[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 150 (Monday, August 5, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47426-47427]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-18849]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 52-027 and 52-028; NRC-2008-0441]
Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Units 2 and 3; South Carolina
Electric and Gas; 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 granting both
an exemption to allow a departure from the certification information of
Tier 1 of the generic design control document (DCD) and License
Amendment No. 6 to Combined Licenses (COL), NPF-93 and NPF-94. The COLs
were issued to South Carolina Electric and Gas (SCE&G) and South
Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper) (the licensee), for
construction and operation of the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station
(VCSNS), Units 2 and 3 located in Fairfield County, South Carolina. The
amendment changes requested adding four electrical penetration
assemblies to the containment vessel and shield building in order to
support the current electrical loads required within containment. 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 of the Updated Final Safety
Analysis Report (UFSAR), as well as the corresponding information in
Appendix C of the COL. The granting of the exemption allows the Tier 1
changes asked for in the amendment. Because the acceptability of the
exemption was determined in part by the acceptability of the amendment,
the exemption and amendment are being issued concurrently.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2008-0441 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-2008-0441. 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 August 29, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML12244A011). The
licensee supplemented this request on February 11, 2013 (ADAMS
Accession No. ML13044A358).
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: Denise McGovern, Office of New
Reactors, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001; telephone: 301-415-0681; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC is granting 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 issuing License Amendment No. 6 to COLs, NPF-93 and NPF-
94, 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.
With the requested amendment, the licensee sought to add additional
electrical penetration assemblies to containment and the shield
building. As part of this request, the licensee needed to change Tier 1
information located in Tables 2.2.1-1 and 2.2.3-6 as well as Figure
2.2.1-1 of the UFSAR. These changes were necessary in order to support
the electrical loads within containment. No additional loads or
modifications to existing loads are required as part of this request.
Part of the justification for granting the exemption was provided
by the review of the amendment. Because the
[[Page 47427]]
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. ML13135A594.
Identical exemption documents (except for referenced unit numbers
and license numbers) were issued to the licensee for VCSNS Units 2 and
3 (COLs NPF-93 and NPF-94). These documents can be found in ADAMS under
Accession Nos. ML13135A579 and ML13135A586. 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-93
and NPF-94 are available in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML13135A574 and
ML13135A577. A summary of the amendment documents is provided in
Section III of this document.
II. Exemption
Reproduced below is the exemption document issued to VCSNS Units 2
and 3. 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 August 29, 2012, and supplemented by a letter
dated February 11, 2013, the licensee requested from the Commission an
exemption from the provisions of 10 CFR Part 52, Appendix D, Section
III.B, ``Design Certification Rule for the AP1000 Design, Scope, and
Contents,'' as part of license amendment request 12-01, ``Additional
Electrical Penetration Assemblies.''
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. ML13135A316, 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 certified Design Control Document (DCD) Tier 1
Table 2.2.1-1, Figure 2.2.1-1, and Table 2.2.3-6 as described in the
licensee's request dated August 29, 2012 and supplemented on February
11, 2013. This exemption is related to, and necessary for the granting
of License Amendment No. 6, which is being issued concurrently with
this exemption.
3. As explained in Section 5.0, ``Environmental Consideration,'' of
the NRC staff Safety Evaluation (ADAMS Accession No. ML13135A594), 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 1, 2013.
III. License Amendment Request
By letter dated August 29, 2012, the licensee requested that the
NRC amend the COLs for VCSNS Units 2 and 3, COLs NPF-93 and NPF-94. The
licensee supplemented this application on February 11, 2013. The
proposed amendment would depart from Tier 2 Material previously
incorporated into the UFSAR. Additionally, these Tier 2 changes involve
changes to Tier 1 Information in the UFSAR, and the proposed amendment
would also revise the associated material that has been included in
Appendix C of each of the VEGP, Units 3 and 4 COLs. The requested
amendment will revise the Tier 2 information pertaining to the affected
structures and tables related to electrical penetration assemblies.
These changes require modifications to particular Tier 1 information
located in Tables 2.2.1-1 and 2.2.3-6, and Figure 2.2.1-1 of the UFSAR,
as well as the corresponding information in Appendix C. 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. These changes were necessary in order
to support the electrical loads within containment. No additional loads
or modifications to existing loads are required as part of this
request.
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 October 16, 2012 (77 FR 63343). The supplement 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 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 August 29, 2012, and supplemented by letter dated February
11, 2013. The exemption and amendment were issued on July 1, 2013 as
part of a combined package to the licensee. (ADAMS Accession No.
ML13135A322).
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 26th 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. 2013-18849 Filed 8-2-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P