ML081350003

Request for Additional Information Related to Request for Relief 3ISI-08 (Tac No. MD7507)

ML081350003
Person / Time
Site:	Columbia
Issue date:	05/15/2008
From:	Lyon C NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLIV
To:	Parrish J Energy Northwest
Lyon, C F, NRR/DLPM, 415-2296
References
TAC MD7507
Download: ML081350003 (5)

Text

May 15, 2008 Mr. J. V. Parrish Chief Executive Officer Energy Northwest P.O. Box 968 (Mail Drop 1023)

Richland, WA 99352-0968

SUBJECT:

COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELATED TO REQUEST FOR RELIEF 3ISI-08 (TAC NO. MD7507)

Dear Mr. Parrish:

By letter dated December 13, 2007, to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Energy Northwest requested approval of a partial scope Risk-Informed Inservice Inspection (RI-ISI) program as an alternative to certain American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code,Section XI, inspection requirements.

The NRC staff is reviewing your submittal and has determined that additional information is required to complete its review. The specific information requested is addressed in the enclosure to this letter. Please provide a response by July 11, 2008, to this request for additional information.

The NRC staff considers that timely responses to requests for additional information help ensure sufficient time is available for staff review and contribute toward the NRCs goal of efficient and effective use of staff resources. If circumstances result in the need to revise the requested response date, please contact me at (301) 415-2296.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Carl F. Lyon, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-397

Enclosure:

As stated cc w/encl: See next page

ML081350003

• Memo dated OFFICE NRR/LPL4/PM NRR/LPL4/LA CPNB/BC APLA/BC NRR/LPL4/BC NAME FLyon GLappert TChan*

MRubin*

THiltz DATE 5/15/08 5/15/08 5/7/08 5/7/08 5/15/08

Columbia Generating Station (11/26/2007) cc:

Chairman Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council P.O. Box 43172 Olympia, WA 98504-3172 Mr. Gregory V. Cullen Manager, Regulatory Programs Energy Northwest P.O. Box 968, Mail Drop PE20 Richland, WA 99352-0968 Chairman Benton County Board of Commissioners P.O. Box 190 Prosser, WA 99350-0190 Mr. William A. Horin, Esq.

Winston & Strawn 1700 K Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20006-3817 Mr. Matt Steuerwalt Executive Policy Division Office of the Governor P.O. Box 43113 Olympia, WA 98504-3113 Ms. Lynn Albin Washington State Department of Health P.O. Box 7827 Olympia, WA 98504-7827 Technical Services Branch Chief FEMA Region X 130 - 228th Street, SW Bothell, WA 98021-9796 Mr. Mike Hammond Department of Homeland Security FEMA/REP 130 - 228th Street SW Bothell, WA 98021-9796 Regional Administrator, Region IV U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011-4005 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 69 Richland, WA 99352-0069 Mr. Ken Niles Assistant Director Oregon Department of Energy 625 Marion Street NE Salem, OR 97301-3737 Special Hazards Program Manager Washington Emergency Management Div.

127 W. Clark Street Pasco, WA 99301

REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELATED TO REQUEST FOR RELIEF 3ISI-08 ENERGY NORTHWEST COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION DOCKET NUMBER 50-397 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has reviewed the submittal by Energy Northwest dated December 13, 2007, related to a relief request associated with the third inservice inspection (ISI) interval for the Columbia Generating Station. The submittal requests relief from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME Code),Section XI, requirements for the selection and examination of ASME Code Class 1, Examination Category B-J welds. The NRC staff has determined that the following information is needed in order to complete its review:

1.

On page 4 of 5 of Attachment 1, a table showing the number of locations inspected by system during the second 10-year ISI interval and the number of locations proposed for the third 10-year ISI interval is presented. Please summarize what is causing the relatively large changes in the number of inspections in the various systems shown on this table.

2.

Section 3.6, Additional Examinations, of Attachment 2, states Additional examinations will be performed on these elements up to a number equivalent to the number of elements initially required to be inspected on the segment or segments. If unacceptable flaws determined to be service related or if relevant conditions are again found similar to the initial problem, the remaining identified as susceptible will be examined. Please clarify that these additional examinations will be done during the current outage, consistent with ASME Code,Section XI, IWB-2430.

3.

Please clarify that the second paragraph of Section 3.7, Program Relief Requests, was intended to say that the process outlined in Electric Power Research Institute Technical Report (EPRI TR) 112657 will be followed for locations found at the time of examination that do not exceed the 90 percent coverage.

4.

Per Table 3.5-1 in Attachment 2, there are 27 welds in the High Risk (HR) population, with 20 in the Reactor Core Isolation Cooling (RCIC) system. The EPRI method directs that 25 percent of HR welds be selected for inspection.

Twenty five percent of 27, rounded up, is 7 welds, yet only 5 are selected for inspection, and none of these in the RCIC system.

a.

Please clarify why less than 25 percent of the HR welds are apparently being inspected and, if the selection deviates from the 25 percent required by the methodology, please justify the deviation.

b.

Please explain why no HR welds in the RCIC system are included in the inspection population.