[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 206 (Wednesday, October 24, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53665-53666]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-23191]
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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; Fire Protection System Nonsafety Cable
Spray Removal
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Combined license amendment; issuance.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing
License Amendment Nos. 145 and 144 to Combined Licenses (COL), NPF-91
and NPF-92, respectively. The COLs were issued to Southern Nuclear
Operating Company, 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 (collectively SNC); for
construction and operation of the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant
(VEGP) Units 3 and 4, located in Burke County, Georgia.
The amendment authorizes changes in the form of departures to the
VEGP Units 3 and 4 plant specific Design Control Document (PS-DCD) Tier
2 information contained within the Updated Final Safety Analysis Report
and plant-specific Tier 1 information, with corresponding changes to
Appendix C of the COL removing the fire protection system (FPS)
nonsafety-related containment cable spray and installing passive fire
stops and radiant energy shields. Specifically, the changes were for
the removal of the FPS containment open nozzle water spray suppression
system for the open nonsafety-related cable trays in fire zone 1100 AF
11300B and for installing passive fire stops and radiant energy
shields.
The exemption allows changes that impact Tier 1 of the PS-DCD and
associated COL Appendix C of the Facility COL as specified in LAR 18-
015. This exemption is related to, and necessary for, the granting of
the amendment which is being issued concurrently.
DATES: The amendments were issued on October 4, 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 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 submitted by letter dated April 27, 2018,
designated License Amendment Request (LAR) 18-015, and supplemented by
letter dated August 13, 2018 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML18117A464 and
ML18225A291, 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 exemptions 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. 138 and 137 to COLs, NPF-91
and NPF-92, respectively, to SNC. 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 SNC to depart from
Tier 1 information. The exemptions met all applicable regulatory
criteria set forth in 10 CFR 50.12, 10 CFR 52.7, and section VIII.A.4
of appendix D to 10 CFR part 52. The license amendments met all
applicable regulatory criteria and were found to be acceptable as well.
The combined safety evaluation is available in ADAMS under Accession
No. ML18247A407.
Identical exemption documents (except for referenced unit numbers
and license numbers) were issued to SNC 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. ML18247A405 and ML18247A406,
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. ML18247A401 and ML18247A403,
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 April 27, 2018, as supplemented August 13,
2018, SNC requested from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or
Commission) an exemption to allow departure from Tier 1 information in
the certified 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) 18-015, ``Fire Protection System Non-Safety
Cable Spray Removal.''
For the reasons set forth in Section 3.2 of the NRC staff's Safety
Evaluation, which can be found be found in ADAMS under Accession Number
ML18247A407, 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
[[Page 53666]]
Combined License, as described in the licensee's request dated April
27, 2018, as supplemented August 13, 2018. This exemption is related
to, and necessary for the granting of License Amendment No. 145 (Unit
3) and 144, 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 ML18247A407), 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 April 27, 2018, designated License Amendment
Request (LAR) 18-015, and supplemented by letter dated August 13, 2018
(ADAMS Accession Nos. ML18117A464 and ML18225A291, respectively), 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
June 19, 2018 (83 FR 28463). 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 exemptions and issued the amendments that SNC
requested by letter dated April 27, 2018, supplemented by letter dated
August 13, 2018 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML18117A464 and ML18225A291,
respectively). The exemptions and amendments were issued to the
licensee on October 4, 2018, as part of a combined package (ADAMS
Accession No. ML18247A399).
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, on October 19, 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. 2018-23191 Filed 10-23-18; 8:45 am]
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