[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 161 (Monday, August 21, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48561-48564]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-13715]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Notice of Opportunity To Comment on Model Safety Evaluation on 
Technical Specification Improvement To Modify Requirements Regarding 
LCO 3.10.1, Inservice Leak and Hydrostatic Testing Operation 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 the modification of shutdown testing requirements in 
technical specifications (TS) for Boiling Water Reactors (BWR). The NRC 
staff has also prepared a model no-significant-hazards-consideration 
(NSHC) determination relating to this matter. The purpose of these 
models is to permit the NRC to efficiently process amendments that 
propose to modify LCO 3.10.1 that would allow control rod scram time 
testing to be performed concurrently with inservice leak and 
hydrostatic testing. Licensees of nuclear power reactors to which the 
models apply could then request amendments, confirming the 
applicability of the SE and NSHC determination to their reactors. The 
NRC staff is requesting comment on the model SE and model NSHC 
determination prior to announcing their availability for referencing in 
license amendment applications.

DATES: The comment period expires September 20, 2006. 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, 
11555 Rockville Pike (Room O-1F21), Rockville, Maryland. Comments may 
be submitted by electronic mail to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Kobetz, Mail Stop: O-12H2, 
Division of Inspections and Regional Support, Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001, telephone 301-415-1932.

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 of NRC licensing processes by processing 
proposed changes to the standard technical specifications (STS) in a 
manner that supports subsequent license amendment applications. The 
CLIIP includes an opportunity for the public to comment on a proposed 
change to the STS after a preliminary assessment by the NRC staff and a 
finding that the change will likely be offered for adoption by 
licensees. This notice solicits comment on a proposal to modify LCO 
3.10.1 that would allow control rod scram time testing to be performed 
concurrently with inservice leak and hydrostatic testing. 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 announce the 
availability of the change for adoption by licensees.
    This notice involves the modification of LCO 3.10.1 that would 
allow control rod scram time testing to be performed concurrently with 
inservice leak and hydrostatic testing. This change was proposed for 
incorporation into the standard technical specifications by the owners 
groups participants in the Technical Specification Task Force (TSTF) 
and is designated TSTF-484. TSTF-484 can be viewed on the NRC's Web 
page utilizing the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS). ADAMS accession numbers are ML052930102 (TSTF-484 Submittal), 
ML060970568 (NRC Request for Additional Information, RAI), and 
ML061560523 (TSTF Response to NRC RAIs).

[[Page 48562]]

Applicability

    Licensees opting to apply for this TS change 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 will be processed and noticed in accordance with 
applicable rules and NRC procedures.

Public Notices

    This notice requests comments from interested members of the public 
within 30 days of the date of publication in the Federal Register. 
After evaluating the comments received as a result of this notice, the 
staff will either reconsider the proposed change or announce the 
availability of the change in a subsequent notice (perhaps with some 
changes to the safety evaluation or the proposed no significant hazards 
consideration determination as a result of public comments). If the 
staff announces the availability of the change, licensees wishing to 
adopt the change must submit an application in accordance with 
applicable rules and other regulatory requirements. For each 
application the staff will publish a notice of consideration of 
issuance of amendment to facility operating licenses, a proposed no 
significant hazards consideration determination, and a notice of 
opportunity for a hearing. The staff will also publish a notice of 
issuance of an amendment to an operating license to announce the 
modification of TS 3.10.1, Inservice Leak and Hydrostatic Testing, for 
each plant that receives the requested change.

Proposed Safety Evaluation--U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office 
of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Consolidated Line Item Improvement, 
Technical Specification Task Force (TSTF) Change TSTF-484, Revision 0, 
Use of TS 3.10.1 for Scram Time Testing Activities

1.0 Introduction

    By application dated [Date], [Name of Licensee] (the licensee) 
requested changes to the Technical Specifications (TS) for the [Name of 
Facility].
    The proposed changes would revise LCO 3.10.1, and the associated 
Bases, to expand its scope to include provisions for temperature 
excursions greater than [200][deg]F as a consequence of inservice leak 
and hydrostatic testing, and as a consequence of scram time testing 
initiated in conjunction with an inservice leak or hydrostatic test, 
while considering operational conditions to be in Mode 4.

2.0 Regulatory Evaluation

2.1 Inservice Leak and Hydrostatic Testing
    The Reactor Coolant System (RCS) serves as a pressure boundary and 
also serves to provide a flow path for the circulation of coolant past 
the fuel. In order to maintain RCS integrity, Section XI of the 
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Pressure Vessel Code 
requires periodic hydrostatic and leakage testing. Hydrostatic tests 
are required to be performed once every 10 years and Leakage tests are 
required to be performed each refueling outage. Appendix G to 10 CFR 
Part 50 states that pressure tests and leak tests of the reactor vessel 
that are required by Section XI of the American Society of Mechanical 
Engineers (ASME) Pressure Vessel Code must be completed before the core 
is critical.
    NUREG-1433, General Electric Plants, BWR/4, Revision 3, Standard 
Technical Specifications (STS) and NUREG-1434, General Electric Plants, 
BWR/6, Revision 3, STS both currently contain LCO 3.10.1, Inservice 
Leak and Hydrostatic Testing Operation. LCO 3.10.1 was created to allow 
for hydrostatic and leakage testing to be conducted while in Mode 4 
with average reactor coolant temperature greater than [200][deg]F 
provided certain secondary containment LCOs are met.
    TSTF-484, Revision 0, Use of TS 3.10.1 for Scram Time Testing 
Activities, modifies LCO 3.10.1 to allow a licensee to implement LCO 
3.10.1 while hydrostatic and leakage testing is being conducted should 
average reactor coolant temperature exceed [200][deg]F during testing. 
This modification does not alter current requirements for hydrostatic 
and leakage testing as required by Appendix G to 10 CFR part 50.
2.2 Control Rod Scram Time Testing
    Control Rods function to control reactor power level and to provide 
adequate excess negative reactivity to shut down the reactor from any 
normal operating or accident condition at any time during core life. 
The control rods are scrammed by using hydraulic pressure exerted by 
the Control Rod Drive (CRD) system. Criterion 10 of Appendix A to 10 
CFR part 50 states that the reactor core and associated coolant, 
control, and protection systems shall be designed with appropriate 
margin to assure that specified acceptable fuel limits are not exceed 
during any condition of normal operation, including the effects of 
anticipated operational occurrences. The scram reactivity used in 
design basis accidents (DBA) and transient analyses is based on an 
assumed control rod scram time.
    NUREG-1433, General Electric Plants, BWR/4, Revision 3, Standard 
Technical Specifications (STS) and NUREG-1434, General Electric Plants, 
BWR/6, Revision 3, STS both currently contain surveillance requirements 
(SR) to conduct scram time testing when certain conditions are met in 
order to ensure that Criterion 10 of Appendix A to 10 CFR part 50 is 
satisfied. SR 3.1.4.1 requires scram time testing to be conducted 
following a shutdown greater than 120 days while SR 3.1.4.4 requires 
scram time testing to be conducted following work on the CRD system or 
following fuel movement within the affected core cell. Both SR must be 
performed at reactor pressure greater than or equal to [800] psig and 
prior to initially exceeding 40% rated thermal power (RTP).
    TSTF-484, Revision 0, Use of TS 3.10.1 for Scram Time Testing 
Activities, would modify LCO 3.10.1 to allow SR 3.1.4.1 and SR 3.1.4.4 
to be conducted in Mode 4 with average reactor coolant temperature 
greater than [200][deg]F. Scram time testing would be performed in 
accordance with LCO 3.10.4, Single Control Rod Withdrawal--Cold 
Shutdown. This modification to LCO 3.10.1 does not alter the means of 
compliance with Criterion 10 of Appendix A to 10 CFR part 50.

3.0 Technical Evaluation

    The existing provisions of LCO 3.10.1 allow for hydrostatic and 
leakage testing to be conducted while in Mode 4 with average reactor 
coolant temperature greater than [200][deg]F, while imposing Mode 3 
secondary containment requirements. Under the existing provision, LCO 
3.10.1 would have to be implemented prior to hydrostatic and leakage 
testing. As a result, if LCO 3.10.1 was not implemented prior to 
hydrostatic and leakage testing, hydrostatic and leakage testing would 
have to be terminated if average reactor coolant temperature exceeded 
[200][deg]F during the conduct of the hydrostatic and leakage test. 
TSTF-484, Revision 0, Use of TS 3.10.1 for Scram Time Testing 
Activities, modifies LCO 3.10.1 to allow a licensee to implement LCO 
3.10.1 while hydrostatic and leakage testing is being conducted should 
average reactor coolant temperature exceed [200][deg]F during testing. 
The modification will allow completion of testing without the potential 
for interrupting the test in order to reduce reactor vessel pressure, 
cool the RCS, and restart the test below

[[Page 48563]]

[200][deg]F. Since the current LCO 3.10.1 allows testing to be 
conducted while in Mode 4 with average reactor coolant temperature 
greater than [200][deg]F, the proposed change does not introduce any 
new operational conditions beyond those currently allowed.
    Surveillance Requirements (SR) 3.1.4.1 and SR 3.1.4.4 require that 
control rod scram time be tested at reactor pressure greater than or 
equal to [800] psig and before exceeding 40% rated thermal power (RTP). 
Performance of control rod scram time testing is typically scheduled 
concurrent with inservice leak or hydrostatic testing while the reactor 
coolant system (RCS) is pressurized. Because of the number of control 
rods that must be tested, it is possible for the inservice leak or 
hydrostatic test to be completed prior to completing the scram time 
test. Under existing provisions, if scram time testing can not be 
completed during the LCO 3.10.1 inservice leak or hydrostatic test, 
scram time testing must be suspended. Additionally, if LCO 3.10.1 is 
not implemented and average reactor coolant temperature exceeds 
[200][deg]F while performing the scram time test, scram time testing 
must also be suspended. In both situations, scram time testing is 
resumed during startup prior to exceeding 40% RTP. TSTF-484, Revision 
0, Use of TS 3.10.1 for Scram Time Testing Activities, modifies LCO 
3.10.1 to allow a licensee to complete scram time testing initiated 
during inservice leak or hydrostatic testing. As stated earlier, since 
the current LCO 3.10.1 allows testing to be conducted while in Mode 4 
with average reactor coolant temperature greater than [200][deg]F, the 
proposed change does not introduce any new operational conditions 
beyond those currently allowed. Completion of scram time testing prior 
to reactor criticality and power operations results in a more 
conservative operating philosophy with attendant potential safety 
benefits.
    It is acceptable to perform other testing concurrent with the 
inservice leak or hydrostatic test provided that this testing can be 
performed safely and does not interfere with the leak or hydrostatic 
test. However, it is not permissible to remain in TS 3.10.1 solely to 
complete such testing following the completion of inservice leak or 
hydrostatic testing and scram time testing.
    Since the tests are performed with the reactor pressure vessel 
(RPV) nearly water solid, at low decay heat values, and near Mode 4 
conditions, the stored energy in the reactor core will be very low. 
Small leaks from the RCS would be detected by inspections before a 
significant loss of inventory occurred. In addition, two low pressure 
emergency core cooling systems (ECCS) injection/spray subsystems are 
required to be operable in Mode 4 by TS 3.5.2, ECCS-Shutdown. In the 
event of a large RCS leak, the RPV would rapidly depressurize and allow 
operation of the low pressure ECCS. The capability of the low pressure 
ECCS would be adequate to maintain the fuel covered under the low decay 
heat conditions during these tests. Also, LCO 3.10.1 requires that 
secondary containment and standby gas treatment system be operable and 
capable of handling any airborne radioactivity or steam leaks that may 
occur during performance of testing.
    The protection provided by the normally required Mode 4 applicable 
LCOs, in addition to the secondary containment requirements required to 
be met by LCO 3.10.1, minimizes potential consequences in the event of 
any postulated abnormal event during testing. In addition, the 
requested modification to LCO 3.10.1 does not create any new modes of 
operation or operating conditions that are not currently allowed.

4.0 State Consultation

    In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the [Name of 
State] State official was notified of the proposed issuance of the 
amendment. The State official had [no] comments. [If comments were 
provided, they should be addressed here].

5.0 Environmental Consideration

    The amendment changes a requirement with respect to installation or 
use of a facility component located within the restricted area as 
defined in 10 CFR part 20. The NRC staff has determined that the 
amendment involves 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. A significant hazards 
consideration is attached and is available for public comment. 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 operation in the 
proposed manner, (2) such activities will be conducted in compliance 
with the Commission's regulations, and (3) the issuance of the 
amendments will not be inimical to the common defense and security or 
to the health and safety of the public.

7.0 References

    1. NUREG-1433, ``General Electric Plants, BWR/4, Revision 3, 
Standard Technical Specifications (STS)'', August 31, 2003.
    2. NUREG-1434, General Electric Plants, BWR/6, Revision 3, 
Standard Technical Specifications (STS)'', August 31, 2003.
    3. Request for Additional Information (RAI) Regarding TSTF-484, 
April, 7, 2006, ADAMS accession number ML060970568.
    4. Response to NRC RAIs Regarding TSTF-484, June 5, 2006, ADAMS 
accession number ML061560523.
    5. TSTF-484 Revision 0, ``Use of TS 3.10.1 for Scram Times 
Testing Activities'', May 5, 2005, ADAMS accession number 
ML052930102.

Model No Significant Hazards Determination

    Description of Amendment Request: The proposed changes would revise 
LCO 3.10.1, and the associated Bases, to expand its scope to include 
provisions for temperature excursions greater than [200][deg]F as a 
consequence of inservice leak and hydrostatic testing, and as a 
consequence of scram time testing initiated in conjunction with an 
inservice leak or hydrostatic test, while considering operational 
conditions to be in Mode 4.
    Basis for No Significant Hazards Determination: As required by 10 
CFR 50.91 (a), an analysis of the issue of no significant hazards 
consideration is presented below:
    Criterion 1: The proposed change does not involve a significant 
increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously 
evaluated.
    Technical Specifications currently allow for operation at greater 
than [200][deg]F while imposing MODE 4 requirements in addition to the 
secondary containment requirements required to be met. Extending the 
activities that can apply this allowance will not adversely impact the 
probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated. 
Therefore, the proposed change does not involve a significant increase 
in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated.
    Criterion 2: The proposed change does not create the possibility of 
a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously 
evaluated.
    Technical Specifications currently allow for operation at greater 
than

[[Page 48564]]

[200][deg]F while imposing MODE 4 requirements in addition to the 
secondary containment requirements required to be met. No new 
operational conditions beyond those currently allowed by LCO 3.10.1 are 
introduced. The changes do not involve a physical alteration of the 
plant (i.e., no new or different type of equipment will be installed) 
or a change in the methods governing normal plant operation. In 
addition, the changes do not impose any new or different requirements 
or eliminate any existing requirements. The changes do not alter 
assumptions made in the safety analysis. The proposed changes are 
consistent with the safety analysis assumptions and current plant 
operating practice. Therefore, the proposed change does not create the 
possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident 
previously evaluated.
    Criterion 3: The proposed change does not involve a significant 
reduction in a margin of safety.
    Technical Specifications currently allow for operation at greater 
than [200][deg]F while imposing MODE 4 requirements in addition to the 
secondary containment requirements required to be met. Extending the 
activities that can apply this allowance will not adversely impact any 
margin of safety. Allowing completion of inspections and testing and 
supporting completion of scram time testing initiated in conjunction 
with an inservice leak or hydrostatic test prior to power operation 
results in enhanced safe operations by eliminating unnecessary 
maneuvers to control reactor temperature and pressure. Therefore, the 
proposed change does not involve a significant reduction in a margin of 
safety.
    Based on the above, the NRC concludes that 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.
    Principal Contributor: Aron Lewin.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 15th day of August 2006.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Timothy Kobetz,
Branch Chief, Technical Specifications Branch, Division of Inspections 
and Regional Support, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
 [FR Doc. E6-13715 Filed 8-18-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P