[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 3, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 135-137]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-33683]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-219; NRC-2011-0287]


Exelon Generation Company, LLC, Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating 
Station; Exemption

1.0 Background

    The Exelon Generation Company, LLC (the licensee) is the holder of 
Facility Operating License No. DPR-16, which authorizes operation of 
the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station (OCNGS). 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 or the Commission) now or hereafter in effect. The 
facility consists of a boiling-water reactor located in Ocean County, 
New Jersey.

[[Page 136]]

2.0 Request/Action

    Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Part 50, 
Appendix E, Section IV.F.2.c requires that ``Offsite plans for each 
site shall be exercised biennially with full participation by each 
offsite authority having a role under the radiological response plan.'' 
By letter dated September 30, 2011 (Agencywide Documents Access and 
Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML112730283), the licensee 
requested a one-time exemption from this requirement that would allow 
the licensee to delay conduct of certain offsite portions of a biennial 
emergency preparedness (EP) exercise from September 27, 2011, to June 
2012. The licensee's request states that Hurricane Irene passed through 
New Jersey on August 28, 2011, causing widespread damage and flooding 
in the surrounding area, and that the event required the response of 
the New Jersey State Office of Emergency Management (OEM), the Ocean 
County OEM, numerous other state departments, and the Division of State 
Police.
    Because of its ongoing response to and recovery from Hurricane 
Irene, the New Jersey OEM and Ocean County OEM requested that OCNGS 
reschedule specific functions of the offsite portion of the biennial EP 
exercise scheduled for September 27, 2011. The licensee states in their 
request that the New Jersey OEM has indicated that it is not feasible 
to reschedule the specific offsite functions that remain to be 
exercised prior to the end of calendar year (CY) 2011.
    In a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) dated 
August 29, 2011, (ADAMS Accession No. ML112800560), the New Jersey 
State OEM requested that FEMA postpone the exercise until 2012, citing 
the ongoing response to the Hurricane Irene aftermath. By letter dated 
August 31, 2011 (Attachment 3 to ADAMS Accession No. ML112730283), FEMA 
responded favorably to the New Jersey OEM request by agreeing to 
postpone the offsite portions of the biennial exercise until 2012.
    The onsite portion and some aspects of the offsite portions of the 
exercise were conducted on September 27, 2011. These portions were 
inspected by the NRC and evaluated by FEMA. The NRC's inspection of the 
September 27, 2011, exercise, documented in Inspection Report 05000219/
2011502 dated November 9, 2011 (ADAMS Accession No. ML113130149), 
identified no findings.

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, appendix E, 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.

Authorized by Law

    This exemption would allow the licensee and offsite response 
organizations to accommodate Hurricane Irene's impacts upon their 
resources by postponing the select functions of the offsite portion of 
the exercise from the previously scheduled date of September 27, 2011, 
until June 2012.
    As stated above, 10 CFR 50.12 allows the NRC to grant exemptions 
from the requirements of 10 CFR part 50, appendix E. 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 Undue Risk to Public Health and Safety

    The underlying purpose of 10 CFR part 50, appendix E, section 
IV.F.2.c is to ensure that licensees test and maintain interfaces among 
themselves and affected State and local authorities during the 
intervals between biennial EP exercises by conducting emergency 
preparedness activities and interactions. In order to accommodate the 
scheduling of full participation exercises, the NRC has allowed 
licensees to schedule the exercises at any time during the calendar 
biennium. Conducting the remaining offsite portions of the OCNGS full-
participation exercise by June 2012, rather than CY 2011, places the 
exercise outside of the required biennium. Since the last biennial EP 
exercise on October 6, 2009, the licensee has conducted 16 training 
drills/exercises/demonstrations and 32 training sessions that have 
involved interface with State and local authorities. These drills and 
training sessions did not exercise all of the proposed rescheduled 
offsite functions, but they do support the licensee's assertion that it 
has a continuing level of engagement with the State and local 
authorities to maintain interfaces. The NRC staff considers the intent 
of this requirement is met by having conducted these series of drills 
and training sessions.
    Based on the above, no new accident precursors are created by 
allowing the licensee to postpone the selected offsite portions of the 
exercise from CY 2011 until 2012. Thus, the probability and 
consequences of postulated accidents are not increased. Therefore, 
there is no undue risk to public health and safety.

Consistent with Common Defense and Security

    The proposed exemption would allow rescheduling of the specific 
offsite portions of the biennial EP exercise from the previously 
scheduled date of September 27, 2011, until June 2012. This change to 
the EP exercise schedule has no relation to security issues. Therefore, 
the common defense and security is not impacted by this exemption.

Special Circumstances

    In order to grant exemptions in accordance with 10 CFR 50.12, 
special circumstances must be present. Special circumstances per 10 CFR 
50.12 that apply to this exemption request are 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii) 
and (v). Special circumstances, per 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii), are present 
when: ``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.'' Section IV.F.2.c of 10 
CFR part 50, appendix E requires licensees to exercise offsite plans 
biennially with full or partial participation by each offsite authority 
having a role under the plan. The underlying purposes of 10 CFR part 
50, appendix E, section IV.F.2.c requiring licensees to exercise 
offsite plans with offsite authority participation is to test and 
maintain interfaces among affected State and local authorities and the 
licensee. At the previous biennial EP exercise conducted on October 6, 
2009, FEMA identified one planning deficiency when several 
municipalities did not receive notice of a Protective Action Decision 
(letter dated November 3, 2009, ADAMS Accession No. ML093070475). Per 
FEMA letters dated February 24, 2010, and June 22, 2010 (ADAMS 
Accession Nos. ML102590007 and ML110341597, respectively), FEMA 
informed the New Jersey State OEM and the NRC that the deficiency had 
been successfully corrected by demonstration at a remedial drill 
conducted on January 28, 2010. Since the licensee has conducted 16 
training drills/exercises/demonstrations and 32 training sessions that 
have involved interface with State and local authorities in 2010 and 
2011,

[[Page 137]]

and has supported the FEMA evaluation of the State and local 
authorities at the biennial exercise in 2009 and at the remedial drill 
in 2010, the NRC staff considers that these measures are adequate to 
test and maintain interfaces with affected State and local authorities 
during this period, satisfying the underlying purpose of the rule.
    Under 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(v), special circumstances are present 
whenever the exemption would provide only temporary relief from the 
applicable regulation and the licensee or applicant has made good faith 
efforts to comply with the regulation. Due to the scheduled biennial EP 
exercise on September 27, 2011, the 16 training drills/exercises/
demonstrations conducted in 2010 and 2011, and the licensee's support 
of the FEMA evaluation of some aspects of the offsite portion of the 
September 27, 2011 exercise, the NRC staff considers the licensee to 
have made good faith efforts to comply with the regulation. Also, the 
requested exemption to conduct the onsite EP exercise in 2012 instead 
of 2011 would grant only temporary relief from the applicable 
regulation. Therefore, since the underlying purpose of 10 CFR part 50, 
appendix E, section IV.F.2.c is achieved, the licensee has made a good 
faith effort to comply with the regulation, and the exemption would 
grant only temporary relief from the applicable regulation, the special 
circumstances required by 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii) and (v) exist for the 
granting of an exemption.

4.0 Conclusion

    Accordingly, the Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 
50.12, 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 Exelon Generation Company, LLC 
an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR part 50, appendix E, 
section IV.F.2.c to conduct the offsite portion of the OCNGS biennial 
EP exercise required for 2011, permitting that part of the exercise to 
be conducted in coordination with NRC Region I and OCNGS schedules by 
the end of June 2012.
    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 (76 FR 79227, December 21, 2011).
    This exemption is effective upon issuance.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day of December 2011.

    For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Michele G. Evans,
Director, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2011-33683 Filed 12-30-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P