[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 241 (Friday, December 16, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-30933]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: December 16, 1994]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-213, 50-245, 50-336, 50-423]

 

In the Matter of Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co. and 
Northeast Nuclear Energy Co. (Haddam Neck Plant and Millstone Nuclear 
Power Station, Unit Nos. 1, 2 and 3); Exemption

I

    The Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company (CYAPCO or the 
licensee) is the holder of Facility Operating License No. DPR-61 which 
authorizes operation of the Haddam Neck Plant, and Northeast Nuclear 
Energy Company (NNECO or the licensee) is the holder of Facility 
Operating License Nos. DPR-21, DPR-65 and NPF-49 which authorize 
operation of the Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2, 
and 3 (Millstone) respectively. The licenses provide, among other 
things, that the Haddam Neck Plant and the Millstone plants are subject 
to all rules, regulations and Orders of the Commission now or hereafter 
in effect.
    The Haddam Neck Plant is a single-unit pressurized water reactor 
located at the licensee's site located in Middlesex County, 
Connecticut. The Millstone plants consist of a boiling water reactor 
and two pressurized water reactors located at the licensee's site in 
New London County, Connecticut.

II

    The Code of Federal of Regulations at 10 CFR 73.55, ``Requirements 
for physical protection of licensed activities in nuclear power 
reactors against radiological sabotage,'' paragraph (a), in part, 
states that ``the licensee shall establish and maintain an onsite 
physical protection system and security organization which will have as 
its objective to provide high assurance that activities involving 
special nuclear material are not inimical to the common defense and 
security and do not constitute an unreasonable risk to the public 
health and safety.''
    The Code of Federal Regulations at 10 CFR 73.55(d), ``Access 
Requirements,'' paragraph (1), specifies that, ``the licensee shall 
control all points of personnel and vehicle access into a protected 
area.'' The Code of Federal Regulations at 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5) also 
requires that, ``A numbered picture badge identification system shall 
be used for all individuals who are authorized access to protected 
areas without escort.'' It further states that individuals not employed 
by the licensee (e.g., contractors) may be authorized access to 
protected areas without escort provided that the individual, ``receives 
a picture badge upon entrance into a protected area which must be 
returned upon exit from the protected area. * * *''
    The licensee proposes to implement an alternative unescorted access 
system which would eliminate the need to issue and retrieve picture 
badges at the entrance/exit location to the protected area and would 
allow all individuals, including contractors, to keep their picture 
badges in their possession when departing the Haddam Neck Plant and the 
Millstone plants.
    By letter dated September 28, 1994, the licensee requested an 
exemption from certain requirements of 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5). 
Specifically, the requested exemption would allow individual, including 
contractors, who have unescorted access to retain possession of their 
picture badges instead of returning them as they exit the protected 
area.

III

    Pursuant to 10 CFR 73.5, ``Specific exemptions,'' the Commission 
may upon application of any interested person or upon its own 
initiative, grant such exemptions in this part as it determines are 
authorized by law and will not endanger life or property or the common 
defense and security, and are otherwise in the public interest. The 
Code of Federal Regulations at 10 CFR 73.55 allows the Commission to 
authorize a licensee to provide alternative measures for protection 
against radiological sabotage provided the licensee demonstrates that 
the proposed measures meet the general performance requirements of the 
regulation, and that the overall level of system performance provides 
protection against radiological sabotage equivalent to that which would 
be provided by the regulation.
    Currently, unescorted access into the protected area for both 
employee and contractor personnel into the Haddam Neck Plant and the 
Millstone plants is controlled through the use of picture badges. 
Positive identification of personnel which are authorized and request 
access into the protected area is established by security personnel 
making a visual comparison of the individual requesting access and that 
individual's picture badge. In accordance with 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5), 
contractor personnel are not allowed to take their picture badges 
offsite. In addition, in accordance with the plant's physical security 
plan, the licensee's employees are also not allowed to take their 
picture badges offsite.
    The proposed system will require that all individuals with 
authorized unescorted access have the physical characteristics of their 
hand (hand geometry) registered with their picture badge number in a 
computerized access control system. Therefore, all authorized 
individuals must not only have their picture badge to gain access to 
the protected area, but must also have their hand geometry confirmed. 
All individuals, including contractors, who have authorized unescorted 
access into the protected area will be allowed to keep their picture 
badges in their possession when departing the Haddam Neck Plant and the 
Millstone plants.
    All other access processes, including search function capability 
and access revocation, will remain the same. A security officer 
responsible for access control will continue to be positioned within a 
bullet-resisting structure. It should be noted that the proposed system 
is only for individuals with authorized unescorted access and will not 
be used for those individuals requiring escorts.
    Sandia National Laboratories conducted testing which demonstrated 
that the hand geometry equipment possesses strong performance 
characteristics. Details of the testing performed are in the Sandia 
report, ``A Performance Evaluation of Biometric Identification 
Devices,'' SAND91--0276 UC--906 Unlimited Release, June 1991. Based on 
the Sandia report, the false acceptance rate for the proposed hand 
geometry system would be at least equivalent to that of a photo picture 
identification system. The site security plans will also be revised to 
allow implementation of the hand geometry system and to allow employees 
and contractors with unescorted access to keep their badges in their 
possession when leaving the Haddam Neck Plant and the Millstone plants.

IV

    For the foregoing reasons, the Commission has determined that the 
proposed alternative measures for protection against radiological 
sabotage meet the same high assurance objective and the general 
performance requirements of 10 CFR 73.55. In addition, the staff has 
determined that the overall level of the proposed system's performance 
will provide protection against radiological sabotage equivalent to 
that which is provided by the current system in accordance with 10 CFR 
73.55.
    Accordingly, the Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 
73.5, the exemption is authorized by law and will not endanger life or 
property or the common defense and security and is otherwise in the 
public interest and hereby grants an exemption from those requirements 
of 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5) relating to the returning of picture badges upon 
exit from the protected area such that individuals not employed by the 
licensee, i.e., contractors, who are authorized unescorted access into 
the protected area, can take their badges offsite.
    Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that the 
issuance of this exemption will have no significant impact on the 
quality of human environment (59 FR 63385).
    This exemption is effective upon issuance.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland the 9th day of December 1994.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John F. Stolz,
Acting Director, Division of Reactor Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 94-30933 Filed 12-15-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M