ML20212F254

Informs That Encl Public Announcement Re 971017 Application for Amend to License NPF-42 Was Forwarded to Coffey County for Publication

ML20212F254
Person / Time
Site:	Wolf Creek
Issue date:	10/21/1997
From:	Thomas K NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Maynard O WOLF CREEK NUCLEAR OPERATING CORP.
References
TAC-M99809, NUDOCS 9711040227
Download: ML20212F254 (6)

Text

. _

October 21,-1997

[

e 6 Mr.) Otto L. Maynard.

President and Chief Executive Officer Wolf-Creek-Nuclear-O

Post 0ffice' Box 411-perating Corporation Burlington. Kansas 66839-

SUBJECT:

PUBLIC NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR AMENDMENT TO OPERATING LICENSE FOR WOLF-CREEK NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION (TAC N0 M99809)

Dear Mr. Maynard:

The enclosed public anncuncement was-forwarded to the Coffey County Today for publication. This snnouncement relates to your appl eation dated October 17 1997. for an amendment to Facility Operating: License No NPF-42 for the Wo1f

' Creek Generating Station. Unit-1.

.A separate notice will be published later in _the Federal Reaister concerning the license amendment.

-Sincerely.

' Original Signed By--

Kristine M. Thomas. Project Manager Project; Directorate IV-2 1 01 vision of Reactor Projects III/IV Office of Nuclear' Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-482 ' DISTRIBUTION:

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Enclosure:

Public Announcement. PUBLIC PDIV-2 Reading cc w/ encl: See next page EAdensam-(EGA1)

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3- iMr.OttoL.Maynard _0ctober 21, 1997 cc w/ encl:

Jay S11 berg -Esq.- Chief Operating Officer Shaw, Pittman,.Potts & Trowbridge Wolf-Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation-2300 N Street NW P. O. Box 411 Washington, D.C. -20037 Burlington, Kansas 66839 Regional Administrator Region-IV- Supervisor Licensing U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation 611 Ryan Plaza Drive. Suite 1000 P.O. Box 411 Arlington, Texas 76011 Burlington, Kansas- 66839 Senior Resident inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission L

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Resident Inspectors Office P 0.' Box 311 8201 NRC Road Burlington, Kansas 66839 Steedman. Missouri 65077-1032 Chief Engineer Utilities Division.

Kansas Corporation Commission 1500 SW Arrowhead Road l Topeka, Kansas 66604-4027 Office of the Governor--

State of Kansas Topeka.: Kansas 66612

~ Attorney General Judicial Center 301:S.W. 10th 2nd Floor

-Topeka, Kansas 66612

~ County Clerk-Coffey County Courthouse Burlington, Kansas 66839 Vick L.. Cooper, Chief Radiation. Control Program Kansas Department of Health

-and Environment Bureau of Air and Radiation Forbes Field Building 283 Topeka, Kansas 66620

PUBLIC NOTICE NRC STAFF PROPOSED TO AMEND THE OPERATING LICENSE iP WOLF CREEK GENERATING STATION, UNIT 1 The U.S. Nuclear: Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received an application dated October 17. 1997, from the Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation (WCNOC) for an amendment to Facility Operating License No. NPF 42 for the Wolf Creek Generating Station (WCGS), Unit 1.-located in Coffey County, Kansas.

The proposed amendment would revise Technical Specification (TS) 4.5.2b and associated Bases to reflect the fact that by design. the centrifugal charging pumps do not have pump casing vents, and therefore, the pump casings cannot be vented in accordance with the TS.

The following is a discussion of the exigent circumstances for the

' amendment:

WCNOC-is requesting the proposed change be approved on an exigent basis.

Approval of the amendment is necessary to support startup from the current refueling outage. Wolf Creek Generating Station shut down on October 4. 1997. for a refueling outage and is currently in Mode 6. -On p October 14. 1997. WCNOC personnel determined that WCGS was not being I

operated in compliance with the technical s)ecifications in that the

!.' centrifugal charging pump casings were not >eing vented as required by Technical Specification 4.5.2b. The pump casings are designed without casing vents since noncondensible gases can escape through the top-mounted suction and discharge nozzles. Therefore, a change to TS 4.5.2b and associated Bases is needed to specify that only the safety injection-and residual heat removal pumps require vent of the pump casings.

Restart of WCGS is planned for early November, with Mode 4 expected on November 4. 1997. Technical Specification Limiting Condition for Operation-(LCO) 3.5.3 requires one operable centrifugal charging pump in Mode 4 and Surveillance Requirement 4.5.3.2 requires the centrifugal charging pump be demonstrated operable per the requirements of' Specification 4.5.2. which currently includes venting of the pump casings.

The exigent situation exists and cannot be avoided because (1) the TS noncompliance was not identified by WCNOC until October 14. 1997, and (2) WCGS cannot be returned to Mode 4 without the change to avoid further TS noncompliance.

t

The st'aff finds the licensee acted in a timely manner and there is not )

- sufficient time to process this amendment request in the routine manner as described in 10 CFR 50.91 without causing an unnecessary delay in startup of WCGS.

The licensee's analysis of the no significant hazards consideration is presented'below:

'l.

Thebosedchangedoesnotinvolveasignificantincreaseinthe prob ity or consequences of an accident previously evaluated:

The proposed change will align the surveillance requirements with the installed system design and normal o>erating conditions. The conduct of surveillances required by Tecinical Specifications is not postulated to initiate an accident. The intent of the surveillance ensures OPERABILITY of the Centrifugal Charging pumps by verifying that the-ECCS [ emergency core cooling system) pi)ing is full of water and not subjected to gas binding or water lamer. The design of the Centrifugal Charging pumps 1s such that significant noncondensible gases do not collect in the pumps, whether they are running or not. Therefore, it it unnecessary to require periodic pump casing venting to ensure the equipment will' remain 0)ERABLE.

In addition, operating ex>erience has shown that-no significant voiding has occurred in tie affected piping which will continue to be vented at a high point every 31 days per Surveillance Requirement 4.5.2b.1). Therefore, no increase in the probability or consequences of an accident will occur as a result of this change. .

2. The proposed change does not create the possibility of a new or

, different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated.

The proposed change will not-result in new failure modes because no new equipment is installed and installed equipment is not operated

-in a new or-different manner. The design of the Centrifugal

. Charging pumas is such that significant noncondensible gases do not collect in tie pumps, whether they are running or not. Therefore, it is unnecessary to require aeriodic pump casing venting to ensure the equipment will remain OPEMBLE. Manual venting operations have 1: been performed which minimizes the potential for voids in system piping. Accordingly..this change will not create the possibility of

'a new or different kind of accident.

3, The proposed change does not involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety.

-The margin of safety is not significantly reduced because the proposed change provides assurance that locations where noncondensible gases can collect will be vented. Eliminating the requirement to vent the Centrifugal Charging pump casings where gases cannot collect has-no functional-effect on the system. This assures pro)er system functioning. Additionally, operating

experience les shown-that no significant voiding has occurred in the affected piping which will continue to be /ented at a high point 2

,-- +. ~ r - ~ , - ,

e i every 31 days per Surveillance Requirement 4.5.2b.1). Therefore, this change will not involv? a significant reduction in the margin of safety, Following an initial review of this application against the standards in 10 CFR 50.92, the NRC staff has made a proposed (preliminary) determination that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration.

According to 10 CFR 50.92(c), this means that the proposed amendment would not l involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an ateident previously evaluated, would not create the possibility of a new or l different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated, or involve

a significant reduction in a margin of safety.

If the proposed determination that the requested license amendment involves no significant hazards consideration becomes final, the NRC will issue the amendment without first offering an opportunity for a public hearing. An opportunity for hearing will be published in the Federal Reaister at a later date and any hearing request will not delay the effective date of the amendment, j

If the NRC staff decides in its final-determination that the amendment involves a significant hazards consideration, a notice of opportunity for a prior hearing will be published in the Federal Reaister and, if a hearing is granted, it will be held before the amendment is issued.

Comments on the proposed determination of no significant hazards consideration may be submitted to William Bateman, Director. Project Directorate IV-2, by collect call to 1-301-415-1371 or by facstnile to 1-301-415 3061. Written comments may be submitted by mail to the Chief Rules Review and Directives Branch, Division of Freedom and Information and Publications Services, Office of Administration. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington DC 20555-0001. Written comments may also be delivered

i i

• to Room 6D22;-Two White Flint NorthE11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville.

- Maryland, from 7i30 a.m. to-4:15 p.m.-Federal workdays. -: Copies of written' comments received _may be examined at the WRC Public. Document Room the-Gelman

Building; 2120 L

Street; NW., Washington; DC. All_ coments received by 4:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time on October 29, 1997, will be considered in d

._ reaching a determination.

A copy of_the application may be exemined_at the NRC's Local Public Document Rooms located at Emporia State University, William Allen White Library,1200 Commercial Street, Emporia, Kansas 66801 and Washburn University Schoo1Lof Law Library . Topeka,_ Kansas 66621, and the Commission's Public Document Roomc The Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC.

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