[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 148 (Thursday, August 1, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46617-46618]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-18521]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 52-025 and 52-026; NRC-2008-0252]
Vogtle Electric Generating Station, Units 3 and 4; Southern
Nuclear Operating Company; Change to the Containment Structure for
Additional Electrical Penetration Assemblies
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Exemption and combined license amendment; issuance.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an
exemption to allow a departure from the certification information of
Tier 1 of the generic design control document (DCD) and License
Amendment No. 11 to Combined Licenses (COL), NPF-91 and NPF-92. The
COLs were issued to Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., and
Georgia Power Company, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Municipal Electric
Authority of Georgia, and the City of Dalton, Georgia (the licensee);
for construction and operation of the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant
(VEGP), Units 3 and 4, located in Burke County, Georgia.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2008-0252 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You
may access information related to this document, which the NRC
possesses and is publicly available, using any of the following
methods:
Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2008-0252. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-287-
3422; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of
this document.
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may access publicly available documents online in the NRC
Library at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the
search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and then select ``Begin Web-
based ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's
Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-
4737, or by email to [email protected]. The ADAMS accession number
for each document referenced in this document (if that document is
available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is
referenced. The request for the amendment and exemption were submitted
by letter dated September 28, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML12275A457).
The licensee supplemented this request on March 8, 2013 (ADAMS
Accession No. ML13070A201).
NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anthony Minarik, Office of New
Reactors, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001; telephone: 301-415-6185; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Further Information
The amendment changes requested to add four electrical penetration
assemblies to the containment vessel and shield building in order to
support the current electrical loads. The requested changes did not add
new electrical loads or modify the currently approved electrical loads.
This request includes changes to Tier 1 information located in Tables
2.2.1-1 and 2.2.3-6 as well as Figure 2.2.1-1, as well as the
corresponding information in Appendix C of the COL. The granting of the
exemption allows the requested Tier 1 changes. Because the
acceptability of the exemption was determined in part by the
acceptability of the amendment, the exemption and amendment are being
issued concurrently.
The NRC is issuing an exemption from Paragraph B of Section III,
``Scope and Contents,'' of Appendix D, ``Design Certification Rule for
the AP1000,'' to part 52 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations
(10 CFR) and License Amendment No. 11 to COLs, NPF-91
[[Page 46618]]
and NPF-92, issued to the licensee. The exemption is required by
Paragraph A.4 of Section VIII, ``Processes for Changes and
Departures,'' Appendix D to 10 CFR Part 52 to allow the licensee to
depart from Tier 1 information. The licensee sought to change the Tier
1 information located in Table 2.2.1-1, Figure 2.2.1-1, and Table
2.2.3-6 of its Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR). These
changes sought to add four non-Class 1E electrical penetration
assemblies to the containment vessel and shield building.
Part of the justification for granting the exemption was provided
by the review of the amendment. Because the exemption is necessary in
order to issue the requested license amendment, the NRC granted the
exemption and issued the amendment concurrently, rather than in
sequence. This included issuing a combined safety evaluation containing
the NRC staff's review of both the exemption request and the license
amendment. The exemption met all applicable regulatory criteria set
forth in 10 CFR 50.12, 10 CFR 52.7, and Section VIII.A.4. of Appendix D
to 10 CFR Part 52. The license amendment was found to be acceptable as
well. The combined safety evaluation is available in ADAMS under
Accession No. ML13158A324.
Identical exemption documents (except for referenced unit numbers
and license numbers) were issued to the licensee for Vogtle Units 3 and
4 (COLs NPF-91 and NPF-92). These documents can be found in ADAMS under
Accession Nos. ML13158A314 and ML13158A317. The exemption is reproduced
(with the exception of abbreviated titles and additional citations) in
Section II of this document. The amendment documents for COLs NPF-91
and NPF-92 are available in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML13158A321 and
ML13158A322. A summary of the amendment documents is provided in
Section III of this document.
II. Exemption
Reproduced below is the exemption document issued to Vogtle Units 3
and 4. It makes reference to the combined safety evaluation that
provides the reasoning for the findings made by the NRC (and listed
under Item 1) in order to grant the exemption:
1. In a letter dated September 28, 2012, and as supplemented by
letter dated March 8, 2013, the licensee requested from the Commission
an exemption from the provisions of 10 CFR Part 52, Appendix D, Section
III.B, as part of license amendment request 12-010, ``Additional
Electrical Penetration Assemblies'' (LAR 12-010).
For the reasons set forth in Section 3.1, ``Evaluation of
Exemption,'' of the NRC staff's Safety Evaluation, which can be found
in ADAMS under Accession No. ML13158A324, the Commission finds that:
A. The exemption is authorized by law;
B. The exemption presents no undue risk to public health and
safety;
C. The exemption is consistent with the common defense and
security;
D. Special circumstances are present in that the application of
the rule in this circumstance is not necessary to serve the
underlying purpose of the rule;
E. The special circumstances outweigh any decrease in safety
that may result from the reduction in standardization caused by the
exemption; and
F. The exemption will not result in a significant decrease in
the level of safety otherwise provided by the design.
2. Accordingly, the licensee is granted an exemption to the
provisions of 10 CFR part 52, Appendix D, Section III.B, to allow
deviations from the Tier 1 certification information in Table 2.2.1-1,
Figure 2.2.1-1, and Table 2.2.3-6 of the certified Design Control
Document, as described in the licensee's request dated September 28,
2012, and as supplemented on March 8, 2013. This exemption is related
to, and necessary for the granting of License Amendment No. 11, which
is being issued concurrently with this exemption.
3. As explained in Section 5.0, ``Environmental Consideration,'' of
the NRC staff's Safety Evaluation (ADAMS Accession No. ML13158A324),
this exemption meets the eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion
set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR
51.22(b), no environmental impact statement or environmental assessment
needs to be prepared in connection with the issuance of the exemption.
4. This exemption is effective as of July 10, 2013.
III. License Amendment Request
By letter dated September 28, 2012, the licensee requested that the
NRC amend the COLs for VEGP, Units 3 and 4, COLs NPF-91 and NPF-92. The
licensee supplemented this application on March 8, 2013. The proposed
amendment would depart from the UFSAR Tier 1 material, and would revise
the associated material that has been included in Appendix C of each of
the VEGP, Units 3 and 4, COLs. Specifically the requested amendment
will revise the Tier 1 information located in Table 2.2.1-1, Figure
2.2.1-1, and Table 2.2.3-6 in order to add four non-Class 1E electrical
penetration assemblies to the containment vessel and shield building.
The Commission has determined for these amendments that the
application complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic
Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's rules
and regulations. The Commission has made appropriate findings as
required by the Act and the Commission's rules and regulations in 10
CFR Chapter I, which are set forth in the license amendment.
A notice of consideration of issuance of amendment to facility
operating license or combined license, as applicable, proposed no
significant hazards consideration determination, and opportunity for a
hearing in connection with these actions, was published in the Federal
Register on November 27, 2012 (77 FR 70843). The supplements had no
effect on the no significant hazards consideration determination and no
comments were received during the 60-day comment period.
The Commission has determined that these amendments satisfy the
criteria for categorical exclusion in accordance with 10 CFR 51.22.
Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental impact
statement or environmental assessment need to be prepared for these
amendments.
IV. Conclusion
Using the reasons set forth in the combined safety evaluation, the
staff granted the exemption and issued the amendment that the licensee
requested on September 28, 2012, and supplemented by letter dated March
8, 2013. The exemption and amendment were issued on July 10, 2013 as
part of a combined package to the licensee (ADAMS Accession No.
ML13158A295).
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 25th day of July 2013.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Lawrence Burkhart,
Chief, Licensing Branch 4, Division of New Reactor Licensing, Office of
New Reactors.
[FR Doc. 2013-18521 Filed 7-31-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P