ML15286A001

NRR E-mail Capture - Regulatory Audit Plan - TVA License Amendment Request Regarding Tritium Producing Burnable Absorber Rods - CAC No. MF6050

ML15286A001
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	10/09/2015
From:	Andrea George Plant Licensing Branch IV
To:	Szabo C Tennessee Valley Authority
References
TAC MF6050
Download: ML15286A001 (4)

Text

NRR-PMDAPEm Resource From: George, Andrea Sent: Friday, October 09, 2015 9:59 AM To: cwszabo@tva.gov Cc: 'garent@tva.gov'; tahess@tva.gov; Dion, Jeanne

Subject:

Regulatory Audit Plan - TVA License Amendment Request Regarding Tritium Producing Burnable Absorber Rods - CAC No. MF6050 Attachments: WBN1Audit_MF6050.docx Good morning, By letter dated March 31, 2015, as supplemented by letter dated September 14, 2015, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, the licensee), requested an amendment to the Technical Specifications (TSs) to increase the maximum number of Tritium Producing Burnable Absorber Rods (TPBARs) that can be irradiated per cycle.

The proposed change increases the maximum number of TPBARs given in TS 4.2.1 that can be loaded for a single cycle from 704 to 1,792. This amendment would also revise Surveillance Requirements 3.5.1.4 and 3.5.4.3 to delete outdated information.

Based on the information submitted by the licensee, certain assumptions related to lithium leaching during post-Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) scenarios are based on a series of tests performed at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Since the amount of lithium available for neutron capture in the reactor core is a significant input to the post-LOCA subcriticality assessment, the staff has requested an audit of the test facilities and documentation. A proposed audit plan is attached.

If you have any questions, please contact the NRC Project Manager, Jeanne Dion, at 301-415-1349 or Jeanne.Dion@nrc.gov.

Thank you, Andrea George Project Manager Nuclear Regulatory Commission Division of Operating Reactor Licensing andrea.george@nrc.gov 301-415-1081 1

Hearing Identifier: NRR_PMDA Email Number: 2442 Mail Envelope Properties (Andrea.George@nrc.gov20151009095900)

Subject:

Regulatory Audit Plan - TVA License Amendment Request Regarding Tritium Producing Burnable Absorber Rods - CAC No. MF6050 Sent Date: 10/9/2015 9:59:20 AM Received Date: 10/9/2015 9:59:00 AM From: George, Andrea Created By: Andrea.George@nrc.gov Recipients:

"'garent@tva.gov'" <garent@tva.gov>

Tracking Status: None "tahess@tva.gov" <tahess@tva.gov>

Tracking Status: None "Dion, Jeanne" <Jeanne.Dion@nrc.gov>

Tracking Status: None "cwszabo@tva.gov" <cwszabo@tva.gov>

Tracking Status: None Post Office:

Files Size Date & Time MESSAGE 1481 10/9/2015 9:59:00 AM WBN1Audit_MF6050.docx 23382 Options Priority: Standard Return Notification: No Reply Requested: No Sensitivity: Normal Expiration Date:

Recipients Received:

AUDIT PLAN FOR TRITIUM PRODUCING BURNABLE ABSORBER RODS (TPBARS)

LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 1 DOCKET NO. 50-0390 CAC NO. MF6050 BACKGROUND AND AUDIT BASES By letter dated March 31, 2015, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) submitted a license amendment request (LAR) for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML15098A446) to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

The proposed LAR would revise Technical Specification (TS) 4.2.1, "Fuel Assemblies;" TS 3.5.1 "Accumulators;" Surveillance Requirement (SR) 3.5.1.4; TS 3.5.4, "Refueling Water Storage Tank;"

and SR 3.5.4.3, to increase the maximum number of tritium producing burnable absorber rods (TPBARs) and to delete outdated information related to the tritium production program.

On August 14, 2015, the NRC staff requested additional information needed to complete its review (ADAMS Accession No. ML15226A466). TVA submitted the response to the RAIs by letter dated September 14, 2015 (ADAMS Accession No. ML15258A204). In RAI item 2, the staff requested more information regarding revised lithium leaching assumptions used in the post-Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) subcriticality assessment referenced in the March 31, 2015 LAR. The licensee stated that the assumptions were based on a series of tests performed at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

The NRC staff will use the following requirements and guidance to conduct the regulatory audit:

• Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Section 50.46, Acceptance criteria for emergency core cooling systems for light-water nuclear power reactors.

• Appendix A to 10 CFR 50, General Design Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants.

• NUREG-0800, Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants: LWR Edition, dated March 2007.

AUDIT SCOPE The onsite regulatory audit will be performed per Office Instruction LIC-111, Regulatory Audits, to support the staffs safety review of TVAs discussion of the use of TPBAR leaching tests to support analysis assumptions in the subject LAR. The purpose of the regulatory audit is to obtain and review information regarding how TVA resolved item 2 in the staffs RAI dated August 14, 2015, regarding the leach rate tests.

NRC AUDIT TEAM S. Krepel, DSS J. Dion, DORL PM ENCLOSURE

OBSERVERS Two sign language interpreters (TBD)

LOGISTICS The regulatory audit will be conducted at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratories on November 3 and 4, 2015. Entrance and exit briefings will be held with the licensee at the beginning and end of the audit, respectively, as well as daily briefings of team activities.

Additional details will be addressed over the phone.

The NRC audit team would like the opportunity to view the testing equipment used to conduct the leaching tests and TPBAR bursting tests referenced by TVA in their LAR and RAI response.

A staff member with knowledge of the testing configuration is requested to be available to address questions that the NRC audit team may have while inspecting the testing equipment.

Once the tour of the testing facilities is complete, a private conference room is requested for NRC audit team use with access to audit documentation upon arrival and as needed.

DELIVERABLES An audit summary or safety evaluation will be issued to the licensee within 45 days from the end of the audit.

INFORMATION NEEDS The NRC audit team would like access to all test documentation, including test specifications, deviations from procedure, observations, test results, and any analysis performed on the raw data. The scope of this audit is expected to include all lithium leaching tests and TPBAR bursting tests.

In addition, PNNL and TVA staff with familiarity of the tests and how the results are being applied to the post-LOCA reactor core environment should be available to provide clarification or respond to questions as necessary.