[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 19 (Friday, January 28, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5216-5218]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1911]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-302; NRC-2011-0024]
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
[[Page 5217]]
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 (NRC,
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) Part 55,
``Operators' Licenses,'' Section 55.59, ``Requalification,'' 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By letter dated December 2, 2010, as superseded by letter dated
December 13, 2010, 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
February 28, 2011, to April 30, 2011, for completing the current
licensed operator requalification program. The next requalification
program period would begin May 1, 2011, and continue for 24 months to
April 30, 2013, 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
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.
Authorized by Law
The exemption being requested for Crystal River would alleviate
potential scheduling difficulties associated with administering
requalification examinations and completing the requalification program
at the end of an extended shutdown period. As stated above, 10 CFR
55.11 allows the NRC to grant exemptions from the requirements of 10
CFR Part 55. The NRC staff has determined that granting of the
licensee's proposed exemption will not result in a violation of the
Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, or the Commission's regulations.
Therefore, the exemption is authorized by law.
No Endangerment of Life or Property and Otherwise in the Public
Interest
The underlying purposes of 10 CFR 55 are to establish procedures
and criteria for the issuance of licenses to operators, provide for the
terms and conditions upon which the Commission will issue or modify
these licenses, and provide for the terms and conditions to maintain
and renew these licenses. Specifically, 10 CFR 55.59 establishes the
requirements for operator requalification programs and requires a 2-
year (24-month) requalification schedule to include a biennial
comprehensive written examination and annual operating tests.
Crystal River is in the final stages of an extended outage in which
significant plant modifications have been completed. Crystal River has
requested a 2-month extension to the requirements of 10 CFR 55.59 due
to the reasonable probability of activities associated with plant
startup overlapping the biennial comprehensive written examination and
annual operating examination period.
Although the 24-month schedule requirement of 10 CFR 55.59 at
Crystal River would be exceeded, Crystal River has trained the licensed
operators on the plant modifications completed during the outage and
examined operators on the modified plant configuration with positive
results. During both the originally scheduled and extended periods of
the outage, Crystal River has continued the requalification training
cycle in accordance with the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations
(INPO) accredited training program. All Crystal River licensed
operators are actively enrolled in the accredited training program.
Moving the end of the requalification program, including the
biennial comprehensive written examination and annual operating test,
to April 30, 2011, would: (1) Allow operators to focus on preparing for
and performing activities associated with plant startup after an
extended maintenance period with significant plant modifications; (2)
maximize the number of licensed operators available to perform licensed
duties during startup; and (3) assist in managing operator fatigue
during startup activities.
Licensed operator fatigue is of serious concern to the NRC, and the
NRC staff has concluded that this exemption will allow the licensee to
better manage licensed operator fatigue during a period of high
workload. Further, the NRC staff has concluded that allowing operators
to focus on startup activities will support safe plant operations
during a series of infrequently performed evolutions. Based on the
above, the NRC staff has determined that the exemption will not
endanger life or property and is otherwise in the public interest.
4.0 Environmental Consideration
This exemption authorizes a one-time exemption from the
requirements of 10 CFR 55.59(c)(1) for Crystal River. The NRC staff has
determined that this exemption involves no significant hazards
considerations:
(1) The proposed exemption is administrative in nature and is
limited to extending the current licensed operator requalification
program period for Crystal River from 24 to 26 months on a one-time
only basis. The proposed exemption does not make any changes to the
facility or operating procedures and does not alter the design,
function or operation of any plant equipment. Therefore, issuance of
this exemption does not increase the probability or consequences of an
accident previously evaluated.
(2) The proposed exemption is administrative in nature and is
limited to extending the current licensed operator requalification
program period for Crystal River from 24 to 26 months on a one-time
only basis. The proposed exemption does not make any changes to the
facility or operating procedures and would not create any new accident
initiators. The proposed exemption does not alter the design, function
or operation of any plant equipment. Therefore, this exemption does not
create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any
accident previously evaluated.
(3) The proposed exemption is administrative in nature and is
limited to extending the current licensed operator requalification
program period for Crystal River from 24 to 26 months on a one-time
only basis. The proposed exemption does not alter the design, function
or operation of any plant equipment. Therefore, this exemption does not
involve a significant reduction in the margin of safety.
Based on the above, the NRC staff concludes that the proposed
exemption does not involve a significant hazards consideration under
the standards set forth in 10 CFR 50.92(c), and accordingly, a finding
of ``no significant hazards consideration'' is justified.
The NRC staff has also determined that the exemption involves no
significant increase in the amounts, and no significant change in the
types, of
[[Page 5218]]
any effluents that may be released offsite; that there is no
significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation
exposure; that there is no significant construction impact; and there
is no significant increase in the potential for or consequences from a
radiological accident. Furthermore, the requirement from which the
licensee will be exempted involves scheduling requirements.
Accordingly, the exemption meets the eligibility criteria for
categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25). Pursuant to 10
CFR 51.22(b) no environmental impact statement or environmental
assessment need be prepared in connection with the issuance of the
exemption.
5.0 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 February 28, 2011, to April 30,
2011. The next requalification program period would begin May 1, 2011,
and continue for 24 months to April 30, 2013, with successive periods
running for 24 months.
This exemption is effective upon issuance.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of January 2011.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Joseph G. Giitter,
Director, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2011-1911 Filed 1-27-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P