[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