ML022060259

Summary of July 12, 2002, Conference Call Regarding Southern Nuclear Operating Company Reponse to NRC Bulletin 2002-01, Reactor Pressure Vessel Head Degradation and Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Integrity, for Vogtle Unit 2

ML022060259
Person / Time
Site:	Vogtle
Issue date:	07/23/2002
From:	Rinaldi F NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD2
To:	John Nakoski NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD2
References
BL-02-001, TAC MB4589
Download: ML022060259 (4)

Text

July 23, 2002 MEMORANDUM TO: John A. Nakoski, Chief, Section 1 Project Directorate II Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM: Frank Rinaldi, Project Manager, Section 1 /RA/

Project Directorate II Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

SUMMARY

OF JULY 12, 2002, CONFERENCE CALL REGARDING SOUTHERN NUCLEAR OPERATING COMPANYS RESPONSE TO NRC BULLETIN 2002-01,REACTOR PRESSURE VESSEL HEAD DEGRADATION AND REACTOR COOLANT PRESSURE BOUNDARY INTEGRITY, FOR VOGTLE ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT, UNIT 2 (TAC NO. MB4589)

On July 12, 2002, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff held a telephone conference with the staff of Southern Nuclear Operating Company (SNC or the licensee) to discuss the reactor vessel head inspections, performed and planned, for the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Unit 2. The list of conference call participants is attached. This call was conducted as a result of the identification of recent reactor vessel head degradation, as discussed in NRC Bulletin 2002-01, Reactor Pressure Vessel Head Degradation and Reactor Coolant pressure Boundary Integrity. The licensees submittal dated March 28, 2002, which provided SNCs 15-Day Response to NRC Bulletin 2002-01, was used during the conference call.

The NRCs question and SNCs reply are documented for the record, as follows:

For Vogtle Unit 2, clarify whether or not boric acid deposits from the conoseals on control rod drive mechanism number 75 and 76 reached the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) head. In addition, discuss whether or not these deposits were cleaned off of the RPV head.

SNC stated that the work history for the repair of the conoseals at the RPV head penetrations 75 and 76 indicates that the leaks were cleaned and that the affected surfaces were evaluated for corrosion, but none was found. Work practices and procedural guidance would have required that the complete extent of the leakage would have been cleaned and evaluated for corrosion. However, there is no specific record indicating that the RPV head insulation was removed to allow examination of the carbon steel surfaces below the conoseals. These two particular penetrations are located around the outer perimeter of the RPV head, and as such, any leakage resulting in boric acid accumulations would most likely have been visible without removal of the head insulation. Also, the licensee stated that there was no other evidence of leakage in the past four outages. Therefore, the licensee stated that SNC has high confidence that there has not been corrosion similar to that which occurred at Davis-Besse.

J. A. Nakoski However, because SNC does not have complete knowledge of the RPV head condition at penetrations 75 and 76, a complete 100-percent examination of the Unit 2 RPV head beneath the head insulation will be conducted during the upcoming refueling outage scheduled for Fall 2002.

The licensee will supplement their 15-day response within 30 days.

Docket No. 50-425

Attachment:

As stated

J. A. Nakoski However, because SNC does not have complete knowledge of the RPV head condition at penetrations 75 and 76, a complete 100-percent examination of the Unit 2 RPV head beneath the head insulation will be conducted during the upcoming refueling outage scheduled for Fall 2002.

The licensee will supplement their 15-day response within 30 days.

Docket No. 50-425

Attachment:

As stated DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC PDII-1/Reading FRinaldi CHawes JNakoski SBloom ALee ADAMS ACCESSION NO.: ML022060259 OFFICE PDII-1/PM PDII-1/LA EMCB PDII-1/SC NAME FRinaldi:as CHawes SBloom JNakoski DATE 7/22/02 7/22/02 7/23/02 7/23/02 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

LIST OF ATTENDEES Conference Call with SNC - July 12, 2002 RESPONSE TO NRC BULLETIN 2002-01,REACTOR PRESSURE VESSEL HEAD DEGRADATION AND REACTOR COOLANT PRESSURE BOUNDARY INTEGRITY, FOR VOGTLE ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT, UNIT 2 (TAC NO. MB4589)

NRC SNC Steve Bloom, EMCB, NRR Jim Bailey, SNC Andrea Lee, EMCB, NRR Brian Whitley, SNC Frank Rinaldi, PDII-1, NRR Sam Hart, SNC Steve Swanson, SNC Jim Edwards, SNC