[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 12 (Thursday, January 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2766-2771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-945]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-413 and 50-414; NRC-2012-0003]


Facility Operating License Amendment from Duke Energy Carolinas, 
LLC., Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: License amendment; request for comment and hearing, and order.

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DATES: Submit comments by February 21, 2012. A request for a hearing 
must be filed by March 19, 2012. Any potential party as defined in 
Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 2.4 who 
believes access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information 
(SUNSI) is necessary to respond to this notice must request document 
access by January 30, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Please include Docket ID NRC-2012-0003 in the subject line 
of your comments. For additional instructions on submitting comments 
and instructions on accessing documents related to this action, see 
``Submitting Comments and Accessing Information'' in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section of this document. You may submit comments by any 
one of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for documents filed under Docket ID NRC-
2012-0003. Address questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher, 
telephone: (301) 492-3668; email: [email protected].
     Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey, Chief, Rules, 
Announcements, and Directives Branch (RADB), Office of Administration, 
Mail Stop: TWB-05-B01M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, 
DC 20555-0001.
     Fax comments to: RADB at (301) 492-3446.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Submitting Comments and Accessing Information

    Comments submitted in writing or in electronic form will be posted 
on the NRC Web site and on the Federal rulemaking Web site, http://www.regulations.gov. Because your comments will not be edited to remove 
any identifying or contact information, the NRC cautions you against 
including any information in your submission that you do not want to be 
publicly disclosed.
    The NRC requests that any party soliciting or aggregating comments 
received from other persons for submission to the NRC inform those 
persons that the NRC will not edit their comments to remove any 
identifying or contact information, and therefore, they should not 
include any information in their comments that they do not want 
publicly disclosed.
    You can access publicly available documents related to this 
document using the following methods:
     NRC's Public Document Room (PDR): The public may examine 
and have copied, for a fee, publicly available documents at the NRC's 
PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, 
Rockville, Maryland 20852.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): Publicly available documents created or received at the NRC 
are available online in the NRC Library at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. From this page, the public can gain entry into ADAMS, 
which provides text and image files of the NRC's public documents. If 
you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are problems in accessing 
the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC's PDR reference staff 
at 1-(800) 397-4209, (301) 415-4737, or by email to 
[email protected]. The application for amendments, dated June 30, 
2011, as supplemented by letter dated July 11, 2011, contains 
proprietary information and, accordingly, those portions are being 
withheld from public disclosure. A redacted version of the application 
for amendments, dated June 30, 2011, is

[[Page 2767]]

available electronically under ADAMS Accession No. ML11188A108. A 
redacted version of the July 11, 2011, supplement is available 
electronically under ADAMS Accession No. ML11195A067.
     Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Public comments and 
supporting materials related to this notice can be found at http://www.regulations.gov by searching on Docket ID NRC-2012-0003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John F. Stang, Project Manager, Plant 
Licensing Branch 2-1, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office 
of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: (301) 415-1345; email: 
[email protected].

I. Introduction

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is 
considering issuance of amendments to Renewed Facility Operating 
Licenses NPF-35 and NPF-52 issued to Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (the 
licensee), for operation of the Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, 
located in York County, South Carolina.
    The proposed amendment would revise the Technical Specifications 
(TS) to accomplish the following objectives:
     Permanently exclude portions of a steam generator (SG) 
tube below the top of the SG tubesheet from periodic SG tube 
inspections and plugging,
     Permanently reduce the primary to secondary leakage limit, 
and
     Permanently implement reporting requirement changes that 
had been previously established on a one-cycle basis.
    Before issuance of the proposed license amendment, 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 10 CFR 50.92, this means that operation of 
the facility in accordance with the proposed amendment would not (1) 
involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an 
accident previously evaluated; (2) create the possibility of a new or 
different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated; or 
(3) involve 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 no significant hazards consideration, which is presented below:

    Criterion 1:
    Does the proposed amendment involve a significant increase in 
the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated?
    Response: No.
    The proposed changes to TS 3.4.13, TS 5.5.9, and TS 5.6.8 have 
no significant effect upon accident probabilities or consequences. 
Of the various accidents previously evaluated, the following are 
limiting with respect to the proposed changes as discussed in this 
amendment request:
     SG Tube Rupture evaluation
     Steam Line Break/Feed Line Break evaluation
     Locked Rotor evaluation
     Control Rod Ejection evaluation
    Loss of Coolant Accident conditions cause a compressive axial 
load to act on the tube. Therefore, since this accident tends to 
force the tube into the tubesheet rather than pull it out, it is not 
a factor in this amendment request. Another faulted load 
consideration is a Safe Shutdown Earthquake; however, the seismic 
analysis of Model D5 SGs (the SGs at Catawba) has shown that axial 
loading of the tubes is negligible during this event. At normal 
operating pressures, leakage from Primary Water Stress Corrosion 
Cracking (PWSCC) below 14.01 inches from the top of the tubesheet is 
limited by both the tube-to-tubesheet crevice and the limited crack 
opening permitted by the tubesheet constraint. Consequently, 
negligible normal operating leakage is expected from cracks within 
the tubesheet region. For the SG Tube Rupture event, tube rupture is 
precluded for cracks in the hydraulic expansion region due to the 
constraint provided by the tubesheet. Therefore, the margin against 
tube burst/pullout is maintained during normal and postulated 
accident conditions and the proposed change does not result in a 
significant increase in the probability of a tube rupture. SG Tube 
Rupture consequences are not affected by the primary to secondary 
leakage flow during the event, as primary to secondary leakage flow 
through a postulated tube that has been pulled out of the tubesheet 
is essentially equivalent to that from a severed tube. Therefore, 
the proposed change does not result in a significant increase in the 
consequences of a tube rupture.
    The probability of a Steam Line Break/Feed Line Break, Locked 
Rotor, and Control Rod Ejection are not affected by the potential 
failure of a SG tube, as the failure of a tube is not an initiator 
for any of these events. In the supporting Westinghouse analyses, 
leakage is modeled as flow through a porous medium via the use of 
the Darcy equation. The leakage model is used to develop a 
relationship between operational leakage and leakage at accident 
conditions that is based on differential pressure across the 
tubesheet and the viscosity of the fluid. A leak rate ratio was 
developed to relate the leakage at operating conditions to leakage 
at accident conditions. The fluid viscosity is based on fluid 
temperature and it has been shown that for the most limiting 
accident, the fluid temperature does not exceed the normal operating 
temperature.
    Therefore, the viscosity ratio is assumed to be 1.0 and the leak 
rate ratio is a function of the ratio of the accident differential 
pressure and the normal operating differential pressure.
    The leakage factor of 3.27 for Catawba Unit 2 for a postulated 
Steam Line Break/Feed Line Break has been calculated as shown in the 
supporting Westinghouse analyses. Therefore, Catawba Unit 2 will 
apply a factor of 3.27 to the normal operating leakage associated 
with the tubesheet expansion region in the Condition Monitoring 
assessment and Operational Assessment. Through application of the 
limited tubesheet inspection scope, the proposed operating leakage 
limit provides assurance that excessive leakage (i.e., greater than 
accident analysis assumptions) will not occur. No leakage factor 
will be applied to the Locked Rotor or Control Rod Ejection due to 
their short duration, since the calculated leak rate ratio is less 
than 1.0.
    Therefore, the proposed change does not result in a significant 
increase in the consequences of these accidents.
    For the Condition Monitoring assessment, the component of 
leakage from the prior cycle from below the H* distance will be 
multiplied by a factor of 3.27 and added to the total leakage from 
any other source and compared to the allowable accident induced 
leakage limit. For the Operational Assessment, the difference in the 
leakage between the allowable leakage and the accident induced 
leakage from sources other than the tubesheet expansion region will 
be divided by 3.27 and compared to the observed operational leakage.
    Based on the above, the performance criteria of NEI 97-06 and 
Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.121 continue to be met and the proposed 
change does not involve a significant increase in the probability or 
consequences of an accident previously evaluated.

    Criterion 2:
    Does the proposed amendment create the possibility of a new or 
different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated?
    Response: No.
    The proposed changes to TS 3.4.13, TS 5.5.9, and TS 5.6.8 do not 
introduce any changes or mechanisms that create the possibility of a 
new or different kind of accident. Tube bundle integrity is expected 
to be maintained for all plant conditions upon implementation of the 
permanent alternate repair criteria. The proposed change does not 
introduce any new equipment or any change to existing equipment. No 
new effects on existing equipment are created nor are any new 
malfunctions introduced.
    Therefore, based on the above evaluation, the proposed change 
does not create the possibility of a new or different kind of 
accident from any accident previously evaluated.

    Criterion 3:
    Does the proposed amendment involve a significant reduction in a 
margin of safety?
    Response: No.
    The proposed changes to TS 3.4.13, TS 5.5.9, and TS 5.6.8 
maintain the required structural margins of the SG tubes for both

[[Page 2768]]

normal and accident conditions. NEI 97-06 and RG 1.121 are used as 
the basis in the development of the limited tubesheet inspection 
depth methodology for determining that SG tube integrity 
considerations are maintained within acceptable limits. RG 1.121 
describes a method acceptable to the NRC staff for meeting GDC 14, 
15, 31, and 32 by reducing the probability and consequences of a SG 
Tube Rupture. RG 1.121 concludes that by determining the limiting 
safe conditions for tube wall degradation, the probability and 
consequences of a SG Tube Rupture are reduced. This RG uses safety 
factors on loads for tube burst that are consistent with the 
requirements of Section III of the American Society of Mechanical 
Engineers (ASME) Code.
    For axially oriented cracking located within the tubesheet, tube 
burst is precluded due to the presence of the tubesheet. For 
circumferentially oriented cracking, the supporting Westinghouse 
analyses defines a length of degradation-free expanded tubing that 
provides the necessary resistance to tube pullout due to the 
pressure induced forces, with applicable safety factors applied. 
Application of the limited hot and cold leg tubesheet inspection 
criteria will preclude unacceptable primary to secondary leakage 
during all plant conditions. The methodology for determining leakage 
as described in the supporting Westinghouse analyses shows that 
significant margin exists between an acceptable level of leakage 
during normal operating conditions that ensures meeting the accident 
induced leakage assumption and the TS leakage limit. Based on the 
above, it is concluded that the proposed change does not result in 
any reduction of margin with respect to plant safety as defined in 
the Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR) or Bases of the 
plant TS.
    Based on the above, Duke Energy concludes that the proposed 
amendment 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 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 by February 21, 2012 will be 
considered in making any final determination. You may submit comments 
using any of the methods discussed in the ADDRESSES section of this 
document.
    Normally, the Commission will not issue the amendment until the 
expiration of 60 days after the date of publication of this notice. The 
Commission may issue the license amendment before expiration of the 60-
day period provided that its final determination is that the amendment 
involves no significant hazards consideration. In addition, the 
Commission may issue the amendment 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.

II. Opportunity To Request a Hearing; Petitions for Leave To Intervene

    Requirements for hearing requests and petitions for leave to 
intervene are found in 10 CFR 2.309, ``Hearing requests, Petitions to 
intervene, Requirements for standing, and Contentions.'' Interested 
persons should consult 10 FR 2.309, which is available at the NRC's 
Public Document Room (PDR), Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. You may also call the PDR at 1-
(800) 397-4209 or (301) 415-4737. The NRC regulations are also 
accessible online in the NRC Library at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
    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 petition for leave to intervene. As required by 10 CFR 2.309, a 
petition for leave to intervene shall set forth with particularity the 
interest of the requestor/petitioner in the proceeding and how that 
interest may be affected by the results of the proceeding. The petition 
must provide the name, address, and telephone number of the requestor 
or petitioner and specifically explain the reasons why the intervention 
should be permitted with particular reference to the following factors: 
(1) The nature of the requestor's/petitioner's right under the Act to 
be made a party to the proceeding; (2) the nature and extent of the 
requestor's/petitioner's property, financial, or other interest in the 
proceeding; and (3) the possible effect of any decision or order which 
may be entered in the proceeding on the requestor's/petitioner's 
interest. The petition must also identify the specific contentions 
which the requestor/petitioner seeks to have litigated at the 
proceeding.
    A petition for leave to intervene must also include a specification 
of the contentions that the petitioner seeks to have litigated in the 
hearing. For each contention, the requestor/petitioner must provide a 
specific statement of the issue of law or fact to be raised or 
controverted, as well as a brief explanation of the basis for the 
contention. Additionally, the requestor/petitioner must demonstrate 
that the issue raised by each contention is within the scope of the 
proceeding and is material to the findings the NRC must make to support 
the granting of a license amendment in response to the application. The 
petition must include a concise statement of the alleged facts or 
expert opinions which support the position of the requestor/petitioner 
and on which the requestor/petitioner intends to rely at hearing, 
together with references to the specific sources and documents on which 
the requestor/petitioner intends to rely. Finally, the petition must 
provide sufficient information to show that a genuine dispute exists 
with the applicant on a material issue of law or fact, including 
references to specific portions of the application for amendment that 
the requestor/petitioner disputes and the supporting reasons for each 
dispute, or, if the requestor/petitioner believes that the application 
for amendment fails to contain information on a relevant matter as 
required by law, the identification of each failure and the supporting 
reasons for the requestor's/petitioner's belief. Each contention must 
be one which, if proven, would entitle the requestor/petitioner to 
relief.
    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 with respect to resolution of that person's admitted 
contentions, including the opportunity to present evidence and to 
submit a cross-examination plan for cross-examination of witnesses, 
consistent with NRC regulations, policies, and procedures. The Atomic 
Safety and Licensing Board (the Licensing Board) will set the time and 
place for any prehearing conferences and evidentiary hearings, and the 
appropriate notices will be provided.
    Non-timely petitions for leave to intervene and contentions, 
amended petitions, and supplemental petitions will not be entertained 
absent a determination by the Commission, the Licensing Board or a 
presiding officer that the petition should be granted and/

[[Page 2769]]

or the contentions should be admitted based upon a balancing of the 
factors specified in 10 CFR 2.309(c)(1)(i)-(viii).
    A State, county, municipality, Federally-recognized Indian tribe, 
or agencies thereof, may submit a petition to the Commission to 
participate as a party under 10 CFR 2.309(d)(2). The petition should 
state the nature and extent of the petitioner's interest in the 
proceeding. The petition should be submitted to the Commission by March 
19, 2012. The petition must be filed in accordance with the filing 
instructions in Section III of this document, and should meet the 
requirements for petitions for leave to intervene set forth in this 
section, except that State and Federally-recognized Indian tribes do 
not need to address the standing requirements in 10 CFR 2.309(d)(1) if 
the facility is located within its boundaries. The entities listed 
above could also seek to participate in a hearing as a nonparty 
pursuant to 10 CFR 2.315(c).
    Any person who does not wish, or is not qualified, to become a 
party to this proceeding may request permission to make a limited 
appearance pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR 2.315(a). A person 
making a limited appearance may make an oral or written statement of 
position on the issues, but may not otherwise participate in the 
proceeding. A limited appearance may be made at any session of the 
hearing or at any prehearing conference, subject to such limits and 
conditions as may be imposed by the Licensing Board. Persons desiring 
to make a limited appearance are requested to inform the Secretary of 
the Commission by March 19, 2012.
    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 
amendment and make it immediately effective, notwithstanding the 
request for a hearing. Any hearing held would take place after issuance 
of the amendment. If the final determination is that the amendment 
request involves a significant hazards consideration, then any hearing 
held would take place before the issuance of any amendment.

III. Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)

    All documents filed in NRC adjudicatory proceedings, including a 
request for hearing, a petition for leave to intervene, any motion or 
other document filed in the proceeding prior to the submission of a 
request for hearing or petition to intervene, and documents filed by 
interested governmental entities participating under 10 CFR 2.315(c), 
must be filed in accordance with the NRC E-Filing rule (72 FR 49139, 
August 28, 2007). The E-Filing process requires participants to submit 
and serve all adjudicatory documents over the Internet, or in some 
cases to mail copies on electronic storage media. Participants may not 
submit paper copies of their filings unless they seek an exemption in 
accordance with the procedures described below.
    To comply with the procedural requirements of E-Filing, at least 10 
days prior to the filing deadline, the participant should contact the 
Office of the Secretary by email at [email protected], or by 
telephone at (301) 415-1677, to request (1) a digital identification 
(ID) certificate, which allows the participant (or its counsel or 
representative) to digitally sign documents and access the E-Submittal 
server for any proceeding in which it is participating; and (2) advise 
the Secretary that the participant will be submitting a request or 
petition for hearing (even in instances in which the participant, or 
its counsel or representative, already holds an NRC-issued digital ID 
certificate). Based upon this information, the Secretary will establish 
an electronic docket for the hearing in this proceeding if the 
Secretary has not already established an electronic docket.
    Information about applying for a digital ID certificate is 
available on the NRC's public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/apply-certificates.html. System requirements for accessing 
the E-Submittal server are detailed in the NRC's ``Guidance for 
Electronic Submission,'' which is available on the agency's public Web 
site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html. Participants 
may attempt to use other software not listed on the Web site, but 
should note that the NRC's E-Filing system does not support unlisted 
software, and the NRC Meta System Help Desk will not be able to offer 
assistance in using unlisted software.
    If a participant is electronically submitting a document to the NRC 
in accordance with the E-Filing rule, the participant must file the 
document using the NRC's online, Web-based submission form. In order to 
serve documents through the Electronic Information Exchange System, 
users will be required to install a Web browser plug-in from the NRC 
Web site. Further information on the Web-based submission form, 
including the installation of the Web browser plug-in, is available on 
the NRC's public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html.
    Once a participant has obtained a digital ID certificate and a 
docket has been created, the participant can then submit a request for 
hearing or petition for leave to intervene. Submissions should be in 
Portable Document Format (PDF) in accordance with NRC guidance 
available on the NRC public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html. A filing is considered complete at the time the 
documents are submitted through the NRC's E-Filing system. To be 
timely, an electronic filing must be submitted to the E-Filing system 
no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date. Upon receipt of 
a transmission, the E-Filing system time-stamps the document and sends 
the submitter an email notice confirming receipt of the document. The 
E-Filing system also distributes an email notice that provides access 
to the document to the NRC's Office of the General Counsel and any 
others who have advised the Office of the Secretary that they wish to 
participate in the proceeding, so that the filer need not serve the 
documents on those participants separately. Therefore, applicants and 
other participants (or their counsel or representative) must apply for 
and receive a digital ID certificate before a hearing request/petition 
to intervene is filed so that they can obtain access to the document 
via the E-Filing system.
    A person filing electronically using the agency's adjudicatory E-
Filing system may seek assistance by contacting the NRC Meta System 
Help Desk through the ``Contact Us'' link located on the NRC Web site 
at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html, by email at 
[email protected], or by a toll-free call at 1-(866) 672-7640. The 
NRC Meta System Help Desk is available between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., 
Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, excluding government holidays.
    Participants who believe that they have a good cause for not 
submitting documents electronically must file an exemption request, in 
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302(g), with their initial paper filing 
requesting authorization to continue to submit documents in paper 
format. Such filings must be submitted by: (1) First-class mail 
addressed to the Office of the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-

[[Page 2770]]

0001, Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff; or (2) courier, 
express mail, or expedited delivery service to the Office of the 
Secretary, Sixteenth Floor, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville 
Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852, Attention: Rulemaking and 
Adjudications Staff. Participants filing a document in this manner are 
responsible for serving the document on all other participants. Filing 
is considered complete by first-class mail as of the time of deposit in 
the mail, or by courier, express mail, or expedited delivery service 
upon depositing the document with the provider of the service. A 
presiding officer, having granted an exemption request from using E-
Filing, may require a participant or party to use E-Filing if the 
presiding officer subsequently determines that the reason for granting 
the exemption from use of E-Filing no longer exists.
    Documents submitted in adjudicatory proceedings will appear in 
NRC's electronic hearing docket which is available to the public at 
http://ehd1.nrc.gov/EHD/, unless excluded pursuant to an order of the 
Commission, or the presiding officer. Participants are requested not to 
include personal privacy information, such as social security numbers, 
home addresses, or home phone numbers in their filings, unless an NRC 
regulation or other law requires submission of such information. With 
respect to copyrighted works, except for limited excerpts that serve 
the purpose of the adjudicatory filings and would constitute a Fair Use 
application, participants are requested not to include copyrighted 
materials in their submission.
    Petitions for leave to intervene must be filed no later than 60 
days from January 19, 2012. Non-timely filings will not be entertained 
absent a determination by the presiding officer that the petition or 
request should be granted or the contentions should be admitted, based 
on a balancing of the factors specified in 10 CFR 2.309(c)(1)(i)-
(viii).
    Attorney for licensee: Lara S. Nichols, Associate General Counsel, 
Duke Energy Corporation, 526 South Church Street--EC07H, Charlotte, NC 
28202.

Order Imposing Procedures for Access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-
Safeguards Information for Contention Preparation

    A. This Order contains instructions regarding how potential parties 
to this proceeding may request access to documents containing Sensitive 
Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information (SUNSI).
    B. Within 10 days after publication of this notice of hearing and 
opportunity to petition for leave to intervene, any potential party who 
believes access to SUNSI is necessary to respond to this notice may 
request such access. A ``potential party'' is any person who intends to 
participate as a party by demonstrating standing and filing an 
admissible contention under 10 CFR 2.309. Requests for access to SUNSI 
submitted later than 10 days after publication will not be considered 
absent a showing of good cause for the late filing, addressing why the 
request could not have been filed earlier.
    C. The requestor shall submit a letter requesting permission to 
access SUNSI to the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemakings and 
Adjudications Staff, and provide a copy to the Associate General 
Counsel for Hearings, Enforcement and Administration, Office of the 
General Counsel, Washington, DC 20555-0001. The expedited delivery or 
courier mail address for both offices is: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The email 
address for the Office of the Secretary and the Office of the General 
Counsel are [email protected] and [email protected], 
respectively.\1\ The request must include the following information:
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    \1\ While a request for hearing or petition to intervene in this 
proceeding must comply with the filing requirements of the NRC's 
``E-Filing Rule,'' the initial request to access SUNSI under these 
procedures should be submitted as described in this paragraph.
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    (1) A description of the licensing action with a citation to this 
Federal Register notice;
    (2) The name and address of the potential party and a description 
of the potential party's particularized interest that could be harmed 
by the action identified in C.(1); and
    (3) The identity of the individual or entity requesting access to 
SUNSI and the requestor's basis for the need for the information in 
order to meaningfully participate in this adjudicatory proceeding. In 
particular, the request must explain why publicly-available versions of 
the information requested would not be sufficient to provide the basis 
and specificity for a proffered contention.
    D. Based on an evaluation of the information submitted under 
paragraph C.(3) the NRC staff will determine within 10 days of receipt 
of the request whether:
    (1) There is a reasonable basis to believe the petitioner is likely 
to establish standing to participate in this NRC proceeding; and
    (2) The requestor has established a legitimate need for access to 
SUNSI.
    E. If the NRC staff determines that the requestor satisfies both 
D.(1) and D.(2) above, the NRC staff will notify the requestor in 
writing that access to SUNSI has been granted. The written notification 
will contain instructions on how the requestor may obtain copies of the 
requested documents, and any other conditions that may apply to access 
to those documents. These conditions may include, but are not limited 
to, the signing of a Non-Disclosure Agreement or Affidavit, or 
Protective Order \2\ setting forth terms and conditions to prevent the 
unauthorized or inadvertent disclosure of SUNSI by each individual who 
will be granted access to SUNSI.
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    \2\ Any motion for Protective Order or draft Non-Disclosure 
Affidavit or Agreement for SUNSI must be filed with the presiding 
officer or the Chief Administrative Judge if the presiding officer 
has not yet been designated, within 30 days of the deadline for the 
receipt of the written access request.
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    F. Filing of Contentions. Any contentions in these proceedings that 
are based upon the information received as a result of the request made 
for SUNSI must be filed by the requestor no later than 25 days after 
the requestor is granted access to that information. However, if more 
than 25 days remain between the date the petitioner is granted access 
to the information and the deadline for filing all other contentions 
(as established in the notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing), 
the petitioner may file its SUNSI contentions by that later deadline.
    G. Review of Denials of Access.
    (1) If the request for access to SUNSI is denied by the NRC staff 
either after a determination on standing and need for access, or after 
a determination on trustworthiness and reliability, the NRC staff shall 
immediately notify the requestor in writing, briefly stating the reason 
or reasons for the denial.
    (2) The requestor may challenge the NRC staff's adverse 
determination by filing a challenge within 5 days of receipt of that 
determination with: (a) The presiding officer designated in this 
proceeding; (b) if no presiding officer has been appointed, the Chief 
Administrative Judge, or if he or she is unavailable, another 
administrative judge, or an administrative law judge with jurisdiction 
pursuant to 10 CFR 2.318(a); or (c) if another officer has been 
designated to rule on information access issues, with that officer.
    H. Review of Grants of Access. A party other than the requestor may 
challenge an NRC staff determination granting access to SUNSI whose 
release

[[Page 2771]]

would harm that party's interest independent of the proceeding. Such a 
challenge must be filed with the Chief Administrative Judge within 5 
days of the notification by the NRC staff of its grant of access.
    If challenges to the NRC staff determinations are filed, these 
procedures give way to the normal process for litigating disputes 
concerning access to information. The availability of interlocutory 
review by the Commission of orders ruling on such NRC staff 
determinations (whether granting or denying access) is governed by 10 
CFR 2.311.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ Requestors should note that the filing requirements of the 
NRC's E-Filing Rule (72 FR 49139; August 28, 2007) apply to appeals 
of NRC staff determinations (because they must be served on a 
presiding officer or the Commission, as applicable), but not to the 
initial SUNSI request submitted to the NRC staff under these 
procedures.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I. The Commission expects that the NRC staff and presiding officers 
(and any other reviewing officers) will consider and resolve requests 
for access to SUNSI, and motions for protective orders, in a timely 
fashion in order to minimize any unnecessary delays in identifying 
those petitioners who have standing and who have propounded contentions 
meeting the specificity and basis requirements in 10 CFR part 2. 
Attachment 1 to this Order summarizes the general target schedule for 
processing and resolving requests under these procedures.


    It is so ordered.
    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 12th day of January 2012.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Andrew L. Bates,
Acting Secretary of the Commission.

Attachment 1--General Target Schedule for Processing and Resolving Requests for Access to Sensitive Unclassified
                                  Non-Safeguards Information in this Proceeding
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     Day                                                Event/Activity
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0...........................................  Publication of Federal Register notice of hearing and opportunity
                                               to petition for leave to intervene, including order with
                                               instructions for access requests.
10..........................................  Deadline for submitting requests for access to Sensitive
                                               Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information (SUNSI) with information:
                                               supporting the standing of a potential party identified by name
                                               and address; describing the need for the information in order for
                                               the potential party to participate meaningfully in an
                                               adjudicatory proceeding.
60..........................................  Deadline for submitting petition for intervention containing: (i)
                                               Demonstration of standing; (ii) all contentions whose formulation
                                               does not require access to SUNSI (+25 Answers to petition for
                                               intervention; +7 requestor/petitioner reply).
20..........................................  Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff informs the requestor of
                                               the staff's determination whether the request for access provides
                                               a reasonable basis to believe standing can be established and
                                               shows need for SUNSI. (NRC staff also informs any party to the
                                               proceeding whose interest independent of the proceeding would be
                                               harmed by the release of the information.) If NRC staff makes the
                                               finding of need for SUNSI and likelihood of standing, NRC staff
                                               begins document processing (preparation of redactions or review
                                               of redacted documents).
25..........................................  If NRC staff finds no ``need'' or no likelihood of standing, the
                                               deadline for requestor/petitioner to file a motion seeking a
                                               ruling to reverse the NRC staff's denial of access; NRC staff
                                               files copy of access determination with the presiding officer (or
                                               Chief Administrative Judge or other designated officer, as
                                               appropriate). If NRC staff finds ``need'' for SUNSI, the deadline
                                               for any party to the proceeding whose interest independent of the
                                               proceeding would be harmed by the release of the information to
                                               file a motion seeking a ruling to reverse the NRC staff's grant
                                               of access.
30..........................................  Deadline for NRC staff reply to motions to reverse NRC staff
                                               determination(s).
40..........................................  (Receipt +30) If NRC staff finds standing and need for SUNSI,
                                               deadline for NRC staff to complete information processing and
                                               file motion for Protective Order and draft Non-Disclosure
                                               Affidavit. Deadline for applicant/licensee to file Non-Disclosure
                                               Agreement for SUNSI.
A...........................................  If access granted: Issuance of presiding officer or other
                                               designated officer decision on motion for protective order for
                                               access to sensitive information (including schedule for providing
                                               access and submission of contentions) or decision reversing a
                                               final adverse determination by the NRC staff.
A + 3.......................................  Deadline for filing executed Non-Disclosure Affidavits. Access
                                               provided to SUNSI consistent with decision issuing the protective
                                               order.
A + 28......................................  Deadline for submission of contentions whose development depends
                                               upon access to SUNSI. However, if more than 25 days remain
                                               between the petitioner's receipt of (or access to) the
                                               information and the deadline for filing all other contentions (as
                                               established in the notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing),
                                               the petitioner may file its SUNSI contentions by that later
                                               deadline.
A + 53......................................  (Contention receipt +25) Answers to contentions whose development
                                               depends upon access to SUNSI.
A + 60......................................  (Answer receipt +7) Petitioner/Intervenor reply to answers.
>A + 60.....................................  Decision on contention admission.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[FR Doc. 2012-945 Filed 1-18-12; 8:45 am]
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