ML23158A207

LAR-23-005 U/4 Amendment 189 Timing of TS Effectiveness Prior to Initial Criticality - Cover Letter

ML23158A207
Person / Time
Site:	Vogtle
Issue date:	07/19/2023
From:	Gleaves W NRC/NRR/VPOB
To:	Brown R Southern Nuclear Operating Co
Gleaves W
Shared Package
ML23158A205	List: ML23158A206 ML23158A207 ML23158A208 ML23158A209
References
EPID L-2023-LLA-0056, LAR-23-005
Download: ML23158A207 (3)

Text

July 19, 2023

Mr. R. Keith Brown, Director Regulatory Affairs Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.

3535 Colonnade Parkway, Bin N-274-EC Birmingham, AL 35243

SUBJECT:

VOGTLE ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT, UNIT 4 ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT REGARDING LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST: TIMING OF UNIT 4 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS EFFECTIVENESS PRIOR TO INITIAL CRITICALITY (EPID L-2023-LLA-0056)

Dear Mr. Brown:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission or NRC) has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 189 to Combined License (COL) No. NPF-92 for the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP), Unit 4. The amendment consists of changes to a COL Condition and COL Appendix A, Technical Specifications (TS) in response to your application dated April 17, 2023, titled, Timing of Unit 4 Technical Specifications Effectiveness Prior to Initial Criticality, designated as License Amendment Request (LAR) 23 -005. Your application was supplemented by letter dated June 9, 2023, titled, Response to Request for Additional Information Regarding License Amendment Request: Timing of Unit 4 Technical Specifications Effectiveness Prior to Initial Criticality (LAR-23-005S1).

The amendment involves changes to VEGP, Unit 4, COL Condition 2.D.(9) specifically to temporarily delay the effectiveness of certain TS requirements prior to initial criticality of the reactor core while in operating Modes 4, 5, and 6, as well as changes to COL Appendix A, TS Limiting Condition for Operation 3.0.7 to apply these exceptions. The staff notes that SNC included in its LAR and LAR supplement changes to the TS Bases document, which is under SNC control, and that the NRC staff does not re view and the Safety Evaluation will not address those changes.

A copy of the related Safety Evaluation, which includes the evaluation of the changes, is also enclosed. A Notice of Issuance associated with the amendment will be published in the Federal Register.

In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 2, Agency Rules of Practice and Procedure, a copy of this letter will be available electronically for public inspection

R. Brown

in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of the NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and M anagement System (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC website at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.

Sincerely,

/RA/

William (Billy) Gleaves, Senior Project Manager Vogtle Project Office Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Docket No.: 52-026

Enclosures:

1. Amendment No. 189 to VEGP Unit 4 COL NPF-92

2. Safety Evaluation

cc: ListServ

ML23158A205 (package)

OFFICE NRR/VPO/VPOB/PM NRR/VPO/VPOB/LA NRR/VPO/VPOB/PM NRR/DSS/STSB/BC NAME WGleaves RButler* CSantos* VCusumano*

DATE 7/5/2023 07/03/2023 7/19/2023 07/03/2023 OFFICE NRR/DSS/SNRB/BC NRR/DSS/SCPB/BC NRR/VPO/VPOB/D NRR/VPO/VPOB/PM NAME RPatton* BWittick* LNist* WGleaves DATE 7/6/2023 07/01/2023 07/19/2023 7/19/2023

• concurred by email