[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 162 (Tuesday, August 20, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43086-43087]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-21164]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-498 and 50-499]


Houston Lighting & Power Company, City Public Service Board of 
San Antonio, Central Power and Light Company, City of Austin, Texas; 
South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2; Notice of Partial Denial of 
Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses and Opportunity for Hearing

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has denied, 
in part, a request by Houston Lighting & Power Company, an amendment to 
Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-76 and NPF-80, issued to the 
licensee for operation of the South Texas Project, Unit Nos. 1 and 2, 
located in Matagorda County, Texas. Notice of Consideration of Issuance 
of this amendment was published in the Federal Register on June 5, 1996 
(61 FR 28616).
    The purpose of the licensee's amendment request was to revise the 
Technical Specifications (TSs) to implement 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J, 
Option B, by referring to Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.163, ``Performance-
Based Containment Leak-Test Program.'' Included in this request was a 
proposed change regarding the frequency of leakage rate testing the 
normal

[[Page 43087]]

containment purge valves and the supplementary containment purge valves 
(TSs 4.6.1.7.2 and 4.6.1.7.3).
    The NRC staff has denied the portion of the proposed change 
regarding the frequency of leakage rate testing the normal containment 
purge valves and the supplementary containment purge valves. These 
valves use resilient seals. The licensee proposed to extend the present 
test intervals of 3 months for the supplementary purge valves and 6 
months for the normal purge valves following the guidance of RG 1.163. 
RG 1.163 recommends testing of containment purge and vent valves at 
intervals not exceeding 30 months. However, the current test intervals 
are not based on Appendix J considerations and the licensee's proposal 
is therefore outside the scope of the proposed change to Option B. The 
current test intervals are based on the findings of Generic Issue B-20, 
``Containment Leakage Due to Seal Degradation,'' that valves with 
resilient seals should be tested more frequently than required by 
Appendix J. The background for this conclusion is discussed in IE 
Circular 77-11, ``Leakage of Containment Isolation Valves With 
Resilient Seats,'' issued on September 6, 1977.
    After some discussions with the staff, the licensee chose not to 
pursue this issue further. Since additional information would be 
required to continue this part of the review (for TSs 4.6.1.7.2 and 
4.6.1.7.3), the staff denies this part of the proposed change.
    The licensee was notified of the Commission's denial of the 
proposed change by a letter transmitting Amendment Nos. 84 and 71.
    By September 19, 1996, the licensee may demand a hearing with 
respect to the denial described above. Any person whose interest may be 
affected by this proceeding may file a written petition for leave to 
intervene.
    A request for hearing or 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. A copy of any petitions should also be sent to the Office of the 
General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 
20555, and to Jack R. Newman, Esq., Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, 1800 M 
Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036-5869, attorney for the licensee.
    For further details with respect to this action, see (1) the 
application for amendment dated May 1, 1996, and (2) the Commission's 
letter to the licensee dated August 13, 1996, issued with Amendment 
Nos. 84 and 71 to NPF-76 and NPF-80.
    These documents are 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 Wharton County Junior College, J.M. Hodges Learning Center, 911 
Boling Highway, Wharton, TX 77488.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 13th day of August, 1996.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Thomas W. Alexion,
Project Manager, Project Directorate IV-1, Division of Reactor Projects 
III/IV, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 96-21164 Filed 8-19-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P