[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 45 (Friday, March 7, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13081-13082]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-05022]



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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; Liquid Radwaste System Consistency Changes

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Exemption and combined license amendment; issuance.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is granting an 
exemption to allow a departure from the certification information of 
Tier 1 of the generic design control document (DCD) and issuing License 
Amendment No. 10 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 the VCSNS Tier 1 (COL Appendix C) Figure 2.3.10-1, 
Liquid Radwaste System (WLS), and Updated Final Safety Analysis Report 
(UFSAR) Tier 2 tables, text and figures to align VCSNS Tier 1 with Tier 
2 information provided in the UFSAR and to achieve consistency within 
VCSNS Tier 1 material by (1) changing the safety classification of the 
Passive Core Cooling System (PXS) and Chemical and Volume Control 
System (CVS) compartment drain hubs, (2) changing the connection type 
from the PXS Compartments drains A and B to a header to match the 
design description, (3) changing the valve types for three valves in 
the Tier 1 figure to conform to the design description and (4) changing 
depiction of Tier 1 WLS components to conform to Tier 1 Figure 
Conventions.
    The granting of the exemption allows the changes to Tier 1 
information 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 publicly-available information related to this document, 
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 
ADAMS Public Documents Collection 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.
     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 Design,'' to part 52 of Title 10 of 
the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) and issuing License Amendment 
No. 10 to COLs, NPF-93 and NPF-94, to the licensee. The request for the 
amendment and exemption were submitted by letter dated August 30, 2013 
(ADAMS Accession No. ML13246A228). The licensee supplemented this 
request on October 15, 2013 (ADAMS Accession No. ML13290A517). 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 changes to the VCSNS Tier 1 (COL 
Appendix C) Figure 2.3.10-1, WLS, and UFSAR Tier 2 tables, text and 
figures to align VCSNS Tier 1 with Tier 2 information provided in the 
UFSAR and to achieve consistency within VCSNS Tier 1 material by (1) 
changing the safety classification of the PXS and CVS compartment drain 
hubs, (2) changing the connection type from the PXS Compartments drains 
A and B to a header to match the design description, (3) changing the 
valve types for three valves in the Tier 1 figure to conform to the 
design description and (4) changing depiction of Tier 1 WLS components 
to conform to Tier 1 Figure Conventions.
    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. ML13354B798.
    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. ML13354B740 and ML13354B768. 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. ML13354B723 and 
ML13354B731. 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 30, 2013, and revised by the letter 
dated October 15, 2013, South Carolina Electric & Gas Company 
(licensee) requested from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
(Commission) an exemption from the provisions of Title 10 of the Code 
of Federal Regulations (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, ``Liquid

[[Page 13082]]

Radwaste System Consistency Changes'' (LAR 13-32).
    For the reasons set forth in Section 3.1 of the NRC staff Safety 
Evaluation, which can be found at ADAMS Accession Number ML13354B798, 
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 Tier 1 Figure 
2.3.10-1, as described in the licensee's request dated August 30, 2013, 
and revised by the letter dated October 15, 2013. This exemption is 
related to, and necessary for the granting of License Amendment No. 10, 
which is being issued concurrently with this exemption.
    3. As explained in Section 5.0 of the NRC staff Safety Evaluation, 
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 January 8, 2013.

III. License Amendment Request

    By letter dated August 30, 2013, the licensee requested that the 
NRC amend the COLs for VCSNS Units 2 and 3, COLs NPF-93 and NPF-94. The 
licensee revised this application on October 15, 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 VCSNS, Units 2 and 3 COLs. The requested amendment would 
amend Combined License Nos. NPF-93 and NPF-94 for the VCSNS Units 2 and 
3 by departing from the Combined License Appendix C information and the 
plant-specific DCD Tier 2 material by revising the safety function and 
classification of WLS drain hubs in the CVS and PXS compartments. In 
addition, the proposed changes would modify the PXS compartment drain 
piping connection; WLS valve types, and depiction of components in the 
WLS figures.
    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 September 17, 2013 (78 FR 57180). 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 30, 2013, and revised by letter dated October 15, 
2013. The exemption and amendment were issued on January 8, 2014 as 
part of a combined package to the licensee (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML13354B699).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 25th day of February 2014.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Lawrence J. Burkhart,
Chief, Licensing Branch 4, Division of New Reactor Licensing, Office of 
New Reactors.
[FR Doc. 2014-05022 Filed 3-6-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P