ML061510411
| ML061510411 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Three Mile Island  |
| Issue date: | 06/27/2006 |
| From: | Farideh Saba NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLB |
| To: | Crane C AmerGen Energy Co |
| SABA F, NRR/DORL/LPLI-2, 415-1453 | |
| References | |
| BL-04-001, TAC MC3519 | |
| Download: ML061510411 (6) | |
Text
June 27, 2006 Mr. Christopher M. Crane President and Chief Executive Officer AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555
SUBJECT:
BULLETIN 2004-01, ?INSPECTIONS OF ALLOY 82/182/600 MATERIALS USED IN THE FABRICATION OF PRESSURIZER PENETRATIONS AND STEAM SPACE PIPING CONNECTIONS AT PRESSURIZED-WATER REACTORS, RESPONSE FOR THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 1 (TAC NO. MC3519)
Dear Mr. Crane:
On May 28, 2004, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Bulletin 2004-01,
?Inspections of Alloy 82/182/600 Materials Used in the Fabrication of Pressurizer Penetrations and Steam Space Piping Connections at Pressurized-Water Reactors, to the industry. This bulletin informed addressees that current methods of inspecting the pressurizer penetrations and steam space piping connections fabricated from Alloy 82/182/600 materials may need to be supplemented with additional measures (e.g., bare-metal visual inspections) to detect pressurizer penetration and steam space piping connection flaws or leakage. The bulletin requested that addressees provide the NRC with information related to the materials of construction, the inspections that have been performed, and the inspections that will be performed to verify the integrity of the pressurizer penetrations and steam space piping connections.
By letter dated July 27, 2004, and by a supplemental letter dated August 16, 2005, AmerGen Energy Company, LLC (AmerGen) provided its responses to items 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d of Bulletin 2004-01 for Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 (TMI). AmerGens responses described its materials of fabrication and past, current, and future pressurizer penetrations and steam space piping inspection programs at TMI.
AmerGens response to item 1a reported that some of the materials used in the fabrication of the pressurizer penetrations and steam space piping connections were Alloy 82/182/600 materials. This reply required the licensee to provide further responses to the remaining items in the bulletin.
In response to item 1b, AmerGen described prior inspections and inspection results of pressurizer penetrations and steam space piping connections which had been performed at TMI. AmerGens response included the basis for concluding that TMI satisfies the applicable regulatory requirements related to the integrity of pressurizer penetrations and steam space piping connections.
C. Crane In response to item 1c in the bulletin, AmerGen provided a description of the Alloy 82/182/600 pressurizer penetration and steam space piping connection inspection program that will be implemented at TMI during the next, and subsequent, refueling outages. The description included the items to be inspected; the percent coverage that would be performed at each location; the inspection methods to be used; the qualification standards for the inspection methods and personnel; the process used to resolve any inspection indications; the inspection documentation to be generated; and the basis for concluding that your plant will satisfy the applicable regulatory requirements related to the structural and leakage integrity of pressurizer penetrations and steam space piping connections. If leaking pressurizer penetrations or steam space piping connections are found, AmerGen indicated that a follow-up nondestructive examination (NDE) will be performed to characterize flaws in the leaking penetrations.
AmerGen provided its plans for expansion of the scope of the NDE to be performed if circumferential flaws are found in any portion of the leaking pressurizer penetrations or steam space piping connections.
In response to item 1d in the bulletin, AmerGen explained why the inspection program identified in the response to item 1c in the bulletin is adequate for the purpose of maintaining the integrity of the TMI reactor coolant pressure boundary and for meeting all applicable regulatory requirements which pertain to TMI.
By letter dated January 17, 2006, AmerGen provided a response to item 2a in Bulletin 2004-01.
This letter provided a statement to the NRC indicating that the inspections described in the AmerGen response to item 1c of the bulletin were completed during a recent TMI outage and a description of the as-found condition of the locations inspected was provided. AmerGen also described any findings of relevant indications of through-wall leakage and follow-up NDE performed to characterize flaws in leaking penetrations or steam space piping connections. A summary of all relevant indications found by NDE, a summary of the disposition of any findings of boric acid, and a description of any corrective actions taken and/or repairs made as a result of the indications found was also provided in this letter.
The NRC staff has completed its activities associated with the review of AmerGens responses to Bulletin 2004-01 and finds AmerGens response to be acceptable. It should be noted that industry commitments or staff regulatory actions may result in the need for AmerGen to modify its plans for the inspection and repair of items discussed in Bulletin 2004-01. It is the NRC staffs expectation that AmerGen will revise its plan for the inspection and repair of items discussed in Bulletin 2004-01 consistent with other industry commitments or staff regulatory actions.
C. Crane This closes the NRC staffs efforts with regard to the review of the Bulletin 2004-01 response for TMI. Please contact me at (301) 415-1447 if you have any questions on this issue.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Farideh E. Saba, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch I-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-289 cc: See next page
ML061510411 OFFICE LPLI-2/LA LPLI-2/PM LPLI-2/BC NAME CRaynor FSaba DRoberts DATE 6/22/06 6/26/06 6/27/06
Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 cc:
Site Vice President - Three Mile Island Nuclear Director - Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Station, Unit 1 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way, KSA 3-E P. O. Box 480 Kennett Square, PA 19348 Middletown, PA 17057 Director Senior Vice President - Nuclear Services Bureau of Radiation Protection AmerGen Energy Company, LLC Pennsylvania Department of 4300 Winfield Road Environmental Protection Warrenville, IL 60555 Rachel Carson State Office Building P.O. Box 8469 Vice President - Operations, Mid-Atlantic Harrisburg, PA 17105-8469 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way, KSA 3-N Plant Manager - Three Mile Island Nuclear Kennett Square, PA 19348 Station, Unit 1 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC Vice President - Licensing and Regulatory Affairs P. O. Box 480 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC Middletown, PA 17057 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Regulatory Assurance Manager - Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 Regional Administrator AmerGen Energy Company, LLC Region I P.O. Box 480 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Middletown, PA 17057 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 Ronald Bellamy, Region I U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman 475 Allendale Road Board of County Commissioners King of Prussia, PA 19406 of Dauphin County Dauphin County Courthouse Michael A. Schoppman Harrisburg, PA 17120 Framatome ANP Suite 705 Chairman 1911 North Ft. Myer Drive Board of Supervisors Rosslyn, VA 22209 of Londonderry Township R.D. #1, Geyers Church Road Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary Middletown, PA 17057 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 2301 Market Street, S23-1 Senior Resident Inspector (TMI-1) Philadelphia, PA 19101 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 219 Middletown, PA 17057
Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 cc:
Dr. Judith Johnsrud National Energy Committee Sierra Club 433 Orlando Avenue State College, PA 16803 Eric Epstein TMI Alert 4100 Hillsdale Road Harrisburg, PA 17112 Correspondence Control Desk AmerGen Energy Company, LLC P.O. Box 160 Kennett Square, PA 19348 Manager Licensing - Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 Exelon Generation Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way, KSA 3-E Kennett Square, PA 19348 Assistant General Counsel AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way Kennett Square, PA 19348