[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 189 (Friday, September 27, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50885-50886]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-24857]
[[Page 50885]]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-272 and 50-311]
Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G), PECO Energy
Company, Delmarva Power and Light Company, Atlantic City Electric
Company (Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1 and 2); Exemption
I
The Public Service Electric and Gas Company, et al. (PSE&G, the
licensee) is the holder of Facility Operating license Nos. DPR-70 and
DPR-75, which authorize operation of the Salem Nuclear Generating
Station, Units 1 and 2, respectively. 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 consist of two pressurized water reactors, Salem
Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1 and 2, at the licensee's site
located in Salem County, New Jersey.
II
Pursuant to 10 CFR 55.31(a)(5), each licensed operator applicant is
required to perform at least five significant control manipulations
which affect reactivity or power level on the facility for which the
license is sought. In addition, for a facility which has completed
preoperational testing and is in an extended shutdown which precludes
manipulation of the control of the facility, the Commission may process
the application and may administer the required written examination and
operating test, but may not issue the license until the required
evidence of control manipulations is supplied.
III
By letter dated May 10, 1996, as supplemented by letters dated June
20, 1996, and July 9, 1996, the licensee requested an exemption from
the requirements of 10 CFR 55.31(a)(5) for 10 applicants for operator
and senior operator licenses. The requested exemption would allow
issuance of operator and senior operator licenses to the applicants
prior to their performance of the required control manipulations.
Performance of the control manipulations on the Salem facility has not
been possible since both Units 1 and 2 have been shutdown for
approximately 1 year for extensive upgrades of both equipment and
personnel. In lieu of performing the control manipulations on its
facility, the licensee requests acceptance of satisfactory performance
of simulated control manipulations on its certified, plant-referenced
simulator, since all of the applicants have significant and extensive
commercial nuclear power plant experience, although only six of the 10
applicants have previously been licensed and performed reactor controls
manipulations. The licensee further committed to the performance of the
required control manipulations by each applicant on the Salem Nuclear
Generating Station, Unit 2, prior to or at the time the unit achieves
100 percent power following the current plant outage. The requested
relief would constitute a one-time exemption from the requirements of
10 CFR 55.31(a)(5).
In support of its request for exemption, the licensee stated that
the 10 applicants have significant commercial nuclear power plant
experience--from 5 to 22 years--and leadership capabilities important
to improve the quality of the staff. They have received additional
simulator training on their certified, plant-referenced simulator,
including the performance of simulated control manipulations beyond the
number required by 10 CFR 55.31(a)(5). The licensee stated that the
seven senior operator applicants conducted control manipulations at
other facilities and that six of these applicants have also performed
licensed senior operator duties within approximately the last 2 years.
Finally, the licensee asserts that the 10 applicants have the specific
leadership characteristics, determined through a rigorous screening and
interview process, considered vital for reliable shift performance. The
licensee further stated that failure to grant the exemption would not
serve an underlying purpose of the rule in that the safety of nuclear
power plant operations would not be improved and the increased level of
experience of the operators available would enhance safe restart of
Unit 2.
The licensee concludes that the proposed alternate qualifications
and training will not adversely affect the capabilities of the operator
and senior operator applicants, and it is in the public interest to
grant the exemption since inclusion of these individuals on the
operations staff will facilitate the increased level of safety as part
of the Salem Restart Action Plan.
IV
The underlying purpose of 10 CFR 55.31(a)(5) is to ensure that
applicants for operator and senior operator licenses have some minimum
level of actual on-the-job training and experience manipulating the
controls in the power plant control room prior to license issuance. The
six previously licensed senior operator applicants possess recent
significant licensed senior operator experience at other pressurized
water reactors and have successfully conducted actual control
manipulations. By their previous licensed experience, they have
demonstrated that they possess the required levels of practical skills
and abilities needed to safely operate a nuclear plant. Because of
their considerable licensed operating experience and the additional
training provided on the Salem certified, plant-referenced simulator,
the lack of manipulations of the actual controls of the Salem facility
is not significant. Furthermore, the six applicants will complete the
manipulations prior to or at the time that Unit 2 achieves 100% power
following the current outage. Therefore, the NRC staff has concluded
that the licensee's proposed use of simulated control manipulations for
these six senior operator applicants, combined with their prior
experience, meets the intent of the requirement of 10 CFR 55.31(a)(5)
to have actual experience manipulating the controls in the power plant
control room prior to licensing. Meeting the requirement for the
completion of the control manipulations on the actual plant for all of
the licensed operator applicants would significantly delay issuance of
licenses for these applicants, with a resultant adverse effect on the
facility licensee's operating crew experience level without a net
benefit to safety, and would otherwise have a detrimental effect on the
public interest. This one-time exemption will allow additional
experienced licensed senior operator support during the upcoming Salem
Unit 2 restart, which will provide a safety enhancement during plant
startup operations and testing.
V
The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's request and has concluded
that issuance of this exemption will not endanger life or property and
will have no significant effect on the safety of the public or the
plant.
Accordingly, the Commission has determined, pursuant to 10 CFR
55.11, that this exemption as described in Section III (for the six
senior operator license applicants with previous licensed senior
operator experience--Messrs Armando, Downey, Fitzgerald, Jackson,
Gumbert and Soens) is authorized by law, will not endanger life or
property, and is otherwise in the public interest. Therefore, the
[[Page 50886]]
Commission hereby grants a one-time exemption from the requirements of
10 CFR 55.31(a)(5) to the six senior operator license applicants with
previous licensed senior operator experience prior to their performance
of at least five significant control manipulations which affect
reactivity or power level on the Salem Nuclear Generating Station. Each
of the six applicants named above shall have completed at least five
significant control manipulations which affect reactivity or power
level on the Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 2, prior to or at
the time of the unit achieving 100% power following the current outage,
or they shall be removed from licensed duties.
The exemption request is denied for the four applicants with no
prior licensed operating experience since simulator training alone is
not deemed to be an acceptable alternative to 10 CFR 55.31(a)(5).
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that the
granting of this exemption will have no significant impact on the
environment (61 FR 49501).
This exemption is effective upon issuance.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 24th day of September 1996.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
William T. Russell,
Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 96-24857 Filed 9-26-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
