Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2; Notice of Consideration of Issuance of Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses, Proposed No Significant Hazards; Consideration Determination, and Opportunity for a Hearing, 10305-10308 [E8-3581]
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who believe that they have a good cause
for not submitting documents
electronically must file a motion, in
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302(g), with
their initial paper filing requesting
authorization to continue to submit
documents in paper format. Such filings
must be submitted by:
(1) First class mail addressed to the
Office of the Secretary of the
Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555–
0001, Attention: Rulemaking and
Adjudications Staff; or (2) courier,
express mail, or expedited delivery
service to the Office of the Secretary,
Sixteenth Floor, One White Flint North,
11555 Rockville, Pike, Rockville,
Maryland, 20852, Attention:
Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff.
Participants filing a document in this
manner are responsible for serving the
document on all other participants.
Filing is considered complete by firstclass mail as of the time of deposit in
the mail, or by courier, express mail, or
expedited delivery service upon
depositing the document with the
provider of the service.
Non-timely requests and/or petitions
and contentions will not be entertained
absent a determination by the
Commission, the presiding officer, or
the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board
that the petition and/or request should
be granted and/or the contentions
should be admitted, based on a
balancing of the factors specified in 10
CFR 2.309(c)(1)(i)–(viii). To be timely,
filings must be submitted no later than
11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due
date.
Documents submitted in adjudicatory
proceedings will appear in NRC’s
electronic hearing docket which is
available to the public at https://
ehd.nrc.gov/EHD_Proceeding/home.asp,
unless excluded pursuant to an order of
the Commission, an Atomic Safety and
Licensing Board, or a Presiding Officer.
Participants are requested not to include
personal privacy information, such as
social security numbers, home
addresses, or home phone numbers in
their filings. With respect to copyrighted
works, except for limited excerpts that
serve the purpose of the adjudicatory
filings and would constitute a Fair Use
application, Participants are requested
not to include copyrighted materials in
their submissions.
For further details with respect to this
license amendment application, see the
application for amendment dated
February 15, 2008, which is available
for public inspection at the
Commission’s PDR, located at One
White Flint North, File Public Area O1
F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor),
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Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available
records will be accessible electronically
from the Agencywide Documents
Access and Management System’s
(ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading
Room on the Internet at the NRC Web
site, https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/
adams.html. Persons who do not have
access to ADAMS or who encounter
problems in accessing the documents
located in ADAMS, should contact the
NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone
at 1–800–397–4209, 301–415–4737, or
by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day
of February 2008.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John F. Stang,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II–
1, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E8–3588 Filed 2–25–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50–424 and 50–425]
Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units
1 and 2; Notice of Consideration of
Issuance of Amendments to Facility
Operating Licenses, Proposed No
Significant Hazards; Consideration
Determination, and Opportunity for a
Hearing
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (the Commission, or the
NRC) is considering issuance of an
amendment to Facility Operating
License Nos. NPF–68 and NPF–81 to
Southern Nuclear Operating Company,
Inc. (the licensee) for operation of the
Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units 1
and 2 (Vogtle 1 and 2), which are
located in Burke County, Georgia.
The proposed amendments in the
licensee’s application dated February
13, 2008, propose a one-time steam
generator (SG) tubing eddy current
inspection interval revision to the
Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units 1
and 2 (Vogtle 1 and 2) Technical
Specifications (TSs) 5.5.9, ‘‘Steam
Generator (SG) Program,’’ to incorporate
an interim alternate repair criterion
(ARC) in the provisions for SG tube
repair criteria during the Vogtle 1
inspection performed in refueling
outage 14 and subsequent operating
cycle, and during the Vogtle 2
inspection performed in refueling
outage 13 and subsequent 18-month SG
tubing eddy current inspection interval
and subsequent 36-month SG tubing
eddy current inspection interval. These
amendments request approval of an
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interim ARC that requires full-length
inspection of the tubes within the
tubesheet but does not require plugging
tubes if any axial or circumferential
cracking observed in the region greater
than 17 inches below the top of the
tubesheet (TTS) is less than a value
sufficient to permit the remaining
circumferential ligament to transmit the
limiting axial loads. These amendments
are required to preclude unnecessary
plugging while still maintaining
structural and leakage integrity. These
amendments also revise TS 5.6.10,
‘‘Steam Generator Tube Inspection
Report,’’ where three new reporting
requirements are proposed to be added
to the existing seven requirements. For
TS 5.5.9, the amendments would
replace the existing ARC in TS 5.5.9.c.1
for SG tube inspections that were
approved in Amendment Nos. 146 and
126 issued September 12, 2006, for
refueling outage 13 and the subsequent
operating cycle for Vogtle 1, and for
refueling outage 12 and the subsequent
operating cycle for Vogtle 2.
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 Title 10
of the Code of Federal Regulations (10
CFR), Section 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:
(1) Does the proposed change involve a
significant increase in the probability or
consequences of an accident previously
evaluated?
Response: No.
Of the various accidents previously
evaluated, the proposed changes only affect
the steam generator tube rupture (SGTR)
event evaluation and the postulated steam
line break (SLB), locked rotor and control rod
ejection accident evaluations. Loss-of-coolant
accident (LOCA) conditions cause a
compressive axial load to act on the tube.
Therefore, since the LOCA tends to force the
tube into the tubesheet rather than pull it out,
it is not a factor in this licensing amendment
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request. Another faulted load consideration
is a safe shutdown earthquake (SSE);
however, the seismic analysis of Model F
steam generators has shown that axial
loading of the tubes is negligible during an
SSE.
At normal operating pressures, leakage
from primary water stress corrosion cracking
(PWSCC) below 17 inches from the top of the
tubesheet is limited by both the tube-totubesheet crevice and the limited crack
opening permitted by the tubesheet
constraint. Consequently, negligible normal
operating leakage is expected from cracks
within the tubesheet region.
For the Unit 1 SGTR event, the required
structural margins of the steam generator
tubes is maintained by limiting the allowable
ligament size for a circumferential crack to
remain in service to 214 degrees below 17
inches from the top of the tubesheet. For the
Unit 2 SGTR event, the required structural
margins of the steam generator tubes is
maintained by limiting the allowable
ligament size for a circumferential crack to
remain in service to 214 degrees below 17
inches from the top of the tubesheet for the
18-month SG tubing eddy current inspection
interval and to remain in service 183 degrees
below 17 inches from the top of the tubesheet
for the 36-month SG tubing eddy current
inspection interval. Tube rupture is
precluded for cracks in the hydraulic
expansion region due to the constraint
provided by the tubesheet. The potential for
tube pullout is mitigated by limiting the Unit
1 allowable crack size to 214 degrees and
limiting the Unit 2 allowable crack size to
214 degrees for the 18-month SG tubing eddy
current inspection interval and to 183
degrees for the 36-month SG tubing eddy
current inspection interval. These allowable
crack sizes take into account eddy current
uncertainty and crack growth rate. It has been
shown that a Unit 1 circumferential crack
with an azimuthal extent of 214 degrees and
a Unit 2 circumferential crack with an
azimuthal extent of 214 degrees for the 18month SG tubing eddy current inspection
interval and an azimuthal extent of 183
degrees for the 36-month SG tubing eddy
current inspection interval meet the
performance criteria of NEI 97–06, Rev. 2,
‘‘Steam Generator Program Guidelines’’ and
the Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.121, ‘‘Bases for
Plugging Degraded PWR Steam Generator
Tubes.’’ Likewise, a best effort visual
inspection will be conducted to confirm that
a Unit 1 circumferential crack of greater than
294 degrees and that a Unit 2 circumferential
crack of greater than 294 degrees for the 18month SG tubing eddy current inspection
interval and a circumferential crack of greater
than 263 degrees for the 36-month SG tubing
eddy current inspection interval do not
remain in service in the tube end weld metal
in any tube mitigating the potential for tube
pullout. Therefore, the margin against tube
burst/pullout is maintained during normal
and postulated accident conditions and the
proposed change does not result in a
significant increase in the probability or
consequence of a SGTR.
The probability of a SLB is unaffected by
the potential failure of a SG tube as the
failure of a tube is not an initiator for a SLB
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event. SLB leakage is limited by leakage flow
restrictions resulting from the leakage path
above potential cracks through the tube-totubesheet crevice. The leak rate during
postulated accident conditions (including
locked rotor and control rod ejection) has
been shown to remain within the accident
analysis assumptions for all axial or
circumferentially oriented cracks occurring
17 inches below the top of the tubesheet.
Since normal operating leakage is limited to
150 gpd (approximately 0.10 gpm), the
attendant accident condition leak rate,
assuming all leakage to be from indications
below 17 inches from the top of the
tubesheet, would be bounded by 0.35 gpm.
This value is within the accident analysis
assumptions for the limiting design basis
accident for VEGP, which is the postulated
SLB event.
Based on the above, the performance
criteria of NEI–97–06, Rev. 2 and draft
Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.121 continue to be
met and the proposed change does not
involve a significant increase in the
probability or consequences of an accident
previously evaluated.
(2) Does the proposed change create the
possibility of a new or different accident
from any accident previously evaluated?
Response: No.
The proposed change does not introduce
any changes or mechanisms that create the
possibility of a new or different kind of
accident. Tube bundle integrity is expected
to be maintained for all plant conditions
upon implementation of the interim alternate
repair criterion. The proposed change does
not introduce any new equipment or any
change to existing equipment. No new effects
on existing equipment are created nor are any
new malfunctions introduced.
Therefore, based on the above evaluation,
the proposed changes do not create the
possibility of a new or different kind of
accident from any accident previously
evaluated.
(3) Does the proposed change involve a
significant reduction in a margin of safety?
Response: No.
The proposed change maintains the
required structural margins of the steam
generator tubes for both normal and accident
conditions. NEI 97–06, Rev. 2 and RG 1.121
are used as the basis in the development of
the limited tubesheet inspection depth
methodology for determining that steam
generator tube integrity considerations are
maintained within acceptable limits. RG
1.121 describes a method acceptable to the
NRC staff for meeting General Design Criteria
14, 15, 31, and 32 by reducing the probability
and consequences of an SGTR. RG 1.121
concludes that by determining the limiting
safe conditions of tube wall degradation
beyond which tubes with unacceptable
cracking, as established by inservice
inspection, should be removed from service
or repaired, the probability and consequences
of a SGTR are reduced. This RG uses safety
factors on loads for tube burst that are
consistent with the requirements of Section
III of the ASME Code.
For axially oriented cracking located
within the tubesheet, tube burst is precluded
due to the presence of the tubesheet. For
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circumferentially oriented cracking in a tube
or the tube-to-tubesheet weld, Reference 3
defines a length of remaining tube ligament
that provides the necessary resistance to tube
pullout due to the pressure induced forces
(with applicable safety factors applied).
Additionally, it is shown that application of
the limited tubesheet inspection depth
criteria will not result in unacceptable
primary-to-secondary leakage during all plant
conditions.
Based on the above, it is concluded that the
proposed changes do not result in any
reduction of margin with respect to plant
safety as defined in the Updated Safety
Analysis Report or bases of the plant
Technical Specifications.
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
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 60 days after the date of
publication of this notice. The
Commission may issue the license
amendment before expiration of the 60day period provided that its final
determination is that the amendment
involves no significant hazards
consideration. In addition, the
Commission may issue the amendment
prior to the expiration of the 30-day
comment period should circumstances
change during the 30-day comment
period such that failure to act in a
timely way would result, for example,
in derating or shutdown of the facility.
Should the Commission take action
prior to the expiration of either the
comment period or the notice period, it
will publish in the Federal Register a
notice of issuance. Should the
Commission make a final No Significant
Hazards Consideration Determination,
any hearing will take place 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, Rulemaking,
Directives and Editing 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
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 38 / Tuesday, February 26, 2008 / Notices
White Flint North, 11545 Rockville
Pike, Rockville, Maryland, from 7:30
a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Federal workdays.
Documents may be examined, and/or
copied for a fee, at the NRC’s Public
Document Room (PDR), located at One
White Flint North, Public File Area O1
F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor),
Rockville, Maryland.
The filing of requests for hearing and
petitions for leave to intervene is
discussed below.
Within 60 days after the date of
publication of this notice, the person(s)
may file a request for a hearing with
respect to issuance of the amendment to
the subject facility operating license and
any person(s) whose interest may be
affected by this proceeding and who
wishes to participate as a party in the
proceeding must file a written request
via electronic submission through the
NRC E-filing system 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 person(s) should consult a
current copy of 10 CFR 2.309, which is
available at the Commission’s PDR,
located at One White Flint North, Public
File Area O1F21, 11555 Rockville Pike
(first floor), Rockville, Maryland.
Publicly available records will be
accessible from the Agencywide
Documents Access and Management
System’s (ADAMS) Public Electronic
Reading Room on the Internet at the
NRC Web site, https://www.nrc.gov/
reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/. If a
request for a hearing or petition for
leave to intervene is filed by the above
date, the Commission or a presiding
officer designated by the Commission or
by the Chief Administrative Judge of the
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board
Panel, will rule on the request and/or
petition; and the Secretary or the Chief
Administrative Judge of the Atomic
Safety and Licensing Board will issue a
notice of a hearing or an appropriate
order.
As required by 10 CFR 2.309, 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 general requirements: 1) the
name, address and telephone number of
the requestor or petitioner; 2) the nature
of the requestor’s/petitioner’s right
under the Act to be made a party to the
proceeding; 3) the nature and extent of
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the requestor’s/petitioner’s property,
financial, or other interest in the
proceeding; and 4) the possible effect of
any decision or order which may be
entered in the proceeding on the
requestors/petitioner’s interest. The
petition must also identify the specific
contentions which the petitioner/
requestor seeks to have litigated at the
proceeding.
Each contention must consist of a
specific statement of the issue of law or
fact to be raised or controverted. In
addition, the petitioner/requestor shall
provide a brief explanation of the bases
for 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/requestor 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. The
petition must include 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/requestor who fails to satisfy
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.
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 hearing or a petition for
leave to intervene must be filed in
accordance with the NRC E-Filing rule,
which the NRC promulgated on August
28, 2007 (72 FR 49139). The E-Filing
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process requires participants to submit
and serve documents over the internet
or in some cases to mail copies on
electronic storage media. Participants
may not submit paper copies of their
filings unless they seek a waiver in
accordance with the procedures
described below.
To comply with the procedural
requirements of E-Filing, at least five (5)
days prior to the filing deadline, the
petitioner/requestor must contact the
Office of the Secretary by e-mail at
HEARINGDOCKET@NRC.GOV, or by
calling (301) 415–1677, to request (1) a
digital ID certificate, which allows the
participant (or its counsel or
representative) to digitally sign
documents and access the E-Submittal
server for any proceeding in which it is
participating; and/or (2) creation of an
electronic docket for the proceeding
(even in instances in which the
petitioner/requestor (or its counsel or
representative) already holds an NRCissued digital ID certificate). Each
petitioner/requestor will need to
download the Workplace Forms
ViewerTM to access the Electronic
Information Exchange (EIE), a
component of the E-Filing system. The
Workplace Forms ViewerTM is free and
is available at https://www.nrc.gov/sitehelp/e-submittals/install-viewer.html.
Information about applying for a digital
ID certificate is available on NRC’s
public Web site at https://www.nrc.gov/
site-help/e-submittals/apply-certificates.
html.
Once a petitioner/requestor has
obtained a digital ID certificate, had a
docket created, and downloaded the EIE
viewer, it can then submit a request for
hearing or petition for leave to
intervene. Submissions should be in
Portable Document Format (PDF) in
accordance with NRC guidance
available on the NRC public Web site at
https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/esubmittals.html. A filing is considered
complete at the time the filer submits its
documents through EIE. To be timely,
an electronic filing must be submitted to
the EIE system no later than 11:59 p.m.
Eastern Time on the due date. Upon
receipt of a transmission, the E-Filing
system time-stamps the document and
sends the submitter an e-mail notice
confirming receipt of the document. The
EIE system also distributes an e-mail
notice that provides access to the
document to the NRC Office of the
General Counsel and any others who
have advised the Office of the Secretary
that they wish to participate in the
proceeding, so that the filer need not
serve the documents on those
participants separately. Therefore,
applicants and other participants (or
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their counsel or representative) must
apply for and receive a digital ID
certificate before a hearing request/
petition to intervene is filed so that they
can obtain access to the document via
the E-Filing system.
A person filing electronically may
seek assistance through the ‘‘Contact
Us’’ link located on the NRC Web site
at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/esubmittals.html or by calling the NRC
technical help line, which is available
between 8:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m.,
Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
The help line number is (800) 397–4209
or locally, (301) 415–4737. Participants
who believe that they have a good cause
for not submitting documents
electronically must file a motion, in
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302(g), with
their initial paper filing requesting
authorization to continue to submit
documents in paper format. Such filings
must be submitted by: (1) first class mail
addressed to the Office of the Secretary
of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington,
DC 20555–0001, Attention: Rulemaking
and Adjudications Staff; or (2) courier,
express mail, or expedited delivery
service to the Office of the Secretary,
Sixteenth Floor, One White Flint North,
11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
Maryland, 20852, Attention:
Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff.
Participants filing a document in this
manner are responsible for serving the
document on all other participants.
Filing is considered complete by firstclass mail as of the time of deposit in
the mail, or by courier, express mail, or
expedited delivery service upon
depositing the document with the
provider of the service.
Non-timely requests and/or petitions
and contentions will not be entertained
absent a determination by the
Commission, the presiding officer, or
the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board
that the petition and/or request should
be granted and/or the contentions
should be admitted, based on a
balancing of the factors specified in 10
CFR 2.309(c)(1)(i)–(viii). To be timely,
filings must be submitted no later than
11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due
date.
Documents submitted in adjudicatory
proceedings will appear in NRC’s
electronic hearing docket which is
available to the public at https://
ehd.nrc.gov/EHD_Proceeding/home.asp,
unless excluded pursuant to an order of
the Commission, an Atomic Safety and
Licensing Board, or a Presiding Officer.
Participants are requested not to include
personal privacy information, such as
social security numbers, home
addresses, or home phone numbers in
VerDate Aug<31>2005
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their filings. With respect to copyrighted
works, except for limited excerpts that
serve the purpose of the adjudicatory
filings and would constitute a Fair Use
application, Participants are requested
not to include copyrighted materials in
their submissions.
For further details with respect to this
license amendment application, see the
letter dated February 13, 2008, from the
Southern Nuclear Operating Company,
Inc., which is available for public
inspection at the Commission’s PDR,
located at One White Flint North, File
Public Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville
Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland.
Publicly available records will be
accessible electronically from the
Agencywide Documents Access and
Management System’s (ADAMS) Public
Electronic Reading Room on the Internet
at the NRC Web site, https://
www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
Persons who do not have access to
ADAMS or who encounter problems in
accessing the documents located in
ADAMS, should contact the NRC PDR
Reference staff by telephone at 1–800–
397–4209, 301–415–4737, or by e-mail
to pdr@nrc.gov.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 19th day
of February 2008.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Siva P. Lingam,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II–
1, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E8–3581 Filed 2–25–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50–188]
Kansas State University Triga Mark II
Nuclear Reactor; Notice of Issuance of
Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of a renewed Facility License
No. R–88, to be held by Kansas State
University (the licensee), which would
authorize continued operation of the
Kansas State University TRIGA Mark II
nuclear reactor (KSU TRIGA), located in
Manhattan, Riley County, Kansas.
Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.21, the
NRC is issuing this Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact.
Description of Proposed Action
The proposed action would renew
Facility License No. R–88 for a period
of twenty years from the date of
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issuance of the renewed license, and
would increase the licensed maximum
steady-state power level to 1.25
megawatts thermal power (MW(t)) and
the maximum pulse reactivity insertion.
The proposed action is in accordance
with the licensee’s application dated
September 12, 2002, as supplemented
on November 11, and November 13,
2002; December 21, 2004; July 6, and
September 27, 2005; March 20, March
30, June 28, and September 28, 2006;
May 17, June 4, September 12, and
October 11, 2007; and February 6, 2008.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.109, the
license remains in effect until the NRC
takes final action on the renewal
application.
The KSU TRIGA is located in the
north wing of Ward Hall in the
northwest sector of the University
campus near the center of the city of
Manhattan, Kansas. The reactor is
housed in the reactor bay, a reinforced
concrete and structural steel building
which serves as a confinement. The
KSU TRIGA site comprises the entire
building and the fenced areas
immediately surrounding the building.
There are no nearby industrial,
transportation, or military facilities that
could pose a threat to the KSU TRIGA.
The KSU TRIGA is a pool-type, light
water moderated and cooled research
reactor currently licensed to operate at
a steady-state power level of 250
kilowatts thermal power (kW(t)). The
reactor is licensed to operate in a pulse
mode, with a maximum pulse thermal
power of 250 MW(t). A detailed
description of the reactor can be found
in the KSU TRIGA Safety Analysis
Report (SAR).
As part of the proposed action the
licensee has requested an increase in the
licensed maximum steady-state power
level, an increase in the maximum
reactivity insertion and authorization to
install an additional control rod to
support operation at the increased
power level. The proposed action will
not significantly increase the probability
of accidents. The proposed action may
increase the consequences of accidents,
but will not result in doses in excess of
the limits specified by 10 CFR Part 20.
No changes are being made in the types
of effluents that may be released off site.
There should be no significant increase
in routine occupational or public
radiation exposure. Therefore, the
proposed action should not significantly
change the environmental impact of
facility operation.
Summary of the Environmental
Assessment
The NRC staff reviewed the licensee’s
application which included an
E:\FR\FM\26FEN1.SGM
26FEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 38 (Tuesday, February 26, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10305-10308]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3581]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-424 and 50-425]
Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2; Notice of
Consideration of Issuance of Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses,
Proposed No Significant Hazards; Consideration Determination, and
Opportunity for a Hearing
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission, or the NRC)
is considering issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License
Nos. NPF-68 and NPF-81 to Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. (the
licensee) for operation of the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units
1 and 2 (Vogtle 1 and 2), which are located in Burke County, Georgia.
The proposed amendments in the licensee's application dated
February 13, 2008, propose a one-time steam generator (SG) tubing eddy
current inspection interval revision to the Vogtle Electric Generating
Plant, Units 1 and 2 (Vogtle 1 and 2) Technical Specifications (TSs)
5.5.9, ``Steam Generator (SG) Program,'' to incorporate an interim
alternate repair criterion (ARC) in the provisions for SG tube repair
criteria during the Vogtle 1 inspection performed in refueling outage
14 and subsequent operating cycle, and during the Vogtle 2 inspection
performed in refueling outage 13 and subsequent 18-month SG tubing eddy
current inspection interval and subsequent 36-month SG tubing eddy
current inspection interval. These amendments request approval of an
interim ARC that requires full-length inspection of the tubes within
the tubesheet but does not require plugging tubes if any axial or
circumferential cracking observed in the region greater than 17 inches
below the top of the tubesheet (TTS) is less than a value sufficient to
permit the remaining circumferential ligament to transmit the limiting
axial loads. These amendments are required to preclude unnecessary
plugging while still maintaining structural and leakage integrity.
These amendments also revise TS 5.6.10, ``Steam Generator Tube
Inspection Report,'' where three new reporting requirements are
proposed to be added to the existing seven requirements. For TS 5.5.9,
the amendments would replace the existing ARC in TS 5.5.9.c.1 for SG
tube inspections that were approved in Amendment Nos. 146 and 126
issued September 12, 2006, for refueling outage 13 and the subsequent
operating cycle for Vogtle 1, and for refueling outage 12 and the
subsequent operating cycle for Vogtle 2.
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 Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations
(10 CFR), Section 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:
(1) Does the proposed change involve a significant increase in
the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated?
Response: No.
Of the various accidents previously evaluated, the proposed
changes only affect the steam generator tube rupture (SGTR) event
evaluation and the postulated steam line break (SLB), locked rotor
and control rod ejection accident evaluations. Loss-of-coolant
accident (LOCA) conditions cause a compressive axial load to act on
the tube. Therefore, since the LOCA tends to force the tube into the
tubesheet rather than pull it out, it is not a factor in this
licensing amendment
[[Page 10306]]
request. Another faulted load consideration is a safe shutdown
earthquake (SSE); however, the seismic analysis of Model F steam
generators has shown that axial loading of the tubes is negligible
during an SSE.
At normal operating pressures, leakage from primary water stress
corrosion cracking (PWSCC) below 17 inches from the top of the
tubesheet is limited by both the tube-to-tubesheet crevice and the
limited crack opening permitted by the tubesheet constraint.
Consequently, negligible normal operating leakage is expected from
cracks within the tubesheet region.
For the Unit 1 SGTR event, the required structural margins of
the steam generator tubes is maintained by limiting the allowable
ligament size for a circumferential crack to remain in service to
214 degrees below 17 inches from the top of the tubesheet. For the
Unit 2 SGTR event, the required structural margins of the steam
generator tubes is maintained by limiting the allowable ligament
size for a circumferential crack to remain in service to 214 degrees
below 17 inches from the top of the tubesheet for the 18-month SG
tubing eddy current inspection interval and to remain in service 183
degrees below 17 inches from the top of the tubesheet for the 36-
month SG tubing eddy current inspection interval. Tube rupture is
precluded for cracks in the hydraulic expansion region due to the
constraint provided by the tubesheet. The potential for tube pullout
is mitigated by limiting the Unit 1 allowable crack size to 214
degrees and limiting the Unit 2 allowable crack size to 214 degrees
for the 18-month SG tubing eddy current inspection interval and to
183 degrees for the 36-month SG tubing eddy current inspection
interval. These allowable crack sizes take into account eddy current
uncertainty and crack growth rate. It has been shown that a Unit 1
circumferential crack with an azimuthal extent of 214 degrees and a
Unit 2 circumferential crack with an azimuthal extent of 214 degrees
for the 18-month SG tubing eddy current inspection interval and an
azimuthal extent of 183 degrees for the 36-month SG tubing eddy
current inspection interval meet the performance criteria of NEI 97-
06, Rev. 2, ``Steam Generator Program Guidelines'' and the
Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.121, ``Bases for Plugging Degraded PWR Steam
Generator Tubes.'' Likewise, a best effort visual inspection will be
conducted to confirm that a Unit 1 circumferential crack of greater
than 294 degrees and that a Unit 2 circumferential crack of greater
than 294 degrees for the 18-month SG tubing eddy current inspection
interval and a circumferential crack of greater than 263 degrees for
the 36-month SG tubing eddy current inspection interval do not
remain in service in the tube end weld metal in any tube mitigating
the potential for tube pullout. Therefore, the margin against tube
burst/pullout is maintained during normal and postulated accident
conditions and the proposed change does not result in a significant
increase in the probability or consequence of a SGTR.
The probability of a SLB is unaffected by the potential failure
of a SG tube as the failure of a tube is not an initiator for a SLB
event. SLB leakage is limited by leakage flow restrictions resulting
from the leakage path above potential cracks through the tube-to-
tubesheet crevice. The leak rate during postulated accident
conditions (including locked rotor and control rod ejection) has
been shown to remain within the accident analysis assumptions for
all axial or circumferentially oriented cracks occurring 17 inches
below the top of the tubesheet. Since normal operating leakage is
limited to 150 gpd (approximately 0.10 gpm), the attendant accident
condition leak rate, assuming all leakage to be from indications
below 17 inches from the top of the tubesheet, would be bounded by
0.35 gpm. This value is within the accident analysis assumptions for
the limiting design basis accident for VEGP, which is the postulated
SLB event.
Based on the above, the performance criteria of NEI-97-06, Rev.
2 and draft Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.121 continue to be met and the
proposed change does not involve a significant increase in the
probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated.
(2) Does the proposed change create the possibility of a new or
different accident from any accident previously evaluated?
Response: No.
The proposed change does not introduce any changes or mechanisms
that create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident.
Tube bundle integrity is expected to be maintained for all plant
conditions upon implementation of the interim alternate repair
criterion. The proposed change does not introduce any new equipment
or any change to existing equipment. No new effects on existing
equipment are created nor are any new malfunctions introduced.
Therefore, based on the above evaluation, the proposed changes
do not create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident
from any accident previously evaluated.
(3) Does the proposed change involve a significant reduction in
a margin of safety?
Response: No.
The proposed change maintains the required structural margins of
the steam generator tubes for both normal and accident conditions.
NEI 97-06, Rev. 2 and RG 1.121 are used as the basis in the
development of the limited tubesheet inspection depth methodology
for determining that steam generator tube integrity considerations
are maintained within acceptable limits. RG 1.121 describes a method
acceptable to the NRC staff for meeting General Design Criteria 14,
15, 31, and 32 by reducing the probability and consequences of an
SGTR. RG 1.121 concludes that by determining the limiting safe
conditions of tube wall degradation beyond which tubes with
unacceptable cracking, as established by inservice inspection,
should be removed from service or repaired, the probability and
consequences of a SGTR are reduced. This RG uses safety factors on
loads for tube burst that are consistent with the requirements of
Section III of the ASME Code.
For axially oriented cracking located within the tubesheet, tube
burst is precluded due to the presence of the tubesheet. For
circumferentially oriented cracking in a tube or the tube-to-
tubesheet weld, Reference 3 defines a length of remaining tube
ligament that provides the necessary resistance to tube pullout due
to the pressure induced forces (with applicable safety factors
applied). Additionally, it is shown that application of the limited
tubesheet inspection depth criteria will not result in unacceptable
primary-to-secondary leakage during all plant conditions.
Based on the above, it is concluded that the proposed changes do
not result in any reduction of margin with respect to plant safety
as defined in the Updated Safety Analysis Report or bases of the
plant Technical Specifications.
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
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 60 days after the date of publication of this notice. The
Commission may issue the license amendment before expiration of the 60-
day period provided that its final determination is that the amendment
involves no significant hazards consideration. In addition, the
Commission may issue the amendment prior to the expiration of the 30-
day comment period should circumstances change during the 30-day
comment period such that failure to act in a timely way would result,
for example, in derating or shutdown of the facility. Should the
Commission take action prior to the expiration of either the comment
period or the notice period, it will publish in the Federal Register a
notice of issuance. Should the Commission make a final No Significant
Hazards Consideration Determination, any hearing will take place 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, Rulemaking,
Directives and Editing 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
[[Page 10307]]
White Flint North, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, from 7:30
a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Federal workdays. Documents may be examined, and/or
copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located at
One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike
(first floor), Rockville, Maryland.
The filing of requests for hearing and petitions for leave to
intervene is discussed below.
Within 60 days after the date of publication of this notice, the
person(s) may file a request for a hearing with respect to issuance of
the amendment to the subject facility operating license and any
person(s) whose interest may be affected by this proceeding and who
wishes to participate as a party in the proceeding must file a written
request via electronic submission through the NRC E-filing system 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 person(s) should consult a current copy of
10 CFR 2.309, which is available at the Commission's PDR, located at
One White Flint North, Public File Area O1F21, 11555 Rockville Pike
(first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be
accessible from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System's
(ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web
site, https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/. If a request
for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene is filed by the above
date, the Commission or a presiding officer designated by the
Commission or by the Chief Administrative Judge of the Atomic Safety
and Licensing Board Panel, will rule on the request and/or petition;
and the Secretary or the Chief Administrative Judge of the Atomic
Safety and Licensing Board will issue a notice of a hearing or an
appropriate order.
As required by 10 CFR 2.309, 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 general requirements: 1) the name, address and telephone
number of the requestor or petitioner; 2) the nature of the
requestor's/petitioner's right under the Act to be made a party to the
proceeding; 3) the nature and extent of the requestor's/petitioner's
property, financial, or other interest in the proceeding; and 4) the
possible effect of any decision or order which may be entered in the
proceeding on the requestors/petitioner's interest. The petition must
also identify the specific contentions which the petitioner/requestor
seeks to have litigated at the proceeding.
Each contention must consist of a specific statement of the issue
of law or fact to be raised or controverted. In addition, the
petitioner/requestor shall provide a brief explanation of the bases for
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/requestor 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.
The petition must include 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/requestor
who fails to satisfy 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.
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 hearing or a petition for leave to intervene must be
filed in accordance with the NRC E-Filing rule, which the NRC
promulgated on August 28, 2007 (72 FR 49139). The E-Filing process
requires participants to submit and serve documents over the internet
or in some cases to mail copies on electronic storage media.
Participants may not submit paper copies of their filings unless they
seek a waiver in accordance with the procedures described below.
To comply with the procedural requirements of E-Filing, at least
five (5) days prior to the filing deadline, the petitioner/requestor
must contact the Office of the Secretary by e-mail at
HEARINGDOCKET@NRC.GOV, or by calling (301) 415-1677, to request (1) a
digital ID certificate, which allows the participant (or its counsel or
representative) to digitally sign documents and access the E-Submittal
server for any proceeding in which it is participating; and/or (2)
creation of an electronic docket for the proceeding (even in instances
in which the petitioner/requestor (or its counsel or representative)
already holds an NRC-issued digital ID certificate). Each petitioner/
requestor will need to download the Workplace Forms ViewerTM
to access the Electronic Information Exchange (EIE), a component of the
E-Filing system. The Workplace Forms ViewerTM is free and is
available at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/install-
viewer.html. Information about applying for a digital ID certificate is
available on NRC's public Web site at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-
submittals/apply-certificates.html.
Once a petitioner/requestor has obtained a digital ID certificate,
had a docket created, and downloaded the EIE viewer, it can then submit
a request for hearing or petition for leave to intervene. Submissions
should be in Portable Document Format (PDF) in accordance with NRC
guidance available on the NRC public Web site at https://www.nrc.gov/
site-help/e-submittals.html. A filing is considered complete at the
time the filer submits its documents through EIE. To be timely, an
electronic filing must be submitted to the EIE system no later than
11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date. Upon receipt of a
transmission, the E-Filing system time-stamps the document and sends
the submitter an e-mail notice confirming receipt of the document. The
EIE system also distributes an e-mail notice that provides access to
the document to the NRC Office of the General Counsel and any others
who have advised the Office of the Secretary that they wish to
participate in the proceeding, so that the filer need not serve the
documents on those participants separately. Therefore, applicants and
other participants (or
[[Page 10308]]
their counsel or representative) must apply for and receive a digital
ID certificate before a hearing request/petition to intervene is filed
so that they can obtain access to the document via the E-Filing system.
A person filing electronically may seek assistance through the
``Contact Us'' link located on the NRC Web site at https://www.nrc.gov/
site-help/e-submittals.html or by calling the NRC technical help line,
which is available between 8:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m., Eastern Time,
Monday through Friday. The help line number is (800) 397-4209 or
locally, (301) 415-4737. Participants who believe that they have a good
cause for not submitting documents electronically must file a motion,
in accordance with 10 CFR 2.302(g), with their initial paper filing
requesting authorization to continue to submit documents in paper
format. Such filings must be submitted by: (1) first class mail
addressed to the Office of the Secretary of the Commission, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention:
Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff; or (2) courier, express mail, or
expedited delivery service to the Office of the Secretary, Sixteenth
Floor, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
Maryland, 20852, Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff.
Participants filing a document in this manner are responsible for
serving the document on all other participants. Filing is considered
complete by first-class mail as of the time of deposit in the mail, or
by courier, express mail, or expedited delivery service upon depositing
the document with the provider of the service.
Non-timely requests and/or petitions and contentions will not be
entertained absent a determination by the Commission, the presiding
officer, or the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board that the petition
and/or request should be granted and/or the contentions should be
admitted, based on a balancing of the factors specified in 10 CFR
2.309(c)(1)(i)-(viii). To be timely, filings must be submitted no later
than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.
Documents submitted in adjudicatory proceedings will appear in
NRC's electronic hearing docket which is available to the public at
https://ehd.nrc.gov/EHD_Proceeding/home.asp, unless excluded pursuant
to an order of the Commission, an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, or
a Presiding Officer. Participants are requested not to include personal
privacy information, such as social security numbers, home addresses,
or home phone numbers in their filings. With respect to copyrighted
works, except for limited excerpts that serve the purpose of the
adjudicatory filings and would constitute a Fair Use application,
Participants are requested not to include copyrighted materials in
their submissions.
For further details with respect to this license amendment
application, see the letter dated February 13, 2008, from the Southern
Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., which is available for public
inspection at the Commission's PDR, located at One White Flint North,
File Public Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville,
Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically
from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System's (ADAMS)
Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site,
https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Persons who do not have
access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents
located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by
telephone at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 19th day of February 2008.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Siva P. Lingam,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-1, Division of Operating
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E8-3581 Filed 2-25-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
