[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 120 (Monday, June 23, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33934-33935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-16382]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Docket No. 50-368
In the Matter of Entergy Operations, Inc. (Arkansas Nuclear One,
Unit 2)
Exemption I
Entergy Operations, Inc. (the licensee) is the holder of Facility
Operating License No. NPF-6, which authorizes operation of Arkansas
Nuclear One, Unit 2 (ANO-2). The license provides, among other things,
that the licensee is subject to all rules, regulations, and orders of
the Commission now or hereafter in effect.
The facility consists of two pressurized water reactors, Arkansas
Nuclear One, Units 1 and 2, located at the licensee's site in Pope
County, Arkansas.
II
In its letter dated December 23, 1996, the licensee requested an
exemption from certain requirements in Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 50, Appendix R, Section III.O, for ANO-2.
III
Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, the Commission may, upon application by
any interested person or upon its own initiative, grant exemptions from
the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50 when (1) the exemptions are
authorized by law, will not present an undue risk to public health or
safety, and are consistent with the common defense and security and (2)
when special circumstances are present. Special circumstances are
present whenever, according to 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii), ``Application of
the regulation in the particular circumstances would not serve the
underlying purpose of the rule or is not necessary to achieve the
underlying purpose of the rule. * * * ''
10 CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Section III.O requires that the reactor
coolant pump (RCP) shall be equipped with an oil collection system if
the containment is not inerted during normal operation. The oil
collection system shall be so designed, engineered, and installed that
failure will not lead to fire during normal or design basis accident
conditions and that there is reasonable assurance that the system will
withstand the Safe Shutdown Earthquake. The underlying purpose of 10
CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Section III.O is to ensure that leaking oil
will not lead to a fire which could damage safe shutdown systems during
normal or design basis accident conditions.
On the basis of the enclosed safety evaluation, the U. S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff concluded that the design of the oil
filling system and the level of protection provided by the licensee
through the use of certain compensatory measures during oil fill
operations provides reasonable assurance that a lube oil fire will not
occur. The staff also concluded that a worst-case postulated fire, due
to not having a lube oil collection system for the RCP lube oil fill
lines, would be of limited magnitude and extent. In addition, such a
fire would not cause significant damage in the containment building and
would not prevent the operators from achieving and maintaining safe
shutdown conditions. The staff concluded, therefore, that the lack of
an oil collection system for the RCP lube oil fill lines is an
acceptable exemption from the technical
[[Page 33935]]
requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Section III.O.
IV
Therefore, contingent on the use of the compensatory measures that
are itemized in the licensee's December 23, 1996, exemption request,
the NRC staff has concluded that the licensee's proposed use of the
remote oil addition system will not present an undue risk to public
health and safety and is consistent with the common defense and
security. The NRC staff has determined that there are special
circumstances present, as specified in 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2), in that
application of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Section III.O is not
necessary in order to achieve the underlying purpose of this
regulation.
Accordingly, the Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR
50.12(a), an exemption is authorized by law, will not endanger life or
property or common defense and security, and is, otherwise, in the
public interest. Therefore, the Commission hereby grants an exemption
from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Section III.O to
the extent that the RCP lube oil fill lines are required to be
protected with a collection system.
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 (62 FR 19632).
This exemption is effective upon issuance.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day of June 1997.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Samuel J. Collins,
Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-16382 Filed 6-20-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
