[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 166 (Monday, August 28, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44516-44517]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-21286]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-293]
Boston Edison Company (Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station); Exemption
I
The Boston Edison Company (BECo/licensee) is the holder of Facility
Operating License No. DPR-35, which authorizes operation of the Pilgrim
Nuclear Power Station (the facility). The license provides, among other
things, that the facilities are subject to all the rules, regulations,
and orders of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission)
now or hereafter in effect.
The facility is a boiling-water reactor located at the licensee's
site in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
II
The Code of Federal 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 Pilgrim site.
By letter dated June 21, 1995, the licensee requested an exemption
from certain requirements of 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5). Specifically, the
requested exemption would allow 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 73.55, ``Specific exemptions,'' the Commission
may upon application of any interested person or upon its own
initiative, grant such exemption 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 alternative measures have the same ``high assurance'' objective,
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 Pilgrim Nuclear Power
Station 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 Pilgrim site.
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-resistant structure. It should also 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 and the licensee's experience using the current photo
picture identification system, the false acceptance rate for the
proposed hand geometry system would be at least equivalent to that of
the current system. To assure that the proposed system will continue to
meet the general performance requirements of 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5), the
licensee will implement a process for testing the 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 picture badges in their possession when leaving
the Pilgrim site.
IV
For the foregoing reasons, the NRC staff 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
73.55, this exemption is authorized by
[[Page 44517]]
law, will not endanger life or property or common defense and security,
and is otherwise in the public interest. Therefore, the Commission
hereby grants the following exemption:
The requirement of 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5) that individuals who have
been granted unescorted access and are not employed by the licensee are
to return their picture badges upon exit from the protected area is no
longer necessary. Thus, these individuals may keep their picture badges
in their possession upon leaving the Pilgrim site.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that the
granting of this exemption will not result in any significant adverse
environmental impact (60 FR 42924).
This Exemption is effective upon issuance.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day of August 1995.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Steven A. Varga,
Director, Division of Reactor Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 95-21286 Filed 8-25-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P