Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.; Notice of Consideration of Issuance of Amendment To Facility Operating License, Proposed No Significant Hazards Consideration Determination, and Opportunity for a Hearing, 67932-67935 [E9-30232]

Download as PDF 67932 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 243 / Monday, December 21, 2009 / Notices ATTACHMENT 1—GENERAL TARGET SCHEDULE FOR PROCESSING AND RESOLVING REQUESTS FOR ACCESS TO SENSITIVE UNCLASSIFIED NON-SAFEGUARDS INFORMATION AND SAFEGUARDS INFORMATION IN THIS PROCEEDING Day Event/Activity 0 ...................................................... Publication of FEDERAL REGISTER notice of hearing and opportunity to petition for leave to intervene, including order with instructions for access requests. Deadline for submitting requests for access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information (SUNSI) and/or Safeguards Information (SGI) with information: supporting the standing of a potential party identified by name and address; describing the need for the information in order for the potential party to participate meaningfully in an adjudicatory proceeding; demonstrating that access should be granted (e.g., showing technical competence for access to SGI); and, for SGI, including application fee for fingerprint/ background check. Deadline for submitting petition for intervention containing: (i) Demonstration of standing; (ii) all contentions whose formulation does not require access to SUNSI and/or SGI (+25 Answers to petition for intervention; +7 petitioner/requestor reply). Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff informs the requestor of the staff’s determination whether the request for access provides a reasonable basis to believe standing can be established and shows (1) need for SUNSI or (2) need to know for SGI. (For SUNSI, NRC staff also informs any party to the proceeding whose interest independent of the proceeding would be harmed by the release of the information.) If NRC staff makes the finding of need for SUNSI and likelihood of standing, NRC staff begins document processing (preparation of redactions or review of redacted documents). If NRC staff makes the finding of need to know for SGI and likelihood of standing, NRC staff begins background check (including fingerprinting for a criminal history records check), information processing (preparation of redactions or review of redacted documents), and readiness inspections. If NRC staff finds no ‘‘need,’’ no ‘‘need to know,’’ or no likelihood of standing, the deadline for petitioner/requestor to file a motion seeking a ruling to reverse the NRC staff’s denial of access; NRC staff files copy of access determination with the presiding officer (or Chief Administrative Judge or other designated officer, as appropriate). If NRC staff finds ‘‘need’’ for SUNSI, the deadline for any party to the proceeding whose interest independent of the proceeding would be harmed by the release of the information to file a motion seeking a ruling to reverse the NRC staff’s grant of access. Deadline for NRC staff reply to motions to reverse NRC staff determination(s). (Receipt +30) If NRC staff finds standing and need for SUNSI, deadline for NRC staff to complete information processing and file motion for Protective Order and draft Non-Disclosure Affidavit. Deadline for applicant/licensee to file Non-Disclosure Agreement for SUNSI. (Receipt +180) If NRC staff finds standing, need to know for SGI, and trustworthiness and reliability, deadline for NRC staff to file motion for Protective Order and draft Non-disclosure Affidavit (or to make a determination that the proposed recipient of SGI is not trustworthy or reliable). NOTE: Before the Office of Administration makes an adverse determination regarding access to SGI, the proposed recipient must be provided an opportunity to correct or explain information. Deadline for petitioner to seek reversal of a final adverse NRC staff trustworthiness or reliability determination either before the presiding officer or another designated officer under 10 CFR 2.705(c)(3)(iv). If access granted: Issuance of presiding officer or other designated officer decision on motion for protective order for access to sensitive information (including schedule for providing access and submission of contentions) or decision reversing a final adverse determination by the NRC staff. Deadline for filing executed Non-Disclosure Affidavits. Access provided to SUNSI and/or SGI consistent with decision issuing the protective order. Deadline for submission of contentions whose development depends upon access to SUNSI and/or SGI. However, if more than 25 days remain between the petitioner’s receipt of (or access to) the information and the deadline for filing all other contentions (as established in the notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing), the petitioner may file its SUNSI or SGI contentions by that later deadline. (Contention receipt +25) Answers to contentions whose development depends upon access to SUNSI and/ or SGI. (Answer receipt +7) Petitioner/Intervenor reply to answers. Decision on contention admission. 10 .................................................... 60 .................................................... 20 .................................................... 25 .................................................... 30 .................................................... 40 .................................................... 190 .................................................. 205 .................................................. A ...................................................... A + 3 ............................................... A + 28 ............................................. A + 53 ............................................. A + 60 ............................................. >A + 60 ........................................... [FR Doc. E9–30317 Filed 12–18–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION erowe on DSK5CLS3C1PROD with NOTICES [Docket No. 50–286; NRC–2009–0562] Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.; 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 No. DPR– 64, issued to Entergy Nuclear VerDate Nov<24>2008 14:14 Dec 18, 2009 Jkt 220001 PO 00000 Frm 00083 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Operations, Inc. (the licensee), for operation of the Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 3 (IP3) located in Westchester County, New York. The proposed amendment would allow a one-time extension of the 72hour completion time of Technical Specification (TS) 3.7.5, Condition B, Action B.1 ‘‘Restore AFW [auxiliary feedwater] train to OPERABLE status’’ by 34 hours. On November 23, 2009, the No. 32 auxiliary boiler feedwater pump (ABFP) was found to have high axial vibrations. The ABFP is used for plant startup. It also supplies high pressure feedwater to E:\FR\FM\21DEN1.SGM 21DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 243 / Monday, December 21, 2009 / Notices erowe on DSK5CLS3C1PROD with NOTICES the steam generators in order to maintain sufficient water inventory in the steam generators to allow for the removal of decay heat from the reactor coolant system. An exigent TS change is being requested in order to further evaluate the cause of the high vibrations, to inspect/replace the bearing and to perform other corrective actions as needed to increase the reliability of the pump. Performing further assessment/repairs would provide greater assurance that the pump will not see an unexpected increase in vibrations due to future testing. 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. Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.91(a)(6) for amendments to be granted under exigent circumstances, the NRC staff must determine 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? No. The proposed change revises the allowed outage time (AOT) for the steam driven Auxiliary Boiler Feedwater Pump (ABFP) on a one time basis. Revising the AOT is not an accident initiator since an ABFP is a mitigating system. Therefore the proposed changes do not increase the probability of an accident occurring. The proposed AOT change is a one time increase that will allow repairs without the transient of shutdown. The plant is designed for single failure and recognizes that inoperability for short periods does not cause a significant increase in the consequences of an accident. The one time increase in this outage time is compensated with measures to reduce the potential need for the ABFP and the effects of events that could require the pump. Therefore the increase does not significantly increase the consequences of an accident. Therefore the proposed change does not involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated. VerDate Nov<24>2008 14:14 Dec 18, 2009 Jkt 220001 2. Does the change create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated? No. The proposed change revises the allowed outage time for the ABFP on a one time basis. The proposed change does not involve installation of new equipment or modification of existing equipment, so no new equipment failure modes are introduced. The proposed revision is not a change to the way that the equipment or facility is operated or analyzed and no new accident initiators are created. Therefore the proposed change does 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? No. The reduction in the margin of safety associated with continued IP3 operation with Auxiliary Boiler Feedwater (ABF) pump 32 out of service during a 34 hour period beyond current allowed outage time is represented by an increase of approximately 50 percent in the allowed outage time. This change in the margin of safety has been compensated for by specific compensatory measures to reduce the potential need for the pump and to address postulated events that could require the pump. The increase in core damage frequency (CDF) associated with continued IP3 operation with ABFP 32 out of service for a duration of 106 hours which represents a 34 hour period beyond the current allowed outage time is 3.9E–5 per reactor year (ry). This results in an incremental conditional core damage probability (ICCDP) of 4.8E–07, which is below the ICCDP guidance threshold of 5E– 07 identified in NRC Inspection Manual Part 9900. The ICCDP includes risk due to external events due to seismic, fire, and flood. The increase in large early release frequency (LERF) was estimated as 4.2E–7/ry (including external events), which results in an incremental conditional large early release probability (ICLERP) of 5.1E–9. Therefore the proposed change does not involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety. 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 14 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 14-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 PO 00000 Frm 00084 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 67933 amendment before the expiration of the 14-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. 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 and Directives Branch (RDB), TWB–05– B01M, 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 faxed to the RDB at 301–492–3446. Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC’s Public Document Room, located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Within 60 days of this notice, any person(s) whose interest may be affected may file a request for hearing/petition to intervene. As required by 10 CFR 2.309, a petition for leave to intervene shall set forth with particularity the interest of the requestor/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 requestor’s/petitioner’s interest. The petition must also identify the specific contentions which the requestor/ petitioner 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 requestor/petitioner 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 requestor/petitioner must E:\FR\FM\21DEN1.SGM 21DEN1 erowe on DSK5CLS3C1PROD with NOTICES 67934 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 243 / Monday, December 21, 2009 / Notices also provide references to those specific sources and documents of which the requestor/petitioner is aware and on which the requestor/petitioner intends to rely to establish those facts or expert opinion. The requestor/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 requestor/ petitioner to relief. A requestor/ petitioner 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. All documents filed in NRC adjudicatory proceedings, including a request for hearing, a petition for leave to intervene, any motion or other document filed in the proceeding prior to the submission of a request for hearing or petition to intervene, and documents filed by interested governmental entities participating under 10 CFR 2.315(c), must be filed in accordance with the NRC E-Filing rule (72 FR 49139, August 28, 2007). The EFiling process requires participants to submit and serve all adjudicatory 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 an exemption in accordance with the procedures described below. To comply with the procedural requirements of E-Filing, at least ten (10) days prior to the filing deadline, the participant should contact the Office of VerDate Nov<24>2008 14:14 Dec 18, 2009 Jkt 220001 the Secretary by e-mail at hearing.docket@nrc.gov, or by telephone at (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 (2) advise the Secretary that the participant will be submitting a request or petition for hearing (even in instances in which the participant, or its counsel or representative, already holds an NRCissued digital ID certificate). Based upon this information, the Secretary will establish an electronic docket for the hearing in this proceeding if the Secretary has not already established an electronic docket. 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. System requirements for accessing the ESubmittal server are detailed in NRC’s ‘‘Guidance for Electronic Submission,’’ which is available on the agency’s public Web site at https://www.nrc.gov/ site-help/e-submittals.html. Participants may attempt to use other software not listed on the Web site, but should note that the NRC’s E-Filing system does not support unlisted software, and the NRC Meta System Help Desk will not be able to offer assistance in using unlisted software. If a participant is electronically submitting a document to the NRC in accordance with the E-Filing rule, the participant must file the document using the NRC’s online, Web-based submission form. In order to serve documents through EIE, users will be required to install a Web browser plugin from the NRC Web site. Further information on the Web-based submission form, including the installation of the Web browser plug-in, is available on the NRC’s public Web site at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/esubmittals.html. Once a participant has obtained a digital ID certificate and a docket has been created, the participant 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 documents are submitted through the NRC’s E-Filing system. To be timely, an electronic filing must be submitted to the E-Filing system no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date. Upon receipt of PO 00000 Frm 00085 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 a transmission, the E-Filing system time-stamps the document and sends the submitter an e-mail notice confirming receipt of the document. The E-Filing system also distributes an email 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 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 using the agency’s adjudicatory E-Filing system may seek assistance by contacting the NRC Meta System Help Desk through the ‘‘Contact Us’’ link located on the NRC Web site at https:// www.nrc.gov/site-help/esubmittals.html, by e-mail at MSHD.Resource@nrc.gov, or by a tollfree call at (866) 672–7640. The NRC Meta System Help Desk is available between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, excluding government holidays. Participants who believe that they have a good cause for not submitting documents electronically must file an exemption request, 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. A presiding officer, having granted an exemption request from using E-Filing, may require a participant or party to use E-Filing if the presiding officer subsequently determines that the reason for granting the exemption from use of E-Filing no longer exists. E:\FR\FM\21DEN1.SGM 21DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 243 / Monday, December 21, 2009 / Notices erowe on DSK5CLS3C1PROD with NOTICES 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, or the 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, unless an NRC regulation or other law requires submission of such information. 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 submission. Petitions for leave to intervene must be filed no later than 60 days from December 21, 2009. Non-timely filings will not be entertained absent a determination by the presiding officer that the petition or request should be granted or the contentions should be admitted, based on a balancing of the factors specified in 10 CFR 2.309(c)(1)(i)–(viii). For further details with respect to this exigent license application, see the application for amendment dated December 15, 2009, which is available for public inspection at the Commission’s Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public File 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, or 301– 415–4737, or by e-mail to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. Attorney for licensee: Mr. William C. Dennis, Assistant General Counsel, Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., 440 Hamilton Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day of December 2009. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Nancy L. Salgado, Chief, Plant Licensing Branch I–1, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. E9–30232 Filed 12–18–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P VerDate Nov<24>2008 14:14 Dec 18, 2009 Jkt 220001 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 50–133; NRC–2009–0560] Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Humboldt Bay Power Plant Unit 3 Exemption From Certain Low-Level Waste Shipment Tracking Requirements In 10 CFR Part 20 Appendix G 1.0 Background The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is the licensee and holder of Facility Operating License No. DPR–7 issued for Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Unit 3 (HBPP), located in Humboldt County, California. HBPP is a permanently shutdown nuclear reactor facility. PG&E is beginning the process of decommissioning HBPP and the amount of radioactive waste shipped from the site is expected to significantly increase. During the decommissioning process, large volumes of slightly contaminated concrete rubble and debris are generated that require shipment for disposal in offsite lowlevel radioactive waste disposal sites. Experience at other decommissioning nuclear power facilities has shown that, due primarily to the volume of radioactive waste, licensees have encountered an increase in the number of routine shipments that take longer than 20 days from transfer to the shipper to receipt acknowledgment from the disposal site. Each shipment with receipt notifications greater than 20 days requires a special investigation and report to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) which the licensee believes to be burdensome and unnecessary to meet the intent of the regulation. 2.0 Request/Action In a letter to the Commission dated September 4, 2009, PG&E requested an exemption from the requirements in 10 CFR part 20, appendix G, section III.E, to investigate and file a report to the NRC if shipments of low-level radioactive waste are not acknowledged by the intended recipient within 20 days after transfer to the shipper. This exemption would extend the time period that can elapse during shipments of low-level radioactive waste before PG&E is required to investigate and file a report to the NRC from 20 days to 45 days. The exemption would be applicable to mixed-mode shipments such as combination truck/rail, barge/ rail and barge/truck shipping methods. The exemption request is based on an analysis of the historical data of lowlevel radioactive waste shipment times PO 00000 Frm 00086 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 67935 from the Southern California Edison Company’s San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) site to the disposal site. 3.0 Discussion The proposed action would grant an exemption to extend the 20-day investigation and reporting requirements for shipments of low-level radioactive waste to 45 days. Historical data derived from experience at SONGS, indicates that rail transportation time to waste disposal facilities frequently exceeded the 20-day reporting requirement. A review of the SONGS data indicates that transportation time for shipments by rail or truck/rail took over 16 days on average and, on occasion, took up to 57 days. In addition, administrative processes at the disposal facilities and mail delivery times could add several additional days. HBPP is in a more remote location than SONGS and is not near a railhead. Shipping from HBPP may require a combination of truck/rail, barge/rail or barge/truck shipments. These mixedmode shipments will be comprised of truck and barge shipments from HBPP to inland locations in California or nearby states, followed by rail shipments to the waste disposal facilities or processors. The additional step of transloading material at a remote railyard (e.g., unloading and loading, waiting for the train to depart) is expected to add to shipping delays that exceed the time of shipments from SONGS. Therefore, HBPP is requesting an extension to 45 days. Pursuant to 10 CFR 20.2301, the Commission may, upon application by a licensee or upon its own initiative, grant an exemption from the requirements of regulations in 10 CFR part 20 if it determines the exemption is authorized by law and would not result in undue hazard to life or property. There are no provisions in the Atomic Energy Act (or in any other Federal statute) that impose a requirement to investigate and report on low-level radioactive waste shipments that have not been acknowledged by the recipient within 20 days of transfer. Therefore, the Commission concludes that there is no statutory prohibition on the issuance of the requested exemption and the Commission is authorized to grant the exemption by law. The Commission acknowledges that, based on the statistical analysis of lowlevel radioactive waste shipments from the SONGS site, the need to investigate and report on shipments that take longer than 20 days could result in an excessive administrative burden on the E:\FR\FM\21DEN1.SGM 21DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 243 (Monday, December 21, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67932-67935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-30232]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-286; NRC-2009-0562]


Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.; 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 No. 
DPR-64, issued to Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (the licensee), for 
operation of the Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 3 (IP3) 
located in Westchester County, New York.
    The proposed amendment would allow a one-time extension of the 72-
hour completion time of Technical Specification (TS) 3.7.5, Condition 
B, Action B.1 ``Restore AFW [auxiliary feedwater] train to OPERABLE 
status'' by 34 hours.
    On November 23, 2009, the No. 32 auxiliary boiler feedwater pump 
(ABFP) was found to have high axial vibrations. The ABFP is used for 
plant startup. It also supplies high pressure feedwater to

[[Page 67933]]

the steam generators in order to maintain sufficient water inventory in 
the steam generators to allow for the removal of decay heat from the 
reactor coolant system. An exigent TS change is being requested in 
order to further evaluate the cause of the high vibrations, to inspect/
replace the bearing and to perform other corrective actions as needed 
to increase the reliability of the pump. Performing further assessment/
repairs would provide greater assurance that the pump will not see an 
unexpected increase in vibrations due to future testing.
    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.
    Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.91(a)(6) for amendments to be granted under 
exigent circumstances, the NRC staff must determine 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?
    No. The proposed change revises the allowed outage time (AOT) 
for the steam driven Auxiliary Boiler Feedwater Pump (ABFP) on a one 
time basis. Revising the AOT is not an accident initiator since an 
ABFP is a mitigating system. Therefore the proposed changes do not 
increase the probability of an accident occurring. The proposed AOT 
change is a one time increase that will allow repairs without the 
transient of shutdown. The plant is designed for single failure and 
recognizes that inoperability for short periods does not cause a 
significant increase in the consequences of an accident. The one 
time increase in this outage time is compensated with measures to 
reduce the potential need for the ABFP and the effects of events 
that could require the pump. Therefore the increase does not 
significantly increase the consequences of an accident. Therefore 
the proposed change does not involve a significant increase in the 
probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated.
    2. Does the change create the possibility of a new or different 
kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated?
    No. The proposed change revises the allowed outage time for the 
ABFP on a one time basis. The proposed change does not involve 
installation of new equipment or modification of existing equipment, 
so no new equipment failure modes are introduced. The proposed 
revision is not a change to the way that the equipment or facility 
is operated or analyzed and no new accident initiators are created. 
Therefore the proposed change does 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?
    No. The reduction in the margin of safety associated with 
continued IP3 operation with Auxiliary Boiler Feedwater (ABF) pump 
32 out of service during a 34 hour period beyond current allowed 
outage time is represented by an increase of approximately 50 
percent in the allowed outage time. This change in the margin of 
safety has been compensated for by specific compensatory measures to 
reduce the potential need for the pump and to address postulated 
events that could require the pump. The increase in core damage 
frequency (CDF) associated with continued IP3 operation with ABFP 32 
out of service for a duration of 106 hours which represents a 34 
hour period beyond the current allowed outage time is 3.9E-5 per 
reactor year (ry). This results in an incremental conditional core 
damage probability (ICCDP) of 4.8E-07, which is below the ICCDP 
guidance threshold of 5E-07 identified in NRC Inspection Manual Part 
9900. The ICCDP includes risk due to external events due to seismic, 
fire, and flood. The increase in large early release frequency 
(LERF) was estimated as 4.2E-7/ry (including external events), which 
results in an incremental conditional large early release 
probability (ICLERP) of 5.1E-9. Therefore the proposed change does 
not involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety.

    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 14 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 14-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 14-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. 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 
and Directives Branch (RDB), TWB-05-B01M, 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 faxed to the RDB at 301-492-3446. Documents may be examined, and/or 
copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room, located at One 
White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first 
floor), Rockville, Maryland.
    Within 60 days of this notice, any person(s) whose interest may be 
affected may file a request for hearing/petition to intervene. As 
required by 10 CFR 2.309, a petition for leave to intervene shall set 
forth with particularity the interest of the requestor/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 requestor's/petitioner's interest. The petition must 
also identify the specific contentions which the requestor/petitioner 
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 
requestor/petitioner 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 
requestor/petitioner must

[[Page 67934]]

also provide references to those specific sources and documents of 
which the requestor/petitioner is aware and on which the requestor/
petitioner intends to rely to establish those facts or expert opinion. 
The requestor/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 requestor/petitioner to relief. A 
requestor/petitioner 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.
    All documents filed in NRC adjudicatory proceedings, including a 
request for hearing, a petition for leave to intervene, any motion or 
other document filed in the proceeding prior to the submission of a 
request for hearing or petition to intervene, and documents filed by 
interested governmental entities participating under 10 CFR 2.315(c), 
must be filed in accordance with the NRC E-Filing rule (72 FR 49139, 
August 28, 2007). The E-Filing process requires participants to submit 
and serve all adjudicatory 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 an exemption in 
accordance with the procedures described below.
    To comply with the procedural requirements of E-Filing, at least 
ten (10) days prior to the filing deadline, the participant should 
contact the Office of the Secretary by e-mail at 
hearing.docket@nrc.gov, or by telephone at (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 
(2) advise the Secretary that the participant will be submitting a 
request or petition for hearing (even in instances in which the 
participant, or its counsel or representative, already holds an NRC-
issued digital ID certificate). Based upon this information, the 
Secretary will establish an electronic docket for the hearing in this 
proceeding if the Secretary has not already established an electronic 
docket.
    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. System requirements for accessing 
the E-Submittal server are detailed in NRC's ``Guidance for Electronic 
Submission,'' which is available on the agency's public Web site at 
https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html. Participants may 
attempt to use other software not listed on the Web site, but should 
note that the NRC's E-Filing system does not support unlisted software, 
and the NRC Meta System Help Desk will not be able to offer assistance 
in using unlisted software.
    If a participant is electronically submitting a document to the NRC 
in accordance with the E-Filing rule, the participant must file the 
document using the NRC's online, Web-based submission form. In order to 
serve documents through EIE, users will be required to install a Web 
browser plug-in from the NRC Web site. Further information on the Web-
based submission form, including the installation of the Web browser 
plug-in, is available on the NRC's public Web site at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html.
    Once a participant has obtained a digital ID certificate and a 
docket has been created, the participant 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 
documents are submitted through the NRC's E-Filing system. To be 
timely, an electronic filing must be submitted to the E-Filing 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 
E-Filing 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 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 using the agency's adjudicatory E-
Filing system may seek assistance by contacting the NRC Meta System 
Help Desk through the ``Contact Us'' link located on the NRC Web site 
at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html, by e-mail at 
MSHD.Resource@nrc.gov, or by a toll-free call at (866) 672-7640. The 
NRC Meta System Help Desk is available between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., 
Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, excluding government holidays.
    Participants who believe that they have a good cause for not 
submitting documents electronically must file an exemption request, 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. A presiding officer, having 
granted an exemption request from using E-Filing, may require a 
participant or party to use E-Filing if the presiding officer 
subsequently determines that the reason for granting the exemption from 
use of E-Filing no longer exists.

[[Page 67935]]

    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, or the 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, unless an NRC regulation or other law requires submission of 
such information. 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 submission.
    Petitions for leave to intervene must be filed no later than 60 
days from December 21, 2009. Non-timely filings will not be entertained 
absent a determination by the presiding officer that the petition or 
request should be granted or the contentions should be admitted, based 
on a balancing of the factors specified in 10 CFR 2.309(c)(1)(i)-
(viii).
    For further details with respect to this exigent license 
application, see the application for amendment dated December 15, 2009, 
which is available for public inspection at the Commission's Public 
Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public File 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, or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr.resource@nrc.gov.
    Attorney for licensee: Mr. William C. Dennis, Assistant General 
Counsel, Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., 440 Hamilton Avenue, White 
Plains, NY 10601.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day of December 2009.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Nancy L. Salgado,
Chief, Plant Licensing Branch I-1, Division of Operating Reactor 
Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E9-30232 Filed 12-18-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
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