[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 125 (Thursday, June 29, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33875-33876]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-15965]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-445]
Texas Utilities Electric Company (Comanche Peak Steam Electric
Station, Unit 1); Exemption
I
Texas Utilities Electric Company (the licensee) is the holder of
Facility Operating License No. NPF-87 for the Comanche Peak Steam
Electric Station (CPSES), Unit No. 1. 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 a pressurized water reactor at the
licensee's site in Somervell County, Texas.
II
The Code of Federal Regulations, 10 CFR 50.55a(f)(4)(ii), requires
that inservice tests to verify operational readiness of pumps and
valves, whose function is required for safety, conducted during
successive 120-month intervals must comply with the requirements of the
latest edition and addenda of Section XI of the ASME Boiler and
Pressure Vessel Code incorporated by reference in paragraph (b) of 10
CFR 50.55a, twelve months prior to the start of the 120-month interval.
NRC regulations in 10 CFR 50.12(a) provide for specific exemptions
from the requirements of the regulation in Part 50 if: (1) The
exemption is authorized by law, will not present an undue risk to the
public health and safety, and is consistent with the common defense and
security; and, (2) special circumstances are present. The regulations
in, 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii) provide that special circumstances are
present where 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. The
underlying purpose of 10 CFR 50.55a(f)(4)(ii) is to assure that
inservice test (IST) programs are routinely updated to conform to
advances in the industry in order to assure continued operability of
pumps and valves required for safe operation.
III
Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, the licensee requested on March 1, 1994,
an exemption from the requirement of 10 CFR 50.55a(f)(4)(ii) which
would allow the first periodic 120-month interval revision for the
CPSES Unit I IST plan to be based on the Unit 2 commercial operation
date (August 3, 1993). The first periodic interval for Unit 1 is
currently based on the Unit 1 commercial operation date (August 13,
1990). The staff had requested additional information to supplement the
March 1, 1994, letter. The licensee provided the requested information
in its letter dated August 12, 1994.
CPSES Unit 1 and Unit 2 began commercial operation approximately
three years apart and are therefore on different schedules for periodic
IST program revisions. In order to maintain the consistency of the IST
program between CPSES Units 1 and 2, the licensee intends to perform
future 120-month program revisions for both units coincidently. The
licensee proposes to accomplish this by performing all future IST
program revisions for both units at 120-month intervals based on the
Unit 2 commercial operation date. This would effectively extend the
first test interval for Unit 1 from 120 months to approximately 156
months.
At the licensee's request, the NRC staff previously granted
permission to use the later approved 1989 edition of American Society
of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME) Section
XI for the interval of inservice testing at CPSES Unit 2 and at the
same time granted permission to update the Unit 1 IST program to the
use of that same Code. Effectively, the pumps and valves at CPSES Units
1 and
[[Page 33876]]
2 are being tested to the requirements of a later Code edition that
might otherwise not be required to be implemented until the year 2000
for Unit 1 and the year 2003 for Unit 2. The changes to the 1989
edition of ASME Section XI regarding pump and valve testing represent a
substantial technical improvement over the 1986 edition not usually
found from edition to edition. Since none of the IST test frequencies
are directly tied to the 120-month interval, except for safety and
relief valve testing, the test frequencies are unchanged and remain
compliant with the committed edition of the code or as modified by
approved relief requests. The schedule for safety and relief valves
must be maintained on a five- or ten-year frequency; however, this can
be accomplished even if both units are placed on a concurrent interval.
IV
Therefore, based on these considerations, it is unlikely that the
IST program for Unit 1 will not be updated such that there would be an
increase in the risk of failure for operational readiness of pumps and
valves whose function is required for the safety of Unit 1. Since the
Unit 1 IST was updated to the Code edition required to support the
commercial operation of Unit 2 on August 3, 1993, Unit 1 was
effectively updated per 10 CFR 50.55a(f)(4)(ii) at that time. Thus,
using that date as the start of the 120-month interval will achieve the
underlying purpose of 10 CFR 50.55a(f)(4)(ii). However, as noted above,
the licensee must maintain the safety and relief valve testing on a 5-
and 10-year frequency, in accordance with American National Standards
Institute (ANSI)/ASME OM-1, which is referenced in the 1989 edition of
ASME Section XI as applicable for testing of safety and relief valves.
Consequently, the Commission concludes that the special
circumstances of 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii) exist in that application of
the regulation in this particular circumstance is not necessary to
achieve the underlying purpose of the rule.
Further, it is advantageous for a facility with two similar units
to implement an IST program which is consistent between units by
testing each unit to the same Code edition and by scheduling 120-month
program updates on each unit to coincide. CPSES Units 1 and 2 are
similar units and the licensee has therefore attempted to capture these
advantages through the use of one IST program which specifies the same
test requirements for both units based on the same Code Edition.
The advantages include a significant reduction in the
administrative effort required in preparing periodic program updates, a
corresponding reduction in the program review effort by the NRC staff
and a reduction in the potential for personnel errors in the
performance of testing requirements. Further, a significant unit
difference is eliminated by applying the same Code requirements to the
testing of both units. In addition, this exemption increases plant
safety through simplification and standardization of plant testing
procedures, does not present an undue risk to the public health and
safety, and is consistent with the common defense and security.
V
Accordingly, the Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR
50.12, this exemption is authorized by law, will not endanger life or
property or the common defense and security, and is otherwise in the
public interest and that the special circumstances required by 10 CFR
50.12(a)(ii) are present. Therefore, the Commission hereby grants Texas
Utilities Electric Company an exemption from those requirements of 10
CFR 50.55a(f)(4)(ii) such that the CPSES Unit 1, periodic 120-month IST
program interval revisions will be based on the Unit 2 commercial
operation date (August 3, 1993).
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that the
granting of this exemption will have no significant effect on the
quality of the human environment (60 FR 32356). This exemption is
effective upon issuance.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day of June 1995.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Elinor G. Adensam,
Acting Director, Division of Reactor Projects III/IV, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 95-15965 Filed 6-28-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
