[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 120 (Monday, June 23, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33934-33935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-16382]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

 Docket No. 50-368


In the Matter of Entergy Operations, Inc. (Arkansas Nuclear One, 
Unit 2)

Exemption I

    Entergy Operations, Inc. (the licensee) is the holder of Facility 
Operating License No. NPF-6, which authorizes operation of Arkansas 
Nuclear One, Unit 2 (ANO-2). The license provides, among other things, 
that the licensee is subject to all rules, regulations, and orders of 
the Commission now or hereafter in effect.
    The facility consists of two pressurized water reactors, Arkansas 
Nuclear One, Units 1 and 2, located at the licensee's site in Pope 
County, Arkansas.

II

    In its letter dated December 23, 1996, the licensee requested an 
exemption from certain requirements in Title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations, Part 50, Appendix R, Section III.O, for ANO-2.

III

    Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, the Commission may, upon application by 
any interested person or upon its own initiative, grant exemptions from 
the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50 when (1) the exemptions are 
authorized by law, will not present an undue risk to public health or 
safety, and are consistent with the common defense and security and (2) 
when special circumstances are present. Special circumstances are 
present whenever, according to 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii), ``Application of 
the regulation in the particular circumstances would not serve the 
underlying purpose of the rule or is not necessary to achieve the 
underlying purpose of the rule. * * * ''
    10 CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Section III.O requires that the reactor 
coolant pump (RCP) shall be equipped with an oil collection system if 
the containment is not inerted during normal operation. 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. The underlying purpose of 10 
CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Section III.O is to ensure that leaking oil 
will not lead to a fire which could damage safe shutdown systems during 
normal or design basis accident conditions.
    On the basis of the enclosed safety evaluation, the U. S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff concluded that the design of the oil 
filling system and the level of protection provided by the licensee 
through the use of certain compensatory measures during oil fill 
operations provides reasonable assurance that a lube oil fire will not 
occur. The staff also concluded that a worst-case postulated fire, due 
to not having a lube oil collection system for the RCP lube oil fill 
lines, would be of limited magnitude and extent. In addition, such a 
fire would not cause significant damage in the containment building and 
would not prevent the operators from achieving and maintaining safe 
shutdown conditions. The staff concluded, therefore, that the lack of 
an oil collection system for the RCP lube oil fill lines is an 
acceptable exemption from the technical

[[Page 33935]]

requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Section III.O.

IV

    Therefore, contingent on the use of the compensatory measures that 
are itemized in the licensee's December 23, 1996, exemption request, 
the NRC staff has concluded that the licensee's proposed use of the 
remote oil addition system will not present an undue risk to public 
health and safety and is consistent with the common defense and 
security. The NRC staff has determined that there are special 
circumstances present, as specified in 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2), in that 
application of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Section III.O is not 
necessary in order to achieve the underlying purpose of this 
regulation.
    Accordingly, the Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 
50.12(a), an exemption is authorized by law, will not endanger life or 
property or common defense and security, and is, otherwise, in the 
public interest. Therefore, the Commission hereby grants an exemption 
from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Section III.O to 
the extent that the RCP lube oil fill lines are required to be 
protected with a collection system.
    Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that the 
granting of this exemption will not have a significant effect on the 
quality of the human environment (62 FR 19632).
    This exemption is effective upon issuance.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day of June 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Samuel J. Collins,
Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-16382 Filed 6-20-97; 8:45 am]
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