ML20206K160

Discusses Proposed Removal of Certain cycle-dependent Core Operating Limits from Tech Specs.Concludes That Amend Cannot Be Approved Under Present Federal Regulations.Staff Willing to Consider Alternative Approaches for Deleting Limits

ML20206K160
Person / Time
Site:	Rancho Seco
Issue date:	04/09/1987
From:	Stolz J Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Julie Ward SACRAMENTO MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT
References
NUDOCS 8704160287
Download: ML20206K160 (1)

Text

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-April 9, 1987-l l

l Docket No. 50-312 _ JISTRIBUTION C Jocket.Fueg FMiraglia l PD#b .n ses ' BGrimes Mr. John E. Ward NRC & L.PDRs JPartlow Deputy General Manager, Nuclear OGC-Bethesda Ringram-Sacramento Municipal Utility _ District ~ACRS(10) RWeller

. Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station GKalman EJordon- '

Post Office Box -15830, Mail Stop' No 291 Sacramento, California 95852-1830

SUBJECT:

PROPOSED REMOVAL OF CERTAIN CYCLE-DEPENDENT CORE OPERATING LIMITS FROM TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS In a letter dated January 27, 1986, SMUD prop'osed a license amendment (No. 141) to remove from Rancho Seco Technical Specifications (TS) the fuel cycle dependent curves and narratives related to reactor power, core imbalance and rod position limits. These identical core operating limits (COLs) were to be-maintained instead within a special COLs Manual, as prescribed in the administrative section of the proposed TS. COLs are currently specified as Limiting Conditions for Operation (LCOs) in TS. As such, COLs must be revised by a license amendment each fuel cycle. By transferring COLs from the TS to a COLs manual, the necessity for submitting TS amendments with each fuel cycle reload report would be eliminated. However, the proposed administrative TS would require the COLs manual to be submitted for NRC review.

The NRC. staff has reviewed the proposed TS changes, and concluded that this t amendment cannot be approved under present federal regulations. If LCOs for COLs are removed, the remaining TS controls of process variables are not.

considered sufficient to ensure control over core safety limits and assumptions made in LOCA and rod ejection accident analyses. However, the-staff is willing to consider alternative approaches for deleting COLs from TS.

by establishing alternate means for controlling process variables.

If you wish to pursue this matter further, please communicate with the NRR project manager assigned to your. facility. -

1 Sincerely,

/s/

John F. Stolz, Director PWR Project Directorate, No. 6 870416o207 PDR ADOCK M $PDR 12 Division of PWR Licensing-B P

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