[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 103 (Thursday, May 27, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30339-30341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-11992]
[[Page 30339]]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Notice of Opportunity To Comment on Model Safety Evaluation on
Technical Specification Improvement Regarding Revision to the Control
Rod Scram Time Testing Frequency in STS 3.1.4, ``Control Rod Scram
Times'' for General Electric Boiling Water Reactors Using the
Consolidated Line Item Improvement Process
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Request for comment.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the staff of the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) has prepared a model safety evaluation (SE)
relating to changing the testing frequency for the surveillance
requirement (SR) in Standard Technical Specifications (STS) 3.1.4,
``Control Rod Scram Times.'' The proposed change revises the test
frequency of SR 3.1.4.2, control rod scram time testing, from ``120
days cumulative operation in MODE 1'' to ``200 days cumulative
operation in MODE 1'' via changes to the NUREG-1433 (BWR/4) and NUREG-
1434 (BWR/6). The Owners Group participants in the Technical
Specification Task Force (TSTF) proposed this change to the STS in the
Improved Standard Technical Specifications Change Traveler TSTF-460,
Revision 0 \1\. This notice also includes a model no significant
hazards consideration (NSHC) determination relating to this matter.
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\1\ In conjunction with the proposed change, technical
specifications (TS) requirements for a bases control program,
consistent with the TS Bases Control Program described in Section
5.5 of the applicable vendor's standard TS, shall be incorporated
into the licensee's TS, if not already in the TS.
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The purpose of these models is to permit the NRC to efficiently
process amendments to incorporate this change into plant-specific
Technical Specifications (TSs) for General Electric (GE) boiling water
reactors (BWRs). Licensees of nuclear power reactors to which the
models apply could request amendments conforming to the models. In such
a request, a licensee should confirm the applicability of the SE and
NSHC determination to its reactor. The NRC staff is requesting comments
on the model SE and model NSHC determination before announcing their
availability for referencing in license amendment applications.
DATES: The comment period expires June 28, 2004. Comments received
after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the
Commission is able to ensure consideration only for comments received
on or before this date.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted either electronically or via U.S.
mail.
Submit written comments to: Chief, Rules and Directives Branch,
Division of Administrative Services, Office of Administration, Mail
Stop: T-6 D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001.
Hand deliver comments to: 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
Maryland, between 7:45 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Federal workdays.
Copies of comments received may be examined at the NRC's Public
Document Room, One White Flint North, Public File Area O1-F21, 11555
Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland.
Comments may be submitted by electronic mail to [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bhalchandra Vaidya, Mail Stop: O-7D1,
Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001, telephone (301) 415-3308, or William Reckley at (301) 415-1323.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Regulatory Issue Summary 2000-06, ``Consolidated Line Item
Improvement Process for Adopting Standard Technical Specification
Changes for Power Reactors,'' was issued on March 20, 2000. The
Consolidated Line Item Improvement Process (CLIIP) is intended to
improve the efficiency and transparency of NRC licensing processes.
This is accomplished by processing proposed changes to the STS in a
manner that supports subsequent license amendment applications. The
CLIIP includes an opportunity for the public to comment on proposed
changes to the STS following a preliminary assessment by the NRC staff
and a finding that the change will likely be offered for adoption by
licensees. This notice is soliciting comment on a proposed change to
the SR in STS 3.1.4 ``Control Rod Scram Times.'' The proposed change
revises the test frequency of SR 3.1.4.2, control rod scram time
testing, from ``120 days cumulative operation in MODE 1'' to ``200 days
cumulative operation in MODE 1'' via changes to the NUREG-1433 and
NUREG-1434 for the GE STS. The CLIIP directs the NRC staff to evaluate
any comments received for a proposed change to the STS and to either
reconsider the change or proceed with announcing the availability of
the change for proposed adoption by licensees. Those licensees opting
to apply for the subject change to TSs are responsible for reviewing
the staff's evaluation, referencing the applicable technical
justifications, and providing any necessary plant-specific information.
Each amendment application made in response to the notice of
availability would be processed and noticed in accordance with
applicable rules and NRC procedures.
NUREG-1433, SR 3.1.4.2 states, ``Verify, for a representative
sample, each tested control rod scram time is within the limits of
Table 3.1.4-1 with reactor steam dome pressure >= [800] psig.'' NUREG-
1434, SR 3.1.4.2 states, ``Verify, for a representative sample, each
tested control rod scram time is within the limits of Table 3.1.4-1
with reactor steam dome pressure >= [950] psig.'' Both SRs have a
frequency of ``120 days cumulative operation in MODE 1.'' The proposed
change revises the frequency to ``200 days cumulative operation in MODE
1.'' The Bases are revised to reference the new frequency and to reduce
the percentage of the tested rods which can be ``slow'' from 20 percent
to 7.5 percent.
Industry operating experience has shown the control rod scram times
to be highly reliable. For example, at the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station,
out of 7,660 control rod insertion tests, only 12 control rods have
been slower than the insertion time limit (with the exception of test
data from an anomalous cycle). The control rod drive system has shown
to be highly reliable. This high reliability supports the extension of
the surveillance frequency from 120 days of cumulative operation in
Mode 1 to 200 days. The current TS Bases states that the acceptance
criteria have been met if 20 percent or fewer of the random sample
control rods that are tested within the 120-day surveillance period are
found to be slow. The Bases are revised to change the control rod
insertion time acceptance criterion for percentage of slow rods
allowed, reducing the value to 7.5 percent of the random at-power
surveillance sample when the surveillance period is extended to 200
cumulative days of operation in Mode 1. The more restrictive 7.5
percent acceptance criterion for testing the random sample is
consistent with the TS 3.1.4 objective of ensuring that no more than a
small percentage of control rods are slow at any given time.
Applicability
This proposed change to revise the TS testing frequency for the SR
3.1.4.2 in
[[Page 30340]]
STS 3.1.4 is applicable to GE BWR/4s and BWR/6s \2\.
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\2\ Although TSTF-460 includes 200 days in brackets indicating a
plant-specific value, proposed changes exceeding 200 days will
require additional review and may result in the proposed amendment
being processed using routine review procedures instead of using the
CLIIP.
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To efficiently process the incoming license amendment applications,
the staff requests each licensee applying for the changes addressed by
TSTF-460 using the CLIIP to address the plant-specific verifications
identified in the model SE. Namely, each licensee submitting amendments
to extend the surveillance frequency should demonstrate the reliability
of the control rod insertion system based on historical control rod
scram time test data, and by the more restrictive acceptance criterion
for the number of slow rods allowed during at-power surveillance
testing.
The CLIIP does not prevent licensees from requesting an alternative
approach or proposing the changes without the requested verifications.
Variations from the approach recommended in this notice may, however,
require additional review by the NRC staff and may increase the time
and resources needed for the review.
Public Notices
This notice requests comments from interested members of the public
within 30 days of the date of publication in the Federal Register.
Following the staff's evaluation of comments received as a result of
this notice, the staff may reconsider the proposed change or may
proceed with announcing the availability of the change in a subsequent
notice (perhaps with some changes to the SE or proposed NSHC
determination as a result of public comments). If the staff announces
the availability of the change, licensees wishing to adopt the change
will submit an application in accordance with applicable rules and
other regulatory requirements. The staff will in turn issue for each
application a notice of consideration of issuance of amendment to
facility operating license(s), a proposed NSHC determination, and an
opportunity for a hearing. A notice of issuance of an amendment to
operating license(s) will also be issued to announce the revised
requirements for each plant that applies for and receives the requested
change.
Proposed Safety Evaluation
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation, Consolidated Line Item Improvement, Technical Specification
Task Force (TSTF) Change TSTF-460, ``Control Rod Scram Time Testing
Frequency.''
1.0 Introduction
By application dated [Date], [Licensee] (the licensee) requested
changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) for [facility]. The
proposed changes would revise TS testing frequency for the surveillance
requirement (SR) in TS 3.1.4, ``Control Rod Scram Times.''
These changes are based on Technical Specifications Task Force
(TSTF) change traveler TSTF-460 (Revision 0) that has been approved
generically for the boiling water reactor (BWR) Standard TSs, NUREG-
1433 (BWR/4) and NUREG-1434 (BWR/6) by revising the frequency of SR
3.1.4.2, control rod scram time testing, from ``120 days cumulative
operation in MODE 1'' to ``200 days cumulative operation in MODE 1.'' A
notice announcing the availability of this proposed TS change using the
consolidated line item improvement process was published in the Federal
Register on [DATE] (XX FR XXXXXX).
2.0 Regulatory Evaluation
The TS governing the control rod scram time surveillance is
intended to assure proper function of control rod insertion. Following
each refueling outage, all control rod scram times are verified. In
addition, periodically during power operation, a representative sample
of control rods is randomly selected to be partially inserted to verify
the insertion speed. A representative sample is defined as a sample
containing at least 10 percent of the total number of control rods. The
current TS stipulates that no more than 20 percent of the control rods
in this representative sample can be ``slow'' during the post outage
testing. With more than 20 percent of the sample declared to be
``slow'' per the criteria in Table 3.1.4-1, additional control rods are
tested until this 20 percent criterion (e.g., 20 percent of the entire
sample size) is satisfied, or until the total number of ``slow''
control rods (throughout the core, from all surveillances) exceeds the
Limiting Condition for Operation limit. For planned testing, the
control rods selected for the sample should be different for each test.
The acceptance criterion for at-power surveillance testing has been
redefined from 20 percent to 7.5 percent. This tightened acceptance
criterion for at-power surveillance aligns with the TS 3.1.4
requirement for the total control rods allowed to have scram times
exceeding the specified limit.
The proposed change does not affect any current operability
requirements and the test frequency being revised is not specified in
regulations. As a result, no regulatory requirements or criteria are
affected.
3.0 Technical Evaluation
3.1 Statement of Proposed Changes
NUREG-1433, SR 3.1.4.2 states, ``Verify, for a representative
sample, each tested control rod scram time is within the limits of
Table 3.1.4-1 with reactor steam dome pressure >=[800] psig.'' NUREG-
1434, SR 3.1.4.2 states, ``Verify, for a representative sample, each
tested control rod scram time is within the limits of Table 3.1.4-1
with reactor steam dome pressure >=[950] psig.'' Both SRs have a
frequency of ``120 days cumulative operation in MODE 1.'' The proposed
change revises the frequency to ``200 days cumulative operation in MODE
1.'' The Bases are revised to reference the new frequency and to reduce
the percentage of the tested rods which can be ``slow'' from 20 percent
to 7.5 percent.
3.2 Evaluation of Proposed Change
Over the course of the operating life of [Plant Name], the control
rod insertion time test results have shown the control rod scram rates
to be highly reliable. During [XXX] years of operation, out of [XXX]
control rod insertion tests, only [XXX] control rods have been slower
than the insertion time limit. The extensive historical database
substantiates the claim of high reliability of the [Plant Name] control
rod drive system. The current TS requires that 10 percent of the [XXX]
control rods, or [XXX] rods, be tested via random sampling every 120
cumulative days of operation in Mode 1.
The current TS states that the acceptance criteria have been met if
20 percent or fewer of the random sample control rods that are tested
are found to be slow. The acceptance criterion has been re-defined for
at-power surveillance testing from 20 percent to 7.5 percent when the
surveillance period is extended to 200 cumulative days of operation in
Mode 1. This tightened acceptance criterion for at-power surveillance
aligns with the TS 3.1.4 requirement for the total control rods allowed
to have scram times exceeding the specified limit.
The licensee will incorporate the revised acceptance criterion
value of 7.5 percent into the TS Bases at the next periodic update in
accordance with
[[Page 30341]]
their Bases Control Program and as a condition of this license
amendment.\3\
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\3\ Conditioning of the license amendment is accomplished by
including wording similar to the following in the implementation
language (typically included as item 3) in the Amendment of Facility
Operating License:
This license amendment is effective as of its date of issuance
and shall be implemented within [XX] days from the date of issuance.
The licensee shall incorporate during the next periodic update into
the TS Bases Section the changes described in its application dated
[Date].
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The NRC staff considers the extended surveillance interval to be
justified by the demonstrated reliability of the control rod insertion
system, based on historical control rod scram time test data, and by
the more restrictive acceptance criterion for the number of slow rods
allowed during at-power surveillance testing. The NRC staff finds the
proposed TS change acceptable.
4.0 State Consultation
In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the [State] State
official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendments. The
State official had [choose one: (1) no comments, or (2) the following
comments--with subsequent disposition by the staff].
5.0 Environmental Consideration
The amendment changes a requirement with respect to the
installation or use of a facility component located within the
restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20 and changes surveillance
requirements. The NRC staff has determined that the amendments involve
no significant increase in the amounts and no significant change in the
types of any effluents that may be released offsite, and that there is
no significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational
radiation exposure. The Commission has previously issued a proposed
finding that the amendments involve no significant hazards
consideration, and there has been no public comment on such finding (XX
FR XXXXX). Accordingly, the amendment meets the eligibility criteria
for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). Pursuant to
10 CFR 51.22(b) no environmental impact statement or environmental
assessment need be prepared in connection with the issuance of the
amendment.
6.0 Conclusion
The Commission has concluded, based on the considerations discussed
above, that: (1) There is reasonable assurance that the health and
safety of the public will not be endangered by the operation in the
proposed manner, (2) such activities will be conducted in compliance
with the Commission's regulations, and (3) the issuance of the
amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to
the health and safety of the public.
Proposed No Significant Hazards Consideration Determination
Description of Amendment Request: The proposed amendment changes
the Technical Specification (TS) testing frequency for the surveillance
requirement (SR) in TS 3.1.4, ``Control Rod Scram Times''. The proposed
change revises the test frequency of SR 3.1.4.2, control rod scram time
testing, from ``120 days cumulative operation in MODE 1'' to ``200 days
cumulative operation in Mode 1.''
Basis for proposed no significant hazards consideration
determination: As required by 10 CFR 50.91(a), an analysis of the issue
of no significant hazards consideration is presented below:
1. Does the change involve a significant increase in the
probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated?
Response: No.
The proposed change extends the frequency for testing control rod
scram time testing from every 120 days of cumulative Mode 1 operation
to 200 days of cumulative Mode 1 operation. The frequency of
surveillance testing is not an initiator of any accident previously
evaluated. The frequency of surveillance testing does not affect the
ability to mitigate any accident previously evaluated, as the tested
component is still required to be operable. Therefore, the proposed
change does not involve a significant increase in the probability or
consequences of an accident previously evaluated.
2. Does the change create the possibility of a new or different
kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated?
Response: No.
The proposed change extends the frequency for testing control rod
scram time testing from every 120 days of cumulative Mode 1 operation
to 200 days of cumulative Mode 1 operation. The proposed change does
not result in any new or different modes of plant operation. Therefore,
the proposed change does not create the possibility of a new or
different kind of accident from any previously evaluated.
3. Does the proposed change involve a significant reduction in a
margin of safety?
Response: No.
The proposed change extends the frequency for testing control rod
scram time testing from every 120 days of cumulative Mode 1 operation
to 200 days of cumulative Mode 1 operation. The proposed change
continues to test the control rod scram time to ensure the assumptions
in the safety analysis are protected. Therefore, the proposed change
does not involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety.
Based on the above, the proposed change presents no significant
hazards consideration under the standards set forth in 10 CFR 50.92(c),
and accordingly, a finding of ``no significant hazards consideration''
is justified.
Dated in Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of May, 2004.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Robert A. Gramm,
Chief, Section 1, Project Directorate IV, Division of Licensing Project
Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 04-11992 Filed 5-26-04; 8:45 am]
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