[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 38 (Friday, February 25, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-4297]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: February 25, 1994]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-352]
Philadelphia Electric Company (Limerick Generating Station, Unit
1)
Exemption
I
Philadelphia Electric Company (the licensee), is the holder of
Facility Operating License No. NPF-39, which authorizes operation of
the Limerick Generating Station (LGS), Unit 1. The license provides,
among other things, that the licensee is subject to all rules,
regulations, and orders of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the
Commission) now and hereafter in effect.
The LGS, Unit 1 facility consists of a boiling water reactor
located in Chester and Montgomery Counties, Pennsylvania.
II
In its letter dated November 30, 1993, the licensee requested an
exemption from the Commission's regulations. The subject exemption is
from a requirement in appendix J to 10 CFR part 50 that a set of three
Type A tests (Containment Integrated Leakage Rate Tests, or CILRTs) be
performed, at approximately equal intervals, during each 10-year
service period. The exemption applies to the first 10-year service
period; subsequent service periods are not changed. In the same letter,
the licensee applied for an amendment to Operating License No. NPF-39
to change certain provisions of the LGS Technical Specifications (TSs).
The type A test is defined in 10 CFR part 50, appendix J, section
II.F, as ``tests intended to measure the primary reactor containment
overall integrated leakage rate (1) after the containment has been
completed and is ready for operation, and (2) at periodic intervals
thereafter.'' The 10-year service period begins with the inservice
date. The first CILRT testing interval was 36 months, and the second
was 39 months. The time interval between CILRTs should be about 40
months based on performing three such tests at approximately equal
intervals during each 10-year service period.
The request for a one-time exemption would allow the third Type A
CILRT within the first 10-year service period to be conducted during
the sixth refueling outage. This requested exemption is a one-time
schedular extension of the third interval to 65 months. It does not
affect the second 10-year service period.
With respect to the subject exemption request, the NRC staff notes
that the first and second CILRTs of the set of three tests for the
first 10-year service period for LGS were conducted in August 1987 and
November 1990. The third of the first set of three CILRTs will be
scheduled for Refueling Outage 6, projected to start in January 1996,
pending approval of the exemption request. The current third test
period in the first 10-year service period will actually be exceeded by
approximately 15 months.
Data from the first August 1989 and second November 1990 CILRT at
LGS, Unit 1 indicates that most of the measured leakage is from the
containment penetrations and not from the containment barrier. The
``as-left'' leakage rate was well below the 10 CFR part 50 Appendix J
limit. Both Appendix J and the TS require that the leakage rate be less
than 75% of La to allow for deterioration in leakage paths between
tests. The allowable leakage rate, La, is 0.5 wt.%/day. Therefore,
the established acceptable limit is <0.375 wt.%/day.="" the="" ``as-left''="" leakage="" rates="" for="" the="" first="" two="" cilrts="" were="" 0.178="" and="" 0.334="" wt.%/day,="" which="" is="" below="" the="" acceptance="" limit.="" the="" type="" b="" and="" c="" test="" (local="" leakage="" rate="" test="" or="" llrt)="" program="" also="" provides="" assurance="" that="" containment="" integrity="" has="" been="" maintained.="" llrts="" demonstrate="" operability="" of="" components="" and="" penetrations="" by="" measuring="" penetration="" and="" valve="" leakage.="" additionally,="" there="" have="" been="" no="" modifications="" made="" to="" the="" plant="" that="" could="" adversely="" affect="" the="" test="" results.="" the="" licensee="" further="" notes="" that="" the="" performance="" of="" a="" fourth="" test="" in="" the="" first="" 10-year="" service="" period="" to="" meet="" the="" requirements="" of="" the="" tss="" and="" appendix="" j="" would="" result="" in="" additional="" radiation="" exposure="" to="" personnel.="" omitting="" the="" test="" will="" result="" in="" additional="" dose="" savings="" by="" eliminating="" contamination="" and="" by="" reducing="" exposure="" from="" venting="" and="" draining="" and="" from="" setups="" and="" restorations="" of="" instrumentation="" required="" to="" perform="" the="" test.="" these="" factors="" and="" the="" costs="" associated="" with="" a="" fourth="" test="" for="" a="" 15-month="" difference="" in="" interval="" time="" are="" not="" offset="" by="" the="" benefits="" of="" the="" fourth="" test.="" for="" the="" reasons="" set="" forth="" above,="" the="" nrc="" staff="" concludes="" that="" this="" deviation="" from="" the="" 10-year="" service="" period="" ending="" august="" 1994="" is="" not="" significant="" in="" terms="" of="" complying="" with="" the="" safety="" or="" scheduling="" requirements="" of="" section="" iii.d.1.(a)="" of="" appendix="" j.="" accordingly,="" the="" staff="" finds="" that="" the="" additional="" test="" would="" not="" provide="" substantially="" different="" information="" and="" that="" the="" intent="" of="" appendix="" j="" is="" met.="" therefore,="" the="" subject="" exemption="" request="" meets="" the="" special="" circumstances="" of="" 10="" cfr="" 50.12(a)(2)(ii),="" in="" that="" the="" fourth="" test="" is="" not="" necessary="" to="" achieve="" the="" underlying="" purpose="" of="" the="" rule.="" on="" this="" basis,="" the="" nrc="" staff="" finds="" that="" the="" licensee="" has="" demonstrated="" that="" special="" circumstances="" are="" present="" as="" required="" by="" 10="" cfr="" 50.12(a)(2).="" further,="" the="" staff="" also="" finds="" that="" extending="" the="" service="" period="" will="" not="" present="" an="" undue="" risk="" to="" the="" public="" health="" and="" safety;="" since="" the="" licensee="" has="" justified="" the="" leaktight="" integrity="" of="" the="" containment="" based="" on="" previous="" leakage="" test="" results,="" the="" staff="" concludes="" that="" a="" one-time="" extension="" of="" approximately="" 15="" months="" beyond="" the="" maximum="" permitted="" third="" test="" interval="" within="" the="" first="" 10-year="" service="" period="" will="" not="" have="" a="" significant="" safety="" impact.="" iii="" accordingly,="" the="" commission="" has="" determined="" that,="" pursuant="" to="" 10="" cfr="" 50.12,="" an="" 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="" the="" following="" exemption="" with="" respect="" to="" a="" requirement="" of="" 10="" cfr="" part="" 50,="" appendix="" j,="" section="" iii.d.1(a):="" for="" the="" limerick="" generating="" station,="" unit="" 1,="" the="" current="" third="" test="" period="" within="" the="" first="" 10-year="" service="" period="" may="" be="" extended="" by="" approximately="" 15="" months,="" so="" that="" the="" third="" periodic="" type="" a="" test="" may="" be="" performed="" during="" the="" sixth="" refueling="" outage="" scheduled="" for="" january,="" 1996.="" pursuant="" to="" 10="" cfr="" 51.32,="" the="" commission="" has="" determined="" that="" the="" granting="" of="" this="" exemption="" will="" not="" have="" a="" significant="" effect="" on="" the="" quality="" of="" the="" human="" environment="" (59="" fr="" 5785).="" this="" exemption="" is="" effective="" upon="" issuance.="" for="" the="" nuclear="" regulatory="" commission.="" dated="" at="" rockville,="" maryland="" this="" 16="" day="" of="" february="" 1994.="" gus="" c.="" lainas,="" acting="" director,="" division="" of="" reactor="" projects="" -="" i/ii,="" office="" of="" nuclear="" reactor="" regulation.="" [fr="" doc.="" 94-4297="" filed="" 2-24-94;="" 8:45="" am]="" billing="" code="" 7590-01-m="">