[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 3, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5822-5825]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-01807]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-373 and 50-374; NRC-2014-0268]


Exelon Generation Company, LLC; LaSalle County Station, Units 1 
and 2

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: License renewal application; opportunity to request a hearing 
and to petition for leave to intervene.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering an 
application for the renewal of operating license numbers NPF-11 and 
NPF-18, which authorize Exelon Generation Company, LLC to operate 
LaSalle County Station (LSCS), Units 1 and 2. The renewed licenses 
would authorize the applicant to operate LSCS, Units 1 and 2 for an 
additional 20 years beyond the period specified in each of the current 
licenses. The current operating licenses for LSCS expire as follows: 
Unit 1 (NPF-11) on April 17, 2022, and Unit 2 (NPF-18) on December 16, 
2023.

DATES: A request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene must 
be filed by April 6, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2014-0268 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may obtain 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-2014-0268. 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 
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 
license renewal application is available in ADAMS under accession no. 
ML14343A849.
     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: Jeffrey Mitchell, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington DC 
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-3019; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The NRC received a license renewal application (LRA) from Exelon 
Generation Company, LLC, dated December 9, 2014, requesting renewal of 
operating licenses NPF-11 and NPF-18, which authorize Exelon Generation 
Company, LLC to operate LaSalle County Station (LSCS), Units 1 and 2 at 
3546 megawatts thermal each. LSCS, Units 1 and 2 are located in 
Brookfield Township, LaSalle County, Illinois. Exelon Generation 
Company, LLC submitted the application pursuant to part 54 of Title 10 
of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR). A notice of receipt of the 
LRA was published in the Federal Register on December 18, 2014 (79 FR 
75598).
    The NRC staff has determined that Exelon Generation Company, LLC 
has submitted sufficient information in accordance with 10 CFR 2.101, 
54.19, 54.21, 54.22, 54.23, 51.45, and 51.53(c), to enable the staff to 
undertake a review of the application, and that the application is 
therefore complete and acceptable for docketing. The current docket 
numbers, 50-373 and 50-374, for operating license numbers NPF-11 and 
NPF-18, respectively, will be retained. The determination to accept the 
LRA for docketing does not constitute a determination that a renewed 
license should be issued, and does not preclude the NRC staff from 
requesting additional information as the review proceeds.
    Before issuance of the requested renewed licenses, the NRC will 
have made the findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as 
amended (the Act), and the Commission's rules and regulations. In 
accordance with 10 CFR 54.29, the NRC may issue a renewed license on 
the basis of its review if it finds that actions have been identified 
and have been or will be taken with respect to: (1) Managing the 
effects of aging during the period of extended operation on the 
functionality of structures and components that have been identified to 
require aging

[[Page 5823]]

management review; and (2) time-limited aging analyses that have been 
identified to require review, such that there is reasonable assurance 
that the activities authorized by the renewed license will continue to 
be conducted in accordance with the current licensing basis (CLB) and 
that any changes made to the plant's CLB will comply with the Act and 
the Commission's regulations.
    Additionally, in accordance with 10 CFR 51.95(c), the NRC will 
prepare an environmental impact statement for the site as a supplement 
to the Commission's NUREG-1437, ``Generic Environmental Impact 
Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants,'' dated June 2013. In 
considering the LRA, the Commission must find that the applicable 
requirements of Subpart A of 10 CFR part 51 have been satisfied, and 
that matters raised under 10 CFR 2.335 have been addressed. Pursuant to 
10 CFR 51.26, and as part of the environmental scoping process, the NRC 
staff intends to hold public scoping meetings. Detailed information 
regarding the environmental scoping meetings will be the subject of a 
separate Federal Register notice.

II. Opportunity To Request a Hearing and Petition for Leave To 
Intervene

    Within 60 days after the date of publication of this Federal 
Register notice, 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 request for a hearing or petition for leave to 
intervene with respect to the renewal of the licenses. Requests for a 
hearing or petitions for leave to intervene must be filed in accordance 
with the Commission's ``Agency Rules of Practice and Procedure'' in 10 
CFR part 2. Interested persons should consult a current copy of 10 CFR 
2.309, which is available at the NRC's PDR, located at One White Flint 
North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland 20852, 
and is accessible from the NRC Library on the Internet at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Persons who do not have access to 
the Internet or who encounter problems in accessing the documents 
located in ADAMS should contact the NRC's PDR reference staff by 
telephone at 1-800-397-4209, or 301-415-4737, or by email at 
[email protected].
    If a request for a hearing/petition for leave to intervene is filed 
within the 60-day period, the Commission or a presiding officer 
designated by the Commission or by the Chief Administrative Judge of 
the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel will rule on the request 
and/or petition; and the Secretary of the Commission (Secretary) or the 
Chief Administrative Judge of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board 
Panel will issue a notice of a hearing or an appropriate order. In the 
event that no request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene 
is filed within the 60-day period, the NRC may, upon completion of its 
evaluations and upon making the findings required under 10 CFR parts 51 
and 54, renew the licenses without further notice.
    As required by 10 CFR 2.309, a request for hearing or petition for 
leave to intervene must set forth with particularity the interest of 
the petitioner in the proceeding, and how that interest may be affected 
by the results of the proceeding, taking into consideration the limited 
scope of matters that may be considered pursuant to 10 CFR parts 51 and 
54. Pursuant to 10 CFR 2.309(d), the request for hearing or petition 
for leave to intervene must provide the name, address, and telephone 
number of the requestor or petitioner; and specifically explain the 
reasons why intervention should be permitted with particular reference 
to the following factors for the LSCS site: (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 that may be issued in the 
proceeding on the requestor's/petitioner's interest. The request for 
hearing or petition for leave to intervene must also set forth the 
specific contentions which the requestor/petitioner seeks to have 
litigated at the proceeding.
    In accordance with 10 CFR 2.309(f), each contention must consist of 
a specific statement of the issue of law or fact to be raised or 
controverted. In addition, the requestor/petitioner shall provide a 
brief explanation of the basis for each contention and a concise 
statement of the alleged facts or expert opinions which support the 
contention and on which the requestor/petitioner intends to rely at 
hearing. The requestor/petitioner must also provide references to those 
specific sources and documents on which the requestor/petitioner 
intends to rely to support its position on the issue. The requestor/
petitioner must provide sufficient information to show that a genuine 
dispute exists with the applicant/licensee on a material issue of law 
or fact. This information must include references to specific portions 
of the application that the petitioner disputes and the supporting 
reasons for each dispute, or, if the petitioner believes that the 
application fails to contain information on a relevant matter as 
required by law, the identification of each failure and the supporting 
reasons for the petitioner's belief. Contentions shall be limited to 
matters within the scope of the action under consideration. The 
contention must be one that, if proven, would entitle the requestor/
petitioner to relief. A requestor/petitioner who fails to satisfy these 
requirements with respect to at least one contention will not be 
permitted to participate as a party.
    Hearing requests, intervention petitions, and motions for leave to 
file new or amended contentions filed after the deadline will not be 
entertained absent a determination by the presiding officer that the 
filing demonstrates good cause by satisfying the three factors in 10 
CFR 2.309(c)(1)(i)-(iii).
    A State, local governmental body, or Federally-recognized Indian 
tribe may submit a request for hearing or a petition to intervene to 
the Commission to participate as a party to the proceeding under 10 CFR 
2.309(h)(1). The request for hearing or petition to intervene must 
contain at least one admissible contention, and must designate a single 
representative for the hearing. The request for hearing or petition to 
intervene must be submitted to the Commission by April 6, 2015. The 
request or petition must be filed in accordance with the filing 
instructions in the ``Electronic Submission (E-Filing)'' section of 
this document and meet the requirements for requests for hearings and 
petitions for leave to intervene set forth in this section, except that 
under 10 CFR 2.309(h)(2) a State, local governmental body, or 
Federally-recognized Indian Tribe does not need to address the standing 
requirements in 10 CFR 2.309(d) if the proceeding pertains to a 
production or utilization facility that is located within its 
boundaries. A State, local governmental body, or Federally-recognized 
Indian Tribe may also have the opportunity to participate under 10 CFR 
2.315(c).
    If a hearing is granted, any person who does not wish, or is not 
qualified, to become a party to the proceeding may, in the discretion 
of the presiding officer, be permitted 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

[[Page 5824]]

conference, within the limits and on the conditions fixed by the 
presiding officer. Such statements of position shall not be considered 
evidence in the proceeding. Persons desiring to make a limited 
appearance are requested to inform the Secretary of the Commission by 
April 6, 2015.
    The Commission requests that each contention be given a separate 
numeric or alpha designation within one of the following groups: (1) 
Technical (primarily related to safety concerns); (2) environmental; or 
(3) miscellaneous.
    As specified in 10 CFR 2.309, if two or more requestors/petitioners 
seek to co-sponsor a contention or propose substantially the same 
contention, the requestors/petitioners will be required to jointly 
designate a representative who shall have the authority to act for the 
requestors/petitioners with respect to that contention.

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 for leave to intervene, and documents 
filed by interested governmental entities participating under 10 CFR 
2.315(c), must be filed in accordance with the NRC's 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 hearing request 
or petition for leave to intervene (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/getting-started.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's 
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 the NRC's guidance 
available on the NRC's 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 NRC'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's public 
Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html, by email to 
[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 20555-0001, 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 the 
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. 
However, a request for hearing or petition for leave to intervene will 
require including information on

[[Page 5825]]

local residence in order to demonstrate a proximity assertion of 
interest in the proceeding. 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.
    Detailed information about the license renewal process can be found 
under the Nuclear Reactors icon at http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal.html on the NRC's Web site. Copies of the 
application to renew the operating licenses for LSCS, Units 1 and 2 are 
available for public inspection at the NRC's PDR, and at http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications.html, the 
NRC's Web site while the application is under review. The application 
may be accessed in ADAMS through the NRC Library on the Internet at 
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html under ADAMS accession no. 
ML14343A849. As stated above, persons who do not have access to ADAMS 
or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS 
may contact the NRC's PDR reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-
4209 or 301-415-4737, or by email to [email protected].
    The NRC staff has verified that a copy of the license renewal 
application is also available to local residents near LSCS, Units 1 and 
2 at the Reddick Public Library District, 1010 Canal St., Ottawa, IL 
61350; Marseilles Public Library, 155 East Bluff St., Marseilles, IL 
61341; and Seneca Public Library District, 210 N. Main St., Seneca, IL 
61360.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 26th day of January 2015.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Christopher G. Miller,
Director, Division of License Renewal, Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2015-01807 Filed 2-2-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P