ML090980328
| ML090980328 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Oyster Creek |
| Issue date: | 04/08/2009 |
| From: | Darrell Roberts Division of Reactor Safety I |
| To: | Pardee C Exelon Generation Co, Exelon Nuclear |
| Richmond, J E, RI/DRS/EB1, 610-337-5220 | |
| References | |
| IR-09-007 | |
| Download: ML090980328 (5) | |
Text
April 8, 2009 Mr. Charles G. Pardee Senior Vice President, Exelon Generation Company, LLC President and Chief Nuclear Officer (CNO), Exelon Nuclear 4300 Winfield Rd.
Warrenville, IL 60555
SUBJECT:
OYSTER CREEK NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION - PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF MARCH 2009 INSPECTION RELATED TO LICENSE RENEWAL ACTIVITIES
Dear Mr. Pardee:
This letter documents the preliminary results of an inspection of your activities to implement the license renewal commitments contained in Appendix A to the NRC's Safety Evaluation Report (SER), dated March 2007 and supplemented in September 2008. This letter also acknowledges receipt of your March 6, 2009, letter which stated that you implemented the license renewal commitments that were due before the period of extended operation, which begins on April 10, 2009.
The inspection was conducted from March 9 to March 27, 2009, using the guidance of Inspection Procedure (IP) 71003, "Post-approval Site Inspection for License Renewal." The basis for the inspection was NRC NUREG 1875, "SER Related to License Renewal of Oyster Creek Generating Station." The inspection also reviewed your corrective actions associated with an unresolved item (URI) in NRC Inspection Report (IR) 05000219/2008007.
In 2006 and 2008, the NRC conducted license renewal inspections at your facility in accordance with IP 71002, "License Renewal Inspection," (see IR 05000219/2006007) and IP 71003 (see IR 050219/2006013 and IR 05000219/2008007). Although IP 71003 is designated as a "post-approval" inspection procedure, the NRC staff conducted these inspections as a prudent measure while awaiting a final NRC decision on license renewal. During March 2009, the staff conducted the most recent of these inspections, using a team of seven regional inspectors, to review your implementation of license renewal commitment activities, in accordance with IP 71003, and as described in the final SER and your March 6 letter.
The team's inspection focused on 30 Aging Management Programs, five Time Limited Aging Analysis commitments, and five proposed conditions of the license as described in the SER.
The inspected programs and commitments included, but were not limited to, electrical cable tests and inspections, Forked River combustion turbine inspections, buried piping and tank inspections, spent fuel pool leakage monitoring, drywell shell inspection and monitoring, and your engineering study to identify options to eliminate or reduce leakage in the refueling cavity liner. The team found no significant inconsistencies between actions described in your letter as complete and your implementation of those actions. In addition, the team found no adverse conditions which would preclude continued safe operations.
C. Pardee 2
In January 2009, you submitted a report of the results of the Oyster Creek three-dimensional (3-D) finite element analysis of the drywell shell. The report determined that the drywell shell meets the applicable American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code margins. The report's sensitivity analysis also concluded that thickness changes to the drywell shell and measurement uncertainties would not result in a significant reduction in the safety factor. As stated in the Commission Order (CLI-09-07 April 1, 2009), the staff's review of the 3-D finite element analysis report is not a precondition for issuing the renewed license. The staff's review determined that you met the commitment to perform and submit a 3-D finite element analysis of the degraded drywell shell using modern analysis methods. The NRC staff will finalize its review of the 3-D finite element analysis, considering the Commission Order, and plans to provide a summary in the teams inspection report.
The team also reviewed your corrective actions associated with URI 05000219/2008007-01.
The inspection of the URI dealt with determining applicable current licensing basis requirements or standards for various refueling activities dealing with work control, refueling cavity leakage monitoring activities, and visual inspections of the containment drywell shell. The team found sufficient information to evaluate the performance issues and no findings of significance were identified.
We will finalize our inspection by mid-April 2009 and expect to issue IR 05000219/2009007 in mid-May 2009. These inspection results will likely be a subject raised during the open house and question and answer periods of the Oyster Creek annual assessment meeting, tentatively scheduled for May 28, 2009. That meeting will be open to the public and announced by separate correspondence. If you have any questions in this matter, please contact Mr. Richard Conte of my staff at 610/337-5183.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Darrell J. Roberts, Director Division of Reactor Safety Docket No. 50-219 License No. DPR-16
C. Pardee 2
In January 2009, you submitted a report of the results of the Oyster Creek three-dimensional (3-D) finite element analysis of the drywell shell. The report determined that the drywell shell meets the applicable American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code margins. The report's sensitivity analysis also concluded that thickness changes to the drywell shell and measurement uncertainties would not result in a significant reduction in the safety factor. As stated in the Commission Order (CLI-09-07 April 1, 2009), the staff's review of the 3-D finite element analysis report is not a precondition for issuing the renewed license. The staff's review determined that you met the commitment to perform and submit a 3-D finite element analysis of the degraded drywell shell using modern analysis methods. The NRC staff will finalize its review of the 3-D finite element analysis, considering the Commission Order, and plans to provide a summary in the teams inspection report.
The team also reviewed your corrective actions associated with URI 05000219/2008007-01.
The inspection of the URI dealt with determining applicable current licensing basis requirements or standards for various refueling activities dealing with work control, refueling cavity leakage monitoring activities, and visual inspections of the containment drywell shell. The team found sufficient information to evaluate the performance issues and no findings of significance were identified.
We will finalize our inspection by mid-April 2009 and expect to issue IR 05000219/2009007 in mid-May 2009. These inspection results will likely be a subject raised during the open house and question and answer periods of the Oyster Creek annual assessment meeting, tentatively scheduled for May 28, 2009. That meeting will be open to the public and announced by separate correspondence. If you have any questions in this matter, please contact Mr. Richard Conte of my staff at 610/337-5183.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Darrell J. Roberts, Director Division of Reactor Safety Docket No. 50-219 License No. DPR-16 SUNSI Review Complete: JER/RJC (Reviewer=s Initials)
ADAMS ACCESSION NO. ML090980328 DOCUMENT NAME: G:\\DRS\\Engineering Branch 1\\Richmond\\OC 2009-06\\_ Results Letter\\OC 2009-06 Results Letter (final).doc After declaring this document AAn Official Agency Record@ it will be released to the Public.
To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box: "C" = Copy without attachment/enclosure "E" = Copy with attachment/enclosure "N" = No copy OFFICE RI/DRS RI/DRS RI/DRP RI/DRS NAME JRichmond/JER RConte/RJC RBellamy/JER for DRoberts/DJR DATE 04/08/09 04/08/09 04/08/09 04/08/09 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY OGC - NLO via JER DLR - verbal ok JER
C. Pardee 3
cc:
C. Crane, President and Chief Operating Officer, Exelon Corporation M. Pacilio, Chief Operating Officer, Exelon Nuclear M. Gallagher, Vice President, License Renewal, Exelon Corporation T. Rausch, Site Vice President, Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station P. Orphanos, Plant Manager, Oyster Creek Generating Station J. Barstow, Regulatory Assurance Manager, Oyster Creek J. Grimes, Acting Senior Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Operations K. Jury, Vice President, Licensing and Regulatory Affairs P. Cowan, Director, Licensing B. Fewell, Associate General Counsel, Exelon Correspondence Control Desk, Exelon Nuclear Mayor of Lacey Township P. Mulligan, Chief, NJ Dept of Environmental Protection R. Shadis, New England Coalition Staff E. Gbur, Chairwoman - Jersey Shore Nuclear Watch E. Zobian, Coordinator - Jersey Shore Anti Nuclear Alliance P. Baldauf, Assistant Director, NJ Radiation Protection Programs
C. Pardee 4
Distribution:
S. Collins, RA M. Dapas, DRA D. Lew, DRP J. Clifford, DRP R. Bellamy, DRP S. Barber, DRP C. Newport, DRP M. Ferdas, DRP, SRI J. Kulp, DRP, RI J. DeVries, DRP, OA S. Campbell, RI OEDO D. Pelton, NRR L. Regner, NRR H. Chernoff, NRR R. Nelson, NRR E. Miller, PM, NRR J. Hughey, NRR, Backup ROPreportsResource@nrc.gov Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)
D. Roberts, DRS P. Wilson, DRS R. Conte, DRS J. Richmond, DRS DRS File