[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 181 (Tuesday, September 20, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-23203]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: September 20, 1994]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Florida Power Corp.; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact
Docket No. 50-302
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering issuance of an exemption from certain requirements of its
regulations to Facility Operating License No. DPR-72, issued to Florida
Power Corporation, (the licensee), for operation of the Crystal River
Unit 3 Nuclear Generating Plant, located in Citrus County, Florida.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of Proposed Action:
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated June 7, 1993, as supplemented March 28, 1994, for
exemption from certain requirements of Title 10 Code of Federal
Regulations Part 50 (10 CFR 50), Appendix R, ``Fire Protection Program
for Nuclear Power Facilities Operating Prior to January 1, 1979,''
Section III. 0, ``Oil collection system for reactor coolant pump.'' The
exemption would allow installation of a new reactor coolant pump motor
with an oil collection system which is capable of collecting oil
leakage from all potential pressurized and unpressurized leakage sites
except for four potential oil leakage sites. The four potential leakage
sites are: the anti-reverse device (ARD) vents, upper oil supply lines
from the lift pump to the ARD, lower motor leak detection system
piping, and lower guide bearing thermocouple wells.
The Need for the Proposed Action:
10 CFR 50, Appendix A, ``General Design Criteria for Nuclear Power
Plants,'' Criterion 3, ``Fire protection,'' specifies that
``Structures, systems, and components important to safety shall be
designed and located to minimize, consistent with other safety
requirements, the probability and effect of fires and explosions.'' 10
CFR 50, Appendix R, sets forth fire protection features required to
satisfy the general design Criterion 3 of the Commission's regulations.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 50, Appendix R, Section III. 0, the RCP shall be
equipped with an oil collection system which ``* * * shall be capable
of collecting lube oil from all potential pressurized and unpressurized
leakage sites in the reactor coolant pump lube oil systems.''
As part of its design improvements program to enhance motor
reliability and simplify maintenance activities, the licensee proposed
to replace the existing RCP motors with a new motor and implement, a
re-designed RCP lube oil system. As a result of physical interferences
and other design difficulties, four specific sites in the RCP motor
lube oil system could not accommodate an oil collection system for
collecting potential oil leakage. An exemption from 10 CFR 50, Appendix
R, Section III. 0, is required to permit the four specific sites in the
RCP lube oil systems without an oil collection system, and thus,
exclude them from leakage protection.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The Commission has completed its evaluation of the licensee's
application.
Section III. 0 of Appendix R to 10 CFR Part 50 states that: ``The
oil collection system shall be so designed, engineered, and installed
that failure will not lead to fire during normal or design basis
accident conditions and that there is reasonable assurance that the
system will withstand the Safe Shutdown Earthquake [SSE]. Such
collection systems shall be capable of collecting lube oil from all
potential pressurized and unpressurized leakage sites in the reactor
coolant pump lube oil systems. Leakage shall be collected and drained
to a vented closed container that can hold the entire lube oil system
inventory.''
The RCP motor lube oil system, with its pumps and associated
piping, supplies oil to several parts of the RCP. The existing RCP lube
oil system includes a high pressure and an induced flow system. The
high pressure system consists of two independent pumps, and associated
piping, and supplies oil, among other components, to the ARD. The
induced flow system is driven by the rotation of the RCP motor and
provides lube oil to the thrust bearings, guide bearings, and to the
ARD.
The new oil lubricating system would contain approximately 200
gallons of oil and would include several design features such as spray
shields, series of drip and drain pans and piping, and a lube oil
collection system tank. The new system eliminated one of the two lift
pumps and its components which should result in a decrease in the
number of potential leakage sites. The oil collection system would be
capable of collecting lube oil from all possible pressurized and
unpressurized leak sites except for the four specific locations. Of the
four potential leakage sites, ARD vents and lower RCP motor leak
detection system piping do not contain oil under routine operating
conditions. The upper oil supply lines from the lift pump to the ARD
are pressurized only during a brief period of motor startups and
shutdowns. The lower guide bearing thermocouple wells are passive in
nature. Additionally, in the new design, vents would be equipped with
demisters and filters to prevent lube oil mist from escaping to the
atmosphere. If leakage were to occur during normal plant operations,
the oil would channel to the drain pan. Any lube oil leak which may not
have been fully captured could potentially run down the RCP motor onto
hot Reactor Coolant System surfaces. However, the flammability
characteristics of the oil, flashpoint of 452 deg.F, and an auto
ignition temperature of 500 deg.F - 7 deg.F, that would be used in
the lube oil system, reduce the likelihood that the oil will readily
ignite upon coming in contact with hot RCS piping surfaces.
Additionally, if the oil leak became ignited, the fire would be
localized in the area of the leakage and detected by the thermal fire
detectors.
Fire protection features for the RCP motors include three
temperature heat detectors with 190 deg.F setpoints located over each
RCP. Any localized fire in the area due to oil leakage would be
detected by the thermal fire detectors and would provide an alarm
function in both the reactor building and annunciate in the main
control room. Additional indications of a potential RCP fire would also
be provided by control room alarms on low level oil, low oil pressure
or high vibrations. If an RCP fire alarm is received in the main
control room, it is expected that the control room operators would
evaluate any alarm associated with the RCP and its lube oil system and
initiate fire brigade entry into the reactor building to investigate
and fight the fire. The reactor building is equipped with an internal
firefighting standpipe hose station system and fire extinguishers are
appropriately distributed throughout the structure. RCP firefighting
would be accomplished by using either portable fire extinguishers or
water from a hose stream or a combination of both. Access to the four
RCPs for firefighting can be accomplished by making entry into the
``D'' rings.
The existing Crystal River Unit 3 RCP motor lube oil system is a
non-seismic system. The new RCP lube oil system and lube oil collection
systems would be seismically qualified to withstand an SSE. Therefore,
if an SSE were to occur, the system is not expected to fail.
Based on the design features of the new RCP motors and the fact
that their lube oil system and associated lube oil collection systems
are seismically designed to withstand an SSE, there is reasonable
assurance that the RCP lube oil system will not present a major fire
hazard.
The staff concludes, based on its evaluation, that potential oil
leakage from the specific four sites in the RCP lube oil system will
not present a major fire hazard and that the current level of fire
protection is sufficient to mitigate the consequences of a fire in the
area of these potential leakage sites. In addition, the staff concludes
that it is not expected that these potential leakage sites will fail
during an SSE. On that basis, the staff finds that the licensee's
proposed design of the RCP motor lube oil collection system provides an
equivalent level of fire safety to that required by the provisions of
Appendix R, section III.0, and, therefore, is acceptable.
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that this proposed action
would result in no significant radiological environmental impact. With
regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed change does
not affect non-radiological plant effluents and has no other
environmental impact. Therefore, the Commission concludes that there
are no significant non-radiological environmental impacts associated
with the proposed action.
Alternative to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered
denial of the proposed action. Denial of the application would result
in no change in current environmental impacts. The environmental
impacts of the proposed action and the alternative action are similar.
Alternative Use of Resources
This action did not involve the use of any resources not previously
considered in the Final Environmental Statement, dated May 1973,
related to operation of Crystal River Unit 3.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
The NRC staff consulted with the State of Florida regarding the
environmental impact of the proposed action.
Finding of No Significant Impact
The Commission has determined not to prepare an environmental
impact statement for the proposed exemption. Based upon the foregoing
environmental assessment, the Commission concludes that the proposed
action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human
environment.
For further details with respect to this action, see the request
for exemption dated June 7, 1993, and March 28, 1994, which are
available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document
Room, 2120 L Street NW., Washington, DC and at the local public
document room located at Coastal Region Library, 8619 W. Crystal
Street, Crystal River, Florida 32629.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day of September 1994.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Victor M. McCree,
Acting Director, Project Directorate II-2, Division of Reactor
Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 94-23203 Filed 9-19-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M