ML20136B744

Approves 851011 Request for Withdrawal of Commitment Re Proficiency Demonstration for Examiners of RCPB Welds Susceptible to IGSCC & 851018 Request for Approval to Use ASME Code Case U-355

ML20136B744
Person / Time
Site:	Grand Gulf
Issue date:	12/23/1985
From:	Butler W Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Kingsley O MISSISSIPPI POWER & LIGHT CO.
References
TAC-59903, TAC-59914, NUDOCS 8601020890
Download: ML20136B744 (4)

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[pss uc jog UNITED STATES 3 o NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

$ E WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555

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} DEC 2 3 G6 Docket Nc.: 50-416 Mr. Oliver D. Kingsly, Jr.

Vice President, Nuclear Operations Mississippi Power and Light Company P.O. Box 23054 Jackson, Mississippi 39205

Subject:

Grand Gulf Unit 1 - Inservice Inspection Program By le*.ter dated October 11, 1985, Mississippi Power and Light Company requested NRC approval of the withdrawal of a comitment regarding a profic nncy demonstraticn for examiners of reactor coolant pressure boundary welds st.sceptible to intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC). The comitment was made in an August 17, 1983 letter that IGSCC examiners would perform a proficiency demonstration at the plant site prior to examining welds. The licensee now proposes te use exanination personnel that have re-qualified for IGSCC detection at the EPRI NDE Center.

By letter dated Octcter 18, 1985, the licensee requesteo NRC approval of the use of AShE Coot Case h-335 " Rules for Ultrascric Examination of Similar and Dissinilar Metal Piping Welds" in the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station Inservice Inspection Program. Code Case N-335 has been accepted for use by the NRC in Regulatory Guide 1.147 " Inservice Inspection Code Case Acceptability, ASME Section XI, Division 1" Revision 3. However, Regulatory Guidt 1.147 is not included in Footnote 6 to 10 CFR 50.55a, which states that Coce cases other than those accepted for use in Regulatcry Guide 1.84 and Regulatory Guide 1.65 may be authorized by the Director of NRR upon request pursuant to Section 50.55a(a)(?).

Your request for approval of use of ASME Code Case N-355 is construed as being a request pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(a)(3) on the grounds that this case provides an acceptable level of quality and sefety. Based on prior NRC acceptance of this case in Regulatory Guide 1.147, your request is hereby approved.

The staff has completed the review of licensee's letter dated October 11, 1985. The mitigation of service sensitive welds began during the fall 1985 outage instead of the first refueling outage and the licensee perfonned augmented ISI. The licensee has taken positive action to have his ISI contractor (General Electric, A&E50) participate in the joint NRC-EPRI-BUR Owner's Group re-qualificaticr. program. The staff concludes that the licensee's new commitment is acceptable because all personnel perforraing IG5CC examination and data evaluation at Grar.d Gulf will have successfully completed the re-qualification program. This comitment superseces the original commitment described in licensee's August 17, 1983 letter, i

B601020890 851223 1

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> The technical basis fer the staff's conclusion is the re-qualification test contains additional IGSCC specimens that are more representative of plant conditions than the original ccmritrent of a sample obtained from Nine Mile Foint. The examination personnel performing inspections at Grand Gulf during the fall 1985 outage passed a more comprehensive test than originally required by IE Bulletins 82-03 and 83-02. Therefore, the staff further l

concludes that the licensee can perform IGSCC inspections with re-qualified personnel until a time when the Commission establishes either new plant-specific or generic requirements for augmented ISI. However, in the event i that flaw indications are detected, flaw sizing shoulc be performed by those personnel who have successfully passed the EPRI NDE Center IGSCC sizing course. The licensee should recognize that the Regional Office or the Resident Inspector may still require demonstration of proficiency of individual examination personnel during normal NRC inspection activities.

4 Sincerely, k

Walter R. Butler, Director

BWR Project Directorate No. 4 Division of BWR Licensing cc: See next page 3

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a 3 Mr. Oliver D. Kingsley, Jr.

Mississippi Power & Light Cocpany Grand Gulf Nuclear Staiton cc:

Robert B. bcGehee, Esquire The Honorable William J. Guste, Jr.

Wise, Carter, Child, Steen and Caraway Attorney General P.O. Box 651 Department of Justice Jackson, Mississippi 39205 State of Louisiana Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70604 Nicholas S. Reynolds, Esquire Bishop, Libennan, Cook, Purcell and Reynolds 1200 17th Street, N.W.

Washington, D. C. 20036 Mr. Ralph T. Lally Manager of Quality Assurar.ce Office of the Governor Middle South Services, Inc. State of Mississippi P.O. Box 61000 Jackson, Mississippi 39201 New Orleans, Louisiana 70161 Attorney General Mr. Larry F. Dale, Director Gartin Building Nuclear Licensing and Safety Jackson, Mississippi 3920b Mississippi Power & Light Company P.O. Box 23054 Mr. Jack Mchillan, Director Jackson, Mississippi 39205 Solid Waste Mississippi State Board of Heoith I:r. R. U. Jackson, Project Engineer 880 Lekeland Bechtel Power Corporation Jackson, Mississippi 39206 15740 Shaoy Grove Road Gaithersburg, Maryland 2f>077-1454 Alton B. Cobb, M.D.

State Health Officer Mr. Ross C. Butcher State Board of Health Senior Resident inspector P.O. Box 1700 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Jackson, Mississippi 39205 Route 2, Bcx 399 Pcrt Gibson, Mississippi 39150 Presicent Claiborne County Board of Supervisors Regicnal Administrator, Region 11 Port Gibson, Mississippi 39150 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Consission, 101 Marietta Street, N.W., Suite 2900 fir. Ted H. Cloninger Atlanta, Georgia 30323 Vice President, Nuclear Engineering and Support Mr. J. E. Cross Mississippi Power & Light Company Grand Gulf Nuclear Station Site Director Post Office Box 23054 flississippi Power & Light Company Jackson, Mississippi 39205 P.O. Box 756 Port Gibson, Mississippi 39150 Mr. C. R. Hutchinson GGNS General Marager Mississippi Power & Light Company Post Office Box 756 Port Gibson, Missistippi 39150

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The technical basis for the staff's conclusion is the re-qualification test contains additional IGSCC specimens that are more representative of plant conditions than the original commitment of a sample obtained frca hine Mile Point. The examination personnel perforning inspections at Grand Gulf during the fall 1985 outage passed a more ccnprehensive test than originally required by IE Bulletins 82-03 and 83-02. Therefore, the staff further ccncludes that the licensee can perforn IGSCC inspections with re-c,calified personnel until a time when the Ccamission establishes either new plant-specific or generic requirements for augn.ented ISI. However, in the event that flaw indications are detected, flaw si;ing should be perforred by those personnel who have successfully passed the cFRI HDE Center IGSCC sizing course. The licensee should recognize that the Regional Office or the Resident Inspector may still require demonstration of proficiency of individual examination personnel during nonc,al NRC inspcction activities.

Sincarely, Or !

,! by Walter R. Butler, Director BWR Project Directorate No. 4 Division of BWR Licensing cc: See next page DISTRILUTICH Docket File NRC PDR Local PDR PRC System kSIC PD#4 Readirg Licensing Assistant, M. Duncan Project Manager, L. Kintner GELD, Attorney ACRS (10)

JPartlow CGrines Edordan VPanciera M. Hun

• Previously concurred:

PD#4/PM PD#4/LA OELD PD#4/D

• LKintner:rn *f'.C u nc a n *WShields WButler 11/07/85 11/07/85 12/09/85 12/,23f85