[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 228 (Wednesday, November 26, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63203-63204]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-31085]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-302]


Florida Power Corporation; Crystal River Nuclear Generating Plant 
Unit 3; Exemption

I

    Florida Power Corporation (the licensee) is the holder of Facility 
Operating License No. DPR-72, which authorizes operation of the Crystal 
River Nuclear Generating Plant Unit 3 (CR3). 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 is of a pressurized water reactor type and is located 
in Citrus County, Florida.

II

    In its letter dated September 5, 1997, the licensee requested an 
exemption from the Commission's regulations.
    Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 50, Appendix A, 
``General Design Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants,'' Criterion 3, 
``Fire Protection,'' specifies that ``Structures, systems, and 
components important to safety shall be designed and located to 
minimize, consistent with other safety requirements, the probability 
and effect of fires and explosions.'' 10 CFR part 50, Appendix R sets 
forth the fire protection features required to satisfy certain 
provisions of General Design Criterion 3 of the Commission's 
regulations. Pursuant to 10 CFR part 50, Appendix R, Section III, 
Paragraph O, ``Oil Collection System for Reactor Coolant Pump,'' 
reactor coolant pumps (RCPs) shall be equipped with an oil collection 
system which ``* * * shall be capable of collecting lube oil from all 
potential pressurized and unpressurized leakage sites in the reactor 
coolant pump lube oil systems.''
    In 1985, CR3 added remote oil addition lines (ROALs) to the 
original RCP oil fill lines to eliminate the need to shut down the 
reactor, and to reduce personnel radiation and heat stress exposure 
during periodic RCP oil additions. At that time, the licensee did not 
consider the ROALs to be a part of the RCP lube oil systems and as a 
result, did not provide a lube oil collection system to collect 
potential leakages. As part of its current Appendix R design review 
project, the licensee has now determined the ROALs to be a part of the 
RCP lube oil systems and therefore, would require a lube oil collection 
system.
    The licensee states that the ROALs are of a rugged leak tight 
design. They are used only periodically using controlled plant 
procedures. In a hypothetical worst case spill, with ignition assumed, 
use of the ROALs does not impact post fire safe shutdown capability. As 
a result, the licensee believes that a lube oil collection system for 
the ROALs is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the 
rule. Exemption from Appendix R, Paragraph O, requirements is required 
for the ROALs to have no lube oil collection system for collecting oil 
from potential leak sites.

III

Discussion

    The licensee requests an exemption from the technical requirements 
relating to an oil collection system for the ROALs associated with the 
RCPs.
    CR3 design includes four RCP motors which are located inside the D-
Ring area. This area is separated from other fire areas by concrete 
barriers forming primary containment. Each group of two RCPs is 
separated from the other group by the reactor vessel and its concrete 
compartment. The walls of the reactor compartment are four feet thick 
concrete.
    The RCP Motors have an upper oil reservoir for the thrust bearing 
containing 175 gallons of oil, and a lower bearing oil reservoir 
containing 15 gallons of oil. Both reservoirs are vented to the 
containment atmosphere to ensure that they would not be overpressurized 
during oil addition operations. The upper and lower oil reservoirs have 
oil fill lines at the motors which are contained by the RCP motor lube 
oil collection system. In 1985, ROALs were added to the original RCP 
oil fill lines to eliminate the need to shut down the reactor, and to 
reduce personnel radiation and heat stress exposure during periodic RCP 
oil additions. The RCP lube oil collection system provides collection 
coverage for the original oil fill lines and the ROAL connection at the 
RCP motor. High and low oil level control room annunciators, and 
digital local level indications are provided for both upper and lower 
lube oil reservoirs.
    The ROALs are constructed of \1/2\'' stainless steel tubing with 
3000 psi pressure-rated swagelok unions. The ROALs transition to \1/
2\'' stainless steel flexible metal hose (3000 psi rating) with 
compression type fittings at the D-Ring penetrations and attachment to 
each RCP motor reservoir. Connections to the original RCP lube oil fill 
line are above the maximum oil level of the upper and lower reservoirs. 
The operating pressure of the ROALs is 30 psig or less.
    Inside the RCP D-Ring, the ROALs travel over or along a main steam 
line, steam generator insulation, and RCP casing before attaching to 
the original oil fill lines. The main steam line and the steam 
generator are insulated with stainless steel encapsulated mineral wool. 
The RCP casing insulation is a non-absorbing mirror-type insulation. 
Outside the secondary shield wall, the ROALs do not travel over any hot 
main pipes or steam lines.
    A portable oil metering pump skid, two portable tanks, and 
associated high pressure flexible hoses transport oil to containment 
during oil transfer operations. Connection of the pump discharges to 
the permanently mounted ROALs is via high pressure flexible hose with 
quick disconnect fittings. Each metering pump is provided with a relief 
valve located adjacent to the pump discharge and arranged to ensure 
that any oil discharge from the relief valve is captured and contained 
in a portable tank (suction supply). The oil supply tanks for each of 
the oil metering pumps meet the requirements of CR3's Administrative 
Instructions for the use of flammable or combustible liquids inside 
plant areas.
    To minimize the potential for an oil fire due to a leak from the 
ROALs, the licensee proposes to implement several precautionary 
procedural actions during and following oil additions. They include 
requirements for monitoring oil transfers, communications between the 
control room and local operations personnel, walkdown and inspection of 
the ROALs and the areas around the oil pumping manifolds, and 
containment closeout inspection following refueling outages to assure 
the integrity of the ROALs.

IV

Evaluation

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the licensee's 
application.
    The reactor lube oil collection system is required to prevent a 
major fire from occurring inside the reactor

[[Page 63204]]

containment as a result of a lube oil leak from the RCPs. The ROALs are 
a low pressure system. The 3000 psi minimum design pressure of the 
ROALs is significantly higher than the 30 psig line operating 
pressures. All piping components associated with the suction and 
discharge of the portable oil transfer pump skid are appropriately 
rated for the service conditions. The hose connections are flexible 
hoses, and therefore, are not subjected to mechanical vibration and 
thermal stresses.
    Oil leakage from the ROALs is not expected to occur during oil 
transfer operations. The ROALs are used only periodically and operated 
using controlled procedures and processes. The controlled oil addition 
process includes determining the amount of oil to be added, performing 
a walk down before oil addition to check for leakage, and local and 
control room monitoring of the oil addition process. Following the 
addition of the proper amount of oil, the ROAL is drained either by 
gravity or by reversing the pump suction and discharge connections and 
pumping down the line. The upper and lower reservoirs contain only 
limited quantities of oil, 175 and 10 gallons, respectively. Based on 
the maximum oil addition allowed by procedures, the maximum potential 
oil spill will be only 12 gallons.
    During power operation, damage to the ROALs would not occur because 
the reactor building access and work activities are limited during this 
time. Further, following refueling outages, containment close-out 
procedures require visual inspections to assure the integrity of the 
ROALs.
    Inside the D-ring, the ROALs travel over or along hot components 
that are insulated with a non-absorbing material or encased mineral 
wool. The surface temperatures of the insulation are below the ignition 
temperature of the oil, such that the insulation would not be a 
potential ignition source. The construction of this insulation makes it 
less likely for potential leaking oil to soak the encased mineral wool. 
Any potential oil leak in this area would be reasonably expected to 
travel down the insulation to the floor. Further, there are spot-type 
heat detectors located in this general area which can provide early 
warning to the control room in the event of a fire.
    Outside the secondary shield wall, the ROALs do not travel over any 
hot main coolant pipes or steam lines and any potential leak in this 
area would pool on the floor and have no opportunity for ignition.
    The ROALs are routed through two fire areas in the reactor building 
(RB), elevations 95 and 119 feet, designated as RB-95-300 and RB-119-
302. The licensee has administrative controls that are designed to 
control the type, amount, use and location of combustibles. Proper 
control of combustibles minimizes the possibility of starting, 
spreading, or contributing to a fire. The probability for a fire hazard 
in this area is minimal because of separation of redundant components, 
the surrounding concrete structure, minimal or no intervening 
combustibles in the area, high ROAL design pressure and low operating 
pressure, and the short duration and infrequency of oil addition 
operations. However, the licensee has evaluated a worst case lube oil 
fire for these fire areas that contain ROALs and concluded that it is 
bounded by the CR3's existing Fire Hazards Analysis and Appendix R fire 
study.
    In 1985, when the ROALs were originally installed, they were 
functionally leak tested with no visible leakage detected. During the 
last 12 years of performance there has been no indication of any 
leakage from the ROALs.
    Fire detection and manual fire suppression equipment is available 
in the vicinity of the lube oil fill lines. In the event of a fire, it 
is expected that a detector will alarm while the fire is in its 
incipient stages. Operators would then take appropriate action to 
mitigate the consequences of the fire. This provides further assurance 
that a worst-case postulated fire would not damage safe shutdown 
equipment.
    Based on the design features of the ROALs and associated lube oil 
collection systems, and the licensee's proposed compensatory actions, 
there is reasonable assurance that the RCP lube oil system will not 
lead to a major fire hazard. In addition, based on the present level of 
fire protection provided for the RCPs, if a fire were to occur in the 
area, there is reasonable assurance that the fire will be detected and 
mitigated. Therefore, the staff finds the ROALs without an oil 
collection system acceptable.
    The underlying purpose of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix R, Section 
III.O, is to ensure that lube oil from all potential pressurized and 
unpressurized leakage sites in the reactor coolant pump lube oil 
systems would be collected and not become a fire hazard such that ``the 
capability to achieve and maintain safe shutdown conditions during and 
after any postulated fire in the plant'' will be ensured. On the basis 
of its review and evaluation of the licensee's exemption request, the 
staff concludes that the addition of an oil collection system for the 
ROALs is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the rule. 
Therefore, an exemption from the requirement for providing a lube oil 
collection system for the RCP Motor ROALs is acceptable.

V

    For the foregoing reasons, the NRC staff has concluded that 
pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12(a) an exemption permitting the licensee's 
proposed use of ROALs without an oil collection system is authorized by 
law, 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)(ii), 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 hereby grants an exemption from the 
technical requirements of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix R, Section III.O to 
the extent that the ROALs need not be provided with an oil 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 59752).
    This exemption is effective upon issuance.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 19th day of November 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Samuel J. Collins,
Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-31085 Filed 11-25-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P