[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 200 (Tuesday, October 17, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53812-53814]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-25659]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-336]
Northeast Nuclear Energy Company; Notice of Consideration of
Issuance of Amendment to Facility Operating License, Proposed No
Significant Hazards Consideration Determination, and Opportunity for a
Hearing
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License No.
DPR-65, issued to the Northeast Nuclear Energy Company (NNECO/the
licensee), for operation of the Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit
No. 2, located in New London County, Connecticut.
The proposed amendment would revise the Technical Specifications
(TS) 3.8.1.1, ``A.C SOURCES,'' by adding a footnote that, for Cycle 13
operation only, to extend the allowed outage time (AOT) of the offsite
power source obtained from Millstone Unit 1 from 3 days to 7 days.
This proposed amendment is needed to avert an unnecessary Unit 2
shutdown should offsite power obtained from Unit 1 become unavailable
for more than 72 hours when maintenance is performed on the Unit 1
Reserve Station Service Transformer (RSST) and cross-tie 14H bus during
the upcoming Unit 1 outage.
The Unit 1 outage is currently scheduled to begin October 27, 1995,
and work on the relevant electrical cross-tie equipment is scheduled to
start on or about November 5, 1995. The licensee will take every effort
to restore the Unit 1 electrical cross-tie equipment as soon as
maintenance is completed. Since the completion time for this
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maintenance activity cannot be assured, the licensee is requesting a
license amendment change to extend the AOT beyond the present 72 hours.
Exigent action is justified in order to avoid an unnecessary delay in
reactor startup.
Before issuance of the proposed license amendment, the Commission
will have made findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as
amended (the Act) and the Commission's regulations.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.91(a)(6) for amendments to be granted under
exigent circumstances, the NRC staff must determine that the amendment
request involves no significant hazards consideration. Under the
Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 50.92, this means that operation of
the facility in accordance with the proposed amendment would not (1)
involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an
accident previously evaluated; or (2) create the possibility of a new
or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated;
or (3) involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety. As
required by 10 CFR 50.91(a), the licensee has provided its analysis of
the issue of no significant hazards (SHC) consideration, which is
presented below:
* * * NNECO concludes that these changes do not involve a
significant hazards consideration since the proposed changes satisfy
the criteria in 10CFR50.92(c). That is, the proposed changes do not:
1. Involve a significant increase in the probability or
consequences of an accident previously analyzed.
The offsite circuits emergency power system includes equipment
required to support the safe shutdown and post-accident operations
of Millstone Unit No. 2. The preferred off-site power supply is from
the 345-kV switchyard, through the reserve station service
transformer. The alternate source of off-site power is the 4160V tie
to Millstone Unit 1 via bus 14H. These offsite circuits are not
accident initiators. Therefore, this change does not involve an
increase in the probability of any accident previously evaluated.
Although the offsite circuits provide power to components that
help mitigate the consequences of accidents previously evaluated,
the extension in the AOT does not affect any of the assumptions used
in the deterministic evaluations of these accidents. Thus, this
change will not increase the consequences of any accident previously
analyzed.
A PRA [probabilistic risk analysis) analysis was performed to
determine the impact on safety. That analysis examined the increase
in core damage frequency (CDF) and the core damage probability and
concluded that the impact is negligible. Further, the extended AOT,
by itself, does not necessarily increase risk. The increase in the
risk depends on the total time during which an offsite circuit
(specifically, the Millstone Unit No. 2 electrical cross-tie from
Millstone Unit No. 1) is unavailable and the other equipment that is
concurrently out of service. The total risk increase due to the
offsite circuit being out-of-service will not be significant since
that risk increase is monitored and kept at acceptable levels in
accordance with the risk monitor program.
Based on the above, the proposal to extend the AOT for one
offsite circuits [sic] does not involve a significant increase in
the probability or consequences of an accident previously analyzed.
2. Create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident
from any previously analyzed.
The proposed change to extend the AOT for one offsite circuit
does not alter the physical design, configuration, or method of
operation of the plant. Therefore, the proposal does not create the
possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any
previously analyzed.
3. Involve a significant reduction in the margin of safety.
The proposed change to extend the AOT for one offsite circuit
inoperable does not affect the Limiting Conditions for Operations or
their bases. As a result, the deterministic analyses performed to
establish the margin of safety are unaffected. Thus, the change does
not involve a significant reduction in the margin of safety.
The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's analysis and, based on
this review, it appears that the three standards of 10 CFR 50.92(c) are
satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff proposes to determine that the
amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration.
The Commission is seeking public comments on this proposed
determination. Any comments received within 15 days after the date of
publication of this notice will be considered in making any final
determination.
Normally, the Commission will not issue the amendment until the
expiration of the 15-day notice period. However, should circumstances
change during the notice period, such that failure to act in a timely
way would result, for example, in derating or shutdown of the facility,
the Commission may issue the license amendment before the expiration of
the 15-day notice period, provided that its final determination is that
the amendment involves no significant hazards consideration. The final
determination will consider all public and State comments received.
Should the Commission take this action, it will publish in the Federal
Register a notice of issuance. The Commission expects that the need to
take this action will occur very infrequently.
Written comments may be submitted by mail to the Rules Review and
Directives Branch, Division of Freedom of Information and Publications
Services, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555, and should cite the publication date and page
number of this Federal Register notice. Written comments may also be
delivered to Room 6D22, Two White Flint North, 11545 Rockville Pike,
Rockville Maryland, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Federal workdays.
Copies of written comments received may be examined at the NRC Public
Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street NW., Washington, DC.
The filing of requests for hearing and petitions for leave to
intervene is discussed below.
By November 16, 1995, the licensee may file a request for a hearing
with respect to issuance of the amendment to the subject facility
operating license and any person whose interest may be affected by this
proceeding and who wishes to participate as a party in the proceeding
must file a written request for a hearing and a petition for leave to
intervene. Requests for a hearing and a petition for leave to intervene
shall be filed in accordance with the Commission's ``Rules of Practice
for Domestic Licensing Proceedings'' in 10 CFR Part 2. Interested
persons should consult a current copy of 10 CFR 2.714 which is
available at the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman
Building, 2120 L Street NW., Washington, DC and at the local public
document room located at the Learning Resources Center, Three Rivers
Community-Technical College, 574 New London Turnpike, Norwich, CT
06360. If a request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene is
filed by the above date, the Commission or an Atomic Safety and
Licensing Board, designated by the Commission or by the Chairman of the
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, will rule on the request and/
or petition; and the Secretary or the designated Atomic Safety and
Licensing Board will issue a notice of hearing or an appropriate order.
As required by 10 CFR 2.714, a petition for leave to intervene
shall set forth with particularity the interest of the petitioner in
the proceeding, and how that interest may be affected by the results of
the proceeding. The petition should specifically explain the reasons
why intervention should be permitted with particular reference to the
following factors: (1) The nature of the petitioner's right under the
Act to be made a party to the proceeding; (2) the nature and extent of
the petitioner's property, financial, or other interest in the
proceeding; and (3) the possible
[[Page 53814]]
effect of any order which may be entered in the proceeding on the
petitioner's interest. The petition should also identify the specific
aspect(s) of the subject matter of the proceeding as to which
petitioner wishes to intervene. Any person who has filed a petition for
leave to intervene or who has been admitted as a party may amend the
petition without requesting leave of the Board up to 15 days prior to
the first prehearing conference scheduled in the proceeding, but such
an amended petition must satisfy the specificity requirements described
above.
Not later than 15 days prior to the first prehearing conference
scheduled in the proceeding, a petitioner shall file a supplement to
the petition to intervene which must include a list of the contentions
which are sought to be litigated in the matter. Each contention must
consist of a specific statement of the issue of law or fact to be
raised or controverted. In addition, the petitioner shall provide a
brief explanation of the bases of the contention and a concise
statement of the alleged facts or expert opinion which support the
contention and on which the petitioner intends to rely in proving the
contention at the hearing. The petitioner must also provide references
to those specific sources and documents of which the petitioner is
aware and on which the petitioner intends to rely to establish those
facts or expert opinion. Petitioner must provide sufficient information
to show that a genuine dispute exists with the applicant on a material
issue of law or fact.
Contentions shall be limited to matters within the scope of the
amendment under consideration. The contention must be one which, if
proven, would entitle the petitioner to relief. A petitioner who fails
to file such a supplement which satisfies these requirements with
respect to at least one contention will not be permitted to participate
as a party.
Those permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding,
subject to any limitations in the order granting leave to intervene,
and have the opportunity to participate fully in the conduct of the
hearing, including the opportunity to present evidence and cross-
examine witnesses.
If the amendment is issued before the expiration of the 30-day
hearing period, the Commission will make a final determination on the
issue of no significant hazards consideration. If a hearing is
requested, the final determination will serve to decide when the
hearing is held.
If the final determination is that the amendment request involves
no significant hazards consideration, the Commission may issue the
amendment and make it immediately effective, notwithstanding the
request for a hearing. Any hearing held would take place after issuance
of the amendment.
If the final determination is that the amendment request involves a
significant hazards consideration, any hearing held would take place
before the issuance of any amendment.
A request for a hearing or a petition for leave to intervene must
be filed with the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555, Attention: Docketing and Services
Branch, or may be delivered to the Commission's Public Document Room,
the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street NW., Washington, DC, by the above
date. Where petitions are filed during the last 10 days of the notice
period, it is requested that the petitioner promptly so inform the
Commission by a toll-free telephone call to Western Union at 1-(800)
248-5100 (in Missouri 1-(800) 342-6700). The Western Union operator
should be given Datagram Identification Number N1023 and the following
message addressed to Phillip F. McKee: petitioner's name and telephone
number, date petition was mailed, plant name, and publication date and
page number of this Federal Register notice. A copy of the petition
should also be sent to the Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, and to Lillian M. Cuoco,
Esq., Senior Nuclear Counsel, Northeast Utilities Service Company, P.O.
Box 270, Hartford, CT 06141-0270, attorney for the licensee.
Nontimely filings of petitions for leave to intervene, amended
petitions, supplemental petitions and/or requests for hearing will not
be entertained absent a determination by the Commission, the presiding
officer or the presiding Atomic Safety and Licensing Board that the
petition and/or request should be granted based upon a balancing of the
factors specified in 10 CFR 2.714(a)(1)(i)-(v) and 2.714(d).
For further details with respect to this action, see the
application for amendment dated October 6, 1995, which is available for
public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman
Building, 2120 L Street NW., Washington, DC and at the local public
document room, located at the Learning Resources Center, Three Rivers
Community-Technical College, 574 New London Turnpike, Norwich, CT
06360.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 12th day of October 1995.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Guy S. Vissing,
Senior Project Manager, Project Directorate I-4, Division of Reactor
Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 95-25659 Filed 10-16-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P