[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 172 (Friday, September 4, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53581-53584]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21935]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-390; NRC-2015-0206]
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1; Application and Amendment to
Facility Operating License Involving Proposed No Significant Hazards
Consideration Determination
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: License amendment request; opportunity to comment, request a
hearing and petition for leave to intervene.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is
considering approval of a license amend request for the Watts Bar
Nuclear Plant (WBN), Unit 1. The proposed amendment would revise a
current License Condition (Section 2.F) regarding the Fire Protection
Program and propose a new License Condition (Section 2.I) regarding a
fire protection requirement for WBN, Unit 1. The NRC proposes to
determine that this request involve no significant hazards
consideration.
DATES: Comments must be filed by October 5, 2015. A request for a
hearing must be filed by November 3, 2015.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods
(unless this document describes a different method for submitting
comments on a specific subject):
Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2015-0206. 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.
Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey, Office of Administration,
Mail Stop: OWFN-12-H08, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington,
DC 20555-0001.
For additional direction on obtaining information and submitting
comments, see ``Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments'' in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeanne A. Dion, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-1349; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments
A. Obtaining Information
Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2015-0206 when contacting the NRC
about the availability of information for this action. You may obtain
publicly-available information related to this action by any of the
following methods:
Federal rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2015-0206.
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
application for amendment, dated August 13, 2015, is available in ADAMS
under Accession No. ML15225A344.
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.
B. Submitting Comments
Please include Docket ID NRC-2015-0206 in your comment submission.
The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact
information that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your
comment submission. The NRC posts all comment submissions at http://www.regulations.gov as well as entering the comment submissions into
ADAMS. The NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove
identifying or contact information.
[[Page 53582]]
If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons
for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to
include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be
publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should
state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to
remove such information before making the comment submissions available
to the public or entering the comment submissions into ADAMS.
II. Introduction
The NRC is considering issuance of an amendment to Facility
Operating License No. NFP-90, issued to Tennessee Valley Authority (the
licensee), for operation of the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (WBN), Unit 1
located in Spring City, Tennessee.
The proposed amendment would revise a current License Condition
(Section 2.F) regarding the Fire Protection Program and propose a new
License Condition (Section 2.I) regarding a fire protection requirement
for WBN, Unit 1. Section 2.F is the license condition associated with
fire protection and defines the basis for the NRC's approval of the
Fire Protection Program that is applicable to the operation of WBN,
Unit 1. The proposed amendment would update the fire protection license
condition, Section 2.F, to reflect dual-unit operation and the Fire
Protection Program that would be in effect should WBN, Unit 2 receive
an operating license (OL). Section 2.I is a new License Condition
associated with fire protection requirements to ensure the fire
detection monitoring panel in the main control room (MCR) meets the
designated standards or is tested and found suitable for the specified
purpose.
Before issuance of the proposed license amendment, the Commission
will have made findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as
amended (the Act), and the Commission's regulations.
The Commission has made a proposed determination that the amendment
request involves no significant hazards consideration. Under the
Commission' regulations in Sec. 50.92 of Title 10 of the Code of
Federal Regulations (10 CFR), this means that operation of the facility
in accordance with the proposed amendment would not (1) involve a
significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident
previously evaluated; or (2) create the possibility of a new or
different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated; or
(3) involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety. As required
by 10 CFR 50.91(a), the licensee has provided its analysis of the issue
of no significant hazards consideration, which is presented below:
1. Does the proposed change involve a significant increase in
the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated?
Response: No.
The overall effect of the licensing of WBN Unit 2, on the safe
operation of WBN Unit 1, is being assessed by the reviews the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) documents in Supplemental Safety
Evaluation Reports (SSERs). This proposed change is limited in scope
and will align the OLs for WBN Unit 1 and WBN Unit 2, so that the
Fire Protection Program may be managed by a common document, the WBN
Unit 1/Unit 2 Fire Protection Report (FPR). Because this proposed
change is administrative in nature, no accident analysis conclusions
made in the WBN Unit 1 UFSAR [Updated Final Safety Analysis Report]
are affected. The proposed change revised the WBN Fire Hazards
Analysis (FHA) but did not result in any adverse effects or any
adverse effects on any component required for a fire safe shutdown.
Therefore, the proposed change does not involve a significant
increase in the probability or consequences of an accident
previously evaluated.
The proposed change adds a requirement to ensure the fire
detection monitoring panel in the MCR meets appropriate design
standards or is tested and found suitable while not effecting any
plant structures, systems, or components (SSCs). The change does not
affect plant operations, any design function or an analysis that
verifies the capability of an SSC to perform a design function.
Because no plant equipment or method of evaluation are affected by
this change, the proposed amendment does not change any of the
previously evaluated accidents in the updated final safety analysis
report (UFSAR).
No accident analysis conclusions made in the WBN Unit 1 UFSAR
are affected. The proposed change does not revise or affect the Fire
Hazards Analysis (FHA) or any component required for a fire safe
shutdown.
Therefore, the proposed change does not involve a significant
increase in the probability or consequences of an accident
previously evaluated.
2. Does the proposed change create the possibility of a new or
different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated?
Response: No.
The overall effect of the licensing of WBN Unit 2, on the safe
operation of WBN Unit 1, is being assessed by the reviews the NRC
documents in SSERs. This proposed change is limited in scope and
does not result in any adverse effects on the FHA or any component
required for a fire safe shutdown. In addition, no accident analysis
conclusions made in the WBN Unit 1 UFSAR are affected. Based on
this, the proposed amendment will not alter the requirements or
function for systems required during accident conditions.
Therefore, the proposed changes do not create the possibility of
a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously
evaluated.
The proposed change adds a requirement to ensure the fire
detection monitoring panel in the MCR meets appropriate design
standards or is tested and found suitable and does not change any
design function, operation of an SSC, performance of testing or
maintenance of an SSC. This proposed change is limited in scope and
does not revise or affect the FHA or any component required for a
fire safe shutdown. In addition, no accident analysis conclusions
made in the WBN Unit 1 UFSAR are affected. Based on this, the
proposed amendment will not alter the requirements or function for
systems required during accident conditions.
Therefore, the proposed change does not create the possibility
of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously
evaluated.
3. Does the proposed change involve a significant reduction in
the margin of safety?
Response: No.
This proposed change is associated with the implementation of
WBN's Fire Protection Program for two-unit operation as approved in
NRC SSERs. Because the proposed amendment is administrative in
nature (updates a condition of the WBN Unit 1 OL), implementation of
the amendment will not affect the manner in which safety limits or
limiting safety system settings are determined nor will there be any
effect on those plant systems necessary to assure the accomplishment
of protection functions.
Therefore, the proposed changes do not involve a significant
reduction in a margin of safety.
This proposed change adds a requirement to ensure that the fire
detection monitoring panel in the MCR either meets the appropriate
designated standards or has been tested and found suitable for the
specified purpose. Implementation of the amendment (the addition of
a license condition to the WBN Unit 1 OL) will not affect the manner
in which safety limits or limiting safety system settings are
determined nor will there be any effect on those plant systems
necessary to assure the accomplishment of protection functions.
Therefore, the proposed change does not involve a significant
reduction in a margin of safety.
The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's analysis and, based on
this review, it appears that the three standards of 10 CFR 50.92(c) are
satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff proposes to determine that the
amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration.
The Commission is seeking public comments on this proposed
determination. Any comments received within 30 days after the date of
publication of this notice will be considered in making any final
determination.
Normally, the Commission will not issue the amendment until the
[[Page 53583]]
expiration of 60 days after the date of publication of this notice. The
Commission may issue the license amendment before expiration of the 60-
day period provided that its final determination is that the amendment
involves no significant hazards consideration. In addition, the
Commission may issue the amendment prior to the expiration of the 30-
day comment period should circumstances change during the 30-day
comment period such that failure to act in a timely way would result,
for example, in derating or shutdown of the facility. Should the
Commission take action prior to the expiration of either the comment
period or the notice period, it will publish in the Federal Register a
notice of issuance. Should the Commission make a final No Significant
Hazards Consideration Determination, any hearing will take place after
issuance. The Commission expects that the need to take this action will
occur very infrequently.
III. 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 desires to participate as a party in the proceeding
must file a written request for hearing or a petition for leave to
intervene specifying the contentions which the person seeks to have
litigated in the hearing with respect to the license amendment request.
Requests for a hearing and petitions for leave to intervene shall be
filed in accordance with the NRC's ``Agency Rules of Practice and
Procedure'' in 10 CFR part 2. Interested person(s) should consult a
current copy of 10 CFR 2.309, which is available at the NRC's PDR. The
NRC's regulations are accessible electronically from the NRC Library on
the NRC's Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/. If a request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene is
filed by the above date, 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 or the Chief Administrative Judge of
the Atomic Safety and License Board will issue a notice of a hearing or
an appropriate order.
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. The hearing request or petition must
specifically explain the reasons why intervention should be permitted,
with particular reference to the following general requirements: (1)
The name, address, and telephone number of the requestor or petitioner;
(2) the nature of the requestor's/petitioner's right under the Act to
be made a party to the proceeding; (3) the nature and extent of the
requestor's/petitioner's property, financial, or other interest in the
proceeding; and (4) the possible effect of any decision or order which
may be entered in the proceeding on the requestor's/petitioner's
interest. The hearing request or petition must also include the
specific contentions that the requestor/petitioner seeks to have
litigated at the proceeding.
For each contention, the requestor/petitioner must provide a
specific statement of the issue of law or fact to be raised or
controverted, as well as a brief explanation of the basis for the
contention. Additionally, the requestor/petitioner must demonstrate
that the issue raised by each contention is within the scope of the
proceeding and is material to the findings that the NRC must make to
support the granting of a license amendment in response to the
application. The hearing request or petition must also include a
concise statement of the alleged facts or expert opinion that support
the contention and on which the requestor/petitioner intends to rely at
the hearing, together with references to those specific sources and
documents. The hearing request or petition must provide sufficient
information to show that a genuine dispute exists with the applicant on
a material issue of law or fact, including references to specific
portions of the application for amendment that the petitioner disputes
and the supporting reasons for each dispute. If the requestor/
petitioner believes that the application for amendment fails to contain
information on a relevant matter as required by law, the requestor/
petitioner must identify each failure and the supporting reasons for
the requestor's/petitioner's belief. Each contention must be one which,
if proven, would entitle the requestor/petitioner to relief. A
requestor/petitioner who does not satisfy these requirements for at
least one contention will not be permitted to participate as a party.
Those permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding,
subject to any limitations in the order granting leave to intervene,
and have the opportunity to participate fully in the conduct of the
hearing with respect to resolution of that person's admitted
contentions, including the opportunity to present evidence and to
submit a cross-examination plan for cross-examination of witnesses,
consistent with NRC regulations, policies, and procedures. The Atomic
Safety and Licensing Board will set the time and place for any
prehearing conferences and evidentiary hearings, and the appropriate
notices will be provided.
Hearing requests or petitions for leave to intervene must be filed
no later than 60 days from the date of publication of this notice.
Requests for hearing, petitions for leave to intervene, and motions for
leave to file new or amended contentions that are filed after the 60-
day 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).
If a hearing is requested, the Commission will make a final
determination on the issue of no significant hazards consideration. The
final determination will serve to decide when the hearing is held. If
the final determination is that the amendment request involves no
significant hazards consideration, the Commission may issue the
amendment and make it immediately effective, notwithstanding the
request for a hearing. Any hearing held would take place after issuance
of the amendment. If the final determination is that the amendment
request involves a significant hazards consideration, then any hearing
held would take place before the issuance of any amendment unless the
Commission finds an imminent danger to the health or safety of the
public, in which case it will issue an appropriate order or rule under
10 CFR part 2.
IV. 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 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
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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 request or
petition for hearing (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 NRC'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 NRC 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 to 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
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 to intervene will require including information on
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.
For further details with respect to this amendment request, see the
application for amendment dated August 13, 2015, which is available for
public inspection at the NRC's PDR, located at One White Flint North,
Room O1-F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland
20852. Publicly available documents created or received at the NRC are
accessible electronically through ADAMS in the NRC Library at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
If you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are problems in
accessing the documents located in ADAMS, contact the PDR's Reference
staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by email to
[email protected].
Attorney for licensee: General Counsel, Tennessee Valley Authority,
400 West Summit Hill Drive, 6A West Tower, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902.
NRC Branch Chief: Jessie F. Quichocho.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 24th day of August 2015.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jeanne A. Dion,
Project Manager, Watts Bar Special Projects Branch, Division of
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2015-21935 Filed 9-3-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P