ML092300718

Summary of Teleconference Call Held Between the NRC and Nebraska Public Power District Related to Clarifications on Request for Additional Information for Cooper

ML092300718
Person / Time
Site:	Cooper
Issue date:	10/15/2009
From:	Bennett Brady License Renewal Projects Branch 1
To:	Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD)
BRADY BENNETT
References
Download: ML092300718 (8)

Text

October 15, 2009 LICENSEE:

Nebraska Public Power District FACILITY:

Cooper Nuclear Station

SUMMARY

OF TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL HELD ON JULY 27, 2009, BETWEEN THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STAFF AND NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT, RELATED TO CLARIFICATIONS ON REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, FOR COOPER NUCLEAR STATION LICENSE RENEWAL The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff and representatives of Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) held a telephone conference call on July 27, 2009, to discuss clarifications on inspections of small bore piping documented in the NRC request for additional information letter dated May 1, 2009 (Accession Number ML091240344) and the NPPD response documented in a letter dated July 15, 2009 (Accession Number ML091690050).

provides a listing of the participants and Enclosure 2 contains a brief description of the telephone conference call.

The applicant had an opportunity to comment on this summary.

/RA/

Bennett Brady, Project Manager Projects Branch 1 Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-298

Enclosures:

As stated cc w/encls: See next page

ML092300718 OFFICE PM:RPB1:DLR LA:DLR PM:RPB1:DLR BC:RPB1:DLR PM:RPB1:DLR NAME B. Brady S. Figueroa T. Tran B. Pham B. Brady DATE 9/2/09 8/20/09 9/3/09 10/15/09 10/15/09

Memorandum to Nebraska Public Power District from B. Brady dated October 15, 2009

SUMMARY

OF TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL HELD ON JULY 27, 2009, BETWEEN THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STAFF AND NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT, RELATED TO CLARIFICATIONS ON REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, FOR COOPER NUCLEAR STATION LICENSE RENEWAL DISTRIBUTION:

HARD COPY:

DLR RF E-MAIL:

PUBLIC RidsNrrDlr Resource RidsNrrDlrRpb1 Resource RidsNrrDlrRpb2 Resource RidsNrrDlrRer1 Resource RidsNrrDlrRer2 Resource RidsNrrDlrRerb Resource RidsNrrDlrRpob Resource RidsNrrDciCvib Resource RidsNrrDciCpnb Resource RidsNrrDciCsgb Resource RidsNrrDraAfpb Resource RidsNrrDraApla Resource RidsNrrDeEmcb Resource RidsNrrDeEeeb Resource RidsNrrDssSrxb Resource RidsNrrDssSbpb Resource RidsNrrDssScvb Resource RidsOgcMailCenter Resource T. Tran B. Brady F. Lyon B. Fu A. Hiser E. Sayoc D. Roth (OGC)

A. Jones (OGC)

N. Taylor (RIV)

E. Collins (RIV)

C. Casto (RIV)

B. Maier (RIV)

V. Dricks (RIV)

D. Chamberlain (RIV)

A. Vegel (RIV)

W. Walker (RIV)

G. Miller (RIV)

G. Pick (RIV)

S. Burnell (RIV)

Cooper Nuclear Station cc:

Mr. Ronald D. Asche President and Chief Executive Officer Nebraska Public Power District 1414 15th Street Columbus, NE 68601 Mr. Gene Mace Nuclear Asset Manager Nebraska Public Power District P.O. Box 98 Brownville, NE 68321 Mr. John C. McClure Vice President and General Counsel Nebraska Public Power District P.O. Box 499 Columbus, NE 68602-0499 Mr. David Van Der Kamp Licensing Manager Nebraska Public Power District P.O. Box 98 Brownville, NE 68321 Mr. Michael J. Linder, Director Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality P.O. Box 98922 Lincoln, NE 68509-8922 Chairman Nemaha County Board of Commissioners Nemaha County Courthouse 1824 N Street Auburn, NE 68305 Ms. Julia Schmitt, Manager Radiation Control Program Nebraska Health & Human Services R&L Public Health Assurance 301 Centennial Mall, South P.O. Box 95007 Lincoln, NE 68509-5007 Deputy Director for Policy Missouri Department of Natural Resources P.O. Box 176 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 218 Brownville, NE 68321 Regional Administrator, Region IV U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 612 E. Lamar Blvd., Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011-4125 Director, Missouri State Emergency Management Agency P.O. Box 116 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0116 Chief, Radiation and Asbestos Control Section Kansas Department of Health and Environment Bureau of Air and Radiation 1000 SW Jackson Suite 310 Topeka, KS 66612-1366 Ms. Melanie Rasmussen Radiation Control Program Director Bureau of Radiological Health Iowa Department of Public Health Lucas State Office Building, 5th Floor 321 East 12th Street Des Moines, IA 50319 Mr. Keith G. Henke, Planner Division of Community and Public Health Office of Emergency Coordination 930 Wildwood P.O. Box 570 Jefferson City, MO 65102

Cooper Nuclear Station cc:

Mr. Art Zaremba, Director of Nuclear Safety Assurance Nebraska Public Power District P.O. Box 98 Brownville, NE 68321 Mr. John F. McCann, Director Licensing, Entergy Nuclear Northeast Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601-1813 Stewart Minahan Vice President Nuclear and Chief Nuclear Officer Cooper Nuclear Station 72676 - 648A Avenue Brownville, NE 68321 Mike Boyce Cooper Strategic Initiatives Manager Cooper Nuclear Station 72676 - 648A Avenue Brownville, NE 68321 Dave Bremer License Renewal Project Manager Cooper Nuclear Station 72676 - 648A Avenue Brownville, NE 68321 Bill Victor License Renewal Project Licensing Lead Cooper Nuclear Station 72676 - 648A Avenue Brownville, NE 68321 Jim Loynes License Renewal Project Engineer Cooper Nuclear Station 72676 - 648A Avenue Brownville, NE 68321 Garry Young License Renewal Manager Entergy Nuclear 1448 S.R. 333, N-GSB-45 Russellville, AR 72802 Alan Cox License Renewal Technical Manager Entergy Nuclear 1448 S.R. 333, N-GSB-45 Russellville, AR 72802 Dave Lach LRP Entergy Project Manager Entergy Nuclear 1448 S.R. 333, N-GSB-45 Russellville, AR 72802

ENCLOSURE 1 TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL COOPER NUCLEAR STATION LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION LIST OF PARTICIPANTS JULY 27, 2009 PARTICIPANTS AFFILIATIONS Bennett Brady U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

Bart Fu NRC Allen Hiser NRC Emmanuel Sayoc NRC Dave Bremer Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD)

Tim McClure NPPD Jim Loynes NPPD Ken Thomas NPPD Alan Cox Entergy Ted Ivy Entergy Dave Lach Entergy Andy Taylor Entergy

ENCLOSURE 2 TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL COOPER NUCLEAR STATION LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION BRIEF DESCRIPTION July 27, 2009 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff and representatives of Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) held a telephone conference call on July 27, 2009, to discuss a question and response on the aging management program for small bore piping documented in the NRC request for additional information letter dated May 1, 2009 (Accession Number ML091240344) to which NPPD responded in a letter dated June 15, 2009 (Accession Number ML091690050).

Issue:

In the description for the Small Bore One-Time Inspection Aging Management Program, the applicant stated that it will perform ASME code ISI program (i.e., visual examinations) for small bore piping socket welds. In the staffs request for additional information (RAI), the staff requested that the applicant provide specific information on inspection of socket welds. The NRC staff requested a telephone conference to discuss the applicants response dated June 15, 2009.

Discussion:

NRC staff noted that NUREG-1801,Section XI.M35, recommends one-time inspection of Class 1 small bore piping including branch connections. It does not address or exclude socket welds.

The staff understands that there is not yet a qualified ultrasonic (UT) technique on socket welds.

However, it does not mean a visual examination (VT-2) is sufficient in addressing GALL. It is the applicants job to address the socket weld issue so it will ensure structural and leakage integrity and safety. NRC speculated that there are options available to industry in addressing socket welds other than only performing a VT-2. NRC stated that what has been accepted under the current licensing basis may not be sufficient for license renewal. This is a Part 54 process which may not impose the same requirement as in the Part 50 process.

NPPD's position is that the NRC established a precedent several years ago that ASME code ISI program (visual examinations) is acceptable for small bore piping socket welds in view of the fact that no volumetric testing technology exists that is effective in detecting intergranular stress corrosion cracking in socket welds. NPPD believes that this is not just a Part 54 issue, but is also a Part 50 issue. NPPD also feels this is an industry-wide issue.

==

Conclusion:==

NPPD will be communicating to the NEI License Renewal Task Force to raise the issue with the NRC Division of License Renewal to see if the staff is now establishing a new position in regards to small bore piping socket weld examinations. NPPD gave two references to support their statement that the NRC position on small bore piping socket weld examinations had previoulsy been established. The first was an ACRS subcommittee briefing transcript on the license renewal of Oyster Creek on January 18, 2007, in which an NRC staff member stated that no additional examinations of socket welds other than visual examinations would be required. The second reference was in a March 6, 2007, summary of a February 21, 2007, NEI/NRC meeting in which the issue was discussed. The NRC staff does not feel that these two references constitute an NRC position on the issue.

The staff and the applicant agree that this is a generic issue for all license renewal applications, approved and on-going. The staff will continue to work with applicants and the industry to find solutions in addressing this issue, in the SER with open items.

Subsequent to this telephone conference, the NRC staff provided a revised draft RAI to the applicant. As the applicant had no additional comments on the draft RAI, the RAI was sent to the applicant.