[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 147 (Monday, August 2, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41973-41975]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19697]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-327 and 50-328]
Tennessee Valley Authority; 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.
DPR-77 and DPR-79 issued to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, the
licensee) for operation of the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant (SQN), Units 1
and 2, located in Hamilton County, Tennessee.
The proposed amendment would change the SQN Technical Specification
(TS) requirements, Sections 3.8.2.1 and 3.8.2.2, by providing an
allowance to use a fully qualified and tested spare vital bus
electrical inverter in place of any of the eight normal inservice
inverters.
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:
A. The proposed amendment does not involve a significant
increase in the probability or consequences of an accident
previously evaluated
The proposed changes to the onsite power distribution systems of
the SQN TSs will not alter the safety function of the inverters or
the 120-V [volt] vital instrument power boards. While additional
automatic and manual transfer capabilities have been added, the
function of the inverters will remain the same and the availability
of a spare inverter will provide improved capability to tolerate
inverter failures and support maintenance activities. These
improvements will reduce the potential for unit trips and required
shutdowns as a result of inverter failures. The new design, along
with the operating requirements, have been evaluated and determined
to not present the potential to increase the probability of an
accident. In addition, the inverters and the associated 120-V vital
instrument power boards are utilized to support instrumentation that
monitor critical plant parameters to aid in the detection of
accidents and to support the mitigation of accidents, but are not
considered to be an initiator of a design basis accident. Therefore,
the probability of an accident is not increased by the proposed
changes to the TSs and the potential for unit shutdowns will be
minimized.
The functions of the inverters remain the same based on the
proposed change to the TSs. Other design changes, that are
independent of the requested change, will improve the ability of the
inverters to supply power for the identification and mitigation of
accidents. Since the inverter functions and their operation will not
be affected by the proposed TS change, the consequences of an
accident will not be increased although the consequences should be
further minimized as a result of the inverter design changes.
B. The proposed amendment does not create the possibility of a
new or different kind of accident from any accident previously
evaluated.
The inverters and the 120-V vital instrument power boards are
not considered to be an initiator of a design basis accident. These
features provide power to instrumentation that support the
identification and mitigation of accidents as well as system control
functions during normal plant operations. The functions of the
inverters are not altered by the proposed TS change and will not
create the possibility of a new or different accident.
C. The proposed amendment does not involve a significant
reduction in a margin of safety.
The plant setpoints and limits that are utilized to ensure safe
operation and detect accident conditions are not impacted by the
proposed TS change. The inverters and 120-V vital instrument power
boards will continue to provide reliable power to the safety-related
instrumentation for the identification and mitigation of accidents
and in support of plant operation. The ability to utilize spare
inverters that can provide the desired level of redundancy will
enhance the safety functions during periods of inverter maintenance
or failure that would otherwise have to rely on a single power
source without a backup source. Therefore, the margin of safety is
not reduced based on the additional capability to utilize a spare
inverter that enhances the level of safety without change to plant
safety limits.
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
[[Page 41974]]
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 Chief, Rules and
Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Office of
Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001, and should cite the publication date and page number of
this Federal Register notice. Written comments may also be delivered to
Room 6D59, 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 September 1, 1999, 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 Chattanooga-Hamilton County Library, 1001
Broad Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402. 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 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 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemakings and
Adjudications Staff, or may be delivered to the Commission's Public
Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC,
by the above date. A copy of the petition should also be sent to the
Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001, and to General Counsel, Tennessee Valley
Authority, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, ET10H, Knoxville, Tennessee
37902, attorney for the licensee.
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 24, 1999, which
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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 Chattanooga-Hamilton
County Library, 1001 Broad Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 26th day of July 1999.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ronald W. Hernan,
Senior Project Manager, Section 2, Project Directorate II, Division of
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 99-19697 Filed 7-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
