ML062920034
| ML062920034 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png |
| Issue date: | 10/27/2006 |
| From: | Rowley J G NRC/NRR/ADRO/DLR |
| To: | Entergy Nuclear Operations |
| Rowley J, NRR/DLR/RLRB, 415-4053 | |
| References | |
| %dam200612 | |
| Download: ML062920034 (10) | |
Text
October 27, 2006LICENSEE:Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.FACILITY:Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF A TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL HELD ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2006, BETWEEN THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION AND ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC., CONCERNING INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATIONThe U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff (the staff) and representatives of EntergyNuclear Operations, Inc., (ENO) held a telephone conference call on September 25, 2006, to discuss and clarify the staff's requests for additional information (RAIs) concerning the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Station (VYNPS) license renewal application (LRA). The conference call was useful in clarifying the staff's questions.Enclosure 1 provides a listing of the conference call participants. Enclosure 2 contains a listingof the issues discussed with the applicant, including a brief discussion of the items' status.The applicant had an opportunity to comment on this summary./RA/Jonathan Rowley, Project ManagerLicense Renewal Branch B Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor RegulationDocket No. 50-271
Enclosures:
As statedcc w/encls: See next page
ML062920034OFFICEPM:RLRBLA:RLRBBC:RLRBNAMEJRowleyI. King JZimmerman DATE10/25/0610/27/0610/27/06 Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:
Regional Administrator, Region IU. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415Mr. David R. LewisPillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw, Pittman, LLP 2300 N Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20037-1128Mr. David O'Brien, CommissionerVermont Department of Public Service 112 State Street Montpelier, VT 05620-2601Mr. James Volz, ChairmanPublic Service Board State of Vermont 112 State Street Montpelier, VT 05620-2701Chairman, Board of Selectmen Town of Vernon P.O. Box 116 Vernon, VT 05354-0116Operating Experience CoordinatorVermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station 320 Governor Hunt Road Vernon, VT 05354G. Dana Bisbee, Esq.Deputy Attorney General 33 Capitol Street Concord, NH 03301-6937Chief, Safety Unit Office of the Attorney General One Ashburton Place, 19th Floor Boston, MA 02108Ms. Carla A. White, RRPT, CHPRadiological Health Vermont Department of Health P.O. Box 70, Drawer #43 108 Cherry Street Burlington, VT 05402-0070Mr. James M. DeVincentisManager, Licensing Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station P.O. Box 0500 185 Old Ferry Road Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500Resident InspectorVermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 176 Vernon, VT 05354Director, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency ATTN: James Muckerheide 400 Worcester Rd.
Framingham, MA 01702-5399Jonathan M. Block, Esq.Main Street P.O. Box 566 Putney, VT 05346-0566Mr. John F. McCannDirector, Licensing Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Gary J. TaylorChief Executive Officer Entergy Operations 1340 Echelon Parkway Jackson, MS 39213 Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:
Mr. John T. HerronSr. VP and Chief Operating Officer Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Oscar LimpiasVice President, Engineering Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Christopher SchwartzVice President, Operations Support Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Michael J. ColombDirector of Oversight Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Travis C. McCulloughAssistant General Counsel Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Theodore SullivanSite Vice President Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station P.O. Box 0500 185 Old Ferry Road Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500Mr. James H. Sniezek5486 Nithsdale Drive Salisbury, MD 21801Mr. Garrett D. Edwards814 Waverly Road Kennett Square, PA 19348Ms. Stacey M. LousteauTreasury Department Entergy Services, Inc.
639 Loyola Avenue New Orleans, LA 70113Mr. Norman L. RademacherDirector, NSA Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station P.O. Box 0500 185 Old Ferry Road Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500Mr. Raymond ShadisNew England Coalition Post Office Box 98 Edgecomb, ME 04556Mr. James P. MatteauExecutive Director Windham Regional Commission 139 Main Street, Suite 505 Brattleboro, VT 05301Mr. William K. ShermanVermont Department of Public Service 112 State Street Drawer 20 Montpelier, VT 05620-2601Mr. Michael D. Lyster5931 Barclay Lane Naples, FL 34110-7306Ms. Charlene D. FaisonManager, Licensing 440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. James RossNuclear Energy Institute 1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006-3708 Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:
Diane Curran, Esq.Harmon, Curran, Spielberg &
Eisenberg, L.L.P 1726 M Street, NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 Note to Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., from Jonathan Rowley dated October 27, 2006
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF A TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL HELD ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2006, BETWEEN THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION AND ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC., CONCERNING INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATIONHARD COPYDLR R/FJRowleyE-MAIL: JFairRWeisman AMurphy RPettis GGalletti DShum GBagchi SSmith (srs3)
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JRowley RLaufer JShea CAnderson, RI RPowell, RI DScrenci, RI MModes, RI DPelton, Sr. Resident MYoung RidsOpaMail LIST OF PARTICIPANTS FOR TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALLTO DISCUSS THE VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATIONLICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATIONSeptember 25, 2006Participants AffiliationsJonathan RowleyU.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)Lambros LoisNRC Ganesh CheruvenkiNRC Naeem IqbalNRC Andy TaylorEntergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (ENO)
Lori PottsENO Dave KingENO Ron FinninENO Larry LuckinsENO VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATIONSeptember 25, 2006The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff (the staff) and representatives of EntergyNuclear Operations, Inc., held a telephone conference call on September 25, 2006, to discuss and clarify the staff's requests for additional information (RAIs) and other issues concerning the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VYNPS) license renewal application (LRA). The following issues were discussed during the telephone conference call:RAI 2.3.3.8-1License renewal application (LRA) drawing LRA-G-191163-SH-01-0, "Fire Protection SystemInner Loop," shows the yard fire hydrants as out of scope (i.e., not colored in purple). Verify whether the yard fire hydrants are in scope of license renewal in accordance with Title 10 Codeof Federal Regulations Part 54.4(a) (10 CFR 54.4(a)) and subject to an aging managementreview (AMR) in accordance with 10 CFR 54.21(a)(1). If they are excluded from the scope of license renewal and not subject to an AMR, please provide justification for the exclusion.Discussion: The staff found the applicant's response in their September 20, 2006, letter(License Renewal Application, Amendment 14) to this RAI incomplete. The staff reiterated itsposition that yard fire hydrants require an AMR and asked for additional information. The applicant will provide a supplemental response to this concern in a future letter to the NRC.RAI B.1.2-1The applicant states that the Control Rod Drive (CRD) return line nozzle has been capped atVYNPS. The staff requests that the applicant provide the following information regarding the cap and the weld.(1)Describe the configuration, location and material of construction of the capped nozzle. This should include the existing base material for the nozzle, piping (if piping remnants exist) and cap material, and any welds. (2)Describe how the aging effects for this weld and the cap are managed in accordancewith the guidelines of BWRVIP-75, "BWR Vessel and Internals Project (BWRVIP),
Technical Basis for Revisions to Generic Letter 88-01 Inspection Schedule." (3)Discuss whether the event at Pilgrim (leaking weld at capped nozzle, September 30, 2003)is applicable to VYNPS. The staff issued Information Notice 2004-08, "Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Leakage Attributable to Propagation of Cracking in Reactor Vessel Nozzle Welds," dated April 22, 2004, which states that the cracking occurred in an Alloy 182 weld that was previously repaired extensively. Discuss experience with previous leakage at the VYNPS capped nozzle, if any. Include in your discussion the past inspection techniques applied, the results obtained, and mitigative strategies imposed. Provide information as to how the plant-specific experience related to this aging effectimpacts the attributes specified in AMP B.1.2, "BWR CRD Return line Nozzles."Discussion: The staff required clarification of the applicant's response in their September 20,2006, letter (License Renewal Application, Amendment 14) to this RAI. The applicant clarifiedthat BWRVIP-75 would be followed at VYNPS in the period of extended operation.RAI B.1.2-2Section 4 of the Generic Aging Lessens Learned Report (GALL) AMP XI.M6, "BWR ControlRod Drive (CRD) Return Line Nozzle," recommends that the aging degradation in the CRD return line nozzles should be monitored per the inspection recommendations specified in NUREG-0619, "BWR Feedwater Nozzle and Control Rod Drive Return Line Nozzle Cracking."
Section 8.2(2) of NUREG-0619 recommends that ultrasonic testing (UT) should be performed on the welded connection joining the rerouted CRD return line to the system which then returns the flow to the reactor vessel during each refueling outage. In a letter dated January 15, 1982, the applicant made a commitment to the staff indicating thatit will perform UT examination of the CRD to the reactor water cleanup (RWCU) weld joint as discussed in NUREG-0619 for three consecutive refuel outages. The applicant further stated that upon the completion of these inspections, the inspection frquency will be reassessed based on the inspection results. In AMP B.1.2, "BWR CRD Return Line Nozzle," the applicant stated that it inspected the CRD return line to the RWCU weld joint using UT methods for three consecutive refuel outages and found no indications. Since no indications were found, the applicant intends to take exception to GALL AMP XI.M6, in which the applicant proposes not to inspect the aforementioned weld joint during the extended period of operation. The staff determined that the following information regarding the subject weld is required to complete its review.(1) The applicant should provide technical justification for not performing the UTexamination of the subject weld as recommended by the GALL AMP XI.M6 and NUREG-0619 during the extended period of operation. (2) The applicant should confirm that the CRD return lines that are connected to RWCUpiping system that fall under the jurisdiction of the ASME Code,Section XI boundary will be inspected per the ASME Section XI Code.Discussion: The staff required clarification of the applicant's response in their September 20,2006, letter (License Renewal Application, Amendment 14) to this RAI. The applicant providedthe necessary clarification.RAI 4.2-1In Section 4.2.1 of the VYNPS LRA it is stated that "...the reactor fl uence ....has been projectedto the end of the period of extended operation." In Sections 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 of the LRA there is no discussion of how this extrapolation was performed. Vermont Yankee has been approved for operation at an extended power uprate. In general, power uprates are based on revised axial power profiles with higher axial peaks at a lower axial location. Therefore, extrapolation of the existing axial profile may not provide an accurate projection. In view of the above, please respond to the following:(1)Compare the axial power profiles (at the peak power azimuthal location) and confirmthat the extrapolation remains valid.(2)Confirm that the projected operating plan will support the assumed axial power profile tothe end of the period of extended operation.Discussion: The staff found the applicant's response in their September 20, 2006, letter(License Renewal Application, Amendment 14) to this RAI incomplete. The staff requestedclarification on whether the applicant had accounted for the shift in axial power profile due to the power uprate when performing the extrapolation. The applicant agreed to provide the staff the GE-NE-0000-2342-R1-NP report mentioned in the response. The staff will review the report to verify the values provided in the response.