[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 41 (Thursday, March 2, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11692-11694]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-5138]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-261]
Carolina Power & Light Company; Notice of Consideration of
Issuance of Amendment to Facility Operating License, Proposed No
Significant Hazards Consideration Determination, and Opportunity for a
Hearing
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License No.
DPR-23 issued to Carolina Power & Light Company (the licensee) for
operation of the H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2,
located in Darlington County, South Carolina.
The proposed amendment would increase the degraded grid voltage
relay (DGVR) setpoint to comply with revised voltage criteria
established by Carolina Power & Light Company's alternating current
auxiliary electrical distribution system voltage/load flow/fault
current study. The DGVR setpoint will be changed from 415 plus or minus
4 volts to 430 plus or minus 4 volts. The revised criteria would
provide a voltage setting such that continuous duty, safety-related
motors will not be allowed to operate at terminal voltages below the
voltage required for proper operation for periods of time greater than
the time delay setting of the DGVR.
Before issuance of the proposed license amendment, the Commission
will have made findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as
amended (the Act) and the Commission's regulations.
The Commission has made a proposed determination that the amendment
request involves no significant hazards consideration. Under the
Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 50.92, this means that operation of
the facility in accordance with the proposed amendment would 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. As
required by 10 CFR 50.91(a), the licensee has provided its analysis of
the issue of no significant hazards consideration, which is presented
below:
1. The proposed amendment does not involve a significant
increase in the probability or consequences of an accident
previously evaluated.
The increase in the DGVR setpoint will prevent motor operation
at terminal voltages below which motor overheating and possible life
reduction could occur, due to sustained offsite power degradation
under the design basis plant operating scenario. The new setting
ensures that the emergency buses are transferred to their respective
diesel generators at offsite power voltage levels higher than
allowed by the existing setting. Analysis has determined that the
new DGVR setting will not result in unnecessary offsite power
separations, due to motor starting transients, during normal power
operation or postulated accident conditions.
The function of the DGVR remains unchanged. The design
configuration of the DGVR circuit remains unchanged. The proposed
amendment will increase the minimum voltage available at the safety
[[Page 11693]] buses and maintain safety related loads within their
voltage requirements under degraded conditions.
The change to the DGVR trip setpoint also considered the minimum
bus recovery voltage following a transient that would reset the
relay to prevent unnecessary transfers to the emergency diesel
generators. With the offsite system at the minimum predicted
voltage, the DGVRs will reset following a motor starting transient.
Therefore, there would be no increase in the probability or
consequences of an accident previously evaluated.
2. The proposed amendment does not create the possibility of a
new or different kind of accident from any accident previously
evaluated.
The higher DGVR setpoint improves the operation of continuous
duty, safety-related motors, in that it ensures motor terminal
voltages of sufficient value for proper operation. The higher
setting has been evaluated against plant system transient voltage
conditions under minimum predicted switchyard voltages and
determined to result in no risk of spurious relay actuations. The
proposed change is in the of DGVR only. The function of the DGVR
circuit remains unchanged. Failure of the relays at their new
setpoint would not change the failure analysis. The proposed
amendment to the DGVR setpoint ensures appropriate automatic action
will be taken in the event voltage sufficient to operate required
vital electrical loads within acceptable voltage limits is not
available. Therefore, the proposed changes do not create the
possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident
previously evaluated.
3. The proposed amendment does not involve a significant
reduction in a margin of safety.
The proposed amendment will increase the minimum voltage limit
at the emergency buses. This increase in DGVR setpoint ensures that
the minimum voltage requirements for vital loads will be available
including under degraded offsite voltage conditions or automatic
action will occur to restore voltage. Calculations have determined
that the proposed setpoint meets current design requirements.
Therefore, the proposed changes do not involve a significant
reduction in a margin of safety.
The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's analysis and, based on
this review, it appears that the three standards of 10 CFR 50.92(c) are
satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff proposes to determine that the
amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration.
The Commission is seeking public comments on this proposed
determination. Any comments received within 30 days after the date of
publication of this notice will be considered in making any final
determination.
Normally, the Commission will not issue the amendment until the
expiration of the 30-day notice period. However, should circumstances
change during the notice period such that failure to act in a timely
way would result, for example, in derating or shutdown of the facility,
the Commission may issue the license amendment before the expiration of
the 30-day notice period, provided that its final determination is that
the amendment involves no significant hazards consideration. The final
determination will consider all public and State comments received.
Should the Commission take this action, it will publish in the Federal
Register a notice of issuance and provide for opportunity for a hearing
after issuance. The Commission expects that the need to take this
action will occur very infrequently.
Written comments may be submitted by mail to the Rules Review and
Directives Branch, Division of Freedom of Information and Publications
Services, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555, and should cite the publication date and page
number of this Federal Register notice. Written comments may also be
delivered to Room 6D22, Two White Flint North, 11545 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, Maryland, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Federal workdays.
Copies of written comments received may be examined at the NRC Public
Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC.
The filing of requests for hearing and petitions for leave to
intervene is discussed below.
By April 3rd, 1995, the licensee may file a request for a hearing
with respect to issuance of the amendment to the subject facility
operating license and any person whose interest may be affected by this
proceeding and who wishes to participate as a party in the proceeding
must file a written request for a hearing and a petition for leave to
intervene. Requests for a hearing and a petition for leave to intervene
shall be filed in accordance with the Commission's ``Rules of Practice
for Domestic Licensing Proceedings''in 10 CFR part 2. Interested
persons should consult a current copy of 10 CFR 2.714 which is
available at the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman
Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC, and at the local public
document room located at the Hartsville Memorial Library, 147 West
College Avenue, Hartsville, South Carolina 29550. If a request for a
hearing or petition for leave to intervene is filed by the above date,
the Commission or an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, designated by
the Commission or by the Chairman of the Atomic Safety and Licensing
Board Panel, will rule on the request and/or petition; and the
Secretary or the designated Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will
issue a notice of hearing or an appropriate order.
As required by 10 CFR 2.714, a petition for leave to intervene
shall set forth with particularity the interest of the petitioner in
the proceeding, and how that interest may be affected by the results of
the proceeding. The petition should specifically explain the reasons
why intervention should be permitted with particular reference to the
following factors: (1) the nature of the petitioner's right under the
Act to be made party to the proceeding; (2) the nature and extent of
the petitioner's property, financial, or other interest in the
proceeding; and (3) the possible effect of any order which may be
entered in the proceeding on the petitioner's interest. The petition
should also identify the specific aspect(s) of the subject matter of
the proceeding as to which petitioner wishes to intervene. Any person
who has filed a petition for leave to intervene or who has been
admitted as a party may amend the petition without requesting leave of
the Board up to 15 days prior to the first prehearing conference
scheduled in the proceeding, but such an amended petition must satisfy
the specificity requirements described above.
Not later than 15 days prior to the first prehearing conference
scheduled in the proceeding, a petitioner shall file a supplement to
the petition to intervene which must include a list of the contentions
which are sought to be litigated in the matter. Each contention must
consist of a specific statement of the issue of law or fact to be
raised or controverted. In addition, the petitioner shall provide a
brief explanation of the bases of the contention and a concise
statement of the alleged facts or expert opinion which support the
contention and on which the petitioner intends to rely in proving the
contention at the hearing. The petitioner must also provide references
to those specific sources and documents of which the petitioner is
aware and on which the petitioner intends to rely to establish those
facts or expert opinion. Petitioner must provide sufficient information
to show that a genuine dispute exists with the applicant on a material
issue of law or fact. Contentions shall be limited to matters within
the scope of the amendment under consideration. The contention must be
one which, if proven, would entitle the petitioner to relief. A
petitioner who fails to file such a supplement which satisfies these
[[Page 11694]] requirements with respect to at least one contention
will not be permitted to participate as a party.
Those permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding,
subject to any limitations in the order granting leave to intervene,
and have the opportunity to participate fully in the conduct of the
hearing, including the opportunity to present evidence and cross-
examine witnesses.
If a hearing is requested, the Commission will make a final
determination on the issue of no significant hazards consideration. The
final determination will serve to decide when the hearing is held.
If the final determination is that the amendment request involves
no significant hazards consideration, the Commission may issue the
amendment and make it immediately effective, notwithstanding the
request for a hearing. Any hearing held would take place after issuance
of the amendment.
If the final determination is that the amendment request involves a
significant hazards consideration, any hearing held would take place
before the issuance of any amendment.
A request for a hearing or a petition for leave to intervene must
be filed with the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555, Attention: Docketing and Services
Branch, or may be delivered to the Commission's Public Document Room,
the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC, by the above
date. Where petitions are filed during the last 10 days of the notice
period, it is requested that the petitioner promptly so inform the
Commission by a toll-free telephone call to Western Union at 1-(800)
248-5100 (in Missouri 1-(800) 342-6700). The Western Union operator
should be given Datagram Identification Number N1023 and the following
message addressed to William H. Bateman: petitioner's name and
telephone number, date petition was mailed, plant name, and publication
date and page number of this Federal Register notice. A copy of the
petition should also be sent to the Office of the General Counsel, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, and to R. E.
Jones, General Counsel, Carolina Power & Light Company, Post Office Box
1551, Raleigh, North Carolina 27602, attorney for the licensee.
Nontimely filings of petitions for leave to intervene, amended
petitions, supplemental petitions and/or requests for hearing will not
be entertained absent a determination by the Commission, the presiding
officer or the presiding Atomic Safety and Licensing Board that the
petition and/or request should be granted based upon a balancing of the
factors specified in 10 CFR 2.714(a)(1)(i)-(v) and 2.714(d).
For further details with respect to this action, see the
application for amendment dated August 23, 1994, which is available for
public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman
Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC, and at the local public
document room located at the Hartsville Memorial Library, 147 West
College Avenue, Hartsville, South Carolina 29550.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 23rd day of February 1995.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Brenda L. Mozafari,
Project Manager, Project Directorate II-1, Division of Reactor
Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 95-5138 Filed 3-1-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
