[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 66 (Wednesday, April 6, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19999-20000]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07904]


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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 and Gas; Reconciliation of Tier 1 Valve Differences

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 from certain Tier 1 information in the generic design control 
document (DCD) and issuing License Amendment No. 31 to combined 
licenses (COL), NPF-93 and NPF-94. The COLs were issued to South 
Carolina Electric and Gas (SCE&G) and South Carolina Public Service 
Authority (Santee Cooper) (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 granting of the 
exemption allows the changes to Tier 1 information and promotes 
consistency with the VCSNS updated final safety analysis report (UFSAR) 
Tier 2 information. Because the acceptability of the exemption was 
determined in part by the acceptability of the amendment, the exemption 
and amendment are being issued concurrently.

DATES: April 6, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2008-0441 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may obtain publicly-available information related to this action by 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: 301-415-
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 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 
ADAMS accession number for each document referenced (if it is available 
in ADAMS) is provided the first time that it is mentioned in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.
     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: Billy Gleaves, Office of New Reactors, 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; 
telephone: 301-415-5848; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction

    The NRC is granting an exemption from Section III.B 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. 31 to COLs, NPF-93 and NPF-94, 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 for changes to generic DCD 
Tier 1 information. Specifically, with the requested amendment, the 
licensee sought to make changes to Tier 1 tables and promote 
consistency with the UFSAR Tier 2 information. The request for the 
amendment and exemption were submitted by letter dated February 7, 2013 
(ADAMS Accession No. ML13042A005), and supplemented by letters dated 
July 19, 2013, November 21, 2013, February 6, 2014, February 20, 2014, 
May 12, 2014, September 22, 2014, and November 19, 2014 (ADAMS 
Accession Nos. ML13205A148, ML13329A723, ML14041A095, ML14052A379, 
ML14133A488, ML14266A014, and ML14323A333, respectively).
    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 10 CFR 52.63(b)(1) of appendix 
D to 10 CFR part

[[Page 20000]]

52. The license amendment was found to be acceptable as well. The 
combined safety evaluation is available in ADAMS under Accession No. 
ML15204A476.
    Identical exemption documents (except as needed to reflect the 
unique 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. ML15204A442 and ML15204A445, 
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. ML15204A416 and ML15204A426, 
respectively. A summary of the amendment documents is provided in 
Section III of this document.

II. Exemption

    Reproduced below is the exemption 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 in order to grant the 
exemption:
    1. In a letter dated February 7, 2013, and supplemented by the 
letters dated July 19, 2013, November 21, 2013, February 6, 2014, 
February 20, 2014, May 12, 2014, September 22, 2014, and November 19, 
2014, South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (licensee) requested from 
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC/Commission) an exemption to 
allow departures from Tier 1 information in the certified design 
control document (DCD) incorporated by reference in title 10 of the 
Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), part 52, appendix D, ``Design 
Certification Rule for the AP1000 Design,'' as part of license 
amendment request (LAR) 13-04, ``Reconciliation of Tier 1 Valve 
Differences.''
    For the reasons set forth in Section 3.1 of the NRC staff's safety 
evaluation, which can be found in ADAMS under Accession No. 
ML15204A476, 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 from the 
certified DCD Tier 1 and COL Appendix C, Tables 2.1.2-1. 2.2.1-1, 
2.2.2-1, 2.2.3-1, 2.2.3-3, 2.2.5-1, 2.3.2-1, 2.3.2-3, and 2.3.6-1, as 
described in the licensee's request dated February 7, 2013, and 
supplemented by the letters dated July 19, 2013, November 21, 2013, 
February 6, 2014, February 20, 2014, May 12, 2014, September 22, 2014, 
and November 19, 2014. This exemption is related to, and necessary for 
the granting of License Amendment No. 31, which is being issued 
concurrently with this exemption.
    3. As explained in Section 5.0 of the NRC staff's safety evaluation 
(ADAMS Accession No. ML15204A476), 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 the date of its issuance.

III. License Amendment Request

    By letter dated February 7, 2013, as supplemented, the licensee 
requested that the NRC amend the COLs for VCSNS Units 2 and 3, COLs 
NPF-93 and NPF-94. The licensee request and supplements are listed in 
Section I, above.
    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 amendments.
    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 29, 2013 (78 FR 64541). 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 September 3, 2015. The exemption and amendment were issued 
to the licensee on September 3, 2015 as part of a package of documents 
(ADAMS Accession No. ML15204A391).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day of March 2016.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

William (Billy) Gleaves,
Senior Project Manager, Licensing Branch 4, Division of New Reactor 
Licensing, Office of New Reactors.
[FR Doc. 2016-07904 Filed 4-5-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P