[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 212 (Monday, November 3, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65258-65259]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-26063]
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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 & Gas Company; Tier 1 Editorial and 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. 15 to Combined Licenses (COL), NPF-93 and NPF-94. The
COLs were issued to South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G), and
South Carolina Public Service Authority (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 consists of changes to Figure 2.2.5-1, Tables; 2.6.3-4, 3.5-
3, 3.5-7, 2.2.3-1, 3.5-1, 3.3-6, 2.7.1-4, 2.6.6-1, 2.2.3-4, 2.3.10-2,
and 2.1.1-1, and Section 3.2, Item 1.e) of Appendix C to the COLs. 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 obtain 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 obtain 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 was submitted
by the letter dated July 2, 2013 (ADAMS Accession No. ML13189A285). The
licensee supplemented this request by letter dated September 26, 2013
(ADAMS Accession No. ML13273A394).
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:
[[Page 65259]]
I. Introduction
The NRC is granting 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 and issuing License Amendment No. 15 to COLs, NPF-93 and NPF-
94, to the licensee. The exemption is required by Paragraph B.6.c 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 UFSAR
Tier 1 and Appendix C to the COL.
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 52.63(b)(1). The license
amendment was found to be acceptable as well. The combined safety
evaluation is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML14182A574.
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. ML14182A516 and ML14182A541, respectively. 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.
ML14182A451 and ML14182A509, respectively. 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 July 2, 2013 and as supplemented by the letter
dated September 26, 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 (LAR 13-25), ``Tier 1
Editorial and Consistency Changes.''
For the reasons set forth in Section 3.1 of the NRC staff Safety
Evaluation, which can be found in ADAMS under Accession No.
ML14182A574, 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
Figure 2.2.5-1, Tables; 2.6.3-4, 3.5-3, 3.5-7, 2.2.3-1, 3.5-1, 3.3-6,
2.7.1-4, 2.6.6-1, 2.2.3-4, 2.3.10-2, and 2.1.1-1, and Section 3.2, Item
1.e), as described in the licensee's request dated July 2, 2013 and
supplemented on September 26, 2013. This exemption is related to, and
necessary for the granting of License Amendment No. 15, which is being
issued concurrently with this exemption.
3. As explained in Section 5.0 of the NRC staff Safety Evaluation
(ADAMS Accession No. ML14182A574), 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 31, 2014.
III. License Amendment Request
The request for the amendment and exemption was submitted by the
letter dated July 2, 2013 (ADAMS Accession No. ML13189A285). The
licensee supplemented this request by letter dated September 26, 2013
(ADAMS Accession No. ML13273A394). The proposed license amendment
request revises Figure 2.2.5-1, Tables; 2.6.3-4, 3.5-3, 3.5-7, 2.2.3-1,
3.5-1, 3.3-6, 2.7.1-4, 2.6.6-1, 2.2.3-4, 2.3.10-2, and 2.1.1-1, and
Section 3.2, Item 1.e of Appendix C to the COLs.
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 October 1, 2013 (78 FR 60321). 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(c)(9). 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 July 2, 2013, and supplemented by letter dated September
26, 2013. The exemption and amendment were issued on July 31, 2014 as
part of a combined package to the licensee (ADAMS Accession No.
ML14182A432).
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 27th day of October 2014.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Denise L. McGovern,
Senior Project Manager, Licensing Branch 4, Division of New Reactor
Licensing, Office of New Reactors.
[FR Doc. 2014-26063 Filed 10-31-14; 8:45 am]
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