ML080880151

Summary of March 18, 2008 Meeting to Discuss the January 31, 2008, License Amendment Request (LAR) for a Digital Upgrade to Oconee Reactor Protective System (RPS) and Engineered Safeguards Protective System (Esps)

ML080880151
Person / Time
Site:	Oconee
Issue date:	04/02/2008
From:	Olshan L NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLII-1
To:	NRC/NRR/ADRO
Olshan L N, NRR/DORL, 415-1419
References
TAC MD7999, TAC MD8000, TAC MD8001
Download: ML080880151 (5)

Text

April 2, 2008 LICENSEE:

DUKE POWER COMPANY LLC (DUKE)

FACILITY:

OCONEE NUCLEAR STATION, UNITS 1, 2, AND 3 (OCONEE)

SUMMARY

OF MARCH 18, 2008, MEETING TO DISCUSS THE JANUARY 31, 2008, LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST (LAR) FOR A DIGITAL UPGRADE TO OCONEE REACTOR PROTECTIVE SYSTEM (RPS) AND ENGINEERED SAFEGUARDS PROTECTIVE SYSTEM (ESPS) (TAC NOS. MD7999, MD8000, AND MD8001)

On March 18, 2008, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) met with Duke (the licensee) to discuss the January 31, 2008, LAR for a digital upgrade to the Oconee RPS/ESPS.

Enclosed is a list of the attendees. The handout provided by the licensee during the meeting is available in the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under accession number ML080840040. The handout provided by the NRC is available under ADAMS accession number ML080840038. During the meeting, it was discovered that the NRC handout contained several typographical errors. The corrected version of the NRC handout is available under ADAMS accession number ML080840044.

The NRC staff stated that this LAR represents the most extensive use of digital systems on an operating plant in the U.S. and is one of the most significant licensing actions currently under NRC review. The NRC staff stated that the licensee has provided sufficient technical information in both scope and depth to accept the LAR for a detailed technical review.

However, in its handout, the NRC staff identified 6 items that present significant challenges to completing a comprehensive review of the LAR so that the NRC staff can make an independent assessment regarding the acceptability of the LAR in terms of regulatory requirements and the protection of the health and safety of the public.

The NRC staff requested that the licensee provide a schedule by April 1, 2008, for submitting the additional information specified in items 2 through 6 of the NRC handout. The NRC staff stated that no additional information is needed at this time on item 1, but that the NRC staff will be reviewing the defense-in-depth and diversity (D3) analysis in accordance with the Interim Staff Guidance on D3.

The NRC staff stated that, based on timely responses to the information requested in items 2 through 6 and all additional requests for additional information, the safety evaluation of the LAR is scheduled to be completed by June 30, 2009, with the issuance of the amendments probably 1 to 2 months later.

Duke The licensee stated that it intends to implement the digital upgrade to RPS/ESPS on Unit 1 during the refueling outage scheduled to begin in December 2009. In order to accomplish this, the licensee requested that the NRC staff issue the amendments by March 31, 2009. The NRC staff stated, that by March 31, 2009, it would have a good indication as to whether the LAR would be found acceptable or not acceptable, but that it was unlikely that the amendments would be issued by March 31, 2009. Both the NRC staff and the licensee stated that they will re-examine their schedules and have further discussions on these schedules.

/RA/

Leonard N. Olshan, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch II-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-269, 50-270, and 50-287

Enclosure:

List of Attendees cc w/encl: See next page

Duke The licensee stated that it intends to implement the digital upgrade to RPS/ESPS on Unit 1 during the refueling outage scheduled to begin in December 2009. In order to accomplish this, the licensee requested that the NRC staff issue the amendments by March 31, 2009. The NRC staff stated, that by March 31, 2009, it would have a good indication as to whether the LAR would be found acceptable or not acceptable, but that it was unlikely that the amendments would be issued by March 31, 2009. Both the NRC staff and the licensee stated that they will re-examine their schedules and have further discussions on these schedules.

/RA/

Leonard N. Olshan, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch II-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-269, 50-270, and 50-287

Enclosure:

List of Attendees cc w/encl: See next page Distribution:

PUBLIC S.Arndt, NRR LPL2-1 R/F J. Sharkey, NR RidsNrrDorlLpl2-1 (MWong)

P. Loeser, NRR RidsNrrLAMOBrien (hard copy)

RidsNrrPMMChernoff RidsNrrPMLOlshan (hard copy)

S. Bailey, NRR RidsOgcRp M.Cox, EDO, Rgn II RidsAcrsAcnw&mMailCenter RidsRgn2MailCenter (KWeaver)

C. Tucci, NRR W. Kemper, NRR I. Ahmed, NRR RidsNrrDorl (TMcGinty)

P.Hiland, NRR N. Carte, NRR Accession Number: ML080880151 OFFICE NRR/LPL2-1/PM NRR/LP2-1/LA NRR/LPL2-1/BC NAME LOlshan MOBrien MWong DATE 04/02/08 04/02/08 04/02/08 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

Enclosure MEETING ATTENDEES FROM MARCH 18, 2008, MEETING WITH DUKE POWER COMPANY LLC (DUKE)

TO DISCUSS THE JANUARY 31, 2008, LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST FOR A DIGITAL UPGRADE TO THE OCONEE RPS/ESPS NRC DUKE W. Kemper R. Gill I. Ahmed R. Freudenberger M. Wong M. Bailey T. McGinty T. Owusu P. Hiland B. Shingleton L. Olshan G. Davenport N. Carte D. Richardson S. Arndt B. Geddes J. Sharkey P. Loeser M. Chernoff S. Bailey OTHER R. Gardner, AREVA M. Burzynski, AREVA J. Riley, Nuclear Energy Institute G. Clefton, Nuclear Energy Institute J. Weil, McGraw-Hill S. Hanada, Mitsubishi Nuclear Energy Systems D. Raleigh, Scientech

Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 cc:

Mr. Bruce H. Hamilton Vice President, Oconee Site Duke Power Company LLC 7800 Rochester Highway Seneca, SC 29672 Ms. Lisa F. Vaughn Associate General Counsel and Managing Attorney Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC 526 South Church Street - EC07H Charlotte, North Carolina 28202 Manager, LIS NUS Corporation 2650 McCormick Dr., 3rd Floor Clearwater, FL 34619-1035 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 7812B Rochester Highway Seneca, SC 29672 Mr. Henry Porter, Director Division of Radioactive Waste Management Bureau of Land and Waste Management Dept. of Health and Env. Control 2600 Bull St.

Columbia, SC 29201-1708 Mr. Michael A. Schoppman Framatome ANP 1911 North Ft. Myer Dr.

Suite 705 Rosslyn, VA 22209 Mr. B. G. Davenport Regulatory Compliance Manager Oconee Nuclear Site Duke Energy Corporation ON03RC 7800 Rochester Highway Seneca, SC 29672 Mr. Leonard G. Green Assistant Attorney General NC Department of Justice P.O. Box 629 Raleigh, NC 27602 Mr. R. L. Gill, Jr.

Manager - Nuclear Regulatory Issues and Industry Affairs Duke Power Company LLC 526 S. Church St.

Mail Stop EC05P Charlotte, NC 28202 Division of Radiation Protection NC Dept of Environment, Health, & Natural Resources 3825 Barrett Dr.

Raleigh, NC 27609-7721 Mr. Peter R. Harden, IV VP-Customer Relations and Sales Westinghouse Electric Company 6000 Fairview Road 12th Floor Charlotte, NC 28210 Mr. Henry Barron Group Vice President, Nuclear Generation and Chief Nuclear Officer P.O. Box 1006-EC07H Charlotte, NC 28201-1006 Mr. Charles Brinkman Director, Washington Operations Westinghouse Electric Company 12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Suite 330 Rockville, MD 20852 Ms. Kathryn B. Nolan Senior Counsel Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC 526 South Church Street - EC07H Charlotte, NC 28202