ML18030B178

Closeout of Generic Letter 2016-01, Monitoring of Neutron-Absorbing Materials in Spent Fuel Pools (CAC No. MF9441; EPID L-2016-LRC-0001)

ML18030B178
Person / Time
Site:	Fermi
Issue date:	08/27/2018
From:	Doug Broaddus Special Projects and Process Branch
To:	Polson K DTE Electric Company
Wall, Scott, NRR/DORL/LSPB
References
CAC MF9441, EPID L-2016-LRC-0001, GL 2016-001, OMB 3150-0231
Download: ML18030B178 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, O.C. 20555-0001 August 27, 2018 0MB Control No. 3150-0231 Mr. Keith J. Polson, Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer DTE Electric Company Fermi 2 - 210 NOC 6400 North Dixie Highway Newport, Ml 48166

SUBJECT:

FERMI 2-CLOSEOUT OF GENERIC LETTER 2016-01, "MONITORING OF NEUTRON-ABSORBING MATERIALS IN SPENT FUEL POOLS" (CAC NO. MF9441; EPID L-2016-LRC-0001)

Dear Mr. Polson:

On April 7, 2016, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Generic Letter (GL) 2016-01, "Monitoring of Neutron-Absorbing Materials in Spent Fuel Pools" (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML16097A169), to address the degradation of neutron-absorbing materials (NAMs) in wet storage systems for reactor fuel at power and non-power reactors.

The generic letter requested that licensees provide information to allow the NRC staff to verify continued compliance through effective monitoring to identify and mitigate any degradation or deformation of NAMs credited for criticality control in spent fuel pools (SFPs).

By letter dated October 11, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16286A280), DTE Electric.

Company (the licensee) responded to GL 2016-01 for Fermi 2. The NRC staff has completed its review of the information contained in this response, any documents referenced therein, and other applicable licensing basis documents.

In its response to GL 2016 01, the licensee referenced its license renewal activities as pertinent to the GL response. During the license renewal process, the licensee identified the Boraflex installed in the SFP at Fermi 2 as being in a degraded condition (ADAMS Accession No. ML15026A624) and entered the issue in its Corrective Action Program (ADAMS Accession No. ML 1511 OA342). This resulted in the licensee implementing corrective actions to manage Boraflex degradation and maintain subcriticality in the SFP. The NRC staff intends to perform a followup inspection through the baseline reactor oversight process to ensure that the licensee is properly managing the degradation and maintaining the subcriticality of the SFP.

Additionally, the licensee credits Boral for criticality control and has an established NAM monitoring program. The NRC staff's review determined that the provided response sufficiently

K. Polson addressed the five areas of information described in Appendix A of GL 2016-01 for Boral. In particular, the described monitoring program for the Boral includes the following key features:

• Neutron attenuation testing of coupons.

• Established processes to ensure that the licensee will take the appropriate corrective actions if any potentially non-conforming material is discovered.

• A testing frequency not to exceed 9 years.

• Acceptance criteria to ensure maintenance of the 5-percent subcriticality margin for the SFP.

The NRC staff found that the licensee intends to continue monitoring the condition of its NAMs as described in its response.

Based upon the information submitted by the licensee in response to GL 2016-01, the NRC staff has determined that the submission addresses the information requested in GL 2016-01, and no further information or current action is requested regarding this matter. The NRC staff intends to perform a follow-up inspection through the baseline reactor oversight process to ensure that the licensee is properly managing the degradation and maintaining the subcriticality of the SFP.

Any safety or timeliness issues associated with the degraded condition of the Boraflex will be addressed through NRC inspection activities consistent with Inspection Manual Chapter 0326, "Operability Determinations & Functionality Assessments for Conditions Adverse to Quality or Safety."

Sincerely, Douglas A. Broaddus, Chief Special Projects and Process Branch Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-341 cc: ListServ

ML180308178 *via email OFFICE NRR/DORULSPB/PM NRR/DORULPL3/PM NRR/DORULSPB/LA NRR/DMLR/MCCB/BC*

NAME SWall SGoetz JBurkhardt SBloom DATE 02/14/18 02/21/18 02/14/18 08/20/18 IOFFICE NRR/DI RS/I RGB/BC* NRR/DSS/SNPB/BC* NRR/DORULSPB/BC NAME BPham RLukes DBroaddus DATE 08/21/18 08/20/18 08/27/18