[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 8, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33535-33536]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-2915]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-266 and 50-301]
Nuclear Management Company, LLC, Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units
1 and 2; Exemption
1.0 Background
Nuclear Management Company, LLC (NMC, the licensee), is the holder
of Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-24 and DPR-27 which authorizes
operation of the Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2. The licenses
provide, among other things, that the facility is 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 pressurized-water reactors (PWR)
located in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin.
2.0 Request/Action
Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50,
Appendix R, ``Fire Protection Program for Nuclear Power Facilities
Operating Prior to January 1, 1979,'' established fire protection (FP)
requirements to satisfy 10 CFR 50, appendix A, General Design Criterion
3, ``Fire Protection.''
Appendix R, Section III.G.1.a of 10 CFR Part 50 requires: ``one
train of systems necessary to achieve and maintain hot shutdown from
either the control room or emergency control station(s) is free of fire
damage * * *''
By letter dated March 5, 2004, the licensee requested a permanent
exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, appendix R, Section
III.G.1.a for a repair consisting of powering a dedicated air
compressor from one of two pre-planned 480 volt power sources using
pre-staged power cords and connecting the air compressor to nitrogen
bottle manifolds on one or both reactor units using a pre-staged
pneumatic hose with quick connect fittings.
The licensee stated:
The existing Safe Shutdown Analysis (SSA) for Point Beach
credits a hard-piped nitrogen bottle bank to provide the first
several hours of charging pump control air during hot shutdown.
However, if the normal source of instrument air is not restored
prior to depletion of this bottle bank, a dedicated air compressor
is available to provide continued support for long term hot shutdown
(and/or subsequent transition to cold shutdown) operation. This air
compressor must be connected to a suitable power supply by means of
electrical cables and to the charging pump backup control air
manifolds by portable hoses.
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. Section 50.12(a)(2)(ii) of
10 CFR states that special circumstances are present whenever
``application of the regulation in the particular circumstances would
not serve the underlying purpose of the rule or is not necessary to
achieve the underlying purpose of the rule. * * *''
10 CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Section III.G.1.a requires that, ``one
train of systems necessary to achieve and maintain hot shutdown
conditions from either the control room or emergency control station(s)
is free of fire damage.'' Appendix R, Section III.L.1, of 10 CFR Part
50 requires that an alternative or dedicated shutdown capability shall
be able to, among other things, ``(c) achieve and maintain hot standby
conditions for a PWR; and (d) achieve cold shutdown conditions within
72 hours.'' NRC Inspection Report 50-266/2003-007; 50-301/2003-007,
dated February 4, 2004, documents a Non-Cited Violation of Appendix R,
Section III.L.1.c, in that NMC, ``failed to ensure, without the need
for 'hot standby repairs,' adequate
[[Page 33536]]
control air to the speed controllers for the charging pumps during a
postulated fire requiring an alternative shutdown method.'' The
installed backup nitrogen gas bottle bank (for the charging pump speed
controllers) meets the requirements of the regulation, with the
exception that it is of limited capacity. This means that the hot
shutdown conditions could not be maintained indefinitely while relying
only on the installed bottle bank. However, the 8 to 14 hour capacity
of the bottle banks is ample time to extinguish the fire, achieve
stable plant conditions in hot shutdown, augment staff with personnel
from the emergency response organization, and connect dedicated power
cabling and hoses to the dedicated compressor using the furnished plugs
and quick connect fittings (i.e., no tools required).
Because the bottle banks, hoses, cables, and compressor are all
located in areas that would not be affected by the fires of concern,
none would be damaged. The installed backup bottle banks are normally
isolated from the charging pump pneumatic controls by the bottle stop-
cocks, a manual valve on the bottle manifold, and an in-line manual
isolation valve. These valves must be opened to bring the backup
nitrogen on line. In contrast, the (staged) dedicated air compressor
must be connected to its power supply by retrieving the staged cable
and hose(s) from their storage locations in the same fire area (Turbine
Hall), laying them out from the compressor to the selected power supply
and to the affected unit's backup bottle bank manifold, and then
connecting the cable and hoses using the installed plugs and quick
connect fittings before starting the compressor.
Although this activity could be considered a ``hot standby
repair,'' connection of these undamaged components to support continued
hot shutdown conditions within 8 hours of the initiating event is
reasonably achievable. This can be performed without invoking
extraordinary action and without perturbing the stable plant
conditions. Therefore, strict application of the interpretation
proscribing any hot standby repair is not necessary to achieve and
maintain hot shutdown conditions while relying only on the operating
shift personnel, without undue encumbrances, and without having to
resort to significant time consuming ``repairs.'' The NRC staff
concludes that application of Section III.G.1.a under these
circumstances is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the
rule.
The NRC staff examined the licensee's rationale to support the
exemption request and concluded that sufficient time (8 hours) is
available to make the necessary connections to operate the backup air
compressor. The NRC staff is satisfied that on-site and augmented
response resources will be available to complete the repair. The
appropriate equipment for this evolution is pre-staged. The NRC staff
considered the location of the air compressor, the transformer, the
pre-staging locations and routing of the electrical cables, and the
pre-staging locations and routing of the pneumatic hoses. Equipment is
pre-staged such that no single fire will affect permanent plant
equipment and the repair equipment. The repair steps are feasible and
reliable. The actions requested, hooking up power cables and connecting
pneumatic fittings for the air compressor, are repairs as commonly
implemented by appendix R [but would not meet the requirements of]
Section III.G.1.a (achieving and maintaining hot standby). The NRC
staff agrees, therefore, that an exemption is appropriate to meet the
underlying purpose of Section III.G.1.a, and that the 10 CFR
50.12.(a)(2)(ii) criterion applicable to this request.
4.0 Conclusion
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 the public health and safety, and is consistent with the common
defense and security. Also, special circumstances are present.
Therefore, the Commission hereby grants NMC an exemption from the
requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, appendix R, Part III.G.1.a, for Point
Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2.
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 (70 FR 30819).
This exemption is effective upon issuance.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of June, 2005.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ledyard B. Marsh,
Director, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E5-2915 Filed 6-7-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P