[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 169 (Thursday, August 30, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44308-44309]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-18846]
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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; ITAAC for Pneumatic Testing of VES Air
Lines
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 to allow a departure from the certification information of
Tier 1 of the generic design control document (DCD) and has issued
License Amendment Nos. 130 and 129 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, 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 exemption and amendment were issued on July 10, 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 to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2008-0252. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Jennifer Borges telephone: 301-287-9127;
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 ``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 this document. The request for the
amendment and exemption was submitted by letter dated December 20, 2017
and available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML17354A964
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 Nos. 130 and 129 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 that would revise the Updated Final Safety Analysis Report in
the form of changes from the incorporated plant-specific Design Control
Document (DCD) Tier 2 information. The proposed amendment also involves
related changes to plant-specific Tier 1 information, with
corresponding changes to the associated COL Appendix C information.
Specifically, the licensee requested to allow a pneumatic test to be
used in lieu a hydrostatic test for the Main Control Room Emergency
Habitability System consistent with American Society of Mechanical
Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III. 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
[[Page 44309]]
exemption request and the license amendment. The exemption met all
applicable regulatory criteria set forth in 10 CFR 50.12, 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. ML18150A160.
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. ML18156A143 and
ML18156A144 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. ML18156A145 and ML18156A147
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 an application dated December 20, 2017, 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 17-044, ``ITAAC
[Inspections, Tests, Analysis, and Acceptance Criteria] for Pneumatic
Testing of VES Air Lines''
For the reasons set forth in Section 3.2 of the NRC staff's Safety
Evaluation, which can be found in ADAMS under Accession No.ML18150A160,
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 information in COL Appendix C of
the Facility Combined License as described in the licensee's request
dated December 20, 2017. This exemption is related to, and necessary
for the granting of License Amendment No. 130 for Unit 3 and 129 for
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 No.ML18150A160), 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 December 20, 2017 (ADAMS Accession No.ML17354A964),
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 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
March 13, 2018 (83 FR10922). No comments were received during the 30-
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 December 20, 2017.
The exemption and amendment were issued on July 10, 2018, as part
of a combined package to the licensee (ADAMS Accession No.
ML18156A141).
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 27th day of August 2018.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jennifer Dixon-Herrity,
Chief, Licensing Branch 4, Division of Licensing, Siting, and
Environmental Analysis Office of New Reactors.
[FR Doc. 2018-18846 Filed 8-29-18; 8:45 am]
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