[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 218 (Wednesday, November 12, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60735-60737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-29716]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-302]


Florida Power Corporation; 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 72, issued to the Florida Power Corporation, (FPC or the licensee), 
for operation of the Crystal River Nuclear Generating Unit 3 (CR3) 
located in Citrus County, Florida.
    The proposed amendment involves a revision to the CR3 Technical 
Specifications (TS) relating to decay heat removal requirements in Mode 
4. The proposed modification will revise the TS and associated Bases to 
require in Mode 4, one operable emergency feedwater (EFW) train and 
associated equipment, including the EFW tank, emergency feedwater 
initiation and control actuation instrumentation for EFW, post accident 
monitoring instrumentation, and the turbine bypass valves. 
Additionally, the TS and associated Bases would be revised to require 
in Mode 4, a low-pressure injection (LPI) train, dedicated to the 
borated water storage tank, and to reflect that the available loops for 
decay heat removal do not include this dedicated LPI train. Editorial 
changes would also be made to clarify the description of Mode 4 
accidents requiring emergency core cooling system injection, and to 
revise the title of TS limiting condition for operation 3.7.5.
    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.
    The Commission has made a proposed determination 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 consideration, which is presented 
below:

    1. The proposed ITS [Improved Technical Specifications] changes 
and operator actions involving mitigation of postulated Mode 4 LOCAs 
[loss-of-coolant-accidents] will not result in a significant 
increase in the probability of an accident previously evaluated. The 
initiators of any accident previously evaluated are not affected by 
the proposed ITS changes and operator actions involving mitigation 
of Mode 4 LOCAs. Consequently, there is no significant impact on any 
previously evaluated accident probabilities.
    The proposed ITS changes and operator actions involving 
mitigation of Mode 4 LOCAs do not result in a significant increase 
in the consequences of any accidents previously evaluated. The 
proposed ITS changes, modifications and operator actions will not 
adversely affect the integrated ability of any system to perform its 
intended safety functions. Therefore, the combined ability of these 
components, systems and actions to mitigate the consequences of a 
Mode 4 LOCA will continue to be maintained. In fact, the collective 
impact of these ITS changes and operator actions improves the 
capability of CR-3 to mitigate Mode 4 LOCAs by requiring additional 
equipment operable in Mode 4, by reducing operator burden, and by 
decreasing the time to initiate LPI. The proposed ITS changes are 
either consistent with or exceed the original licensing and design 
basis for CR-3. In addition, the ITS changes and operator actions do 
not affect the onsite or offsite doses which remain well below 10 
CFR Part 100 limits.
    2. The proposed ITS changes and operator actions do not create 
the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any 
accident previously evaluated. Since, the ITS changes and operator 
actions do not involve a different initiator for any accident 
previously evaluated, they also do not create any new kind of 
accident. Mitigation of Mode 4 LOCAs, utilizing manual actions, is 
already part of the CR-3 licensing basis. Manual operator actions 
necessary for the mitigation

[[Page 60736]]

of Mode 4 LOCAs are currently addressed or are being addressed in 
CR-3 procedures.
    3. The proposed ITS changes and operator actions do not involve 
a significant reduction in the margin of safety for mitigation of 
Mode 4 LOCAs. In fact, the collective impact of the ITS changes and 
operator actions represent a[n] improvement in the overall margin of 
safety to a degree that exceeds the original plant design and 
licensing bases for mitigation of Mode 4 LOCAs by requiring 
additional equipment operable in Mode 4, by reducing operator 
burden, and by decreasing the time to initiate LPI. The proposed ITS 
changes are either consistent with or exceed the original licensing 
and design basis for CR-3.

    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 30 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 30-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 30-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 Chief, Rules 
Review and Directives Branch, Division of Freedom of Information and 
Publications Services, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, 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 December 12, 1997 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 Coastal Region Library, 8619 W. Crystal 
Street, Crystal River, Florida.
    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 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 a hearing is requested, the Commission will make a final 
determination on the issue of no significant hazards consideration. 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 20555-0001, Attention:

[[Page 60737]]

Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff 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 the petition should 
also be sent to the Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, and to R. Alexander 
Glenn, General Counsel, Florida Power Corporation, MAC--A5A, P. O. Box 
14042, St. Petersburg, Florida 33733-4042, 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 31, 1997, 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 Coastal Region Library, 8619 W. 
Crystal Street, Crystal River, Florida.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day of November 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
L. Raghavan, Sr.,
Project Manager, Project Directorate II-3, Division of Reactor 
Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-29716 Filed 11-10-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P