ML17115A403

Request for Additional Information Regarding Relief Request SC-14R-171 - Use of Code Cases N-695-1 and N-696-1

ML17115A403
Person / Time
Site:	Salem
Issue date:	05/09/2017
From:	Richard Ennis Plant Licensing Branch 1
To:	Sena P Public Service Enterprise Group
Parker C, NRR/DORL/LPLI, 415-1603
References
CAC MF9348, CAC MF9349
Download: ML17115A403 (5)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 May 8, 2017 Mr. Peter P. Sena, Ill President and Chief Nuclear Officer PSEG Nuclear LLC - N09 P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038

SUBJECT:

SALEM GENERATING STATION, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING RELIEF REQUEST SC-14R-171, USE OF CODE CASES N-695-1 AND N-696-1 (CAC NOS. MF9348 AND MF9349)

Dear Mr. Sena:

By letter dated March 1, 2017, 1 PSEG Nuclear LLC (PSEG, the licensee) submitted Relief Request SC-14R-171 for Salem Nuclear Generating Station (Salem), Unit Nos. 1 and 2. The request would authorize the use of alternatives to the depth sizing requirements of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code,Section XI, Appendix VI 11, Supplements 2 and 10, as modified by Code Case N-695, "Qualification Requirements for Dissimilar Metal Piping Welds," and Code Case N-696, "Qualification Requirements for Mandatory Appendix VIII Piping Examinations Conducted From the Inside Surface."

Specifically, the licensee proposed to use the alternative inner diameter flaw depth sizing root mean square error criteria in ASME Code Cases N-695-1, "Qualification Requirements for Dissimilar Metal Piping Welds," and N-696-1, "Qualification Requirements for Mandatory Appendix VIII Piping Examinations Conducted from the Inside Surface," for performance demonstration of the ultrasonic testing at Salem, Unit Nos. 1 and 2.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has reviewed PSEG's application and, based upon this review, determined that additional information is needed to complete our review. On April 25, 2017, a draft of these questions was sent to Mr. Paul Duke of your staff to ensure that the questions were understandable, the regulatory basis for the questions was clear, and to determine if the information was previously docketed. On May 4, 2017, a teleconference was held to clarify the questions. Mr. Duke indicated that PSEG will submit a response within 30 days of the date of this letter.

1 Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML17060A477

P. Sena, Ill If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-1420 or at Rick.Ennis@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Richard 8. Ennis, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 1-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-272 and 50-311

Enclosure:

Request for Additional Information cc w/enclosure: Distribution via Listserv

ML17115A403 *by e-mail dated OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL 1/PM NRR/DORL/LPL 1/LA NRR/DE/EPNB/BC*

NAME REnnis LRonewicz DAiiey DATE 05/08/17 04/26/17 04/17/17 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL 1/BC NRR/DORL/LPL 1/PM NAME JDanna REnnis DATE 05/08/17 05/08/17 REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING RELIEF REQUEST SC-14R-171 USE OF CODE CASES N-695-1 AND N-696-1 PSEG NUCLEAR LLC EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC SALEM NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-272 AND 50-311 By letter dated March 1, 2017, 1 PSEG Nuclear LLC (PSEG or the licensee) submitted Relief Request SC-14R-171 for Salem Nuclear Generating Station (Salem), Unit Nos. 1 and 2. The request would authorize the use of alternatives to the depth sizing requirements of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (Code),Section XI, Appendix VIII, Supplements 2 and 10, as modified by Code Case N-695, "Qualification Requirements for Dissimilar Metal Piping Welds," and Code Case N-696, "Qualification Requirements for Mandatory Appendix VIII Piping Examinations Conducted From the Inside Surface." Specifically, the licensee proposed to use the alternative inner diameter flaw depth sizing root mean square error criteria in ASME Code Cases N-695-1, "Qualification Requirements for Dissimilar Metal Piping Welds," and N-696-1, "Qualification Requirements for Mandatory Appendix VIII Piping Examinations Conducted from the Inside Surface," for performance demonstration of the ultrasonic testing at Salem, Unit Nos. 1 and 2.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRG) staff has reviewed the application and, based upon this review, determined that the following additional information is needed to complete our review:

1. The March 1, 2017, submittal proposes to use the procedures in ASME Code Cases N-695-1 and 696-1 as an alternative to the root mean square error criteria of Code Cases N-695 and N-696. The NRG staff notes that in the 2015 ASME Code, "Code Cases, Nuclear Components," the Applicability Index for Section XI Cases has limited the use of Code Cases N-695 and N-696 to the 2003 Addenda, or earlier editions and addenda of the Code.

Given that Code Cases N-695 and N-696 are not applicable for Salem's current code of record (2004 Edition with no addenda), it is not clear to the NRG staff that regulatory authority exists under Title 1O of the Code of Federal Regulations 50.55a(z) to authorize the proposed alternative. However, the NRG staff notes that Code Cases N-695 and N-696 provide alternatives to ASME Code,Section XI, Appendix VIII, Supplements 2, 10, and/or 14, and that regulatory authority does exist to authorize the use of N-695-1 and N-696-1 as an alternative to the ASME Code,Section XI, Appendix VIII, requirements.

1 Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML17060A477 Enclosure

Please revise the request to reflect this issue or provide justification as to why modifying the request is not required.

2. The NRC staff notes that the tables in Section 1 of the March 1, 2017, submittal list all eight (four hot leg and four cold leg) reactor pressure vessel nozzle to safe end dissimilar metal welds for each unit, and four reactor pressure vessel safe end to pipe austenitic welds for each unit.

In addition to the dissimilar metal welds, does this relief request also include all eight

{four hot leg and four cold leg) reactor pressure vessel safe end to pipe austenitic welds for each unit? Please explain.