[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 94 (Monday, May 17, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26792-26793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-12319]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-250 and 50-251]


Florida Power and Light Company (Turkey Point Units 3 and 4); 
Revised Exemption

I

    Florida Power and Light Company (the licensee or FPL) is the holder 
of Facility Operating Licenses Nos. DPR-31 and DPR-41, which authorize 
operation of Turkey Point Units 3 and 4 (the facility), respectively, 
at a steady-state reactor power level not in excess of 2300 megawatts 
thermal. The facility is a pressurized-water reactor located at the 
licensee's site in Dade County, Florida. The licenses require among 
other things that the facility comply with all rules, regulations, and 
orders of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission or 
NRC) now or hereafter in effect.

II

    By letter dated December 22, 1998, the NRC issued an exemption from 
certain requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Section III.G.2.a, 
and a supporting safety evaluation (SE), for certain fire zones in the 
turbine building at Turkey Point Plant, Units 3 and 4. By letter dated 
March 8, 1999, FPL provided the NRC staff with its review comments 
regarding the issued exemption and SE.
    The licensee's comments consisted primarily of clarifications, 
editorial corrections, and minor inconsistencies between FPL's 
submittals and the issued exemption and SE. Based on its review, the 
NRC staff has determined that these comments, which do not cause the 
conclusions made previously in the exemption and SE that were issued on 
December 22, 1998, to be altered, should be incorporated appropriately. 
Therefore, the staff is issuing this revised exemption and a revised SE 
to reflect FPL's comments. This revised exemption and the revised SE 
supersede those issued on December 22, 1998.
    In exemptions dated March 27, 1984, and August 12, 1987, concerning 
the requirements of Section III.G, Appendix R to 10 CFR Part 50, the 
NRC staff approved the use of 1-hour-rated fire barriers in lieu of 3-
hour-rated fire barriers in certain outdoor areas at Turkey Point Units 
3 and 4. In addition, the staff found that, for certain outdoor areas 
not protected by automatic fire detection and suppression systems, 
separation of cables and equipment and associated circuits of redundant 
trains by a horizontal distance of 20 feet free of intervening 
combustibles provided an acceptable level of fire safety.
    On the basis of the results of the industry's Thermo-Lag fire 
endurance testing program, the licensee concluded that the outdoor 
Thermo-Lag fire barrier designs cannot achieve a 1-hour fire-resistive 
rating but can achieve a 30-minute fire-resistive rating when exposed 
to a test fire that follows the American Society for Testing and 
Materials Standard E-119 time-

[[Page 26793]]

temperature curve. Because of these test results, the licensee in a 
letter dated June 15, 1994, requested an exemption to use 30-minute 
fire barriers for outdoor applications in lieu of the 1-hour-rated fire 
barriers previously approved; however, the licensee withdrew the 
exemption request by letter dated June 28, 1996.
    In a letter dated July 31, 1997, as supplemented on July 2, October 
27, and December 9, 1998, the licensee requested an exemption from the 
requirements pertaining to the 3-hour-rated fire barriers required by 
Section III.G.2.a, Appendix R to 10 CFR Part 50, for fire zones 79 
(partial), 80 (partial), 82, 84 (partial), 85 (partial), 88 (partial), 
89 (partial), 91, 92, 105, and 117 in the turbine building. The 
licensee requested that the NRC approve the following fire protection 
schemes as alternatives to the protection required by Section III.G.2 
of Appendix R to 10 CFR Part 50: (1) Separation of cables and equipment 
and associated circuits of redundant post-fire safe-shutdown trains 
within the turbine building fire zones 79 (partial), 80 (partial), 82, 
84 (partial), 85 (partial), 88 (partial), 91, 92, and 105 between 
column lines A and E-11 by a fire barrier having a minimum 
1-hour fire resistive rating; (2) separation of cables and equipment 
and associated circuits of redundant post-fire safe-shutdown trains 
within the turbine building fire zones 79 (partial), 84 (partial), 88 
(partial), and 89 (partial) between column lines E-1 and Jc by a fire 
barrier having a minimum 25-minute fire resistive rating; and (3) 
separation of cables and equipment and associated circuits of redundant 
post-fire safe-shutdown trains within the turbine building above the 
turbine operating deck, fire zone 117, by a fire barrier having a 
minimum 25-minute fire resistive rating. This request is based on the 
following: (1) for the turbine building between column lines A and E-1, 
automatic fixed water suppression systems would be provided for the 
major fire hazards (combustible sources) and the turbine lube oil 
equipment, and automatic wet pipe sprinkler protection would be 
provided for area coverage, including the turbine lube oil distribution 
piping locations as described in the enclosed safety evaluation; and 
(2) for the turbine building between column lines E-1 and J, an 
automatic wet pipe sprinkler protection would be provided.
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    \1\ What is referred to as column line E-1 is actually a 
boundary plane formed by walls below grade. This boundary plane is 
defined by FPL's submittal dated July 2, 1998, Figures 4 and 5, and 
discussed on pages 3 and 4 of the attachment to the July 2, 1998, 
transmittal letter. In the submittal, column line E-1 is defined by 
those post-fire safe shutdown circuits located above the condensate 
pump pit, up to the underside of the 42' elevation operating deck. 
This protection results in 1-hour rated fire barriers until a 
distance of over 20' is obtained from the postulated pool fire at 
the 18' elevation and a distance of approximately 9'-6'' from the 
edge of the checker plate flooring above the condensate pump pit. 
For those areas where the condensate pump pit extends to the east, 
the 1-hour fire barriers will follow the outline of the pit, 
augmenting the distance referenced above. The remainder of the post-
fire shutdown circuits between column lines E and J will be 
protected by 25-minute rated fire barriers.
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III

    The underlying purpose of Section III.G.2.a, Appendix R to 10 CFR 
Part 50, is to provide reasonable assurance that one safe-shutdown 
train and associated circuits used to achieve and maintain safe-
shutdown are free of fire damage.
    On the basis of the staff's supporting safety evaluation of the 
licensee's submittals, the staff concludes that the exemption from the 
requirements of Section III.G.2.a of Appendix R to 10 CFR Part 50, for 
fire zones 79 (partial), 80 (partial), 82, 84 (partial), 85 (partial), 
88 (partial), 89 (partial), 91, 92, 105, and 117 as requested by the 
licensee, provides an adequate level of fire safety and presents no 
undue risk to public health and safety. In addition, the staff 
concludes that the underlying purpose of the rule is achieved.

IV

    Accordingly, the Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 
50.12(a), the exemption is authorized by law, will not present an undue 
risk to public health and safety, and is consistent with the common 
defense and security. In addition, the Commission has determined that 
special circumstances are present in that application of the regulation 
is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the rule. 
Therefore, the Commission hereby grants Florida Power and Light Company 
an exemption from the requirements of Section III.G.2.a of Appendix R 
to 10 CFR Part 50, as requested in its previously-referenced 
submittals, for fire zones 79 (partial), 80 (partial), 82, 84 
(partial), 85 (partial), 88 (partial), 89 (partial), 91, 92, 105, and 
117.
    Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that 
granting this exemption for fire zones 79 (partial), 80 (partial), 82, 
84 (partial), 85 (partial), 88 (partial), 89 (partial), 91, 92, 105, 
and 117, will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human 
environment (63 FR 65619).
    This exemption is effective upon issuance.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day of May 1999.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John A. Zwolinski,
Director, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 99-12319 Filed 5-14-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P