[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 154 (Thursday, August 9, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39472-39474]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16996]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 52-025 and 52-026; NRC-2008-0252]


Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.; Vogtle Electric 
Generating Plant, Units 3 and 4 Ventilation System Changes

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Exemption and combined license amendment; issuance.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is granting 
exemptions to allow a departure from elements of the certification 
information of Tier 1 of the generic AP1000 design control document 
(DCD) and issuing License Amendment Nos. 129 and 128 to Combined 
Licenses (COL), NPF-91 and NPF-92, respectively. The COLs were issued 
to Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., and Georgia Power Company, 
Oglethorpe Power Corporation, MEAG Power SPVM, LLC, MEAG Power SPVJ, 
LLC, MEAG Power SPVP, LLC, 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.

DATES: The exemptions and amendments were issued on June 28, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2008-0252 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may obtain publicly-available information related to this document 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Website: Go http://www.regulations.gov 
and search for Docket ID NRC-2008-0252. Address questions about NRC 
dockets to Jennifer Borges; 301-287-9127; email: 
[email protected]. For technical

[[Page 39473]]

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 ``Begin Web-based ADAMS 
Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public 
Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 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 this document. The request for the 
amendment and exemption was designated License Amendment Request (LAR) 
16-030R1 and submitted by letter dated August 31, 2017, and 
supplemented by letters dated March 23, and May 18, 2018 (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML17243A444, ML18082B369 and ML18138A398, 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William (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 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 Nos. 129 and 128 to COLs Nos. 
NPF-91 and NPF-92, respectively, 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 proposed changes to plant-specific Tier 1 and associated COL 
Appendix C information, as well as plant-specific Tier 2 materials 
located in the plant-specific Updated Final Safety Analysis Report, all 
of which are related to design details of the containment recirculation 
cooling system and the radiologically controlled area ventilation 
system.
    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 and 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. ML18152B277.
    Identical exemption documents (except for referenced unit numbers 
and license numbers) were issued to the licensee for VEGP Units 3 and 4 
(COL Nos. NPF-91 and NPF-92). The exemption documents for VEGP Units 3 
and 4 can be found in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML18152B269 and 
ML18152B270, 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. ML18152B271 and 
ML18152B273, 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 VEGP 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 August 31, 2017, as supplemented by letters 
dated March 23, and May 18, 2018, Southern Nuclear Operating Company 
(SNC) requested from the Commission an exemption to allow departures 
from Tier 1 information in the certified DCD incorporated by reference 
in 10 CFR part 52, appendix D, as part of license amendment request LAR 
16-030R1, ``Ventilation System Changes.''
    For the reasons set forth in Section 3.2 of the NRC staff's Safety 
Evaluation, which can be found at ADAMS Accession No. ML18152B277 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, SNC is granted an exemption from the certified DCD 
Tier 1 information, with corresponding changes to Appendix C of the 
Facility Combined License, as described in the licensee's request dated 
August 31, 2017, as supplemented by letters dated March 23, and May 18, 
2018. This exemption is related to, and necessary for the granting of 
License Amendment No. 129 (Units 3) and No. 128 (Unit 4), which is 
being issued concurrently with this exemption.
    3. As explained in Section 5.0 of the NRC staff's Safety Evaluation 
(ADAMS Accession Number ML18152B277), 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 August 31, 2017, as supplemented by letters dated 
March 23, and May 18, 2018 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML17243A444, 
ML18082B369 and ML18138A398, respectively), the licensee requested that 
the NRC amend the COLs for VEGP, Units 3 and 4, COL Nos. 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 COL, 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 24, 2017 (82 FR 49234). No comments were received during the 
30-day comment period.

[[Page 39474]]

    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 exemptions and issued the amendments that the 
licensee requested on August 31, 2017, and supplemented by letters 
dated March 23, and May 18, 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML17243A444, 
ML18082B369 and ML18138A398, respectively).
    The exemption and amendment were issued to the licensee on June 28, 
2018, as part of a combined package (ADAMS Accession No. ML18152B267).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day of August 2018.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jennifer L. Dixon-Herrity,
Chief, Licensing Branch 4, Division of Licensing, Siting, and 
Environmental Analysis, Office of New Reactors.
[FR Doc. 2018-16996 Filed 8-8-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P