[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 192 (Thursday, October 5, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46537-46541]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21495]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 052-00025 and 052-00026; NRC-2008-0252]
Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units 3 and 4 Southern Nuclear
Operating Company; Resolution of Auxiliary Building Wall Thickness and
Description Inconsistencies
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: License amendment application; opportunity to comment, request
a hearing, and petition for leave to intervene.
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[[Page 46538]]
SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an amendment and exemption to Combined Licenses (NPF-91 and
NPF-92), issued to Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. (SNC), and
Georgia Power Company, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, MEAG Power SPVM,
LLC, MEAG Power SPVJ, LLC, MEAG Power SPVP, LLC, Authority of Georgia,
and the City of Dalton, Georgia (together ``the licensees''), for
construction and operation of the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant
(VEGP), Units 3 and 4, located in Burke County, Georgia.
DATES: Submit comments by November 6, 2017.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by 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.
Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey, Office of Administration,
Mail Stop: TWFN-8-D36M, 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: Peter C. Hearn, Office of New
Reactors, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-000;
telephone: 301-415-1189; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments
A. Obtaining Information
Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2008-0252 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-2008-0252.
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 December 14, 2016, and supplemented by
letter dated August 25, 2017 are available in ADAMS under Accession
Nos. ML16349A583 and ML17237C049, respectively.
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-2008-0252 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.
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 Nos. NPF-91 and NPF-92, issued to the licensees for
operation of the VEGP Units 3 and 4, located in Burke County, Georgia.
The proposed changes would revise the Combined Licenses to change
the Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR) in the form of
departures from the incorporated plant-specific Design Control Document
(DCD) Tier 2* information and related changes to the VEGP Units 3 and 4
COL Appendix C (and corresponding plant-specific DCD Tier 1)
information. Because, this proposed change requires a departure from
Tier 1 information in the plant-specific DCD, the licensees also
requested an exemption from the elements of Tier 1 information
certified in part 50 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10
CFR), appendix D in accordance with section 52.63(b)(1).
Before any issuance of the proposed license amendment, the NRC will
need to make the findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as
amended (the Act), and NRC's regulations.
The NRC has made a proposed determination that the license
amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration. Under
the NRC's regulations in 10 CFR 50.92, 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 amendment involve a significant increase in
the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated?
Response: No.
The wall thickness and location changes do not affect the
operation of any systems or equipment that initiate an analyzed
accident or alter any structures, systems, and components (SSC)
accident initiator or initiating sequence of events. The changes are
consistent with the wall thicknesses and locations previously
evaluated and the approved structural design of the auxiliary
building, column line I wall between column lines 3 and 4, and
labyrinth wall between column lines 3 and 4 and between J-1 and J-2
as shown in the AP1000 DCD Figure 3.7.2-12 Sheets 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8,
and 10, and do not involve a change to the thicknesses of the
auxiliary building, column line I wall between column lines 3 and 4,
and labyrinth wall between column line 3 and 4 and between J-1 and
J-2 as shown in COL Appendix C (and plant-specific Tier 1) Figures
3.3-1, 3.3-4, 3.3-6, 3.3-7, 3.3-8, and 3.3-9 and associated UFSAR
Figures 1.2-5, 1.2-7, 1.2-8, 1.2.9,1.2-10, 1.2-11, 1.2-13, 1.2-14
and 3.7.2-12, Sheets 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8,and 10. . Failure of the
auxiliary building is not an accident initiator or part of an
initiating sequence of events for an accident previously evaluated.
Therefore, the probabilities of the accidents evaluated in the UFSAR
are not affected.
The changes do not have an adverse impact on the ability of the
auxiliary building to perform its design functions. The design of
the auxiliary building continues to meet the same regulatory
acceptance criteria, codes, and standards as required by the UFSAR.
As a result, the changes do not result in any
[[Page 46539]]
adverse impacts on the ability of the auxiliary building to mitigate
the consequences of an accident, meet the applicable regulatory
acceptance criteria, and there is no adverse effect on any safety-
related SSC or function used to mitigate an accident. The changes do
not affect the prevention and mitigation of other abnormal events,
e.g., anticipated operational occurrences, earthquakes, floods and
turbine missiles, or their safety or design analyses. Therefore, the
consequences of the accidents evaluated in the UFSAR are not
affected.
Therefore, the changes do not involve a significant increase in
the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated.
2. Does the proposed amendment create the possibility of a new
or different kind of accident from any accident previously
evaluated?
Response: No.
The wall thickness and location changes do not affect the
operation of any systems or equipment that may initiate a new or
different kind of accident, or alter any SSC such that a new
accident initiator or initiating sequence of events is created. The
proposed changes are consistent with the previously evaluated and
approved structural design of the auxiliary building, column line I
wall between column lines 3 and 4 from elevation 100'-0'' to the
roof, and labyrinth wall between column lines 3 and 4 and between J-
1 and J-2 as shown in the AP1000 DCD Figure 3.7.2-12 Sheets 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 8, and 10, and do not involve a change to the thicknesses of
the auxiliary building, column line I wall between column lines 3
and 4, and labyrinth wall between column line 3 and 4 and between J-
1 and J-2 as shown in COL Appendix C (and plant-specific Tier 1)
Figures 3.3-1, 3.3-4, 3.3-6, 3.3-7, 3.3-8, and 3.3-9 and associated
UFSAR Figures 1.2-5, 1.2-7, 1.2-8, 1.2-9, 1.2-10, 1.2-11, 1.2-13,
1.2-14, and 3.7.2-12, Sheets 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10. These changes
do not adversely affect any other auxiliary building or SSC design
functions or methods of operation in a manner that results in a new
failure mode, malfunction, or sequence of events that affect safety-
related or nonsafety-related equipment. Therefore, this activity
does not allow for a new fission product release path, result in a
new fission product barrier failure mode, or create a new sequence
of events that results in significant fuel cladding failures.
Therefore, the proposed changes do not create the possibility of
a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously
evaluated.
3. Does the proposed amendment involve a significant reduction
in a margin of safety?
Response: No.
The wall thickness and location changes maintain existing safety
margins. The proposed changes ensure that auxiliary building design
requirements and design functions are met. The proposed changes
maintain existing safety margin through continued application of the
existing requirements of the UFSAR, while updating the acceptance
criteria for verifying the design features necessary to ensure the
auxiliary building performs the design functions required to meet
the existing safety margins. Therefore, the proposed changes satisfy
the same design functions in accordance with the same codes and
standards as stated in the UFSAR. These proposed changes do not
adversely affect any design code, function, design analysis, safety
analysis input or result, or design/safety margin.
Because no safety analysis or design basis acceptance limit/
criterion is challenged or exceeded by these proposed changes, no
margin of safety is reduced.
Therefore, the proposed amendment 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
license amendment request involves no significant hazards
consideration.
The NRC is seeking public comments on this proposed determination
that the license amendment request involves no significant hazards
consideration. 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
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 notice period if the Commission concludes 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, the Commission will publish a notice of issuance in the Federal
Register. 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 notice, any
persons (petitioner) whose interest may be affected by this action may
file a request for a hearing and petition for leave to intervene
(petition) with respect to the action. Petitions shall 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. 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/. Alternatively, a copy of
the regulations is available at the NRC's Public Document Room, located
at One White Flint North, Room O1-F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first
floor), Rockville, Maryland 20852. If a petition is filed, the
Commission or a presiding officer will rule on the petition and, if
appropriate, a notice of a hearing will be issued.
As required by 10 CFR 2.309(d) the petition should specifically
explain the reasons why intervention should be permitted with
particular reference to the following general requirements for
standing: (1) The name, address, and telephone number of the
petitioner; (2) the nature of the petitioner's right under the Act to
be made a party to the proceeding; (3) the nature and extent of the
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 petitioner's interest.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.309(f), the petition must also set
forth the specific contentions which the petitioner seeks to have
litigated in the proceeding. Each contention must consist of a specific
statement of the issue of law or fact to be raised or controverted. In
addition, the petitioner must provide a brief explanation of the bases
for the contention and a concise statement of the alleged facts or
expert opinion which support the contention and on which the petitioner
intends to rely in proving the contention at the hearing. The
petitioner must also provide references to the specific sources and
documents on which the petitioner intends to rely to support its
position on the issue. The petition must include sufficient information
to show that a genuine dispute exists with the applicant or licensee on
a material issue of law or fact. Contentions must be limited to matters
within the scope of the proceeding. The contention must be one which,
if proven, would entitle the petitioner to relief. A petitioner who
fails to satisfy the requirements at 10 CFR 2.309(f) with respect to 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.
Parties have the opportunity to participate fully in the conduct of the
hearing with respect to resolution of
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that party's admitted contentions, including the opportunity to present
evidence, consistent with the NRC's regulations, policies, and
procedures.
Petitions must be filed no later than 60 days from the date of
publication of this notice. Petitions and motions for leave to file new
or amended contentions that are 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) through (iii). The petition must be filed in
accordance with the filing instructions in the ``Electronic Submissions
(E-Filing)'' section of this document.
If a hearing is requested, and the Commission has not made a final
determination on the issue of no significant hazards consideration, the
Commission will make a final determination on the issue of no
significant hazards consideration. The final determination will serve
to establish 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 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 the 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.
A State, local governmental body, Federally-recognized Indian
Tribe, or agency thereof, may submit a petition to the Commission to
participate as a party under 10 CFR 2.309(h)(1). The petition should
state the nature and extent of the petitioner's interest in the
proceeding. The petition should be submitted to the Commission by
December 4, 2017. The petition must be filed in accordance with the
filing instructions in the ``Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)''
section of this document, and should meet the requirements for
petitions set forth in this section, except that under 10 CFR
2.309(h)(2) a State, local governmental body, or federally recognized
Indian Tribe, or agency thereof does not need to address the standing
requirements in 10 CFR 2.309(d) if the facility is located within its
boundaries. Alternatively, a State, local governmental body, Federally-
recognized Indian Tribe, or agency thereof may participate as a non-
party under 10 CFR 2.315(c).
If a hearing is granted, any person who is not a party to the
proceeding and is not affiliated with or represented by a party may, at
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
his or her 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 conference, subject to the limits and
conditions as may be imposed by the presiding officer. Details
regarding the opportunity to make a limited appearance will be provided
by the presiding officer if such sessions are scheduled.
IV. Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)
All documents filed in NRC adjudicatory proceedings, including a
request for hearing and petition for leave to intervene (petition), 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 that request to
participate under 10 CFR 2.315(c), must be filed in accordance with the
NRC's E-Filing rule (72 FR 49139; August 28, 2007, as amended at 77 FR
46562, August 3, 2012). 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. Detailed
guidance on making electronic submissions may be found in the Guidance
for Electronic Submissions to the NRC and on the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html. 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 (1) request a digital identification (ID)
certificate, which allows the participant (or its counsel or
representative) to digitally sign submissions and access the E-Filing
system for any proceeding in which it is participating; and (2) advise
the Secretary that the participant will be submitting a petition or
other adjudicatory document (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. Once a participant has obtained a
digital ID certificate and a docket has been created, the participant
can then submit adjudicatory documents. Submissions must be in Portable
Document Format (PDF). Additional guidance on PDF submissions is
available on the NRC's public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/electronic-sub-ref-mat.html. A filing is considered complete at the
time the document is 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
document on those participants separately. Therefore, applicants and
other participants (or their counsel or representative) must apply for
and receive a digital ID certificate before adjudicatory documents are
filed so that they can obtain access to the documents via the E-Filing
system.
A person filing electronically using the NRC's adjudicatory E-
Filing system may seek assistance by contacting the NRC's Electronic
Filing 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 Electronic Filing Help Desk is available between 9 a.m.
and 6 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
stating why there is good cause for not filing electronically and
requesting authorization to continue to submit
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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,
11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, Attention: Rulemaking
and Adjudications Staff. Participants filing adjudicatory documents 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
https://adams.nrc.gov/ehd, unless excluded pursuant to an order of the
Commission or the presiding officer. If you do not have an NRC-issued
digital ID certificate as described above, click cancel when the link
requests certificates and you will be automatically directed to the
NRC's electronic hearing dockets where you will be able to access any
publicly available documents in a particular hearing docket.
Participants are requested not to include personal privacy information,
such as social security numbers, home addresses, or personal phone
numbers in their filings, unless an NRC regulation or other law
requires submission of such information. For example, in some
instances, individuals provide home addresses in order to demonstrate
proximity to a facility or site. 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 action, see the
application for license amendment dated December 14, 2016, as
supplemented August 25, 2017.
Attorney for licensee: Mr. M. Stanford Blanton, Balch & Bingham
LLP, 1710 Sixth Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203-2015.
NRC Branch Chief: Jennifer Dixon-Herrity.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of September 2017.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jennifer Dixon-Herrity,
Chief, Licensing Branch 4, Division of New Reactor Licensing, Office of
New Reactors.
[FR Doc. 2017-21495 Filed 10-4-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P