[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 92 (Friday, May 13, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-11786]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: May 13, 1994]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-397]
Washington Public Power Supply System; 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 issuing an amendment to Facility Operating License No. NFP-
21 issued to Washington Public Power Supply System (the licensee) for
operation of the Nuclear Project No. 2 (WNP-2) plant, located in Benton
County, Washington.
The proposed amendment would (1) revise TS 3/4.4.2 and 3/4.5.1 to
require main stream system and automatic depressurization system
safety/relief valve (SRV) surveillance testing within 12 hours after
steam pressure and flow are adequate to do the testing; and (2) revise
TS Table 4.3.7.5-1 to require SRV position indicator surveillance
testing within 12 hours after steam pressure and flow are adequate to
do the testing.
The intent of the change is to clarify when the 12-hour time period
begins. The licensee is also making a change to the TS SRV basis to
clarify that testing SRVs at low power means testing them when there is
adequate steam pressure and flow.
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:
The Supply System has evaluated the proposed changes against the
above standards as required by 10 CFR 50.91(a) and concluded that
the change does not:
(1) Involve a significant increase in the probability or
consequences of any accident previously evaluated.
The potential delay in confirming safety relief valve (SRV), SRV
position indication (acoustic monitor, valve stem position
indicators, and tailpipe temperature instruments), and ADS
operability during plant startup should not result in any change to
the expected satisfactory completion of the required surveillance
tests. Surveillance testing that is conducted during the plant
shutdown sequence, and during shutdown, provides reasonable
assurance that the SRVs will function when required. Under the
proposed change, plant test conditions would not be different than
in the past since testing was not begun until adequate pressure for
the duration of the test was achieved.
Therefore, this change does not involve a significant increase
in the probability or consequences of any accident previously
evaluated.
(2) Create the possibility of a new or different kind of
accident from any accident previously evaluated.
The proposed changes do not involve a design change nor do they
involve changes outside the scope of the existing test requirements.
No new failure modes are introduced as a result of the proposed
changes. The acoustic monitors merely provide indication that an SRV
is open. They do not provide an actuation signal. Alternate
mechanisms of SRV position indication exist, i.e., reactor water
level changes, reactor pressure changes, main turbine bypass valve
position, SRV tail pipe temperature, suppression pool level, and
suppression pool temperature. The time delay prior to operability
verification will not affect Technical Specification requirements.
Therefore, the proposed changes do not create the possibility of
a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously
evaluated.
(3) Involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety.
The proposed changes have no impact on the operability or
performance requirements of the SRVs, including the ADS function, as
they do not change the lift setpoints or minimum number of valves
required to be operable. The effect of delaying the starting point
of the time clock is not expected to affect completion of the
required tests. ADS/SRV position indication availability will not be
significantly affected by the proposed change since the additional
48 hours per refueling cycle of not verifying SRV, SRV position
indication, and ADS SRV operability occurs at low power with the
High Pressure Core Spray and Reactor Core Isolation Cooling systems
available. Additionally, there is a high probability that the SRVs
would perform their intended function if required even though they
have not been declared operable.
Therefore, the proposed changes do not involve a significant
reduction in a margin of safety.
The NRC staff 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 30-day notice period expires. 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 a notice of
issuance in the Federal Register 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, 11555 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
20555.
The filing of requests for hearing and petitions for leave to
intervene is discussed below.
By June 13, 1994, 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 20555 and at the local
public document room located at the Richland Public Library, 955
Northgate Street, Richland, Washington 99352. 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 particularly 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
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 20555, 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 Theodore R. Quay, Director, Project Directorate
IV-3: 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. H. Phillips, Jr., Esq., Winston &
Strawn, 1400 L Street NW., Washington, DC 20005-3502, the licensee's
attorney.
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 May 5, 1994, which is available for
public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman
Building, 2120 L Street NW., Washington, DC 20555 and at the local
public document room located at the Richland Public Library, 955
Northgate Street, Richland, Washington 99352.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 10th day of May 1994.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
L. Mark Padovan,
Acting Project Manager, Project Directorate IV-3, Division of Reactor
Projects--III/IV, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 94-11786 Filed 5-12-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
