[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 97 (Tuesday, May 20, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27596-27597]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12598]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-302]


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

1.0 Background

    Florida Power Corporation (the licensee) is the holder of Facility 
Operating License No. DPR-72, which authorizes operation of the Crystal 
River Unit 3 Nuclear Generating Plant (Crystal River). The license 
provides, among other things, that the facility is subject to all 
rules, regulations, and orders of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission (the Commission) now or hereafter in effect.
    The facility consists of one pressurized-water reactor located in 
Citrus County, Florida.

2.0 Request/Action

    Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 55.59 
requires that a facility's licensed operator requalification program be 
conducted for a continuous period not to exceed 2 years (24 months) and 
upon conclusion must be promptly followed, pursuant to a continuous 
schedule, by successive requalification programs. Each 2-year 
requalification program must include a biennial comprehensive written 
examination and annual operating tests.
    By letter dated March 6, 2003, the licensee requested a one-time 
exemption under 10 CFR 55.11 from the schedule requirements of 10 CFR 
55.59. Specifically, for Crystal River, the licensee has requested a 
one-time extension from December 31, 2004, to February 28, 2005, for 
completing the current licensed operator requalification program. The 
next requalification program period would begin March 1, 2005, and 
continue for 24 months to February 28, 2007, with successive periods 
running for 24 months. This requested exemption would allow an 
extension of 2 months beyond the 24-month requalification program 
schedule required by 10 CFR 55.59.

3.0 Discussion

    Pursuant to 10 CFR 55.11, the Commission may, upon application by

[[Page 27597]]

an interested person, or upon its own initiative, grant exemptions from 
the requirements of 10 CFR Part 55 when the exemptions are authorized 
by law and will not endanger life or property and are otherwise in the 
public interest. The exemption being requested for Crystal River is to 
alleviate potential scheduling difficulties associated with 
administering requalification examinations and completing the 
requalification program at the end of the 2004 calendar year. Moving 
the end of the requalification program to February 28, 2005, would: (1) 
Minimize the fall refueling outage impact on requalification 
examination development; (2) minimize the potential impact from any 
fall refueling outage extensions; (3) minimize the scheduling and 
resource impact from both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays; (4) 
minimize the potential scheduling and resource impact of any 
examination remediation or retesting requirements during the holidays; 
and (5) minimize the potential impact from future bargaining unit 
negotiations, which occur periodically in the fourth calendar quarter.
    Although the 24-month schedule requirement of 10 CFR 55.59 at 
Crystal River would be exceeded, operator performance continues to be 
satisfactory, as demonstrated by the operators' strong performance 
during the recent end-of-cycle requalification examinations. Granting 
this exemption will allow Crystal River to continue with safe plant 
operations without undue hardship to plant personnel and Crystal River 
licensed operators.

4.0 Conclusion

    Accordingly, the Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 
55.11, granting an exemption to the licensee from the schedule 
requirements in 10 CFR 55.59, by allowing Crystal River a one-time 
extension in the allowed time for completing the current licensed 
operator requalification program, is authorized by law and will not 
endanger life or property and is otherwise in the public interest. 
Therefore, the Commission hereby grants Florida Power Corporation an 
exemption on a one-time only basis from the schedule requirement of 10 
CFR 55.59, to allow the completion date for the current licensed 
operator requalification program for the Crystal River Unit 3 Nuclear 
Generating Plant to be extended from December 31, 2004, to February 28, 
2005. The next requalification program period would begin March 1, 
2005, and continue for 24 months to February 28, 2007, with successive 
periods running for 24 months.
    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 (68 FR 25069).
    This exemption is effective upon issuance and expires on February 
28, 2005.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day of May 2003.
Bruce A. Boger,
Director, Division of Inspection Program Management, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 03-12598 Filed 5-19-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P