[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 29, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78056-78058]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-28457]
[[Page 78056]]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2
[Docket Nos. 50-317 and 50-318]
Notice of Consideration of Issuance of Amendments to Renewed
Facility Operating Licenses, Proposed No Significant Hazards
Consideration Determination, and Opportunity for a Hearing
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering issuance of amendments to Renewed Facility Operating
Licenses No. DPR-53 and No. DPR-69, issued to Calvert Cliffs Nuclear
Power Plant, Inc. (the licensee), for operation of the Calvert Cliffs
Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2, located in Lusby, MD.
The proposed amendments would add references to the list of
approved core operating limits analytical methods in Technical
Specification 5.6.5.b for Calvert Cliffs Unit Nos. 1 and 2.
Before issuance of the proposed license amendments, the Commission
will have made findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as
amended (the Act), and the Commission's regulations.
The Commission has made a proposed determination that the amendment
request involves no significant hazards consideration. Under the
Commission's regulations in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations
(10 CFR), Section 50.92, this means that operation of the facility in
accordance with the proposed amendment would not (1) involved a
significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident
previously evaluated; or (2) create the possibility of a new or
different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated; or
(3) involved a significant reduction in a margin of safety. As required
by 10 CFR 50.91(a), the licensee has provided its analysis of the issue
of not significant hazards consideration, which is presented below:
1. Operation of the facility in accordance with the proposed
amendment[s] would not involve a significant increase in the
probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated.
The proposed amendment[s] adds references to Technical
Specification 5.6.5.b. This Technical Specification lists methods
that are used to determine core operating limits. These proposed
additional references will allow the use of the Westinghouse nuclear
physics codes and a burnable neutron absorber material at Calvert
Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant.
The proposed additional references will allow the use of the
Westinghouse nuclear physics codes PARAGON, PHOENIX-P, and ANC.
These Westinghouse codes will be used for the design of reload cores
and for safety evaluation of reload cores. Benchmarking has shown
that results from these nuclear physics codes are essentially the
same as those obtained from the current DIT/ROCS code systems. These
codes will not increase the probability or consequences of an
accident because plant systems will not be operated outside of
design limits, no different equipment will be operated, and system
interfaces will not change.
The use of these computer codes will not increase the
consequences of an accident because Limiting Conditions for
Operation (LCOs) will continue to restrict operation to within the
regions that provides acceptable results, and Reactor Protective
System (RPS) trip setpoints will restrict plant transients so that
the consequences of accidents will be acceptable. Also, the
consequences of the accidents will be calculated using NRC accepted
methodologies.
These proposed additional references to Technical Specification
5.6.5.b will allow the use of the burnable neutron absorber material
Zirconium Diboride. Zirconium Diboride absorbs neutrons, which
reduces the thermal flux and power in the region with the Zirconium
Diboride. Neutron absorption by Zirconium Diboride produces helium
gas that is released into the fuel rod plenum. The effect of this
helium production is taken into account in the fuel design and
safety evaluations using codes reviewed and approved by the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission.
Implementation of Zirconium Diboride may result in the peak most
positive moderator temperature coefficient occurring after beginning
of cycle. The core burnup characteristic is well understood as a
result of extensive industry experience. Positive moderator
temperature coefficient at the beginning of cycle is also within
operational experience at Calvert Cliffs and as such, do not
represent a significant change in the operation of the plant.
The proposed additional Technical Specification references are
not accident initiators. The assumed accident initiators are not
changed by the introduction of proposed additional Technical
Specification references. Therefore, operation of the facility in
accordance with the proposed amendment[s] will not involve a
significant increase in the probability of an accident previously
evaluated.
The use of the proposed methods will not significantly impact
the fission product inventory and transport assumptions in the
current licensing basis analyses. Therefore, the radiological
consequences of an accident previously evaluated will not increase.
The use of the proposed methods will not increase the
consequences of an accident because Limiting Conditions for
Operation will continue to restrict operation to within the regions
that provide acceptable results, and Reactor Protective system trip
setpoints will restrict plant transients so that the consequences of
accidents will not exceed the safety analysis acceptance criteria.
Therefore, the proposed Technical Specification changes do not
involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of
an accident previously evaluated.
2. Operation of the facility in accordance with the proposed
amendment[s] would not create the possibility of a new or different
kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated.
These proposed additional references will allow the use of the
Westinghouse nuclear physics codes PARAGON, PHOENIX-P, and ANC.
These codes will be used to confirm the values of selected cycle-
specific reactor physics parameter limits from the Technical
Specifications and the Core Operating Limits Report. These codes
will not change the physical plant or the modes of operation.
Benchmaking has shown that results from these codes are essentially
the same as those optioned from the current DIT/ROCS code package.
The plant systems will not be operated outside of design limits, no
different equipment will be operated, and system interfaces will not
change. This code package will not create a new or different
accident from those previously evaluated.
The proposed amendments also add the Zirconium Diboride burnable
absorber topical report to the Technical Specification list of the
approved topical reports used to generate the values in the Core
Operating Limits Report. With this burnable absorber, the plant
systems will not operate outside of design limits, no different
equipment will be operated, and system interfaces will not change.
This burnable absorber will not create a new or different accident
from those previously evaluated.
Therefore, operation of the facility in accordance with the
proposed amendment[s] would not create the possibility of a new or
different kind of accident from any previously evaluated.
3. Operation of the facility in accordance with the proposed
amendment[s] would not involve a significant reduction in a margin
of safety.
Safety limits ensure that specified acceptable fuel design
limits are not exceeded during steady state operation, normal
operational transients, and anticipated operational occurrences. All
fuel limits and design criteria will be met based on the approved
methodologies defined in the topical reports. The RPS in combination
with all LCOs, will continue to prevent any anticipated combination
of transient conditions for Reactor Coolant System temperature,
pressure, and thermal power level that would result in a violation
of the safety limits.
The reload safety analyses determine the LCOs settings and RPS
setpoints that establish the initial conditions and trip setpoints.
These conditions and setpoints ensure that the Design Basis Events
(postulated accident and anticipated operational occurrences)
analyzed in the Updated Final Safety Analysis Report produced
acceptable results.
The proposed amendment[s] add references to Technical
Specification 5.6.5.b. This Technical Specification lists methods
that are used to determine core operating
[[Page 78057]]
limits. These proposed additional references will allow the use of
the Westinghouse computer codes, PARAGON, PHOENIX-P, and ANC, and a
burnable neutron absorber material Zirconium Diboride at Calvert
Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. These references were previously
reviewed and approved by [the] Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Therefore, the proposed changes will not involve a significant
reduction in the margin of safety.
The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's analysis and, based on
this review, it appears that the three standards of 10 CFR 50.92(c) are
satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff proposes to determine that the
amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration.
The Commission is seeking public comments on this proposed
determination. Any comments received within 30 days after the date of
publication of this notice will be considered in making any final
determination.
Normally, the Commission will not issue the amendments until the
expiration of 60 days after the date of publication of this notice. The
Commission may issue the license amendments before expiration of the
60-day period provided that its final determination is that the
amendments involve no significant hazards consideration. In addition,
the Commission may issue the amendments prior to the expiration of the
30-day comment period should circumstances change during the 30-day
comment period such that failure to act in a timely way would result,
for example in derating or shutdown of the facility. Should the
Commission take action prior to the expiration of either the comment
period or the notice period, it will publish in the Federal Register a
notice of issuance. Should the Commission make a final No Significant
Hazards Consideration Determination, any hearing will take place after
issuance. The Commission expects that the need to take this action will
occur very infrequently.
Written comments may be submitted by mail to the Chief, Rules and
Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Office of
Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001, and should cite the publication date and page number of
this Federal Register notice. Written comments may also be delivered to
Room 6D59, Two White Flint North, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
Maryland, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Federal workdays. Documents may
be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document
Room, located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555
Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland.
The filing of requests for hearing and petitions for leave to
intervene is discussed below.
Within 60 days after the date of publication of this notice, the
licensee may file a request for a hearing with respect to issuance of
the amendments to the subject facility operating license and any person
whose interest may be affected by this proceeding and who wishes to
participate as a party in the proceeding must file a written request
for a hearing and a petition for leave to intervene. Requests for a
hearing and a petition for leave to intervene shall be filed in
accordance with the Commission's ``Rules of Practice for Domestic
Licensing Proceedings'' in 10 CFR Part 2. Interested persons should
consult a current copy of 10 CFR 2.309, which is available at the
Commission's PDR, located at One White Flint North, Public File Area
01F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland.
Publicly available records will be accessible from the Agencywide
Documents Access and Management System's (ADAMS) Public Electronic
Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/. If a request for a hearing or
petition for leave to intervene is filed by the above date, the
Commission or a presiding officer designated by the Commission or by
the Chief Administrative Judge of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board
Panel, will rule on the request and/or petition; and the Secretary or
the Chief Administrative Judge of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board
will issue a notice of a hearing or an appropriate order.
As required by 10 CFR 2.309, a petition for leave to intervene
shall set forth with particularity the interest of the petitioner in
the proceedings, and how that interest may be affected by the results
of the proceeding. The petition should specifically explain the reasons
why intervention should be permitted with particular reference to the
following general requirements: (1) The name, address and telephone
number of the requestor or petitioner; (2) the nature of the
requestor's/petition's right under the Act to be made a party to the
proceeding; (3) the nature and extent of the requestor's/petitioner's
property, financial, or other interest in the proceedings; and (4) the
possible effect of any decision or order which may be entered in the
proceedings on the requestor/petitioner's interest. The petition must
also identify the specific contentions which the petitioner/requestor
seeks to have litigated at the proceedings.
Each contention must consist of a specific statement of the issue
of law or fact to be raised or controverted. In addition, the
petitioner/requestor shall provide a brief explanation of the basis for
the contention and a concise statement of the alleged facts or expert
opinion which support the contention and on which the petitioner
intends to rely in proving the contention at the hearing. The
petitioner/requestor must also provide references to those specific
sources and documents of which the petitioner is aware and on which the
petitioner intends to rely to establish those facts or expert opinion.
The petition must include sufficient information to show that a genuine
dispute exists with the applicant on a material issue of law or fact.
Contentions shall be limited to matters within the scope of the
amendments under consideration. The contention must be one which, if
prove, would entitle the petitioner to relief. A petitioner/requestor
who fails to satisfy these requirements with respect to at least one
contention will not be permitted to participate as a party.
Those permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding,
subject to any limitations in the order granting leave to intervene,
and have the opportunity to participate fully in the conduct of the
hearing.
If a hearing is requested, the Commission will make a final
determination on the issue of no significant hazards consideration. The
final determination will serve to decide when the hearing is held. If
the final determination is that the amendment request involves no
significant hazards consideration, the Commission may issue the
amendments and make it immediately effective, notwithstanding the
request for a hearing. Any hearing held would take place after issuance
of the amendments. If the final determination is that the amendment
request involves a significant hazards consideration, any hearing held
would take place before the issuance of any amendments.
Nontimely requests and/or petitions and contentions will not be
entertained absent a determination by the Commission or the presiding
officer of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board that the petition,
request and/or the contentions should be granted based on a balancing
of the factors specified in 10 CFR 2.309(a)(1)(i)-(viii).
A request for a hearing or a petition for leave to intervene must
be filed by: (1) First class mail addressed to the
[[Page 78058]]
Office of the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemaking and
Adjudications Staff; (2) courier, express mail, and expedited delivery
services: Office of the Secretary, Sixteenth Floor, One White Flint
North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, Attention:
Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff; (3) e-mail addressed to the Office
of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
[email protected]; or (4) facsimile transmission addressed to the
Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC, Attention: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff at (301)
415-1101, verification number is (301) 415-1966. A copy of the request
for hearing an petition for leave to intervene should also be sent to
the Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001, and it is requested that copies be
transmitted either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-3725
or by e-mail to [email protected]. A copy of the request for
hearing an petition for leave to intervene should also be sent to James
M. Petro, Jr., Esquire, Counsel, Constellation Energy Group, Inc., 750
East Pratt Street, 5th floor, Baltimore, MD 21202, attorney for the
licensee.
For further details with request to this action, see the
application for amendment dated July 15, 2004, which is available for
public inspection at the Commission's PDR, located at One White Flint
North, File Public Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor),
Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible from
the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System's (ADAMS) Public
Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Persons who do not have access to
ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in
ADAMS, should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-
800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to [email protected]. (Note: Public
access to ADAMS has been temporarily suspended so that security reviews
of publicly available documents may be performed and potentially
sensitive information removed. Please check the NRC Web site for
updates of the resumption of ADAMS access.)
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day of December, 2004.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Richard V. Guzman,
Project Manager, Section 1, Project Directorate 1, Division of
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 04-28457 Filed 12-28-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M