[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 239 (Friday, December 12, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65450-65451]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32523]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-321 and 50-366]


In the Matter of Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., et al. 
Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2; Exemption

I

    Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., et al. (the licensee) is 
the holder of Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-57 and NPF-5 for the 
Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2. The licenses provide, 
among other things, that the licensee is subject to all rules, 
regulations, and orders of the Commission in effect now and hereafter.
    The facility consists of two 4-loop boiling water reactors located 
in Appling County, Georgia.

II

    Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Section 
73.55, ``Requirements for Physical Protection of Licensed Activities in 
Nuclear Power Reactors Against Radiological Sabotage,'' paragraph (a), 
in part, states that ``The licensee shall establish and maintain an 
onsite physical protection system and security organization which will 
have as its objective to provide high assurance that activities 
involving special nuclear material are not inimical to the common 
defense and security and do not constitute an unreasonable risk to the 
public health and safety.''
    Section 73.55(d), ``Access Requirements,'' paragraph (1), specifies 
that ``The licensee shall control all points of personnel and vehicle 
access into a protected area.'' Section 73.55(d)(5) requires that ``A 
numbered picture badge identification system shall be used for all 
individuals who are authorized access to protected areas without 
escort.'' Section 73.55(d)(5) also states that an individual not 
employed by the licensee, e.g., contractor, but who requires frequent 
and extended access to protected and vital areas may be authorized 
access to such areas without escort provided the individual ``receives 
a picture badge upon entrance into the protected area which must be 
returned upon exit from the protected area * * *.''
    The licensee has proposed to implement an alternative unescorted 
access control system that would eliminate the need to issue, store, 
and retrieve badges from a central location onsite and would allow all 
individuals with unescorted access to keep their badges when departing 
the site.
    An exemption from 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5) is required to allow 
contractors who have unescorted access to take their badges offsite 
instead of returning them when exiting the site. By letter dated July 
2, 1997, the licensee requested an exemption from the requirements of 
10 CFR 73.55(d)(5) for this purpose.

III

    Pursuant to 10 CFR 73.5, ``Specific exemptions,'' the Commission 
may, upon application of any interested person or upon its own 
initiative, grant such exemptions in this part as it determines are 
authorized by law and will not endanger life or property or the common 
defense and security, and are otherwise in the public interest. 
Pursuant to 10 CFR 73.55, the Commission may authorize a licensee to 
provide alternative measures for protection against radiological 
sabotage provided the licensee demonstrates that the alternative 
measures have ``the same high assurance objective'' and meet ``the 
general performance requirements'' of the regulation, and ``the overall 
level of system performance provides protection against radiological 
sabotage equivalent'' to that which would be provided by the 
regulation.
    Currently, unescorted access into the protected areas at the Hatch 
site is controlled through the use of a photograph on a badge/keycard 
(hereafter, referred to as ``badge''). The security officers use the 
photograph on the badge to visually identify the individual requesting 
access. The licensee's employees and contractor personnel who have been 
granted unescorted access are issued badges upon entrance to the 
protected area and the badges are returned upon exit. In accordance 
with 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5), contractors are not allowed to take these 
badges offsite.
    Under the proposed biometric system, individuals who are authorized 
unescorted entry into protected areas would have the physical 
characteristics of their hand (i.e., hand geometry) registered, along 
with their badge number, in the access control system. When registered 
users enter their badge into the card reader and place their hand onto 
the measuring surface, the system detects that the hand is properly 
positioned, and records the image. The unique characteristics of the 
hand image are then compared with the previously stored template in the 
access control computer system corresponding to the badge to verify 
authorization for entry.
    Individuals, including Hatch plant employees and contractors, would 
be allowed to keep their badges when they depart the site and, thus, 
eliminate the need to issue, retrieve, and store badges at the entrance 
stations to the plant. Badges do not carry any information other than a 
unique identification number. All other access processes, including 
search function capability, would remain the same. This system would 
not be used for persons requiring escorted access, e.g., visitors.
    On the basis of the Sandia report, ``A Performance Evaluation of 
Biometrics Identification Devices,'' SAND91-0276/UC-906, Unlimited 
Release, June 1991, that concluded hand geometry equipment possesses 
strong performance and high detection characteristics, and on its own 
experience with the current photo-identification system, the licensee 
determined that the proposed hand geometry system would provide the 
same high level of assurance as the current system that access is only 
granted to authorized individuals. The biometrics system has been in 
use for a number of years at several sensitive Department of Energy 
facilities and, recently, at some nuclear power plants.
    The licensee will implement a process for testing the proposed 
system to ensure continued overall level of performance equivalent to 
that specified in the regulation. When the changes are implemented, the 
respective Physical Security Plan will be revised to include 
implementation and testing of the hand geometry access control system 
and to allow Hatch plant employees and contractors to take their badges 
offsite.
    When implemented, the licensee will control all points of personnel 
access into a protected area under the observation of security 
personnel through the use of a badge and a hand geometry verification 
system. The numbered picture badge identification system will continue 
to be used for all individuals who are authorized unescorted access to 
protected areas. Badges will continue to be displayed by all 
individuals while inside the protected areas.
    Since both the badge and hand geometry would be necessary for 
access into the protected areas, the proposed system would provide a 
positive verification process. The potential loss of a badge by an 
individual as a result of taking the badge offsite would not enable an 
unauthorized entry into protected areas.

[[Page 65451]]

IV

    For the foregoing reasons, pursuant to 10 CFR 73.55, the NRC staff 
has determined that the proposed alternative measures for protection 
against radiological sabotage meet ``the same high assurance 
objective,'' and ``the general performance requirements'' of the 
regulation and that ``the overall level of system performance provides 
protection against radiological sabotage equivalent'' to that which 
would be provided by the regulation.
    Accordingly, the Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 
73.5, this exemption is authorized by law and will not endanger life or 
property or common defense and security, and is otherwise in the public 
interest. Therefore, the Commission hereby grants the requested 
exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5) to allow 
individuals not employed by the licensee (i.e., contractors) to take 
their photo-identification badges offsite, provided that the proposed 
hand geometry biometrics system is in effect to control access into 
protected areas at the Hatch nuclear plant.
    Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that the 
granting of this exemption will not result in any significant adverse 
environmental impact (62 FR 49539).
    For further details with respect to this action, see the request 
for exemption dated July 2, 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 Burke County Public Library, 412 Fourth 
Street, Waynesboro, Georgia.
    This exemption is effective when modifications, procedures, and 
training to implement the hand geometry biometrics system have been 
completed and the corresponding revisions to the Physical Security Plan 
for the Hatch plant have been submitted to the NRC staff.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day of December 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Frank J. Miraglia,
Acting Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-32523 Filed 12-11-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P