[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 70 (Monday, April 13, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19696-19697]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-08411]


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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; Containment Structural Wall Module Design 
Details

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 is issuing 
License Amendment No. 29 to Combined Licenses (COLs), 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.
    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-2008-0252 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: 301-415-
3463; 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 was submitted 
by letter dated July 3, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No. ML14187A533), and 
supplemented by letters dated August 28, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML14241A287), September 19, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No. ML14262A475), 
November 6, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No. ML14310A846), and December 23, 
2014 (ADAMS Accession No. ML14357A650).
     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: Chandu Patel, Office of New Reactors, 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; 
telephone: 301-415-3025; 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. 29 to COLs, NPF-91 and NPF-
92, 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 proposed changes 
related to the design details of the containment internal structural 
wall modules (CA01, CA02, and CA05). The proposed changes to Tier 2 
information in the VEGP Units 3 and 4 UFSAR, and the involved plant-
specific Tier 1 and corresponding combined license Appendix C 
information would allow the use of thicker than normal faceplates to 
accommodate local demand or connection loads in certain areas without 
the use of overlay plates or additional backup structures. Additional 
proposed changes to Tier 2 information and involved Tier 2* information 
would allow:
    (1) a means of connecting the structural wall modules to the base 
concrete through use of structural shapes, reinforcement bars, and 
shear studs extending horizontally from the structural module 
faceplates and embedded during concrete placement as an alternative to 
the use of embedment plates and vertically oriented reinforcement bars;
    (2) a variance in structural module wall thicknesses from the 
thicknesses identified in the VEGP Units 3 and 4 UFSAR Figure 3.8.3-8, 
``Structural Modules--Typical Design Details,'' for some walls that 
separate equipment spaces from personnel access areas;
    (3) the use of steel plates, structural shapes, reinforcement bars, 
or tie bars between the module faceplates, as needed to support 
localized loads and ensure compliance with applicable codes;
    (4) revision to containment internal structure (CIS) evaluations; 
and
    (5) clarification to the definition of in-containment ``structural 
wall modules,'' clarifying that the west wall of the In-containment 
Refueling Water Storage Tank (IRWST) is not considered a ``structural 
wall module,'' that the CIS critical sections identified in VEGP Units 
3 and 4 UFSAR Subsection 3.8.3.5.8.1 present design summaries for areas 
of ``large'' demand in lieu of areas of ``largest'' demand, and 
revising the VEGP Units 3 and 4 UFSAR in several places to provide 
consistency in terminology used to identify the structural wall 
modules.

[[Page 19697]]

    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. ML15005A265.
    Identical exemption documents (except for referenced unit numbers 
and license numbers) were issued to the licensee for VEGP Units 3 and 4 
(COLs NPF-91 and NPF-92). The exemption documents for VEGP Units 3 and 
4 can be found in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML15005A222 and 
ML15005A224, 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-91 and NPF-92 
are available in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML15005A246 and 
ML15005A256, 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 Vogtle Units 3 
and Unit 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 July 3, 2014, and supplemented by letters 
dated August 28, September 19, November 6, and December 23, 2014, 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 14-001, ``Containment Internal Structural Module 
Design Details (LAR-14-001).''
    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. ML15005A265, 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, Table 3.3-1, ``Definition of 
Wall Thicknesses for Nuclear Island Buildings, Turbine Building, and 
Annex Building'' and Table 3.3-7, ``Nuclear Island Critical Structural 
Sections'' as described in the licensee's request dated July 3, 2014 
and supplemented by the letters dated August 28, September 19, November 
6, and December 23, 2014. This exemption is related to, and necessary 
for the granting of License Amendment No. 29, 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. ML15005A265), 
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 13, 2015.

III. License Amendment Request

    By letter dated July 3, 2014, and supplemented by letters dated 
August 28, September 19, November 6, and December 23, 2014, the 
licensee requested that the NRC amend the COLs for VEGP, Units 3 and 4, 
COLs NPF-91 and NPF-92. The proposed amendment is described in Section 
I of this Federal Register Notice.
    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 August 5, 2014 (79 FR 45480). The August 28, September 19, 
November 6 and December 23, 2014 licensee 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 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 3, 2014, as supplemented by letters dated August 28, 
September 19, November 6 and December 23, 2014. The exemption and 
amendment were issued on January 13, 2015 as part of a combined package 
to the licensee (ADAMS Accession No. ML15005A210).


    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of April 2015.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Chandu Patel,
Acting Chief, Licensing Branch 4, Division of New Reactor Licensing, 
Office of New Reactors.
[FR Doc. 2015-08411 Filed 4-10-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P