[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 245 (Wednesday, December 23, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68287-68288]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-30483]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NRC-2009-0565]


License Renewal Interim Staff Guidance LR-ISG-2007-02: Changes to 
Generic Aging Lessons Learned Report Aging Management Program XI.E6, 
Electrical Cable Connections Not Subject to 10 CFR 50.49 Environmental 
Qualification Requirements''; Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The NRC is issuing the final License Renewal Interim Staff 
Guidance (LR-ISG), LR-ISG-2007-02, ``Changes to Generic Aging Lessons 
Learned (GALL) Report Aging Management Program (AMP) XI.E6, 
``Electrical Cable Connections Not Subject to 10 CFR 50.49 
Environmental Qualification Requirements.'' LR-ISG-2007-02 revises 
current NRC guidance in Section XI.E6 of NUREG-1801, Revision 1, 
``Generic Aging Lessons Learned (GALL) Report,'' Volume 2, dated 
September 2005 (GALL Report). Volume 2 of the GALL Report is available 
in the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) 
under Accession No. ML052780376. The revised GALL Report Section XI.E6 
recommends an AMP with a one-time inspection for electrical cable 
connections not subject to 10 CFR 50.49 environmental qualification 
requirements, instead of the periodic inspection as currently 
recommended in the GALL Report. The NRC staff has determined that a 
one-time inspection, on a representative sample basis, is adequate to 
ensure that either aging of metallic cable connections is not occurring 
and/or that an existing preventive maintenance program is effective 
such that a periodic inspection is not required. The final LR-ISG-2007-
02 is available under Accession No. ML091940093.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Matthew Homiack, Division of 
License Renewal, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone 301-415-
1683; or e-mail [email protected].

ADDRESSES: Documents created or received after November 1, 1999, are 
available electronically at the NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room on 
the Internet at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. From this 
site, the public can gain entry into ADAMS. If you do not have access 
to the Internet or if there are any problems in accessing the documents 
located in ADAMS, contact the NRC Public Document Room reference staff 
at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at [email protected].
    The NRC posts LR-ISGs on its public web page under the ``License 
Renewal'' heading at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/isg.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The NRC issues LR-ISGs to communicate insights and lessons learned 
and to address emergent issues that are not addressed in the guidance 
documents NRC published to facilitate implementation of Part 54, 
``Requirements for Renewal of Operating Licenses for Nuclear Power 
Plants,'' of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 
54). The NRC staff and stakeholders use LR-ISGs until their guidance is 
incorporated into a formal license renewal guidance document revision.
    By letter dated September 5, 2006 (ML062770105), the Nuclear Energy 
Institute (NEI) submitted a white paper to the NRC regarding GALL AMP 
XI.E6 (ML062770111). NEI expressed several concerns regarding the AMP 
and asked that the NRC staff consider the position in the white paper 
in order to eliminate GALL AMP XI.E6 or minimize its scope and 
redundancy. On November 30, 2006, the NRC staff met with NEI 
representatives to discuss the white paper, as documented in ``Summary 
of the License Renewal Meeting between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission Staff and the Nuclear Energy Institute Regarding Generic

[[Page 68288]]

Aging Lessons Learned Aging Management Program XI.E6,'' dated January 
26, 2007 (ML063600004). In a letter dated March 16, 2007 (ML070400349), 
the NRC staff responded to each of the concerns identified in NEI's 
white paper. By letter dated May 25, 2007 (ML071590175 and 
ML071590182), NEI submitted comments on the staff's responses.
    After reviewing NEI's white paper and comments, the NRC staff 
determined that current operating experience does not support the 
periodic inspections as recommended in GALL AMP XI.E6. Instead, the 
staff determined that a one-time inspection of the metallic portion of 
electrical cable connections is warranted due to the limited number of 
age-related failures of cable connections.
    The NRC staff developed LR-ISG-2007-02 to revise GALL AMP XI.E6. On 
September 6, 2007, the NRC requested public comments on the proposed 
LR-ISG-2007-02 in the Federal Register (72 FR 51256). The NRC issued 
the proposed LR-ISG to clarify and recommend a one-time inspection to 
ensure that either aging of metallic cable connections is not occurring 
or that an existing preventive maintenance program is effective, such 
that a periodic inspection program is not needed.
    The public comment period ended on October 22, 2007. The NRC 
received comments from the NEI by letter dated October 18, 2007 
(ML072960480). No other comments were received. The NRC staff has 
considered NEI's comments in developing the final LR-ISG-2007-02, as 
discussed in the ``Comments and Responses'' section of this notice.

Final Action

    By this action, the NRC is making the final LR-ISG-2007-02 
available. The NRC staff approves of this LR-ISG for NRC staff and 
industry use. The NRC staff will also incorporate the approved LR-ISG 
into the next revision of the GALL Report.
    The final LR-ISG-2007-02 revises GALL AMP XI.E6. As revised, the 
AMP recommends a one-time inspection for electrical cable connections 
not subject to 10 CFR 50.49 environmental qualification requirements 
instead of the periodic inspection as currently recommended in GALL AMP 
XI.E6. The NRC staff has determined that one-time inspection, on a 
representative sample basis, is adequate to ensure that either aging of 
metallic cable connections is not occurring and/or that an existing 
preventive maintenance program is effective such that a periodic 
inspection program is not required. Additional details on the staff's 
position and rationale for revising GALL AMP XI.E6 are in the final LR-
ISG-2007-02.

Comments and Responses

    The NEI comments, in general, indicated that the revised GALL AMP 
XI.E6 should provide options, where appropriate, for the use of visual 
inspection to detect aging effects on covered connections. NEI stated 
that, while the proposed LR-ISG would permit testing of components 
without removing insulation, frequent testing cannot be performed on 
covered connections with the insulation in-place. Visual inspection is 
used in the industry for detecting loose connections and is preferable 
to potentially damaging sound connections while removing the insulation 
to perform testing. NEI further stated that including an option to 
perform visual inspections to detect aging effects for covered 
connections reduces the likelihood of damaging components and is an 
effective and practical alternative to testing.
    In response, the NRC staff has determined that resistance 
measurement or thermography is the preferred method for testing loose 
cable connections. However, if resistance measurement cannot be 
performed with the insulation in place, and for reasons of personnel 
safety, energized equipment cannot be accessed to perform thermography, 
then visual inspection is an acceptable alternative inspection method 
for cable connections covered with insulation material. The staff has 
previously permitted visual inspection for covered bus connections in 
GALL AMP XI.E4, ``Metal Enclosed Bus.'' If visual inspection is chosen 
as an alternative to thermography or resistance measurement of cable 
connections covered with insulating materials (heat shrink tapes, 
sleeving, insulation boots, etc.), then a one-time inspection cannot be 
used and periodic visual inspections must be performed. Periodic visual 
inspections can effectively detect loosening of cable connections by 
inspecting insulation materials for discoloration, cracking, chipping, 
or surface contamination. This NRC staff position is reflected in the 
final LR-ISG-2007-02.
    NEI also provided comments in the form of a mark-up to the proposed 
GALL AMP XI.E6 revision. The NRC staff has incorporated these comments 
in the final LR-ISG as appropriate.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day of December 2009.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Brian E. Holian,
Director, Division of License Renewal, Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation.
[FR Doc. E9-30483 Filed 12-22-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P