ML103050225

Turkey Point, Units 3 - Verbal Authorization of Relief Request No. 9, Visual Examination of Containment Liner Repair (TAC No. ME4946)

ML103050225
Person / Time
Site:	Turkey Point
Issue date:	11/05/2010
From:	Paige J C NRC/NRR/DORL/LCPAB
To:	Broaddus D A Plant Licensing Branch II
Paige, Jason C, NRR/DORL,301-415-5888
References
TAC ME4946
Download: ML103050225 (5)

Text

UNITED NUCLEAR REGULATORY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 November 5, 2010 MEMORANDUM Douglas A. Broaddus, Chief Plant Licensing Branch 11-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation/ . (, Jason C. Paige, Project Manager c\! Plant Licensing Branch 11-2 Division of Operating Reactor Lice ing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation SUB..TURKEY POINT UNIT 3 -VERBAL AUTHORIZATION OF RELIEF REQUEST NO.9, VISUAL EXAMINATION OF CONTAINMENT LINER REPAIR (TAC NO. ME4946) By letter dated October 27, 2010, Florida Power & Light (FPL), the licensee for Turkey Point, Unit 3, submitted Relief Request No.9, Visual Examination of Containment Liner Repair. Pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Section 50.55a(a)(3)(i), FPL requested Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval of an alternative to the requirement in the 2001 Edition with 2003 Addenda (current code-of-record) of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI, sub-article IWE-5240, to perform a detailed visual examination of the repaired area during the post-repair pressure test. The relief request is related to the repair of the containment liner plate in the sump area due to significant corrosion in a localized region of the vertical wall section, immediately adjacent to the concrete floor at Turkey Point, Unit 3. The licensee plans to repair the degraded area by removing the corroded liner plate and welding a replacement plate. As required by sub-article IWE-5221, following the repairs, FPL is to complete a pneumatic leakage test. However, the local leak rate test requires the use of a test device that will make the areas affected by the repair activities inaccessible during the local leak rate test. The licensee requested relief from the direct visual examination requirement specified in sub-article IWE-5240 during the leakage test required by sub-article IWE-5221.

After completing the welding of the liner plate and the required nondestructive examination of the repair welds, the licensee proposed to perform a VT-1 visual examination of the affected area, both prior to and following the local leak rate test. The NRC staff reviewed the licensee's submittal and determined that the proposed alternative will provide an acceptable level of quality and safety. During a conference call with the licensee on October 29, 2010, the NRC staff granted a verbal authorization on the use of Relief Request NO.9 in accordance with 10 CFR 5.55a(a)(3)(i).

The script for the verbal authorization is enclosed.

D. Broaddus -2 NRC Participants:

Licensee Participants:

D. Broaddus B. Tomonto M. Khanna R. Gill G. Thomas O. Hanek J. Paige Docket No. 50-250

Enclosure:

Verbal Authorization Script VERBAL AUTHORIZATION FOR RELIEF REQUEST NO.9 VISUAL EXAMINATION OF CONTAINMENT LINER REPAIR TURKEY POINT NUCLEAR PLANT UNIT 3 By letter dated October 27, 2010 and in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Section 50.55a(a)(3)(i), Florida Power and Light Company (FPL, the licensee) submitted Relief Request No.9 for NRC review and approval as an alternative to the requirement in the 2001 Edition with 2003 Addenda (current code-of-record) of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI, sub-article IWE-5240, to perform a detailed visual examination of the repaired area during the post-repair pressure test. The relief request is related to the repair of the containment liner plate in the sump area due to significant corrosion in a localized region of the vertical wall section, immediately adjacent to the concrete floor at Turkey Point, Unit 3. The licensee plans to repair the degraded area by removing the corroded liner plate and welding a replacement plate. As required by sub-article IWE-5221, following the repairs, FPL is to complete a pneumatic leakage test. However, the local leak rate test requires the use of a test device that will make the areas affected by the repair activities inaccessible during the local leak rate test. The licensee requested relief from the direct visual examination requirement specified in sub-article IWE-5240 during the leakage test required by sub-article IWE-5221.

After completing the welding of the liner plate and the required nondestructive examination of the repair welds, the licensee proposed to perform a VT-1 visual examination of the affected area, both prior to and following the local leak rate test. On October 27, 2010, the NRC staff held a teleconference with the licensee to obtain clarification on the technical basis of the proposed relief request. The NRC staff determined during this call that a relief request was needed and when preparing the Turkey Point relief request to follow the precedent set by the Beaver Valley application dated April 28, 2009. On the basis of the NRC staff evaluation, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a (a)(3)(i), the NRC verbally authorizes the use of Relief Request No.9 for the repair of the degraded containment liner plate as of October 29, 2010. The relief is granted on the basis that a VT-1 visual examination prior to the local leak rate testing provides assurance that the affected area has been properly prepared for the testing and no abnormalities exist in the affected area and a post leak rate test VT-1 visual examination provides assurance that the tested area is free of abnormalities that may be exposed by the local leak rate test. Relief Request No.9 is authorized in support of containment liner repairs made during the current 2010 Turkey Point, Unit 3 maintenance and refueling outage. According to 10 CFR 50.55a (a)(3)(i), the Commission may authorize a licensee-proposed alternative if the staff determines that the alternative provides an acceptable level of quality and safety. Enclosure

-2 This verbal authorization does not preclude the NRC staff from asking additional clarification questions regarding Relief Request NO.9 while preparing the subsequent written safety evaluation.

The written safety evaluation should be issued within 150 days in accordance with the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation standards.

This verbal authorization summary will be publicly available in ADAMS in the next few days. All other ASME Code,Section XI requirements for which relief was not specifically requested and approved remain applicable, including third-party review by the Authorized Nuclear Inservice Inspector.

Novmber 5, 2010 D. Broaddus -2 NRC Participants:

Licensee Participants:

D. Broaddus B. Tomonto M. Khanna R. Gill G. Thomas O. Hanek J. Paige Docket No. 50-250

Enclosure:

Verbal Authorization Script DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC LPL2-2 R/F RidsNrrPMTurkey Point RidsNrrDorlLpl2-2 RidsNrrDeEmcb RidsRgn2MailCenter GThomas, NRR RidsNrrLABClayton ADAMS Accession No 'ML 103050225" OFFICE LPL2-2/PM LPL2-2/LA LPL2-2/BC NAME ...IPaige BClayton DBroaddus(CGratton for) DATE 11/2/10 11/2/10 11/05/2010 OFFICIAL RECORD COpy