[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 248 (Friday, December 28, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67365-67368]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-28202]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-219; NRC-2018-0288]
Exelon Generation Company, LLC; Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating
Station
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Exemption; issuance.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an
exemption in response to a letter dated March 29, 2018, as supplemented
by a letter dated May 8, 2018, exemption request from Exelon Generation
Company, LLC (Exelon or the licensee). The exemption permits Exelon to
reduce the minimum coverage limit for onsite property damage insurance
from $1.06 billion to $50 million for Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating
Station.
DATES: The exemption was issued on December 19, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2018-0288 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 Web Site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2018-0288. Address
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Krupskaya Castellon;
telephone: 301-287-9221; e-mail: [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 e-mail 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.
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: John G. Lamb, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-3100; e-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The text of the exemption is attached.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day of December 2018.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John G. Lamb,
Senior Project Manager, Special Projects and Process Branch, Division
of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
Attachment--Exemption
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Docket No. 50-219
Exelon Generation Company, LLC
Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station
Exemption
I. Background.
Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon, the licensee), is the
holder of Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-16 for Oyster
Creek Nuclear Generating Station (Oyster Creek). By letter dated
February 14, 2018 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS) Accession No. ML18045A084), Exelon submitted to the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) a certification in accordance
with Section 50.82(a)(1)(i) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR), indicating that it plans to cease permanent
operation no later than October 31, 2018. Exelon permanently ceased
operations at Oyster Creek on September 17, 2018. By letter dated
September 25, 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18268A258), Exelon
certified that all fuel was removed from the Oyster Creek reactor
vessel. The facility consists of a permanently shutdown and defuled
boiling-water reactor located in the town of Forked River, Ocean
County, New Jersey.
[[Page 67366]]
II. Request/Action.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, ``Specific exemptions,'' Exelon
requested an exemption from 10 CFR 50.54(w)(1), by letter dated
March 29, 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18088A237), as supplemented by
a letter dated May 8, 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18128A291). The
exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 50.54(w)(1) would permit
the licensee to reduce the required level of onsite property damage
insurance from $1.06 billion to $50 million for Oyster Creek.
The regulation at 10 CFR 50.54(w)(1) requires each licensee to
have and maintain onsite property damage insurance to stabilize and
decontaminate the reactor and reactor site in the event of an
accident. The onsite insurance coverage must be either $1.06 billion
or whatever amount of insurance is generally available from private
sources (whichever is less).
The licensee states that the risk of an incident at a
permanently shutdown and defueled reactor is much less than the risk
from an operating power reactor. In addition, since reactor
operation is no longer authorized at Oyster Creek, there are no
events that would require the stabilization of reactor conditions
after an accident. Similarly, the risk of an accident that would
result in significant onsite contamination at Oyster Creek is also
much lower than the risk of such an event at operating reactors.
Therefore, Exelon is requesting an exemption from 10 CFR 50.54(w)(1)
to reduce its onsite property damage insurance from $1.06 billion to
$50 million, commensurate with the reduced risk of an incident at
the permanently shutdown and defueled Oyster Creek site.
III. Discussion.
Under 10 CFR 50.12, the Commission may, upon application by any
interested person or upon its own initiative, grant exemptions from
the requirements of 10 CFR part 50 when (1) the exemptions are
authorized by law, will not present an undue risk to public health
or safety, and are consistent with the common defense and security;
and (2) any of the special circumstances listed in 10 CFR
50.12(a)(2) are present.
The financial protection limits of 10 CFR 50.54(w)(1) were
established after the Three Mile Island accident out of concern that
licensees may be unable to financially cover onsite cleanup costs in
the event of a major nuclear accident. The specified $1.06 billion
coverage amount requirement was developed based on an analysis of an
accident at a nuclear reactor operating at power, resulting in a
large fission product release and requiring significant resource
expenditures to stabilize the reactor and ultimately decontaminate
and cleanup the site.
These cost estimates were developed based on the spectrum of
postulated accidents for an operating nuclear reactor. Those costs
were derived from the consequences of a release of radioactive
material from the reactor. Although the risk of an accident at an
operating reactor is very low, the consequences onsite and offsite
can be significant. In an operating plant, the high temperature and
pressure of the reactor coolant system (RCS), as well as the
inventory of relatively short-lived radionuclides, contribute to
both the risk and consequences of an accident. With the permanent
cessation of reactor operations at Oyster Creek and the permanent
removal of the fuel from the reactor vessel, such accidents are no
longer possible. As a result, the reactor vessel, RCS, and
supporting systems no longer operate and have no function related to
the storage of the irradiated fuel. Therefore, postulated accidents
involving failure or malfunction of the reactor, RCS, or supporting
systems are no longer be applicable.
During reactor decommissioning, the largest radiological risks
are associated with the storage of spent fuel onsite. By letter
dated March 29, 2018, as supplemented by letter dated May 8, 2018,
exemption request, Exelon discusses both design-basis and beyond
design-basis events involving irradiated fuel stored in the spent
fuel pool (SFP). The licensee determined that there are no possible
design-basis events at Oyster Creek that could result in an offsite
radiological release exceeding the limits established by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) early-phase Protective
Action Guidelines (PAGs) of 1 rem (roentgen equivalent man) at the
exclusion area boundary, as a way to demonstrate that any possible
radiological releases would be minimal and not require precautionary
protective actions (e.g., sheltering in place or evacuation). The
NRC staff evaluated the radiological consequences associated with
various decommissioning activities, and design-basis accidents at
Oyster Creek, in consideration of a permanently shutdown and
defueled condition. The possible design-basis accident scenarios at
Oyster Creek have greatly reduced radiological consequences. Based
on its review, the NRC staff concluded that no reasonably
conceivable design-basis accident exists that could cause an offsite
release greater than the EPA PAGs.
The only incident that might lead to a significant radiological
release at a decommissioning reactor is a zirconium fire. The
zirconium fire scenario is a postulated, but highly unlikely, beyond
design-basis accident scenario that involves loss of water inventory
from the SFP, resulting in a significant heatup of the spent fuel,
and culminating in substantial zirconium cladding oxidation and fuel
damage. The probability of a zirconium fire scenario is related to
the decay heat of the irradiated fuel stored in the SFP. Therefore,
the risks from a zirconium fire scenario continue to decrease as a
function of the time since Oyster Creek has been permanently shut
down.
The Commission has previously authorized a lesser amount of
onsite financial protection, based on this analysis of the zirconium
fire risk. In SECY-96-256, ``Changes to Financial Protection
Requirements for Permanently Shutdown Nuclear Power Reactors, 10 CFR
50.54(w)(1) and 10 CFR 140.11,'' dated December 17, 1996 (ADAMS
Accession No. ML15062A483), the NRC staff recommended changes to the
power reactor financial protection regulations that would allow
licensees to lower onsite insurance levels to $50 million upon
demonstration that the fuel stored in the SFP can be air-cooled. In
its Staff Requirements Memorandum to SECY-96-256, dated January 28,
1997 (ADAMS Accession No. ML15062A454), the Commission supported the
NRC staff's recommendation that, among other things, would allow
permanently shutdown power reactor licensees to reduce commercial
onsite property damage insurance coverage to $50 million when the
licensee was able to demonstrate the technical criterion that the
spent fuel could be air-cooled if the SFP was drained of water. The
NRC staff has used this technical criterion to grant similar
exemptions to other decommissioning reactors (e.g., Maine Yankee
Atomic Power Station, published in the Federal Register on January
19, 1999 (64 FR 2920); and Zion Nuclear Power Station, published in
the Federal Register on December 28, 1999 (64 FR 72700)). These
prior exemptions were based on these licensees demonstrating that
the SFP could be air-cooled, consistent with the technical criterion
discussed above.
In SECY-00-0145, ``Integrated Rulemaking Plan for Nuclear Power
Plant Decommissioning,'' dated June 28, 2000, and SECY-01-0100,
``Policy Issues Related to Safeguards, Insurance, and Emergency
Preparedness Regulations at Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants
Storing Fuel in the Spent Fuel Pool,'' dated June 4, 2001 (ADAMS
Accession Nos. ML003721626 and ML011450420, respectively), the NRC
staff discussed additional information concerning SFP zirconium fire
risks at decommissioning reactors and associated implications for
onsite property damage insurance. Providing an analysis of when the
spent fuel stored in the SFP is capable of air-cooling is one
measure that can be used to demonstrate that the probability of a
zirconium fire is exceedingly low. However, the NRC staff has more
recently used an additional analysis that bounds an incomplete drain
down of the SFP water, or some other catastrophic event (such as a
complete drainage of the SFP with rearrangement of spent fuel rack
geometry and/or the addition of rubble to the SFP). The analysis
postulates that decay heat transfer from the spent fuel via
conduction, convection, or radiation would be impeded. This analysis
is often referred to as an adiabatic heatup.
The licensee's analyses referenced in its exemption request
demonstrates that under conditions where the SFP water inventory has
drained completely and only air-cooling of the stored irradiated
fuel is available, there is reasonable assurance that after 12
months (365 days) from the permanent shutdown of the facility on
September 17, 2018, the Oyster Creek spent fuel will remain at
temperatures far below those associated with a significant
radiological release.
As discussed in the staff response to a question in SECY-00-
0145, ``the staff believes that full insurance coverage must be
maintained for 5 years or until a licensee can show by analysis that
its SFP is no longer vulnerable to such [a zirconium] fire.''
The licensee's adiabatic heatup analyses demonstrates that there
would be at least 10 hours after the loss of all means of cooling
[[Page 67367]]
(both air and/or water), before the spent fuel cladding would reach
a temperature where the potential for a significant offsite
radiological release could occur. The licensee states that for this
loss of all cooling scenario, 10 hours is sufficient time for
personnel to respond with additional resources, equipment, and
capability to restore cooling to the SFPs, even after a non-
credible, catastrophic event.
In the analysis provided in Attachment 2, ``Oyster Creek Nuclear
Generating Station Zirconium Fire Analysis for Drained Spent Fuel
Pool (Calculation C-1302-226-E310-457),'' to the letter dated August
22, 2017 (ADAMS Accession No. ML17234A082), as supplemented by
letters dated March 8, 2018, and March 19, 2018 (ADAMS Accession
Nos. ML18067A087 and ML18078A146, respectively), the licensee
compared the conditions for the hottest fuel assembly stored in the
SFP to a criterion proposed in SECY-99-168, ``Improving
Decommissioning Regulations for Nuclear Power Plants'' (ADAMS
Accession No. ML12265A598), applicable to offsite emergency response
for the unit in the decommissioning process. This criterion
considers the time for the hottest assembly to heat up from 30
degrees Celsius ([deg]C) to 900 [deg]C adiabatically. If the heatup
time is greater than 10 hours, then offsite emergency preplanning
involving the plant is not necessary. Based on the limiting fuel
assembly for decay heat and adiabatic heatup analysis presented in
Attachment 2 to the application, at 12 months (365 days) after
permanent cessation of power operations (i.e., 12 months decay
time), the time for the hottest fuel assembly to reach 900 [deg]C is
10 hours after the assemblies have been uncovered. As stated in
NUREG-1738, ``Technical Study of Spent Fuel Pool Accident Risk at
Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants'' (ADAMS Accession No.
ML010430066), 900 [deg]C is an acceptable temperature to use for
assessing onset of fission product release under transient
conditions (to establish the critical decay time for determining
availability of 10 hours for deployment of mitigation equipment and,
if necessary, for offsite agencies to take appropriate action to
protect the health and safety of the public, if fuel and cladding
oxidation occurs in air). The NRC staff reviewed the calculation to
verify that important physical properties of materials were within
acceptable ranges and the results were accurate. The NRC staff
determined that physical properties were appropriate. Therefore, the
NRC staff found that after 12 months (365 days) from the permanent
shutdown of the facility on September 17, 2018, more than 10 hours
would be available before a significant offsite release could begin.
The NRC staff concluded that the adiabatic heatup calculation
provided an acceptable method for determining the minimum time
available for deployment of mitigation equipment and, if necessary,
implementing measures under a comprehensive general emergency plan.
The NRC staff performed an evaluation of the design-basis
accidents for Oyster Creek being permanently defueled as part of
SECY-18-0062, ``Request By The Exelon Generation Company, LLC For
Exemptions From Certain Emergency Planning Requirements For The
Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station,'' dated May 31, 2018 (ADAMS
Accession No. ML18030B340).
Based on the evaluation in SECY-18-0062 and SECY-96-256,
``Changes to Financial Protection Requirements for Permanently
Shutdown Nuclear Power Reactors, 10 CFR 50.54(w)(1) and 10 CFR
140.11,'' dated December 17, 1996 (ADAMS Accession No. ML15062A483),
the NRC staff determined $50 million to be an adequate level of
onsite property damage insurance for a decommissioning reactor, once
the spent fuel in the SFP is no longer susceptible to a zirconium
fire. The NRC staff has postulated that there is still a potential
for other radiological incidents at a decommissioning reactor that
could result in significant onsite contamination besides a zirconium
fire. In SECY-96-256, the NRC staff cited the rupture of a large
contaminated liquid storage tank (~450,000 gallon), causing soil
contamination and potential groundwater contamination, as the most
costly postulated event to decontaminate and remediate (other than a
SFP zirconium fire). The postulated large liquid radiological waste
storage tank rupture event was determined to have a bounding onsite
cleanup cost of approximately $50 million. Therefore, the NRC staff
determined that the licensee's proposal to reduce onsite insurance
to a level of $50 million would be consistent with the bounding
cleanup and decontamination cost, as discussed in SECY-96-256, to
account for the postulated rupture of a large liquid radiological
waste tank at the Oyster Creek site, should such an event occur.
The NRC staff has determined that the licensee's proposed
reduction in onsite property damage insurance coverage to a level of
$50 million is consistent with SECY-96-256 and subsequent insurance
considerations, resulting from additional zirconium fire risks, as
discussed in SECY-00-0145 and SECY-01-0100. In addition, the NRC
staff notes that similar exemptions have been granted to other
permanently shutdown and defueled power reactors, upon demonstration
that the criterion of the zirconium fire risks from the irradiated
fuel stored in the SFP is of negligible concern. As previously
stated, the NRC staff concluded that after 12 months (365 days) from
permanent shutdown of the facility on September 17, 2018, sufficient
irradiated fuel decay time has elapsed at Oyster Creek to decrease
the probability of an onsite radiological release from a postulated
zirconium fire accident to negligible levels. In addition, the
licensee's proposal to reduce onsite insurance to a level of $50
million is consistent with the maximum estimated cleanup costs for
the recovery from the rupture of a large liquid radwaste storage
tank. Finally, the NRC staff notes that in accordance with the
Oyster Creek Post Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report (PSDAR)
dated May 21, 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18141A775), all spent fuel
will be removed from the SFPs and moved into dry storage at an
onsite independent spent fuel storage installation by the end of
March 2024, and the probability of an initiating event that would
threaten pool integrity occurring before that time is extremely low,
which further supports the conclusion that the zirconium fire risk
is negligible.
A. The Exemption is Authorized by Law
The requested exemption from 10 CFR 50.54(w)(1) would allow
Exelon to reduce the minimum coverage limit for onsite property
damage insurance. As stated above, 10 CFR 50.12 allows the NRC to
grant exemptions from the requirements of 10 CFR part 50 when the
exemptions are authorized by law.
As explained above, the NRC staff has determined that the
licensee's proposed reduction in onsite property damage insurance
coverage to a level of $50 million is consistent with SECY-96- 256.
Moreover, the NRC staff concluded that 12 months (365 days) after
the permanent shutdown of the facility, sufficient irradiated fuel
decay time will have elapsed at Oyster Creek to decrease the
probability of an onsite and offsite radiological release from a
postulated zirconium fire accident to negligible levels. In
addition, the licensee's proposal to reduce onsite insurance to a
level of $50 million is consistent with the maximum estimated
cleanup costs for the recovery from the rupture of a large liquid
radiological waste storage tank.
The NRC staff has determined that granting the licensee's
proposed exemption will not result in a violation of the Atomic
Energy Act of 1954, as amended, or the Commission's regulations.
Therefore, based on its review of Exelon's exemption request as
discussed above, and consistent with SECY-96-256, the NRC staff
concludes that the exemption is authorized by law.
B. The Exemption Presents No Undue Risk to the Public Health and
Safety
The onsite property damage insurance requirements of 10 CFR
50.54(w)(1) were established to provide financial assurance that
following a significant nuclear incident, onsite conditions could be
stabilized and the site decontaminated. The requirements of 10 CFR
50.54(w)(1) and the existing level of onsite insurance coverage for
Oyster Creek are predicated on the assumption that the reactor is
operating. However, Oyster Creek permanently shutdown on September
17, 2018, and defueled on September 24, 2018. The permanently
defueled status of the facility results in a significant reduction
in the number and severity of potential accidents, and
correspondingly, a significant reduction in the potential for and
severity of onsite property damage. The proposed reduction in the
amount of onsite insurance coverage does not impact the probability
or consequences of potential accidents. The proposed level of
insurance coverage is commensurate with the reduced consequences of
potential nuclear accidents at Oyster Creek. Therefore, the NRC
staff concludes that granting the requested exemption will not
present an undue risk to the health and safety of the public.
C. The Exemption Is Consistent With the Common Defense and Security
The proposed exemption would not eliminate any requirements
associated with physical protection of the site and would not
[[Page 67368]]
adversely affect Exelon's ability to physically secure the site or
protect special nuclear material. Physical security measures at
Oyster Creek are not affected by the requested exemption. Therefore,
the proposed exemption is consistent with the common defense and
security.
D. Special Circumstances
Special circumstances, in accordance with 10 CFR
50.12(a)(2)(ii), are present whenever application of the regulation
in the particular circumstances is not necessary to achieve the
underlying purpose of the regulation.
The underlying purpose of 10 CFR 50.54(w)(1) is to provide
reasonable assurance that adequate funds will be available to
stabilize reactor conditions and cover onsite cleanup costs
associated with site decontamination, following an accident that
results in the release of a significant amount of radiological
material. Oyster Creek permanently shut down on September 17, 2018,
and permanently defueled on September 25, 2018, it is no longer
possible for the radiological consequences of design[dash]basis
accidents or other credible events at Oyster Creek to exceed the
limits of the EPA PAGs at the exclusion area boundary. The licensee
has evaluated the consequences of highly unlikely, beyond-design-
basis conditions involving a loss of coolant from the SFP. The
analyses show that after 12 months (365 days) from cessation of
power operations on September 17, 2018, the likelihood of such an
event leading to a large radiological release is negligible. The NRC
staff's evaluation of the licensee's analyses confirm this
conclusion.
The NRC staff also finds that the licensee's proposed $50
million level of onsite insurance is consistent with the bounding
cleanup and decontamination cost, as discussed in SECY-96-256, to
account for the hypothetical rupture of a large liquid radiological
waste tank at the Oyster Creek site, should such an event occur.
Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that the application of the
current requirements in 10 CFR 50.54(w)(1) to maintain $1.06 billion
in onsite insurance coverage is not necessary to achieve the
underlying purpose of the rule for the permanently shutdown and
defueled Oyster Creek reactor.
Under 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(iii), special circumstances are present
whenever compliance would result in undue hardship or other costs
that are significantly in excess of those contemplated when the
regulation was adopted, or that are significantly in excess of those
incurred by others similarly situated.
The NRC staff concludes that if the licensee was required to
continue to maintain an onsite insurance level of $1.06 billion, the
associated insurance premiums would be in excess of those necessary
and commensurate with the radiological contamination risks posed by
the site. In addition, such insurance levels would be significantly
in excess of other decommissioning reactor facilities that have been
granted similar exemptions by the NRC.
The NRC staff finds that compliance with the existing rule would
result in an undue hardship or other costs that are significantly in
excess of those contemplated when the regulation was adopted and are
significantly in excess of those incurred by others similarly
situated.
Therefore, the special circumstances required by 10 CFR
50.12(a)(2)(ii) and 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(iii) exist.
E. Environmental Considerations
The NRC approval of the exemption to insurance or indemnity
requirements belongs to a category of actions that the Commission,
by rule or regulation, has declared to be a categorical exclusion,
after first finding that the category of actions does not
individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human
environment. Specifically, the exemption is categorically excluded
from further analysis under Sec. 51.22(c)(25).
Under 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25), granting of an exemption from the
requirements of any regulation of Chapter I to 10 CFR is a
categorical exclusion provided that (i) there is no significant
hazards consideration; (ii) there is no significant change in the
types or significant increase in the amounts of any effluents that
may be released offsite; (iii) there is no significant increase in
individual or cumulative public or occupational radiation exposure;
(iv) there is no significant construction impact; (v) there is no
significant increase in the potential for or consequences from
radiological accidents; and (vi) the requirements from which an
exemption is sought involve: surety, insurance, or indemnity
requirements.
As the Deputy Director, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, I have determined that
approval of the exemption request involves no significant hazards
consideration because reducing the licensee's onsite property damage
insurance for Oyster Creek does 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. The
exempted financial protection regulation is unrelated to the
operation of Oyster Creek. Accordingly, there is no significant
change in the types or significant increase in the amounts of any
effluents that may be released offsite; and no significant increase
in individual or cumulative public or occupational radiation
exposure.
In addition, the exempted regulation is not associated with
construction, so there is no significant construction impact. The
exempted regulation does not concern the source term (i.e.,
potential amount of radiation in an accident), nor mitigation.
Therefore, there is no significant increase in the potential for, or
consequences of, a radiological accident. In addition, there would
be no significant impacts to biota, water resources, historic
properties, cultural resources, or socioeconomic conditions in the
region. Moreover, the requirement for onsite property damage
insurance involves surety, insurance, and indemnity matters.
Accordingly, the exemption request meets the eligibility criteria
for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25).
Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b) and 51.22(c)(25), no
environmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be
prepared in connection with the approval of this exemption request.
IV. Conclusions.
Accordingly, the Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10
CFR 50.12(a), the exemption is authorized by law, will not present
an undue risk to the public health and safety, and is consistent
with the common defense and security. Also, special circumstances
are present as set forth in 10 CFR 50.12.
Therefore, the Commission hereby grants Exelon an exemption from
the requirements of 10 CFR 50.54(w)(1) for Oyster Creek. The
licensee permanently ceased power operation at Oyster Creek on
September 17, 2018. The exemption will permit Oyster Creek to lower
the minimum required onsite insurance to $50 million no earlier than
12 months (365 days) after the licensee's certification of permanent
cessation of operation under Sec. 50.82(a)(1).
The exemption is effective 12 months (365 days) from the
certification of permanent cessation of operation under Sec.
50.82(a)(1).
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 19th day of December 2018.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
/RA/
Kathryn M. Brock,
Deputy Director, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2018-28202 Filed 12-27-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P