ML18249A392

Closeout of Generic Letter 2016-01, Monitoring of Neutron-Absorbing Materials in Spent Fuel Pools (CAC MF9444, MF9445, MF9443, MF9440, MF9409; EPID L-2016-LRC-0001)

ML18249A392
Person / Time
Site:	Davis Besse, Waterford, Cook, FitzPatrick
Issue date:	09/26/2018
From:	Doug Broaddus Special Projects and Process Branch
To:	Entergy Operations, Exelon Generation Co, FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co, Indiana Michigan Power Co
Wall S
References
CAC MF9409, CAC MF9440, CAC MF9443, CAC MF9444, CAC MF9445, EPID L-2016-LRC-0001, GL-16-001
Download: ML18249A392 (5)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 September 26, 2018 0MB Control No. 3150-0231 To Those on the Attached List

SUBJECT:

CLOSEOUT OF GENERIC LETTER 2016-01, "MONITORING OF NEUTRON-ABSORBING MATERIALS IN SPENT FUEL POOLS" (CAC NOS. MF9444, MF9445, MF9443, MF9440, AND MF9409; EPID L-2016-LRC-0001)

Dear Sir or Madam:

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).

The Enclosure provides a list of licensee responses to address the requested details described in Appendix A to GL 2016-01. In the licensees' responses to GL 2016-01, as supplemented, the licensees stated that some deformation has been identified as part of their Boral monitoring program. The licensees also stated that the observed deformation is bounded by the criticality studies documented in Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Report 3002013119, "Evaluation of the Impact of Neutron Absorber Material Blistering and Pitting on Spent Fuel Pool Reactivity," May 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18226A292).

EPRI Report 3002013119 documents a series of sensitivity studies performed on representative SFP rack configurations to demonstrate that the amount of observed pitting and blistering would not be expected to have a significant reactivity impact. Preliminary conclusions are obtained based on the estimated reactivity impact from EPRI Report 3002013119 for pitting and blistering dimensions that go well beyond that observed by the licensees' monitoring programs.

The NRC staff notes that the studies documented in EPRI Report 3002013119 are intended to be generic analyses and were not provided as site-specific analyses. Therefore, the results of the analyses, or any part of those analyses, have currently not been shown as directly applicable to the sites listed in the Enclosure. In addition, the NRC staff did not review whether the EPRI Reports could be used to justify equipment operability, design basis changes, or licensing changes requested pursuant to Title 1O of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 50.90, "Application for amendment of license, construction permit, or early site permit."

However, the NRC staff's review determined that the EPRI report does provide the information required to satisfy the request in GL 2016-01 for Bora! at this time.

For the power reactor facilities listed in the Enclosure, the NRC staff's review determined that the information provided sufficiently addressed the five areas of information described in Appendix A to GL 2016-01. Based on the review of the information provided, the NRC staff concludes no further information is requested regarding GL 2016-01 for those plants listed in the Enclosure.

Sincerely, Douglas A. Broaddus, Chief Special Projects and Process Branch Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-315, 50-316, 50-346, 50-333 and 50-382

Enclosure:

List of Plants, Incoming Letters, CAC Numbers, and Testing Frequency cc: Listserv

LETTER TO THOSE ON THE ATTACHED LIST DATED SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

SUBJECT:

CLOSEOUT OF GENERIC LETTER 2016-01, "MONITORING OF NEUTRON-ABSORBING MATERIALS IN SPENT FUEL POOLS" (CAC NOS. MF9444, MF9445, MF9443, MF9440, AND MF9409; EPID L-2016-LRC-0001)

Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant, Units 1 Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 3 and 2 Entergy Operations, Inc.

Indiana Michigan Power Company Docket No. 50-382 Docket Nos. 50-315, 50-316 License No. NPF-38 License Nos. DPR-58, DPR-74 Site Vice President Mr. Joel P. Gebbie Entergy Operations, Inc.

Senior Vice President and Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 3 Chief Nuclear Officer 17265 River Road Indiana Michigan Power Company Killona, LA 70057-3093 Nuclear Generation Group One Cook Place Bridgman, Ml 49106 Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station, Unit 1 FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Docket No. 50-346 License No. NPF-3 Mr. Mark Bezilla Mr. Brian D. Boles Site Vice President FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station 5501 North State Route 2 Oak Harbor, OH 43449-9760 James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant Exelon FitzPatrick, LLC and Exelon Generation Company, LLC Docket No. 50-333 License No. DPR-59 Mr. Bryan C. Hanson Senior Vice President Exelon Generation Company, LLC President and Chief Nuclear Officer Exelon Nuclear 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555

LIST OF PLANTS, INCOMING LETTERS, CAC NUMBERS, AND TESTING FREQUENCY The licensees listed in the table below have provided an adequate description of an effective monitoring program, as part of their listed response to Generic Letter (GL) 2016-01, "Monitoring of Neutron-Absorbing Materials in Spent Fuel Pools." All monitoring programs include the following key features:

• Neutron attenuation testing of coupons or in-situ material.

• 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 the time period(s) listed in the table below.

• Acceptance criteria to ensure maintenance of the 5-percent subcriticality margin for the spent fuel pool.

Incoming Letter Date/ Neutron-Absorbing Plant ADAMS Accession No. Material CAC Nos. Testing Frequency Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant, 10/31/2016 (ML16307A118) Baral MF9444; MF9445 Every 5 years Units 1 and 2 5/25/2018 (ML18150A313)

Davis-Besse Nuclear Power 11/1/2016 (ML16307A074) Baral MF9443 Every 10 years Station, Unit 1 5/25/2018 (ML18145A039)

James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear 11/3/2016 (ML16308A461) Baral MF9440 Every 10 years Power Plant 1/25/2018 (ML18025A799) 5/29/2018 (ML18149A557)

Waterford Steam Electric Station, 11/2/2016 (ML16307A275) Baral MF9409 Every 10 years Unit 3 5/30/2018 (ML18151A858)

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

Enclosure

ML18249A392 *via email OFFICE NRR/DORL/LSPB/PM NRR/DORL/LAiT NRR/DORL/LSPB/LA NRR/DMLR/MCCB/BC*

NAME SWall PTalukdar JBurkhardt SBloom DATE 9/25/18 9/11/18 9/14/18 9/25/18 OFFICE NRR/DLP/IRGB/BC* N RR/DSS/SN PB/BC* NRR/DORL/LSPB/BC NAME BPham Rlukes DBroaddus DATE 9/25/18 9/19/18 9/26/18