ML14134A163

NRC Response to Entergy'S Notification Revised Regulatory Commitments Associated with Request for Information Pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 50.54(F) Regarding Recommendations 2.1, 2.3 and 9.3

ML14134A163
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png
Issue date:	07/28/2014
From:	Lund A Division of Operating Reactor Licensing
To:	Entergy Nuclear Operations
Kim J, NRR/DORL/LPLIV-2
References
Download: ML14134A163 (4)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 Vice President, Operations Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station P.O. Box 250 Governor Hunt Road Vernon, VT 05354 July 28, 2014

SUBJECT:

VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION-NRC RESPONSE TO ENTERGY'S NOTIFICATION OF REVISED REGULATORY COMMITMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH REQUEST FOR INFORMATION PURSUANT TO TITLE 10 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS 50.54(f) REGARDING RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1, 2.3, AND 9.3 OF THE NEAR-TERM TASK FORCE REVIEW OF INSIGHTS FROM THE FUKUSHIMA DAI-ICHI ACCIDENT, DATED MARCH 12, 2012

Dear Sir or Madam:

By letter dated March 12, 2012, 1 the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a request for information per Title 10 to the Code of Federal Regulations (1 0 CFR), Subpart 50.54(f) (50.54(f) letter), to all nuclear power reactor licensees and construction permit holders in response to lessons-learned from Japan's March 2011, earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Enclosures 1 through 4 to the 50.54(f) letter include information requests regarding Recommendations 2.1 and 2.3 for seismic and flooding hazard actions, and Enclosure 5 includes Recommendation 9.3 for emergency preparedness, as part of the response to the Near-Term Task Force [NTTF] Recommendations for Enhancing Reactor Safety in the 21 51 Century report, issued July 12, 2011.2 The 50.54(f) letter requests licensees to perform seismic and flooding walkdowns and hazard re-evaluations, and perform emergency preparedness communication and staffing evaluations for prolonged loss of power events. By letter dated September 23, 2013 3 , Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., the licensee, submitted a Notification of Permanent Cessation of Power Operations for the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station. In this letter, Entergy provided notification to the NRC of its intention to permanently cease power operation at the end of the current operating cycle, which is expected to occur in the fourth calendar quarter of 2014. In addition, Entergy indicated their intent to supplement the letter certifying the date on which operations have ceased, or will cease, in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (1 0 CFR) 50.82(a)(1

)(i) and 10 CFR 50.4(b)(8).

Upon docketing of the certifications for permanent cessation of operations and permanent removal of fuel from the reactor vessel pursuant to 10 CFR 50.82(a)(1

), the 10 CFR Part 50 license for the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station will no longer authorize operation of the 3 The 10 CFR 50.54(f) letter is available via the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), Accession No. ML12053A340.

The NTIF report is available in ADAMS, Accession No. ML111861807 ADAMS Accession No. ML13273A204 reactor or placement or retention of fuel in the reactor vessel, as specified in 10 CFR 50.82(a)(2).

The recommendations of the 50.54(f) letter are intended for operating facilities and do not include permanently shutdown facilities.

Upon docketing of the certifications pursuant to 10 CFR 50.82(a)(1), Vermont Yankee will no longer be an operating power reactor. By letter dated March 12, 2014 4 , Entergy provided notification that it was revising the proposed submittal dates for a number of regulatory commitments pursuant to the 50.54(f) letter. Specifically, Entergy previously made regulatory commitments to complete a number of actions in calendar year 2014 pursuant to the 50.54(f) letter relating to seismic walkdowns and hazards reevaluations and emergency preparedness.

The submittal dates for these regulatory commitments have been changed to June 30, 2015. Entergy did not make changes to regulatory commitments regarding flooding walkdowns and hazards evaluations.

Entergy stated that the deferred commitments support actions that will not occur until after Vermont Yankee ceases operations and permanently removes fuel from the reactor vessel. Furthermore, Entergy stated that the regulatory commitment dates do not impact compliance with the Vermont Yankee licensing basis and that the changes in due dates will not have an adverse effect on safety. By letter dated February 20, 2014 5 , the NRC staff stated that licensees whose plant's current seismic design basis does not bound the reevaluated seismic hazard are expected to submit an interim evaluation or interim actions taken or planned to address the reevaluated hazard where it exceeds the current design basis along with the Seismic Hazard Evaluation and Screening report by March 31, 2014. In response, a letter from NEI dated March 12, 2014 6 provides seismic core damage risk estimates using the updated seismic hazards for the operating nuclear plants in the central and eastern United States. These risk estimates continue to support the following conclusions of the NRC Generic Issue 199 Safety/Risk Assessmenf:

Overall seismic core damage risk estimates are consistent with the Commission's Safety Goal Policy Statement because they are within the subsidiary objective of 1 o-4/year for core damage frequency.

The Gl-199 Safety/Risk Assessment, based in part on information from the U.S. NRC's Individual Plant Examination of External Events (IPEEE) program, indicates that no concern exists regarding adequate protection and that the current seismic design of operating reactors provides a safety margin to withstand potential earthquakes exceeding the original design basis. By letter dated June 5, 2014 8 , Entergy stated that Vermont Yankee is included in the above NEI risk estimates.

Using the methodology described in the NEI letter, all plants were shown to be below 1 o-4/year; thus, the above conclusions apply. 4 5 6 7 8 ADAMS Accession No. ML14079A025 ADAMS Accession No. ML14030A046 ADAMS Accession No. ML14083A596 ADAMS Accession No. ML100270582 ADAMS Accession No. ML141608140 The NRC acknowledges that Entergy fully intends to permanently cease power operations at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station by the end of the fourth calendar quarter of 2014. The NRC further understands that resources which would have been assigned to respond to the 50.54(f) letter have been assigned to decommissioning preparation activities and that the allocation of resources to plan, design, and purchase materials which will never be installed does not maintain nor enhance protection of the public health and safety during the remainder of the current operating cycle. Based on the discussion above, the NRC concludes that the revised regulatory commitments are acceptable.

Should you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Mr. James Kim at 301-415-4125 or James.Kim@NRC.gov.

Docket No. 50-271 cc: Distribution via Listserv Sincerely, ;(,_.;._ A. Louise Lund, Acting Director Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation The NRC acknowledges that Entergy fully intends to permanently cease power operations at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station by the end of the fourth calendar quarter of 2014. The NRC further understands that resources which would have been assigned to respond to the 50.54(f) letter have been assigned to decommissioning preparation activities and that the allocation of resources to plan, design, and purchase materials which will never be installed does not maintain nor enhance protection of the public health and safety during the remainder of the current operating cycle. Based on the discussion above, the NRC concludes that the revised regulatory commitments are acceptable.

Should you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Mr. James Kim at 301-415-4125 or James.Kim@NRC.gov.

Docket No. 50-271 cc: Distribution via Listserv DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC LPL4-2 R/F RidsNrrDorllpl1-1 RidsOgcMaiiCenter Resource DPickett, DORL Sincerely, IRA/ A. Louise Lund, Acting Director Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation RidsNrrDorllpl4-2 Resource RidsNrrLAKGoldstein Resource NDiFrancesco RidsNrrDorl Resource RidsNrrDorl RidsRgn1 Mail Center Resource RidsNrrPMVermontYankee RMcKinley, R1 MMitchell, NRR ADAMS Accession No* ML14134A163

.. OFFICE DORLILPL 1-1/PM DORLILPL 1-1/LA DORLILPL4-2/PM JLD/PMB/BC NAME DPickett KGoldstein JKim MMitchell DATE 07117/2014 05/27/2014 07/17/2014 07/17/2014 OFFICE DORLILPL4-2/BC DORLILPL 1-1/BC OGC DORL/0 NAME DBroaddus BBeasley Llund DATE 07/17/2014 07/17/20/14 07/18/2014 07/28/2014 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY