[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 150 (Friday, August 4, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39975-39976]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-19199]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-334 and 50-412]
Duquesne Light Company, Ohio Edison Company, Pennsylvania Power
Company, The Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company, The Toledo Edison
Company (Beaver Valley Power Station, Units 1 and 2); Exemption
I
Duquesne Light Company, et al. (the licensee), is the holder of
Operating License Nos. DPR-66 and NPF-73, which authorize operation of
the Beaver Valley Power Station, Units Nos. 1 and 2, at steady state
reactor core power levels not in excess of 2652 megawatts thermal (per
unit). The licenses provide, among other things, that the licensee is
subject to all rules, regulations and orders of the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (the Commission) now or hereafter in effect.
The facilities are two pressurized water reactors located at the
licensee's site in Beaver County, Pennsylvania
II
Section 50.54(o) of 10 CFR part 50 requires that primary reactor
containments for water cooled power reactors be subject to the
requirements of appendix J to 10 CFR part 50. Appendix J contains the
leakage test requirements, schedules, and acceptance criteria for tests
of the leak tight integrity for the primary reactor containment and
systems and components which penetrate the containment.
Section III.D.2(b)(ii) of appendix J to 10 CFR part 50 requires
that an overall air lock Type B test shall be performed on air locks
opened during periods when containment integrity is not required by the
plant's Technical Specifications at the end of such periods at not less
than Pa (the calculated peak containment internal pressure related
to the design basis accident and specified either in the technical
specification or associated bases). The overall air lock Type B tests
are intended to detect local leaks and measure leakage across each
pressure-containing or leakage-limiting boundary of the air locks.
III
By letter dated February 4, 1994, the licensee requested an
exemption to the requirements of Section III.D.2(b)(ii) of 10 CFR part
50, appendix J. The proposed exemption would permit local leak rate
testing to be substituted for an overall air lock leakage test where
the design permits. The exemption would be applicable to only those air
lock components which are designed to be local leakage rate tested at a
pressure of at least Pa. The leakage rate of each component would
then be measured and verified to be within acceptable limits (i.e.,
containment leakage would be limited such that offsite radiation
exposures will not exceed the guidelines of 10 CFR part 100 in the
event of a design basis accident).
IV
The licensee presented information in support of its request for an
exemption from the requirements of section III.D.2(b)(ii) of appendix J
to 10 CFR part 50. The proposed exemption would allow maintenance to be
performed on the air lock that could affect its sealing capability
without requiring performance of the overall air lock leakage test. The
licensee indicated that performance of the overall air lock test is
very time consuming and results in additional occupational radiation
exposure. The proposed exemption would allow local leakage testing to
be substituted for the overall air lock leakage test when the design of
the components permits local leakage rate testing at a pressure of at
least Pa. A leakage rate would then be measured in accordance with
the requirements of appendix J. The typical air lock components which
could be tested in this manner are components such as the o-ring seals
on the personnel air lock door(s), the mechanical penetrations for the
18-inch escape hatches, and the equalizing valves located on each of
the air lock doors. 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. * * *''
The underlying purpose of the airlock Type B testing is to ensure that
each containment air lock will perform its safety function as part of
the containment to control offsite radiation exposure resulting from a
design basis accident. The proposed local leakage testing is sufficient
to achieve the underlying purpose of the requirements of 10 CFR part
50, appendix J, section III.D.2(b)(ii) because it provides adequate
assurance of the continued leak-tight integrity of the air lock(s). As
a result, the application of the regulation in the particular
circumstances is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the
rule.
With respect to the requirements of 10 CFR 50.12(a)(1), the NRC
staff has concluded that the requested action is authorized by law in
that no prohibition of law exists which would preclude the activities
which would be authorized by the exemption. In addition, for the
reasons discussed above, the NRC staff has determined that the
requested exemption does not present an undue risk to the public health
and safety, is
[[Page 39976]]
consistent with the common defense and security and that there are
special circumstances present, as specified in 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii).
V
Based on the above, the NRC staff finds the requested exemption, to
allow local leak rate testing to be substituted for an overall air lock
leakage test where the design permits, acceptable. Accordingly, the
Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12(a), the
requested 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. The Commission finds that the special
circumstances as required by 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii) are present.
An exemption is hereby granted from the requirements of section
III.D.2(b)(ii) of appendix J to 10 CFR part 50, which requires an
overall leakage test of air locks opened during periods when
containment integrity is not required by the plant's Technical
Specifications at the end of such periods at a pressure of not less
than Pa. Local leak rate testing shall be substituted for the
overall leakage test whenever this exemption is utilized.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that
granting of this exemption will have no significant impact on the
quality of the human environment (60 FR 30611).
This exemption is effective upon issuance.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 26th day of July 1995.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Steven A. Varga,
Director, Division of Reactor Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 95-19199 Filed 8-3-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
