat exchanger does not meet all of the provisions of the ASME Code sections you propose to adopt. The NRC staff questioned the material propertiesused in the design calculation (which do not appear consistent with Section II of the ASMECode), the mixing of requirements from different parts of the ASME Code, and the need to consider fatigue. The NRC staff was also concerned about the lack of full radiography of thewelds, which is not required by the code of record for the CC heat exchanger, but is required for the sections of the ASME Code you propose to adopt. In the conference call, members of your staff indicated that the relief request would be withdrawn. By letter dated April 12, 2006, PSEG withdrew the relief request. Therefore, the NRC staff isdiscontinuing its efforts under TAC Nos. MC8949 and MC8950.

W. Levis If you have any questions about this matter, please contact me at (301) 415-1321 orsnb@nrc.gov.Sincerely,/RA/Stewart N. Bailey, Senior Project ManagerPlant Licensing Branch I-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor RegulationDocket Nos. 50-272 and 50-311 cc: See next page

ML061010420OFFICELPL1-2/PMLPL1-2/LADE/EEMBLPL1-2/BCNAMESBailey/emCRaynorKManolyDRoberts(REnnis for)DATE4/27/064/26/064/19/064/27/06 Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 cc:

Mr. Dennis WinchesterVice President - Nuclear Assessment PSEG Nuclear

P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038Mr. Thomas P. JoyceSite Vice President - Salem PSEG Nuclear

P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038Mr. George H. GellrichPlant Support Manager PSEG Nuclear

P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038Mr. Carl J. FrickerPlant Manager - Salem PSEG Nuclear - N21

P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038Mr. Darin BenyakDirector - Regulatory Assurance PSEG Nuclear - N21

P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038Mr. James MallonManager - Licensing 200 Exelon Way, KSA 3-E Kennett Square, PA 19348Jeffrie J. Keenan, EsquirePSEG Nuclear - N21

P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038Mr. Steven MannonManager - Regulatory Affairs

P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038Township ClerkLower Alloways Creek Township Municipal Building, P.O. Box 157 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038Mr. Paul Bauldauf, P.E., Asst. DirectorRadiation Protection Programs NJ Department of Environmental Protection and Energy CN 415 Trenton, NJ 08625-0415Mr. Brian BeamBoard of Public Utilities 2 Gateway Center, Tenth Floor Newark, NJ 07102Regional Administrator, Region IU.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406Senior Resident InspectorSalem Nuclear Generating Station U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Drawer 0509 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038