[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 43 (Monday, March 6, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12253-12255]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-5364]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-348 and 50-364]
Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.; 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 Nos.
NPF-2 and NPF-8 issued to Southern Nuclear Operating Company (the
licensee) for operation of the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant, Units 1
and 2, located in Houston County, Alabama.
The proposed amendment would allow modifications to relocate the
lower level steam generator water level taps to be made during the
upcoming refueling outages for both units. These modifications affect
the Technical Specifications associated with the reactor trip system
and the engineered safety feature actuation system setpoints.
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
[[Page 12254]] 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 50.9(a), the licensee has
provided its analysis of the issue of no significant hazards
consideration, which is presented below:
1. The proposed changes to the steam generator low-low water
level reactor trip and ESF actuation setpoint and to the steam
generator high-high water level turbine trip and feedwater isolation
setpoint do not significantly increase the probability or
consequences of an accident previously evaluated in the FSAR.
Several analyses previously performed in the FSAR required re-
analysis. All acceptance criteria for the re-analyzed accidents
continue to be met. Therefore, there is no increase in the
consequences of any previously evaluated accident. The change to the
steam generator low-low water level setpoint affords additional
margin to spurious trips. No fission product barriers are affected.
The relocation of the steam generator lower level tap does not
result in increased failure probability of the SG level tap, sensing
line, or instrument. Therefore, the proposed changes to the
Technical Specifications do not significantly increase the
probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated in
the FSAR.
2. The proposed changes to the Technical Specifications do not
create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident than
any accident already evaluated in the FSAR. No new limiting single
failures or accident scenarios have been created or identified due
to the proposed changes. All safety-related systems will continue to
perform as designed. No new challenges to any installed safety
systems have been created by the proposed setpoint modifications.
Therefore, the possibility of a new or different accident is not
created.
3. The proposed steam generator water level setpoint changes do
not involve a significant reduction in the margin of safety. Some
re-analysis was necessary because of the proposed setpoint changes;
however, all margin associated with the current acceptance criteria
continues to be unaffected. The proposed design and installation of
the new level taps using the criteria of the ASME Code with inherent
safety factors assure that the margin of safety in the structural
integrity of the steam generator shell is not reduced. Setpoint
uncertainty calculations have confirmed adequate margin exists
between the assumed analysis setpoints and the revised setpoints.
Therefore, there is no significant reduction in the margin of safety
due to the setpoint changes or the physical modification.
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 5, 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 Houston-Love Memorial Library, 212 W.
Burdenshaw Street, Post Office Box 1369, Dothan, Alabama 36302. 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 [[Page 12255]] and on which the petitioner intends to rely
in proving the contention at the hearing. The petitioner must also
provide reference 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 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 proceedings,
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 M. Stanford
Blanton, Esq., Balch and Bingham, Post Office Box 306, 1710 Sixth
Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama 35201, attorney for the license.
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 June 10, 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 Houston-Love Memorial Library, 212 W.
Burdeshaw Street, Post Office Box 1369, Dothan, Alabama 36302.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of February 1995.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Byron L. Siegel,
Project Manager, Project Directorate II-1, Division of Reactor
Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 95-5364 Filed 3-3-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
