Information Notice 1996-32, Implementation of 10 CFR 50.55a(g) (6) (II) (A), Augmented Examination of Reactor Vessel

Implementation of 10 CFR 50.55a(g) (6) (II) (A), Augmented Examination of Reactor Vessel

ML031060052
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, Monticello, Calvert Cliffs, Dresden, Davis Besse, Peach Bottom, Browns Ferry, Salem, Oconee, Mcguire, Nine Mile Point, Palisades, Palo Verde, Perry, Indian Point, Fermi, Kewaunee, Catawba, Harris, Wolf Creek, Saint Lucie, Point Beach, Oyster Creek, Watts Bar, Hope Creek, Grand Gulf, Cooper, Sequoyah, Byron, Pilgrim, Arkansas Nuclear, Three Mile Island, Braidwood, Susquehanna, Summer, Prairie Island, Columbia, Seabrook, Brunswick, Surry, Limerick, North Anna, Turkey Point, River Bend, Vermont Yankee, Crystal River, Haddam Neck, Ginna, Diablo Canyon, Callaway, Vogtle, Waterford, Duane Arnold, Farley, Robinson, Clinton, South Texas, San Onofre, Cook, Comanche Peak, Yankee Rowe, Maine Yankee, Quad Cities, Humboldt Bay, La Crosse, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Zion, Midland, Bellefonte, Fort Calhoun, FitzPatrick, McGuire, LaSalle, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant
Issue date:	06/05/1996
From:	Grimes B Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:
References
IN-96-032, NUDOCS 9605200277
Download: ML031060052 (9)

4 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 June 5, 1996 NRC INFORMATION

NOTICE 96-32: IMPLEMENTATION

OF 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(6)(ii)(A),"AUGMENTED

EXAMINATION

OF REACTOR VESSEL"

Addressees

All holders of operating

licenses or construction

permits for nuclear power reactors.

Purpose

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (NRC) is issuing this information

notice to alert addressees

to certain aspects of scheduling

and implementing

the augmented

reactor vessel examination

required by Section 50.55a(g)(6)(ii)(A)

of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations

(10 CFR).It is expected that recipients

will review the information

for applicability

to their facilities

and consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid similar problems.

However, suggestions

contained

in this information

notice are not NRC requirements;

therefore, no specific action or written response is required.Background

Because of concerns regarding

the scope of inspection

of reactor vessels, the NRC issued, in 1992, 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(6)(ii)(A), "Augmented

Examination

of Reactor Vessel" [hereinafter

referred to as Paragraph (A)], which contains new requirements

for an augmented

examination

of reactor vessels. The rule requires licensees

to implement, before the time required by normal updating of the inservice

inspection (ISI) program, provisions

in the 1989 Edition of the American Society of Mechanical

Engineers, Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME Code),Section XI, to examine "essentially

100%" of the length of all reactor vessel shell welds. Licensees

with fewer than 40 months remaining

in the ISI interval that was in effect on September

8, 1992, may defer the augmented

reactor vessel examination

to the first period of the next ISI interval [Paragraph (A)(3)]. "Essentially

100%" examination

is defined in Paragraph (A)(2) as "more than 90% of the examination

volume of each weld"[emphasis

added].Licensees

unable to completely

satisfy the requirements

for the augmented reactor vessel examination

must propose an alternative

that would provide an acceptable

level of quality and safety. The proposed alternative

may be used when authorized

by the Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) [Paragraph (A)(5)].PDA 2:41-E LA6U CE-032 q7c5'5 A

• AIN 96-32 June 5, 1996 The 1989 Edition of the ASME Code,Section XI, incorporated

Appendix VIII,"Performance

Demonstration

for Ultrasonic

Examination

Systems." Appendix VIII was developed

to ensure the effectiveness

of ultrasonic

examinations

through a performance

demonstration

to evaluate the adequacy of procedures, equipment, and personnel

for detecting

and sizing flaws during examinations.

Licensees are not currently

required to implement

Appendix VIII.Description

of Circumstances

It became evident to the staff while it was conducting

ISI reviews that some licensees

were unaware of or uncertain

about some aspects of the augmented reactor vessel examination

rule.The staff learned that a small number of licensees

were unaware of the rule and its requirements

for some time after it was published.

Licensees

need to be aware of the schedular

requirements

of the rule to ensure timely implementation

of its provisions.

Because of the scope and extent of the examination, significant

planning is necessary

to address the technical, schedular, and regulatory

issues associated

with a comprehensive

examination

of the reactor pressure vessel.This information

notice contains a discussion

of certain areas of misinterpretation

that the staff has dealt with in the implementation

of the augmented

reactor vessel examination

rule.Discussion

Schedular

Requirements

of the Rule In one instance, a licensee original 10-year ISI interval end date allowed deferral to the first period of the next interval.

However, this licensee experienced

an extended shutdown and, as permitted

by Section XI, extended the ISI interval to complete the examinations

required for the interval.

As a result, more than 40 months remained in the interval in effect on September

8, 1992, and the licensee would have been required to do the examination

sooner than expected.

The licensee requested

and was granted approval by NRR to schedule the examination

in accordance

with the original 10-year ISI interval end date to allow for proper scheduling

and to ensure the availability

of examination

equipment.

Essentially

100%0 Examination

Standard Most licensees

are finding that while the overall average examination

coverage for reactor vessel shell welds may be more than 90%, examination

coverage for individual

welds may be substantially

less than 90%. When a licensee is unable to examine "essentially

100%" of each shell weld, it must seek NRC authorization

of an alternative

in accordance

with Paragraph (A)(5).During discussions

with the NRC staff regarding

the review of the 10-year ISI program plan, a licensee stated that it had obtained "essentially

100%"

K < IN 96-32 June 5, 1996 coverage of the total volume of the reactor vessel shell welds but coverage of less that 90% of several individual

welds. Contrary to the requirements

of the rule, the licensee did not submit a request for authorization

of an alternative

to the NRC as required by the rule, until asked to do so by the NRC.uSplrit of Appendix VIII" Examination

Section XI contains rules for evaluating

the significance

of flaws identified

through non-destructive

examination.

Flaws that are of such size that they cannot be dispositioned

through comparison

with code tables must be analyzed in accordance

with Section XI, Paragraph

IWB-3600, "Analytical

Evaluation

of Flaws." Furthermore,Section XI, Paragraph

IWB-3134(b), "Review by Authorities," requires that analytical

evaluations

performed

in accordance

with Paragraph

IWB-3600 be submitted

to the regulatory

authority

having jurisdiction

at the plant site (i.e., NRC).One licensee administered

a "Spirit of Appendix VIII" performance

demonstration

for the procedures, personnel, and equipment

to be used for the augmented

reactor vessel examination.

This type of examination

essentially

satisfies

the technical

requirements

of Appendix VIII and would be expected to yield more accurate and reliable inspection

results. The licensee concluded that the performance

demonstration

resulted in examination

and evaluation

techniques

that surpassed

the conventional

techniques

of Section XI of the ASME Code and Regulatory

Guide 1.150, "Ultrasonic

Testing of Reactor Vessel Welds During Preservice

and Inservice

Examinations." During the augmented reactor vessel examination, the licensee identified

15 flaws in the shell welds and in the shell-to-flange

weld outside the scope of the augmented reactor vessel examination, which required analytical

evaluation

in accordance

with Section XI, Paragraph

IWB-3600.

The licensee stated that if the conventional

techniques

of Section XI and Regulatory

Guide 1.150 had been used, 12 of these 15 flaws would not have even been recordable

and only 2 of the remaining

3 flaws would have required analytical

evaluation

in accordance

with Paragraph

IWB-3600.

This licensee experience

indicates

that flaws of sufficient

size to require analytical

evaluation

may not be detected when using conventional

techniques

for the augmented

reactor vessel examination.

Although the licensee in the above example submitted

a request for authorization

of an alternative

as the examination

coverage was less than"essentially

100%," it did not submit the flaw evaluations, as required by the ASME Code, until asked to do so by the NRC.Need for NRC Authorization

of Alternatives

A licensee unable to obtain the required examination

coverage quoted 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(4)

as a basis for not seeking NRC authorization

of an alternative

as required by Paragraph (A)(5). However, 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(4)

states, in part, that "components.

..must meet the requirements.

..to the extent practical within the limitations

of design, geometry and materials

of construction

of the components." As with relief requests for other Code components

for

0-.IN 96-32 June 5, 1996 incomplete

or partial ASME Code-required

ISI examinations, NRC authorization

is required when all the examination

requirements

of Paragraph (A) are not met.This information

notice requires no specific action or written response.

If you have any questions

about the information

in this notice, please contact one of the technical

contacts listed below or the appropriate

NRR project manager.Brian K. Grimes, Acting Director Division of Reactor Program Management

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical

contacts: Edmund J. Sullivan, NRR (301) 415-3266 Internet:ejs@nrc.gov

Eric J. Benner, NRR (301) 415-1171 Internet:ejbl@nrc.gov

Attachments:

1. Referenced

Codes and Standards 2. List of Recentl Issued NRC Information

Notices 14_"A=k renk 6/AA c4 4-.4 K)- 1 Attachment

1 IN 96-32 June 5, 1996 Referenced

Codes and Standards 1. Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations

(10 CFR), Section 50.55a(g)(6)(ii)(A), "Augmented

Examination

of Reactor Vessel" 2. American Society of Mechanical

Engineers, Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code,Section XI, "Rules for Inservice

Inspection

of Nuclear Power Plant Components," 1989 Edition.

I Attachment

2 IN 96-32 June 5, 1996 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED NRC INFORMATION

NOTICES Information

Date of Notice No. Subject Issuance Issued to 96-31 96-30 Cross-Tied

Safety Injec-tion Accumulators

Inaccuracy

of Diagnostic

Equipment

for Motor-Operated Butterfly

Valves Requirements

in 10 CFR Part 21 for Reporting

and Evaluating

Software Errors 05/22/96 05/21/96 05/20/96 All holders of OLs or CPs for pressurized

water reactors All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors 96-29 96-28 Suggested

Guidance Relating to Development

and Imple-mentation

of Corrective

Action 05/01/96 All material licensees and fuel cycle 96-27 96-26 96-25 96-24 96-23 Potential

Clogging of High Pressure Safety Injection Throttle Valves During Recirculation

Recent Problems with Over-head Cranes Transversing

In-Core Probe Overwithdrawn

at LaSalle County Station, Unit 1 Preconditioning

of Molded-Case Circuit Breakers Before Surveillance

Testing Fires in Emergency

Diesel Generator

Exciters During Operation

Following

Unde-tected Fuse Blowing 05/01/96 04/30/96 04/30/96 04/25/96 04/22/96 All holders of OLs or CPs for pressurized

water reactors All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors OL = Operating

License CP = Construction

Permit

IN 96-xx May xx, 1996 This information

notice requires no specific action or written response.

If you have any questions

about the information

in this notice, please contact one of the technical

contacts listed below or the appropriate

NRR project manager.Brian K. Grimes, Acting Director Division of Reactor Program Management

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical

contacts: Edmund J. Sullivan, NRR (301) 415-3266 internet:ejs~nrc.gov

Eric J. Benner, NRR (301) 415-1171 internet:ejbI~nrc.gov

Technical

Editor reviewed and concurred

on January 23, 1996.JHConran of CRGR reviewed on January 11, 1996, and determined

that subject matter was appropriate

for an information

notice.OGC has no legal objections (editorial

changes incorporated)

per conversation

with EJSullivan

on 5/13/96.*See previous concurrence

DOCUMENT NAME: G:\EJB1\50

55A.IN To receive a copy of this document, dicate h the box: 'C' -copy without enclosures

E -Copry with enclosures

IN'-No CO cnyC OFFICE Contacts T D:DE I C:PECB ' I D:DRPM I NAME EJSullivan*

lBSheron*

AEC I f ' BKGrimes EJBenner*

IA R R JY DATE 1;3/2596125/9

.//9 511~9- / /96 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY V

IN 96-xx May xx, 1996 This information

notice requires no specific action or written response.

If you have any questions

about the information

in this notice, please contact one of the technical

contacts listed below or the appropriate

NRR proj manager. p Brian K. Grimes, Acting Di Division of Reactor Progras Office of Nuclear Reactoj/lation Technical

contacts:

Edmund J. Sullivan, NRR Eric J. Benner, NRR (301) 415-3266 (301) 415-1171 internet:ejs~nrc.gov

internet:ejbl~nrc.gov

Technical

Editor reviewed an concurred

on January 23, 1996.JHConran of CRGR reviewed n January 11, 1996, and determined

that subject matter was appropriate

f an information

notice.OGC has no legal obje tons (editorial

changes incorporated)

per conversation

with EJSullivan

on 13/96.*See previous c ncurrence DOCUMENT NAME G:\EJB1\S0_55A.IN

To reciv aopy fG document, kIdicate hI Ih box: 'C' -Copy without enclosures

'E' -Copy with enclosures-N' No copy /r=, OFFICE tontacts l D:DE C:PECB I D:DRPM NAME / EJSullivan*

BSheron* AEChaffee

BKGrimes/] EJBenner*

I-DATE / 1/25/96 1/25/96 2/8/96 5/ /96 , 5/ /96///UI-tILIAL

KLLUKU Lurl A44 Ih .IN 96-xx January xx, 1996 This information

notice requires no specific action or written response.you have any questions

about the information

in this notice, please cont one of the technical

contacts listed below or the appropriate

NRR prompt!manager. /r Dennis M. Crutchfield, Dir etor Division of Reactor Prog ok Management

Office of Nuclear Reac %r Regulation

Sullivan.

NRR Eric J. Benner Technical

contacts: Edmund J., NRR (301) 415-3266 internet:

ejs@nrc.gov

(301),o415-1171 internet:

ejbl~nrc.gov

Technical

Edi'tewed and concurred

on January 23, 1996.JHConran of matter was E reviewed on January 11, 1996, and determined

that subject)riate for an information

notice.DOCUMENT NAME: without enclosures

'E' w with enclosures

'N' = No