[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 194 (Friday, October 5, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 51075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-24999]



[[Page 51075]]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-237 and 50-249]


Exelon Generation Company, LLC; Dresden Nuclear Power Station, 
Units 2 and 3 Exemption

1.0  Background

    The Exelon Generation Company, LLC, (Exelon, or the licensee) is 
the holder of Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-19 and DPR-25, which 
authorizes operation of the Dresden Nuclear Power Station (DNPS), Units 
2 and 3, respectively. The licenses provide, among other things, that 
the facilities are subject to all rules, regulations, and orders of the 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) now or 
hereafter in effect.
    The facility consists of two boiling water reactors located in 
Grundy County, Illinois.

2.0  Request/Action

    Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) part 50, 
section 50.55a(g)(6)(ii)(A)(2) incorporates American Society of 
Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code, Section XI, Table IWB-2500-1. Item 
B1.12 of ASME code, Section XI, Table IWB-2500-1 requires that all 
longitudinal reactor pressure vessel (RPV) shell welds be inspected 
during each ten-year inspection interval. Additionally, item B1.30 
requires that the shell-to-flange weld be inspected during each 
inspection interval.
    In its submittal dated June 12, 2001, as supplemented by a letter 
dated July 23, 2001, the licensee requested an exemption from the ASME 
Code, Section XI requirements, items B1.12 and B1.30 of Table IWB-2500-
1. The licensee requested a one cycle extension of the requirement to 
inspect the RPV welds for the Dresden Units 2 and 3 per the provisions 
of 10 CFR 50.55a(a)(3)(ii). Specifically, the licensee concluded that 
compliance with the specified requirements of this section would result 
in hardship or unusual difficulty without a compensating increase in 
the level of quality and safety.
    Until recently, the licensee intended to use standard inspection 
techniques on RPV welds during the upcoming (17th) refueling outages 
for both units. The outages are scheduled for October 2001 and 
September 2002 for Units 2 and 3, respectively. Using standard 
equipment, the licensee projects that they would be able to inspect 
approximately 60 percent of the length of vertical welds.
    In order to improve and increase their capability to perform RPV 
weld examinations, the licensee proposes to implement the AIRIS 21 
system. The AIRIS 21 system is a nondestructive examination (NDE) tool 
developed by IHI Southwest Technologies (ISWT). The licensee proposes 
to have ISWT install the new system and inspect vertical welds along 
the lower beltline course as well as the shell-to-flange weld during 
the 17th refueling outage for both units. Coverage of the lower 
beltline course is not obtainable using standard inspection techniques. 
Using the AIRIS 21 system, the licensee anticipates examining 14 of the 
18 vertical welds as well as the shell-to-flange weld during the 
upcoming 17th refueling outage for both units. Approximately 90 percent 
of the shell-to-flange weld is expected to be examined while 50 to 100 
percent of the vertical welds are expected to be examined. The licensee 
expects to complete examinations for the remaining four vertical welds 
using the AIRIS 21 system in the 18th refueling outage for both units.
    The AIRIS 21 device will require additional refueling bridge 
support. Therefore, in order to inspect all of the welds required by 
the ASME Code during the 17th refueling outages, outage time would be 
increased by 64 hours according to the licensee's estimates. The 
licensee concludes that this considerable extension in outage time 
presents undue hardship.

3.0  Discussion

    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. According to 10 CFR 
50.12(a)(2)(iii), special circumstances are present whenever compliance 
would result in undue hardship or other costs that are significantly in 
excess of those contemplated when the regulation was adopted. The 
requested schedular exemption is required to prevent an extended 
shutdown of the facility for the purpose of conducting RPV inservice 
examinations. In addition, according to 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(v), special 
circumstances are also present whenever the exemption would provide 
only temporary relief from the applicable regulation. The requested 
exemption is only needed for eight months for Unit 2 and 24 months for 
Unit 3 to achieve increased inspection coverage without an outage 
schedule impact.
    As described in the staff's safety evaluation dated September 28, 
2001, the staff finds that the deferral of the examinations of RPV 
welds for one cycle will not present undue risk to the public and the 
AIRIS 21 system is expected to result in a more complete inspection 
during future outages. The safety evaluation may be examined, and/or 
copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room, located at One 
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, 
Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically 
from the ADAMS Public Library component on the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov (the Electronic Reading Room).

4.0  Conclusion

    Accordingly, the Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 
50.12(a), the exemption is authorized by law, will not endanger life or 
property or common defense and security, and is, otherwise, in the 
public interest. Also, special circumstances are present. Therefore, 
the Commission hereby grants Exelon an exemption from the requirements 
of 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(6)(ii)(A)(2) for Dresden Nuclear Power Station, 
Units 2 and 3.
    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 (66 FR 49713).
    This exemption is effective upon issuance.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of September 2001.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John A. Zwolinski,
Director, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-24999 Filed 10-4-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P