ML003774401
| ML003774401 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/04/2000 |
| From: | Sheron B Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Pietrangelo A Nuclear Energy Institute |
| Ali S A | |
| References | |
| TAC MA9673 | |
| Download: ML003774401 (2) | |
Text
December4,2000Mr.AnthonyR.PietrangeloDirector,RiskandPerformanceBasedRegulation NuclearEnergyInstitute 1776IStreet,Suite400 Washington,D.C.20006
DearMr.Pietrangelo:
WearerespondingtoyourOctober20,2000,letterthatprovidedascheduleofexpectedrisk-informedinserviceinspection(RI-ISI)submittalsandneeddatesandrequestedNRCfeedback onthelikelihoodthatwecanprocesstheexpectednumberofapplicationsontheschedules reflectedinyourletter.AlongwithcompletionoftheRI-ISIregulatoryguideandstandardreviewplan,thestaffcompletedandissuedsafetyevaluations(SE)ontheWestinghouseOwnersGroup(WOG)and ElectricPowerResearchInstitute(EPRI)methodologies.Thestaffhasalsoreviewedand approvedpilotplantapplicationsthatimplementedthesemethodologies.Asdiscussedinyour letter,theindustryandstaffcooperatedindevelopingtemplatesforRI-ISIsubmittalstofacilitate thereviewandapprovalofsubsequentRI-ISIsubmittals.Itshouldbenotedthatevenwiththe useoftemplatesubmittals,thestaffperformssufficientreviewtogainconfidencethatthe analysisdonetosupportthesubmittalisunderstoodandissufficienttosupportafindingof reasonableassurance.Weagreewithyourunderstandingthataplantusingthetemplate,and takingnoexceptionstooneofthetwoapprovedmethodologies,shouldreceivethestaff approvalinapproximatelythreemonths.However,ourexperiencehasbeenthat,inmost cases,thelicenseeshavetakensomeexceptionstotheapprovedmethodologyresultingin moreextensivereviewsandhencelongerreviewschedules.Itdoesnotappearthatthe licenseesaretakingfulladvantageofexperiencedevelopedduringpriorsuccessfulevaluations tosimplifytheanalysisandreviewofsubsequentsubmittals.Enclosure1toyourletterprovidesascheduleofexpectedsubmittals,submittaldates,andneeddatesforsubmittalsinthefinalquarterofthisyearandnextyear.Ofthese,thestaffhas completedthereviewandissuedSEsfornineplantsandiscurrentlyreviewingsubmittalsfor nineotherplants.Yourletterindicatesthatanadditional11plantsneedtheirRI-ISIprogram approvalsduringthefirstquarterof2001andtenduringthesecondquarterof2001.Inthe thirdquarterof2001,threeplantsneedapprovalandinthefourthquarter,twoplantsneed approvaloftheirRI-ISIprograms.Therearefourplantsthatneedapprovalin2002andtwo haveunspecifieddatesforprogramapprovals.Thestaffacknowledgesthatthelistmaynotbe completeandthatsomeplantsnotincludedinthelistmightsubmitRI-ISIprograms.WealsonotefromEnclosure1,thatsomelicenseesplanasubmittalonlythreemonthsbeforetheneeddate(e.g.,McGuire)andotherlicenseesplanasubmittaloversixmonthsbeforethe needdate(e.g.,QuadCities).Licenseeswithashorterreviewintervalareencouragedto acceleratetheirsubmittaltoallowforcontingencies.
AnthonyR.Pietrangelo-2-WewouldliketopointoutthatourpastexperiencehasbeenthatplantshavenotbeensubmittingtheirRI-ISIprogramsforapprovalaccordingtoschedulesinformallyprovidedtous bythemajorRI-ISIvendors.Wehavebeenreceivingfewerplantsubmittalsthananticipated.
Formostofthesubmittalsthathavefollowedanapprovedmethodologywithminimal deviations,wehavemettheapprovalschedulesrequestedbythelicensees.Inaddition,we expecttomeetthescheduleforallthesubmittalsthatarecurrentlyunderreviewaslongasthe licenseesrespondinatimelyandsatisfactorymannertooutstandingstaffissuesregardingthe implementationoftheRI-ISImethodologies.Whetherwecanmeetthescheduleforfuture submittalsdependsontheextenttowhichthesesubmittalsdeviatefromtheapprovedtopical reportmethodologies.OurintentistoutilizeavailableresourcesalongwithNRCcontractor help,ifneeded,tocontinuetomeetthescheduleneedsofthelicensees.Weagreewiththecontingencyplanpointedoutinyourlettertoreviewandgrantreliefofuptotwoyearsifthisbecomesnecessaryforindividuallicensees.Thestaffrecommendsthatthese reliefrequestsnotbeincludedwiththeapplication;theyshouldbesubmittedonlyincases whenthestaffconcludesthatitwillnotbeabletomeetthelicensee'sschedulerequirements.
Regardingourcommentsonthetemplateforthelanguageinsuchreliefrequestsassuggested inEnclosure3ofyourletter,wesuggestameetingwithourstafftodiscusstheitemsthatneed tobeincluded.Thestaffhasbeenmeetingwiththeindustry(WOGandEPRI)regardingadditionalgenericdevelopments,suchasapplicationofRI-ISItohighenergylinebreak(HELB)piping.Thestaff intendstofurtherdiscussitsplanwithWOGandEPRItodevelopandimplementsuch applications.AsindicatedinyourEnclosure1,theindustryhasanaggressiveschedulefor submittalofRI-ISIprogramsduringtheremainderofthisyearandthefirsthalfofnextyear.
Thestaffbelievesthatthereviewsofthesesubmittalsshouldhaveahigherpriorityandhence limitedstaffresourcesmightimpactthereviewofextendingthegenericapplicationoftherisk-informedmethodologytonewapplications.Insummary,thestaffhasbeenmeetingthelicensees'requestedschedulesforthereviewsoftheRI-ISIsubmittalsthathavebeencompleted.Wealsoexpecttomeettheschedulesforthe submittalscurrentlyunderreviewandtherequestedschedulesforfuturesubmittals.This,of course,iscontingentuponthelicenseestakingnoexceptionstotheapprovedmethodologies andrespondinginatimelyandsatisfactorymannertooutstandingstaffissuesregardingthe implementationoftheRI-ISImethodologies.WelookforwardtocontinuingtoworkwiththeindustryasweprogressthroughtheimplementationofRI-ISIprogramsatvariousplants.Ifyouneedfurtherinformation,please contactSyedAli(301-415-2776)ofmystaff.Sincerely,/ra/BrianW.Sheron,AssociateDirectorforProjectLicensingandTechnicalAnalysisOfficeofNuclearReactorRegulation AnthonyR.Pietrangelo-2-WewouldliketopointoutthatourpastexperiencehasbeenthatplantshavenotbeensubmittingtheirRI-ISIprogramsforapprovalaccordingtoschedulesinformallyprovidedtous bythemajorRI-ISIvendors.Wehavebeenreceivingfewerplantsubmittalsthananticipated.
Formostofthesubmittalsthathavefollowedanapprovedmethodologywithminimal deviations,wehavemettheapprovalschedulesrequestedbythelicensees.Inaddition,we expecttomeetthescheduleforallthesubmittalsthatarecurrentlyunderreviewaslongasthe licenseesrespondinatimelyandsatisfactorymannertooutstandingstaffissuesregardingthe implementationoftheRI-ISImethodologies.Whetherwecanmeetthescheduleforfuture submittalsdependsontheextenttowhichthesesubmittalsdeviatefromtheapprovedtopical reportmethodologies.OurintentistoutilizeavailableresourcesalongwithNRCcontractor help,ifneeded,tocontinuetomeetthescheduleneedsofthelicensees.Weagreewiththecontingencyplanpointedoutinyourlettertoreviewandgrantreliefofuptotwoyearsifthisbecomesnecessaryforindividuallicensees.Thestaffrecommendsthatthese reliefrequestsnotbeincludedwiththeapplication;theyshouldbesubmittedonlyincases whenthestaffconcludesthatitwillnotbeabletomeetthelicensee'sschedulerequirements.
Regardingourcommentsonthetemplateforthelanguageinsuchreliefrequestsassuggested inEnclosure3ofyourletter,wesuggestameetingwithourstafftodiscusstheitemsthatneed tobeincluded.Thestaffhasbeenmeetingwiththeindustry(WOGandEPRI)regardingadditionalgenericdevelopments,suchasapplicationofRI-ISItohighenergylinebreak(HELB)piping.Thestaff intendstofurtherdiscussitsplanwithWOGandEPRItodevelopandimplementsuch applications.AsindicatedinyourEnclosure1,theindustryhasanaggressiveschedulefor submittalofRI-ISIprogramsduringtheremainderofthisyearandthefirsthalfofnextyear.
Thestaffbelievesthatthereviewsofthesesubmittalsshouldhaveahigherpriorityandhence limitedstaffresourcesmightimpactthereviewofextendingthegenericapplicationoftherisk-informedmethodologytonewapplications.Insummary,thestaffhasbeenmeetingthelicensees'requestedschedulesforthereviewsoftheRI-ISIsubmittalsthathavebeencompleted.Wealsoexpecttomeettheschedulesforthe submittalscurrentlyunderreviewandtherequestedschedulesforfuturesubmittals.This,of course,iscontingentuponthelicenseestakingnoexceptionstotheapprovedmethodologies andrespondinginatimelyandsatisfactorymannertooutstandingstaffissuesregardingthe implementationoftheRI-ISImethodologies.WelookforwardtocontinuingtoworkwiththeindustryasweprogressthroughtheimplementationofRI-ISIprogramsatvariousplants.Ifyouneedfurtherinformation,please contactSyedAli(301-415-2776)ofmystaff.Sincerely,BrianW.Sheron,AssociateDirectorforProjectLicensingandTechnicalAnalysisOfficeofNuclearReactorRegulationDistribution:EMCBRFSJCollinsRZimmermanJJohnsonTJCarter(YT020000271)DOCUMENTNAME:G:\EMCB\ALI\NEILetterOct2000Response.wpdOFFICEEMCB:DEEMCB:DEEMCB:DEDE:NRRNAMESAli:saaEJSullivan:ejsWHBateman:whbRHWessman:rhwDATE11/28/0011/22/0011/22/0011/29/00OFFICEDE:NRRSPSB/DSSAADPT:NRRNAMEJRStrosnider:jrsRBarrett:rbBWSheron:bwsDATE11/29/0011/28/0012/04/00//00OFFICIALRECORDCOPY