[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 94 (Monday, May 17, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26792-26793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-12319]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-250 and 50-251]
Florida Power and Light Company (Turkey Point Units 3 and 4);
Revised Exemption
I
Florida Power and Light Company (the licensee or FPL) is the holder
of Facility Operating Licenses Nos. DPR-31 and DPR-41, which authorize
operation of Turkey Point Units 3 and 4 (the facility), respectively,
at a steady-state reactor power level not in excess of 2300 megawatts
thermal. The facility is a pressurized-water reactor located at the
licensee's site in Dade County, Florida. The licenses require among
other things that the facility comply with all rules, regulations, and
orders of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission or
NRC) now or hereafter in effect.
II
By letter dated December 22, 1998, the NRC issued an exemption from
certain requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Section III.G.2.a,
and a supporting safety evaluation (SE), for certain fire zones in the
turbine building at Turkey Point Plant, Units 3 and 4. By letter dated
March 8, 1999, FPL provided the NRC staff with its review comments
regarding the issued exemption and SE.
The licensee's comments consisted primarily of clarifications,
editorial corrections, and minor inconsistencies between FPL's
submittals and the issued exemption and SE. Based on its review, the
NRC staff has determined that these comments, which do not cause the
conclusions made previously in the exemption and SE that were issued on
December 22, 1998, to be altered, should be incorporated appropriately.
Therefore, the staff is issuing this revised exemption and a revised SE
to reflect FPL's comments. This revised exemption and the revised SE
supersede those issued on December 22, 1998.
In exemptions dated March 27, 1984, and August 12, 1987, concerning
the requirements of Section III.G, Appendix R to 10 CFR Part 50, the
NRC staff approved the use of 1-hour-rated fire barriers in lieu of 3-
hour-rated fire barriers in certain outdoor areas at Turkey Point Units
3 and 4. In addition, the staff found that, for certain outdoor areas
not protected by automatic fire detection and suppression systems,
separation of cables and equipment and associated circuits of redundant
trains by a horizontal distance of 20 feet free of intervening
combustibles provided an acceptable level of fire safety.
On the basis of the results of the industry's Thermo-Lag fire
endurance testing program, the licensee concluded that the outdoor
Thermo-Lag fire barrier designs cannot achieve a 1-hour fire-resistive
rating but can achieve a 30-minute fire-resistive rating when exposed
to a test fire that follows the American Society for Testing and
Materials Standard E-119 time-
[[Page 26793]]
temperature curve. Because of these test results, the licensee in a
letter dated June 15, 1994, requested an exemption to use 30-minute
fire barriers for outdoor applications in lieu of the 1-hour-rated fire
barriers previously approved; however, the licensee withdrew the
exemption request by letter dated June 28, 1996.
In a letter dated July 31, 1997, as supplemented on July 2, October
27, and December 9, 1998, the licensee requested an exemption from the
requirements pertaining to the 3-hour-rated fire barriers required by
Section III.G.2.a, Appendix R to 10 CFR Part 50, for fire zones 79
(partial), 80 (partial), 82, 84 (partial), 85 (partial), 88 (partial),
89 (partial), 91, 92, 105, and 117 in the turbine building. The
licensee requested that the NRC approve the following fire protection
schemes as alternatives to the protection required by Section III.G.2
of Appendix R to 10 CFR Part 50: (1) Separation of cables and equipment
and associated circuits of redundant post-fire safe-shutdown trains
within the turbine building fire zones 79 (partial), 80 (partial), 82,
84 (partial), 85 (partial), 88 (partial), 91, 92, and 105 between
column lines A and E-11 by a fire barrier having a minimum
1-hour fire resistive rating; (2) separation of cables and equipment
and associated circuits of redundant post-fire safe-shutdown trains
within the turbine building fire zones 79 (partial), 84 (partial), 88
(partial), and 89 (partial) between column lines E-1 and Jc by a fire
barrier having a minimum 25-minute fire resistive rating; and (3)
separation of cables and equipment and associated circuits of redundant
post-fire safe-shutdown trains within the turbine building above the
turbine operating deck, fire zone 117, by a fire barrier having a
minimum 25-minute fire resistive rating. This request is based on the
following: (1) for the turbine building between column lines A and E-1,
automatic fixed water suppression systems would be provided for the
major fire hazards (combustible sources) and the turbine lube oil
equipment, and automatic wet pipe sprinkler protection would be
provided for area coverage, including the turbine lube oil distribution
piping locations as described in the enclosed safety evaluation; and
(2) for the turbine building between column lines E-1 and J, an
automatic wet pipe sprinkler protection would be provided.
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\1\ What is referred to as column line E-1 is actually a
boundary plane formed by walls below grade. This boundary plane is
defined by FPL's submittal dated July 2, 1998, Figures 4 and 5, and
discussed on pages 3 and 4 of the attachment to the July 2, 1998,
transmittal letter. In the submittal, column line E-1 is defined by
those post-fire safe shutdown circuits located above the condensate
pump pit, up to the underside of the 42' elevation operating deck.
This protection results in 1-hour rated fire barriers until a
distance of over 20' is obtained from the postulated pool fire at
the 18' elevation and a distance of approximately 9'-6'' from the
edge of the checker plate flooring above the condensate pump pit.
For those areas where the condensate pump pit extends to the east,
the 1-hour fire barriers will follow the outline of the pit,
augmenting the distance referenced above. The remainder of the post-
fire shutdown circuits between column lines E and J will be
protected by 25-minute rated fire barriers.
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III
The underlying purpose of Section III.G.2.a, Appendix R to 10 CFR
Part 50, is to provide reasonable assurance that one safe-shutdown
train and associated circuits used to achieve and maintain safe-
shutdown are free of fire damage.
On the basis of the staff's supporting safety evaluation of the
licensee's submittals, the staff concludes that the exemption from the
requirements of Section III.G.2.a of Appendix R to 10 CFR Part 50, for
fire zones 79 (partial), 80 (partial), 82, 84 (partial), 85 (partial),
88 (partial), 89 (partial), 91, 92, 105, and 117 as requested by the
licensee, provides an adequate level of fire safety and presents no
undue risk to public health and safety. In addition, the staff
concludes that the underlying purpose of the rule is achieved.
IV
Accordingly, the Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR
50.12(a), the exemption is authorized by law, will not present an undue
risk to public health and safety, and is consistent with the common
defense and security. In addition, the Commission has determined that
special circumstances are present in that application of the regulation
is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the rule.
Therefore, the Commission hereby grants Florida Power and Light Company
an exemption from the requirements of Section III.G.2.a of Appendix R
to 10 CFR Part 50, as requested in its previously-referenced
submittals, for fire zones 79 (partial), 80 (partial), 82, 84
(partial), 85 (partial), 88 (partial), 89 (partial), 91, 92, 105, and
117.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that
granting this exemption for fire zones 79 (partial), 80 (partial), 82,
84 (partial), 85 (partial), 88 (partial), 89 (partial), 91, 92, 105,
and 117, will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human
environment (63 FR 65619).
This exemption is effective upon issuance.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day of May 1999.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John A. Zwolinski,
Director, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 99-12319 Filed 5-14-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
