[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 241 (Friday, December 16, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-30933]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: December 16, 1994]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-213, 50-245, 50-336, 50-423]
In the Matter of Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co. and
Northeast Nuclear Energy Co. (Haddam Neck Plant and Millstone Nuclear
Power Station, Unit Nos. 1, 2 and 3); Exemption
I
The Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company (CYAPCO or the
licensee) is the holder of Facility Operating License No. DPR-61 which
authorizes operation of the Haddam Neck Plant, and Northeast Nuclear
Energy Company (NNECO or the licensee) is the holder of Facility
Operating License Nos. DPR-21, DPR-65 and NPF-49 which authorize
operation of the Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2,
and 3 (Millstone) respectively. The licenses provide, among other
things, that the Haddam Neck Plant and the Millstone plants are subject
to all rules, regulations and Orders of the Commission now or hereafter
in effect.
The Haddam Neck Plant is a single-unit pressurized water reactor
located at the licensee's site located in Middlesex County,
Connecticut. The Millstone plants consist of a boiling water reactor
and two pressurized water reactors located at the licensee's site in
New London County, Connecticut.
II
The Code of Federal of Regulations at 10 CFR 73.55, ``Requirements
for physical protection of licensed activities in nuclear power
reactors against radiological sabotage,'' paragraph (a), in part,
states that ``the licensee shall establish and maintain an onsite
physical protection system and security organization which will have as
its objective to provide high assurance that activities involving
special nuclear material are not inimical to the common defense and
security and do not constitute an unreasonable risk to the public
health and safety.''
The Code of Federal Regulations at 10 CFR 73.55(d), ``Access
Requirements,'' paragraph (1), specifies that, ``the licensee shall
control all points of personnel and vehicle access into a protected
area.'' The Code of Federal Regulations at 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5) also
requires that, ``A numbered picture badge identification system shall
be used for all individuals who are authorized access to protected
areas without escort.'' It further states that individuals not employed
by the licensee (e.g., contractors) may be authorized access to
protected areas without escort provided that the individual, ``receives
a picture badge upon entrance into a protected area which must be
returned upon exit from the protected area. * * *''
The licensee proposes to implement an alternative unescorted access
system which would eliminate the need to issue and retrieve picture
badges at the entrance/exit location to the protected area and would
allow all individuals, including contractors, to keep their picture
badges in their possession when departing the Haddam Neck Plant and the
Millstone plants.
By letter dated September 28, 1994, the licensee requested an
exemption from certain requirements of 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5).
Specifically, the requested exemption would allow individual, including
contractors, who have unescorted access to retain possession of their
picture badges instead of returning them as they exit the protected
area.
III
Pursuant to 10 CFR 73.5, ``Specific exemptions,'' the Commission
may upon application of any interested person or upon its own
initiative, grant such exemptions in this part as it determines are
authorized by law and will not endanger life or property or the common
defense and security, and are otherwise in the public interest. The
Code of Federal Regulations at 10 CFR 73.55 allows the Commission to
authorize a licensee to provide alternative measures for protection
against radiological sabotage provided the licensee demonstrates that
the proposed measures meet the general performance requirements of the
regulation, and that the overall level of system performance provides
protection against radiological sabotage equivalent to that which would
be provided by the regulation.
Currently, unescorted access into the protected area for both
employee and contractor personnel into the Haddam Neck Plant and the
Millstone plants is controlled through the use of picture badges.
Positive identification of personnel which are authorized and request
access into the protected area is established by security personnel
making a visual comparison of the individual requesting access and that
individual's picture badge. In accordance with 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5),
contractor personnel are not allowed to take their picture badges
offsite. In addition, in accordance with the plant's physical security
plan, the licensee's employees are also not allowed to take their
picture badges offsite.
The proposed system will require that all individuals with
authorized unescorted access have the physical characteristics of their
hand (hand geometry) registered with their picture badge number in a
computerized access control system. Therefore, all authorized
individuals must not only have their picture badge to gain access to
the protected area, but must also have their hand geometry confirmed.
All individuals, including contractors, who have authorized unescorted
access into the protected area will be allowed to keep their picture
badges in their possession when departing the Haddam Neck Plant and the
Millstone plants.
All other access processes, including search function capability
and access revocation, will remain the same. A security officer
responsible for access control will continue to be positioned within a
bullet-resisting structure. It should be noted that the proposed system
is only for individuals with authorized unescorted access and will not
be used for those individuals requiring escorts.
Sandia National Laboratories conducted testing which demonstrated
that the hand geometry equipment possesses strong performance
characteristics. Details of the testing performed are in the Sandia
report, ``A Performance Evaluation of Biometric Identification
Devices,'' SAND91--0276 UC--906 Unlimited Release, June 1991. Based on
the Sandia report, the false acceptance rate for the proposed hand
geometry system would be at least equivalent to that of a photo picture
identification system. The site security plans will also be revised to
allow implementation of the hand geometry system and to allow employees
and contractors with unescorted access to keep their badges in their
possession when leaving the Haddam Neck Plant and the Millstone plants.
IV
For the foregoing reasons, the Commission has determined that the
proposed alternative measures for protection against radiological
sabotage meet the same high assurance objective and the general
performance requirements of 10 CFR 73.55. In addition, the staff has
determined that the overall level of the proposed system's performance
will provide protection against radiological sabotage equivalent to
that which is provided by the current system in accordance with 10 CFR
73.55.
Accordingly, the Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR
73.5, the exemption is authorized by law and will not endanger life or
property or the common defense and security and is otherwise in the
public interest and hereby grants an exemption from those requirements
of 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5) relating to the returning of picture badges upon
exit from the protected area such that individuals not employed by the
licensee, i.e., contractors, who are authorized unescorted access into
the protected area, can take their badges offsite.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that the
issuance of this exemption will have no significant impact on the
quality of human environment (59 FR 63385).
This exemption is effective upon issuance.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland the 9th day of December 1994.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John F. Stolz,
Acting Director, Division of Reactor Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 94-30933 Filed 12-15-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
