[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]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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