ML081830557
| ML081830557 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 07/08/2008 |
| From: | Ruland W NRC/NRR/ADES/DSS |
| To: | Jeffrey Riley Nuclear Energy Institute |
| Lyon W, DSSA/SRXB, 415-2887 | |
| References | |
| GL-08-001 | |
| Download: ML081830557 (5) | |
Text
July 8, 2008 James H. Riley, Director Engineering, Nuclear Generation Division Nuclear Energy Institute 1776 I Street, NW Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006-3708
Dear Mr. Riley:
The purpose of this letter is to document the results of the phone call between representatives of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) and the Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Owners Groups, and the NRC staff regarding Generic Letter (GL) 2008-01, Managing Gas Accumulation in Emergency Core Cooling, Decay Heat Removal, and Containment Spray Systems. Discussions during the phone call related to the GL 2008-01 required response, industry activities and the schedule for actions in response to the GL, and NRC staff plans with regard to the GL response follow-up activities.
GL 2008-01 Required Response The NRC staff expects all addressees to submit a 9-month response by October 11, 2008 that addresses the information and discussion provided in the GL using the guidance provided by NEI. GL 2008-01 required a 9 month response or a 3 month response with a proposed alternative course of action. Part of an acceptable alternative course of action is to provide NRC a 9 month response to report on all completed actions. Addressees who submitted 3-month responses consistent with the GL Required Response may defer those actions identified in their 3-month response subject to the qualifications discussed below, but the NRC staff expects all addressees to submit a 9-month response consistent with previous NRC and NEI guidance describing what actions have been completed and what actions are being deferred including a scheduled completion date. A follow-up letter should be provided after completion of the deferred actions within 90 days of startup from the associated refueling outage.
Industry Activities and Schedule Regarding actions by licensees in response to GL 2008-01, the NRC staffs expectation is that, where walkdowns are necessary, the walkdowns of locations where radiation, temperature, scaffolds, or insulation removal are not an operational, ALARA, or hazard issue should be completed and the results described in the October 11, 2008 response.
Many addressees who provided a 3-month response asked to postpone completion of some walkdowns until the next refueling outage that starts after October 11, 2008 on
the basis of such considerations as accessibility, the need to build scaffolds, and the need to remove insulation. The NRC staff finds these requests reasonable and acceptable. Some addressees have stated they would perform the walkdowns during an outage that started later than the first refueling outage that started after October 11, 2008. Other addressees appear to be delaying necessary modifications identified during walkdowns until all walkdowns have been completed. The NRC staff expects that all remaining work where an additional refueling outage is necessary should be accomplished during the first refueling outage that initiates after October 11, 2008.
Addressees who did not submit a 3-month response should not need to perform walkdowns or perform additional work after October 11, 2008.
The NRC staff notes that, in general, addressees did not identify the long-term actions to address analysis weaknesses or the need for more comprehensive pump data in the 3-month responses. If these issues cannot be resolved in an October 11, 2008 response, then that response should describe the existing status at the licensees facility and should describe the confirmatory work to be accomplished, including a schedule, to address the issues.
Further, there is little information in the 3-month responses relative to the need for TS modifications. The NRC staff expects this subject to be addressed in the October 11, 2008 responses, including a description of any short term correction of existing TS weaknesses that have been implemented until a long-term generic program is completed that will provide new and improved TSs to address gas accumulation issues.
NEI requested another telephone conference call to discuss this issue and informed the NRC staff that it has formed a task team to address the issue.
NRC Staff GL 2008-01 Followup Activities The NRC staff will review licensee 9-month responses to GL 2008-01 against applicable licensing criteria and provide a letter to each licensee with its conclusions. The staff is also developing a temporary instruction (TI) for inspection followup of licensee actions to address gas accumulation concerns. NEI asked if the industry would be able to review the draft TI. The NRC staff plans to provide the draft TI to NEI for information.
If you have any questions about this letter, please call Warren Lyon at 301-415-2897 or contact him at warren.lyon@NRC.gov.
The NRC staff recommends that this letter be provided to NEIs Administrative Points of Contact so that licensees are aware of the NRC staff expectations for GL 2008-01 reporting.
Sincerely,
/RA/
William H. Ruland, Director Division of Safety Systems Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
cc Mike Melton (NEI)
J Grobe, M Case, M Murphy, J Wermiel, G Cranston, D Beaulieu D Woodyatt W Lyon
The NRC staff recommends that this letter be provided to NEIs Administrative Points of Contact so that licensees are aware of the NRC staff expectations for GL 2008-01 reporting.
Sincerely,
/RA/
William H. Ruland, Director Division of Safety Systems Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation cc Mike Melton (NEI)
J Grobe M Case M Murphy J Wermiel G Cranston D Beaulieu D Woodyatt W Lyon DISTRIBUTION: DSS R/F ADAMS: ML081830557 OFFICE DSS/SRXB BC:DSS/SRXB DD: NRR/DSS D: NRR/DSS NAME W LYON G CRANSTON J WERMIEL W RULAND DATE 7/ 01/08 7/01/08 7/01/08 7/08/08 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY