ML20249A176

Fowards SE Accepting Request for Temporary Relief from ASME Code,Section XI Requirements,To Repair Flaws in Essential Cooling Water Sys Piping

ML20249A176
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas
Issue date:	06/11/1998
From:	Hannon J NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Cottle W HOUSTON LIGHTING & POWER CO.
Shared Package
ML20249A177	List: ML20249A176 ML20249A183
References
TAC-M98034, NUDOCS 9806160143
Download: ML20249A176 (3)

Text

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Mr. Willirm T. Cottla June 11, 1998 Prssidrnt and Chirf Ex cutivo Officer STP Nuclear Operating Company i South Texas Project Electric Generating Station P. O. Box 289 Wadsworth, TX 77483

SUBJECT:

INSERVICE INSPECTION PROGRAM - RELIEF REQUEST RR-ENG-17, SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNIT 2 (TAC NO. M98034)

Dear Mr. Cottle:

By letter dated February 10,1997, Houston Lighting & Power Company (HL&P) submitted a request for temporary relief from the ASME Code,Section XI requirement:.,, to repair flaws in the Essential Cooling Water System (ECWS) piping at the South Texas Project, Unit 2. The NRC sis:f has reviewed the request as discussed in the enclosed Safety Evaluation.

By License Amendment Nos. 93 and 80, dated November 17,1997, operating authority for South Texas Projcet, Units 1 and 2, was transferred from HL&P to STP Nucleat Operating Company (STPNOC). By letter dated January 20,1998, STPNOC adopted / endorsed all applications pending before the NRC at the time of the transfer and deemed them of and by STPNOC.

The staff concludes that the Code requirements are impractical. Therefore, STPNOC's request for relief is granted and STPNOC's attemative is imposed pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(6)(i) since the proposed attemative provides reasonable assurance of operating readiness of the ECWS. Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(6)(i), the altamative is imposed (retroactively) until the permanent Code repair was made during the last Unit 2 refueling outage, which began on February 8,1997. By letter dated March 26,1998, STPNOC supplemented the application and stated that a Code repair was completed on February 10,1997.

The relief granted is authorized by law and will not endanger life or property or the common defense and security and is otherwise in the public interest giving due consideration to the burden upon the licensee that could result if the requirements were imposed on the facility.

Sincerely,  !

ORIGINAL SIGNED BY:

John N. Hannon, Director

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Enclosure:

Safety Evaluation cc w/ encl: See next page kh g p gqqq g i DISTRIBUTION:

Docket File PUBLIC PD4-1 r/f EAdensam (EGA1)

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d OFFICIAL RECORD COPY U 9006160143 990611 PDR ADOCK 05000499 P PDR

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. m =1 4,***** June 11,1998 Mr. William T. Cottle President and Chief Executive Officer STP Nuclear Operating Company South Texas Project Electric Generating Station P. O. Box 289 Wadsworth,TX 77483

SUBJECT:

INSERVICE INSPECTION PROGRAM - RELIEF REQUEST RR-ENG-17, SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNIT 2 (TAC NO. M98034)

Doct Mr. Cottle:

By letter dated February 10,1997, Houston Lighting & Power Company (HL&P) submitted a request for temporary relief from the ASME Code,Section XI requirements, to repair flaws in the Essential Cooling Water System (ECWS) piping at the South Texas Project, Unit 2. The NRC staff has reviewed the request as discussed in the enclosed Safety Evaluation.

By License Amendment Nos. 93 and 80, dated November 17,1997, operating authority for South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2, was transferred from HL&P to STP Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC). By letter dated January 20,1998, STPNOC adopted / endorsed all applications pending before the NRC at the time of the transfer and deemed them of and by STPNOC.

The staff concludes that the Code requirements are impractical. Therefore, STPNOC's request for relief is granted and STPNOC's attemative is imposed pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(6)(i) since the proposed attemative provides reasonable assurance of operating readiness of the ECWS. Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(6)(i), the altemative is imposed (retroactively) until the pe,manent Code repair was made during the last Unit 2 refueling outage, which began on February 8,1997. By letter dated March 26,1998, STPNOC supplemented the application and stated that a Code repair was completed on February 10,1997.

The relief granted is authorized by law and will not endanger life or property or the common defense and security and is otherwise in the public interest giving due consideration to the burden upon the licensee that could result if the requirements were imposed on the facility.

Sincerely, John N. Hannon, Director Project Directorate IV-1 Division of Reactor Projects lil/IV Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-499

Enclosure:

Safety Evaluation ccw/ encl; See next page

- Mr. William T. Cottle STP Nuclear Operat'r:g Company South Texas, Units 1 & 2 cc:

Mr. David P. Loveless Jack R. Newman, Esq.

Senior Resident inspector Morgan, Lewis & Bockius U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1800 M Street, N.W.

P. O. Box 910 Washington, DC 20036-586g Bay City, TX 77414 Mr. Lawrence E. Martin Mr. J. C. Lanier/A. Ramirez Vice President, Nuc. Assurance & Licensing City e' Austin STP Nuclear Operating Company Electric Utility Department P. O. Box 289 721 Barton Springs Road Wadsworth, TX 77483 Austin,TX 78704 Office of the Govemor Mr. M. T. Hardt ATTNi John Howard, Director Mr. W. C. Gunst Environment z.nd Natural City Public Service Board Resources Policy P. O. Box 1771 P. O. Sox 12428 San Antonio, TX 78296 Austin, TX 78711 Mr. G. E. Vaughn/C. A. Johnson Jon C. Wood Central Power and Light Company Matthews & Branscomb P. O. Box 289 One Alamo Center Mail Code: N5012 106 S. St. Mary's Street, Suite 700 Wadsworth,TX 74483 San Antonio, TX 78205-3692 INPO Arthur C. Tate. Director Records Center Division of Compliance & Inspection 700 Galleria Parkway Bureau of Radiation Control Atlanta, GA 30339-3064 Texas Department of Health 1100 West 49th Street Regional Administrator, Region IV Austin, TX 78756 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Jim Calloway Artington, TX 76011 Public Utility Commission of Texas Electric industry Analysis C. R. Crisp /R. L Balcom P. O. Box 13326 Houston Lighting & Power Co. Austin, TX 78711-3326 P. O. Box 1700 Houston,TX 77251 Judge, Matagorda County .

Matagorda County Courthouse 1700 Seventh Street Bay City, TX 77414 I

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