Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, LLC, Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2; Exemption, 4391-4393 [2011-1479]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 16 / Tuesday, January 25, 2011 / Notices
electronically under ADAMS accession
number ML103400018’’ and ‘‘Electronic
copies of DG–1229 are available through
the NRC’s public Web site under Draft
Regulatory Guides in the ‘‘Regulatory
Guides’’ collection of the NRC’s
Electronic Reading Room at https://
www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/. Electronic copies are also
available in ADAMS (https://
www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html),
under Accession No. ML103400008.’’
Due to this error, the public has been
granted 10 additional days to comment
on DG–1229. The comment submittal
deadline is extended from the original
March 14, 2011 deadline to March 24,
2011.
II. Further Information
The NRC staff is soliciting comments
on DG–1229. Comments may be
accompanied by relevant information or
supporting data and should mention
DG–1229 in the subject line. Comments
submitted in writing or in electronic
form will be made available to the
public in their entirety through
ADAMS.
You may submit comments
by any one of the following methods.
Please include Docket ID NRC–2009–
0263 in the subject line of your
comments. Comments submitted in
writing or in electronic form will be
posted on the NRC website and on the
Federal rulemaking website
Regulations.gov. Because your
comments will not be edited to remove
any identifying or contact information,
the NRC cautions you against including
any information in your submission that
you do not want to be publicly
disclosed.
The NRC requests that any party
soliciting or aggregating comments
received from other persons for
submission to the NRC inform those
persons that the NRC will not edit their
comments to remove any identifying or
contact information, and therefore, they
should not include any information in
their comments that they do not want
publicly disclosed.
Federal rulemaking Web site: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov and search
for documents filed under Docket ID
NRC–NRC–2009–0263. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol
Gallagher 301–492–3668; e-mail
Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov.
Mail comments to: Cindy K. Bladey,
Chief, Rules, Announcements, and
Directives Branch (RADB), Office of
Administration, Mail Stop: TWB–05–
B01M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555–
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ADDRESSES:
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0001, or by fax to RADB at 301–492–
3446.
You can access publicly available
documents related to this notice using
the following methods:
NRC’s Public Document Room (PDR):
The public may examine and copy for
a fee publicly available documents at
the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville
Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852–2738.
NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access
and Management System (ADAMS):
Publicly available documents created or
received at the NRC are available
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Reading Room at https://www.nrc.gov/
reading-rm/adams.html. From this page,
the public can gain entry into ADAMS,
which provides text and image files of
NRC’s public documents. If you do not
have access to ADAMS or if there are
problems in accessing the documents
located in ADAMS, contact the NRC’s
PDR reference staff at 1–800–397–4209,
301–415–4737, or by e-mail to
pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The Regulatory
Analysis is available electronically
under ADAMS Accession Number
ML103400018.
Comments would be most helpful if
received by March 24, 2011. Comments
received after that date will be
considered if it is practical to do so, but
the NRC is able to ensure consideration
only for comments received on or before
this date. Although a time limit is given,
comments and suggestions in
connection with items for inclusion in
guides currently being developed or
improvements in all published guides
are encouraged at any time.
Electronic copies of DG–1229 are
available through the NRC’s public Web
site under Draft Regulatory Guides in
the ‘‘Regulatory Guides’’ collection of
the NRC’s Electronic Reading Room at
https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/. Electronic copies are also
available in ADAMS (https://
www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html),
under Accession No. ML103400008.
Regulatory guides are not
copyrighted, and Commission approval
is not required to reproduce them.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day
of January 2011.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Edward O’Donnell,
Acting Chief, Regulatory Guide Development
Branch, Division of Engineering, Office of
Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 2011–1478 Filed 1–24–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
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4391
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50–317 and 50–318; NRC–
2011–0004]
Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant,
LLC, Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power
Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2; Exemption
1.0
Background
Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant,
LLC, the licensee, is the holder of
Facility Operating License Nos. DPR–53
and DPR–69 which authorizes operation
of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power
Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (Calvert Cliffs).
The license provides, among other
things, that the facility is subject to all
rules, regulations, and orders of the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC,
the Commission) now or hereafter in
effect.
The facility consists of two
pressurized-water reactors (PWRs)
located in Calvert County, Maryland.
2.0
Request/Action
Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR) 50.46,
‘‘Acceptance criteria for emergency core
cooling systems for light-water nuclear
power reactors,’’ requires, among other
items, that ‘‘[e]ach boiling or pressurized
light-water nuclear power reactor fueled
with uranium oxide pellets within
cylindrical zircaloy or ZIRLO cladding
must be provided with an emergency
core cooling system (ECCS) that must be
designed so that its calculated cooling
performance following postulated lossof-coolant accidents [(LOCAs)] conforms
to the criteria set forth in paragraph (b)
of this section.’’ Appendix K to 10 CFR
part 50, ‘‘ECCS Evaluation Models,’’
requires, among other items, that the
rate of energy release, hydrogen
generation, and cladding oxidation from
the metal/water reaction shall be
calculated using the Baker-Just
equation. The regulations of 10 CFR
50.46 and 10 CFR part 50, Appendix K,
make no provisions for use of fuel rods
clad in a material other than zircaloy or
ZIRLO.
Calvert Cliffs intends to transition
from the Westinghouse Turbo 14 x 14
fuel assembly design to the AREVA
Advanced CE–14 HTP fuel assembly
design beginning in 2011 for Unit No. 2
and 2012 for Unit No. 1. The AREVA
fuel design consists of low enriched
uranium oxide fuel within M5
zirconium alloy cladding. Since the
chemical composition of the M5 alloy
differs from the specifications for
zircaloy or ZIRLO, a plant-specific
exemption is required to allow the use
of the M5 alloy as a cladding material
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4392
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 16 / Tuesday, January 25, 2011 / Notices
or in other assembly structural
components. Therefore, by letter dated
November 23, 2009, the licensee
requested an exemption in order to use
M5 advanced alloy for fuel rod cladding
and other assembly structural
components at Calvert Cliffs.
3.0 Discussion
Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, the
Commission may, upon application by
any interested person or upon its own
initiative, grant exemptions from the
requirements of 10 CFR part 50 when (1)
the exemptions are authorized by law,
will not present an undue risk to public
health or safety, and are consistent with
the common defense and security; and
(2) when special circumstances are
present.
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Authorized by Law
This exemption results in changes to
the operation of the plant by allowing
the use of the M5 alloy as fuel cladding
material or for other assembly structural
components in lieu of zircaloy or
ZIRLO. As stated above, 10 CFR 50.12
allows the NRC to grant exemptions
from the requirements of 10 CFR Part
50. The NRC staff has determined that
granting of the licensee’s proposed
exemption will not result in a violation
of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as
amended, or the Commission’s
regulations. Therefore, the exemption is
authorized by law.
No Undue Risk to Public Health and
Safety
The underlying purposes of 10 CFR
50.46 and 10 CFR part 50, appendix K,
are to ensure that facilities have
adequate acceptance criteria for the
ECCS, and to ensure that cladding
oxidation and hydrogen generation are
appropriately limited during a LOCA
and conservatively accounted for in the
ECCS evaluation model, respectively.
Topical Reports (TRs) BAW–10227(P)–
A, ‘‘Evaluation of Advanced Cladding
and Structural Material (M5) in PWR
Reactor Fuel,’’ which was approved by
the NRC in February 2000, and BAW–
10240(P)–A, ‘‘Incorporation of M5
Properties in Framatome ANP Approved
Methods,’’ which was approved by the
NRC in May 2004, demonstrated that
the effectiveness of the ECCS will not be
affected by a change from zircaloy to
M5. In addition, the TRs also
demonstrated that the Baker-Just
equation (used in the ECCS evaluation
model to determine the rate of energy
release, cladding oxidation, and
hydrogen generation) is conservative in
all post-LOCA scenarios with respect to
the use of M5 advanced alloy as a fuel
rod cladding material or in other
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assembly structural components. Based
on the above, no new accident
precursors are created by using M5
advanced alloy, thus, the probability of
postulated accidents is not increased.
Also, based on the above, the
consequences of postulated accidents
are not increased. In addition, the
licensee will use NRC-approved
methods for the reload design process
for Calvert Cliffs reloads with M5.
Therefore, there is no undue risk to
public health and safety due to using
M5.
Consistent With Common Defense and
Security
The proposed exemption results in
changes to the operation of the plant by
allowing the use of the M5 alloy as fuel
cladding material or in other assembly
structural components in lieu of
zircaloy or ZIRLO. This change to the
fuel material used in the plant has no
relation to security issues. Therefore,
the common defense and security are
not impacted by this exemption request.
Special Circumstances
Special circumstances, in accordance
with 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii), are present
whenever application of the regulation
in the particular circumstances would
not serve the underlying purpose of the
rule or is not necessary to achieve the
underlying purpose of the rule. In this
circumstance neither 10 CFR 50.46 nor
10 CFR part 50, appendix K, explicitly
allows the use of M5 as a fuel rod
cladding material or in use of other
assembly structural components.
The underlying purpose of 10 CFR
50.46 is to ensure that facilities have
adequate acceptance criteria for the
ECCS. The staff’s review and approval
of TR BAW–10227(P)–A addressed all of
the important aspects of M5 with
respect to ECCS Performance
Requirements: (1) Applicability of 10
CFR 50.46(b) fuel acceptance criteria,
(2) M5 material properties including
fuel rod ballooning and rupture strains,
and (3) steam oxidation kinetics and
applicability of Baker-Just weight gain
correlation. A subsequent NRC
approved TR, BAW–10240(P)–A, further
addressed M5 material properties with
respect to LOCA applications.
The underlying purpose of 10 CFR
part 50, appendix K, paragraph I.A.5, is
to ensure that cladding oxidation and
hydrogen generation are appropriately
limited during a LOCA and
conservatively accounted for in the
ECCS evaluation model. Appendix K
requires that the Baker-Just equation be
used in the ECCS evaluation model to
determine the rate of energy release,
cladding oxidation, and hydrogen
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generation. In TR BAW–10227(P)–A,
Framatome demonstrated that the
Baker-Just model is conservative in all
post-LOCA scenarios with respect to the
use of the M5 advanced alloy as a fuel
rod cladding material or in other
assembly structural components, and
that the amount of hydrogen generated
in an M5 core during a LOCA will
remain within the Calvert Cliffs design
basis.
The M5 alloy is a proprietary
zirconium-based alloy comprised of
primarily zirconium (∼99 percent) and
niobium (∼1 percent). The elimination
of tin has resulted in superior corrosion
resistance and reduced irradiationinduced growth relative to both
standard zircaloy (1.7 percent tin) and
low-tin zircaloy (1.2 percent tin). The
addition of niobium increases ductility,
which is desirable to avoid brittle
failures.
The NRC staff has reviewed the
licensee’s advanced cladding material,
M5, for PWR fuel mechanical designs as
described in TR BAW–10227(P)–A. In
the safety evaluation for TR BAW–
10227(P)–A, the staff concluded that, to
the extent specified in the staff’s
evaluation, the M5 properties and
mechanical design methodology are
acceptable for referencing in fuel reload
licensing applications. Therefore, since
the underlying purposes of 10 CFR
50.46 and 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix K,
Paragraph I.A.5 are achieved through
the use of the M5 advanced alloy as a
fuel rod cladding material or in other
assembly structural components, the
special circumstances required by 10
CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii) for the granting of an
exemption from 10 CFR 50.46 and 10
CFR part 50, Appendix K, exist.
Summary
The NRC staff has reviewed the
licensee’s request to use the M5
advanced alloy for fuel rod cladding and
in other assembly structural
components in lieu of zircaloy or
ZIRLO. Based on the NRC staff’s
evaluation, as set forth above, the NRC
staff concludes that the exemption is
authorized by law, will not present an
undue risk to public health and safety,
and is consistent with the common
defense and security. In addition, the
NRC staff concludes that the underlying
purposes of 10 CFR 50.46 and 10 CFR
Part 50, Appendix K, are achieved
through the use of the M5 advanced
alloy. Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR
50.12(a), the NRC staff concludes that
the use of the M5 advanced alloy for
fuel rod cladding and in other assembly
structural components is acceptable and
the exemption from 10 CFR 50.46 and
10 CFR Part 50, Appendix K, is justified.
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 16 / Tuesday, January 25, 2011 / Notices
4.0
Week of January 31, 2011—Tentative
Conclusion
Accordingly, the Commission has
determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR
50.12(a), the exemption is authorized by
law, will not present an undue risk to
the public health and safety, and is
consistent with the common defense
and security. Also, special
circumstances are present. Therefore,
the Commission hereby grants the
licensee an exemption from the
requirements of 10 CFR 50.46 and 10
CFR part 50, appendix K, for Calvert
Cliffs.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the
Commission has determined that the
granting of this exemption will not have
a significant impact on the quality of the
human environment (76 FR 1469);
published on January 10, 2011.
This exemption is effective upon
issuance.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 13th day
of January 2011.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Joseph G. Giitter,
Director, Division of Operating Reactor
Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation.
reasonable accommodation will be
made on a case-by-case basis.
*
*
*
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*
This notice is distributed
electronically to subscribers. If you no
longer wish to receive it, or would like
to be added to the distribution, please
contact the Office of the Secretary,
Washington, DC 20555 (301–415–1969),
or send an e-mail to
darlene.wright@nrc.gov.
Week of February 21, 2011—Tentative
9 a.m. Briefing on Digital
Instrumentation and Controls
(Public Meeting). (Contact: Steven
Arndt, 301–415–6502).
This meeting will be webcast live at
the Web address—https://www.nrc.gov.
Week of February 7, 2011—Tentative
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
9 a.m. Briefing on Implementation of
Part 26 (Public Meeting). (Contact:
Shana Helton, 301–415–7198).
This meeting will be Webcast live at
the Web address—https://www.nrc.gov.
Week of February 14, 2011—Tentative
There are no meetings scheduled for
the week of February 14, 2011.
9 a.m. Briefing on Groundwater Task
Force (Public Meeting). (Contact:
Margie Kotzalas, 301–415–1727).
This meeting will be Webcast live at
the Web address—https://www.nrc.gov.
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
Week of February 28, 2011—Tentative
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[NRC–2011–0006]
Sunshine Federal Register Notice
Nuclear
Regulatory Commission.
DATES: Weeks of January 24, 31,
February 7, 14, 21, 28, 2011.
PLACE: Commissioners’ Conference
Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
Maryland.
STATUS: Public and Closed.
AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETINGS:
Week of January 24, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
12:55 p.m. Affirmation Session (Public
Meeting) (Tentative).
Request by Petitioners for a
Suspension of Renewal Proceedings
Pending Completion of Rulemaking
in Docket No. PRM–54–6.
(Tentative).
This meeting will be Webcast live at
the Web address—https://www.nrc.gov.
1 p.m. Briefing on Safety Culture
Policy Statement (Public Meeting).
(Contact: Diane Sieracki, 301–415–
3297).
This meeting will be Webcast live at
the Web address—https://www.nrc.gov.
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9 a.m. Briefing on Reactor Materials
Aging Management Issues (Public
Meeting). (Contact: Allen Hiser,
301–415–5650).
This meeting will be Webcast live at
the Web address—https://www.nrc.gov.
*
*
*
*
*
* The schedule for Commission
meetings is subject to change on short
notice. To verify the status of meetings,
call (recording)—(301) 415–1292.
Contact person for more information:
Rochelle Bavol, (301) 415–1651.
*
*
*
*
*
The NRC Commission Meeting
Schedule can be found on the Internet
at: https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/policymaking/schedule.html.
*
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The NRC provides reasonable
accommodation to individuals with
disabilities where appropriate. If you
need a reasonable accommodation to
participate in these public meetings, or
need this meeting notice or the
transcript or other information from the
public meetings in another format (e.g.,
braille, large print), please notify Angela
Bolduc, Chief, Employee/Labor
Relations and Work Life Branch, at 301–
492–2230, TDD: 301–415–2100, or by
e-mail at angela.bolduc@nrc.gov.
Determinations on requests for
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Dated: January 20, 2011.
Rochelle C. Bavol,
Policy Coordinator, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011–1608 Filed 1–21–11; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. MC2011–19 and R2011–3;
Order No. 654]
Discover Financial Services Negotiated
Service Agreement
Thursday, February 24, 2011
[FR Doc. 2011–1479 Filed 1–24–11; 8:45 am]
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4393
Postal Regulatory Commission.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Commission is noticing a
recently-filed Postal Service request to
add a Discover Financial Services
negotiated service agreement to the
market dominant product list. This
notice addresses procedural steps
associated with this filing.
DATES: Comments are due: February 7,
2011.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments
electronically via the Commission’s
Filing Online system at https://
www.prc.gov. Commenters who cannot
submit their views electronically should
contact the person identified in FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT by
telephone for advice on alternatives to
electronic filing.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Stephen L. Sharfman, General Counsel,
stephen.sharfman@prc.gov or 202–789–
6820.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
I. Introduction
II. Notice of Filing
III. Ordering Paragraphs
I. Introduction
On January 14, 2011, the Postal
Service filed a request pursuant to 39
U.S.C. 3622 and 3642, as well as 39 CFR
3010 and 3020, et seq., to add a Discover
Financial Services (DFS) negotiated
service agreement to the market
dominant product list.1
1 Notice of the United States Postal Service of
Filing Contract and Supporting Data and Request to
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Continued
25JAN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 25, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4391-4393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1479]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-317 and 50-318; NRC-2011-0004]
Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, LLC, Calvert Cliffs Nuclear
Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2; Exemption
1.0 Background
Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, LLC, the licensee, is the
holder of Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-53 and DPR-69 which
authorizes operation of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit
Nos. 1 and 2 (Calvert Cliffs). The license provides, among other
things, that the facility is subject to all rules, regulations, and
orders of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) now
or hereafter in effect.
The facility consists of two pressurized-water reactors (PWRs)
located in Calvert County, Maryland.
2.0 Request/Action
Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.46,
``Acceptance criteria for emergency core cooling systems for light-
water nuclear power reactors,'' requires, among other items, that
``[e]ach boiling or pressurized light-water nuclear power reactor
fueled with uranium oxide pellets within cylindrical zircaloy or ZIRLO
cladding must be provided with an emergency core cooling system (ECCS)
that must be designed so that its calculated cooling performance
following postulated loss-of-coolant accidents [(LOCAs)] conforms to
the criteria set forth in paragraph (b) of this section.'' Appendix K
to 10 CFR part 50, ``ECCS Evaluation Models,'' requires, among other
items, that the rate of energy release, hydrogen generation, and
cladding oxidation from the metal/water reaction shall be calculated
using the Baker-Just equation. The regulations of 10 CFR 50.46 and 10
CFR part 50, Appendix K, make no provisions for use of fuel rods clad
in a material other than zircaloy or ZIRLO.
Calvert Cliffs intends to transition from the Westinghouse Turbo 14
x 14 fuel assembly design to the AREVA Advanced CE-14 HTP fuel assembly
design beginning in 2011 for Unit No. 2 and 2012 for Unit No. 1. The
AREVA fuel design consists of low enriched uranium oxide fuel within M5
zirconium alloy cladding. Since the chemical composition of the M5
alloy differs from the specifications for zircaloy or ZIRLO, a plant-
specific exemption is required to allow the use of the M5 alloy as a
cladding material
[[Page 4392]]
or in other assembly structural components. Therefore, by letter dated
November 23, 2009, the licensee requested an exemption in order to use
M5 advanced alloy for fuel rod cladding and other assembly structural
components at Calvert Cliffs.
3.0 Discussion
Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, the Commission may, upon application by
any interested person or upon its own initiative, grant exemptions from
the requirements of 10 CFR part 50 when (1) the exemptions are
authorized by law, will not present an undue risk to public health or
safety, and are consistent with the common defense and security; and
(2) when special circumstances are present.
Authorized by Law
This exemption results in changes to the operation of the plant by
allowing the use of the M5 alloy as fuel cladding material or for other
assembly structural components in lieu of zircaloy or ZIRLO. As stated
above, 10 CFR 50.12 allows the NRC to grant exemptions from the
requirements of 10 CFR Part 50. The NRC staff has determined that
granting of the licensee's proposed exemption will not result in a
violation of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, or the
Commission's regulations. Therefore, the exemption is authorized by
law.
No Undue Risk to Public Health and Safety
The underlying purposes of 10 CFR 50.46 and 10 CFR part 50,
appendix K, are to ensure that facilities have adequate acceptance
criteria for the ECCS, and to ensure that cladding oxidation and
hydrogen generation are appropriately limited during a LOCA and
conservatively accounted for in the ECCS evaluation model,
respectively. Topical Reports (TRs) BAW-10227(P)-A, ``Evaluation of
Advanced Cladding and Structural Material (M5) in PWR Reactor Fuel,''
which was approved by the NRC in February 2000, and BAW-10240(P)-A,
``Incorporation of M5 Properties in Framatome ANP Approved Methods,''
which was approved by the NRC in May 2004, demonstrated that the
effectiveness of the ECCS will not be affected by a change from
zircaloy to M5. In addition, the TRs also demonstrated that the Baker-
Just equation (used in the ECCS evaluation model to determine the rate
of energy release, cladding oxidation, and hydrogen generation) is
conservative in all post-LOCA scenarios with respect to the use of M5
advanced alloy as a fuel rod cladding material or in other assembly
structural components. Based on the above, no new accident precursors
are created by using M5 advanced alloy, thus, the probability of
postulated accidents is not increased. Also, based on the above, the
consequences of postulated accidents are not increased. In addition,
the licensee will use NRC-approved methods for the reload design
process for Calvert Cliffs reloads with M5. Therefore, there is no
undue risk to public health and safety due to using M5.
Consistent With Common Defense and Security
The proposed exemption results in changes to the operation of the
plant by allowing the use of the M5 alloy as fuel cladding material or
in other assembly structural components in lieu of zircaloy or ZIRLO.
This change to the fuel material used in the plant has no relation to
security issues. Therefore, the common defense and security are not
impacted by this exemption request.
Special Circumstances
Special circumstances, in accordance with 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii),
are present whenever application of the regulation in the particular
circumstances would not serve the underlying purpose of the rule or is
not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the rule. In this
circumstance neither 10 CFR 50.46 nor 10 CFR part 50, appendix K,
explicitly allows the use of M5 as a fuel rod cladding material or in
use of other assembly structural components.
The underlying purpose of 10 CFR 50.46 is to ensure that facilities
have adequate acceptance criteria for the ECCS. The staff's review and
approval of TR BAW-10227(P)-A addressed all of the important aspects of
M5 with respect to ECCS Performance Requirements: (1) Applicability of
10 CFR 50.46(b) fuel acceptance criteria, (2) M5 material properties
including fuel rod ballooning and rupture strains, and (3) steam
oxidation kinetics and applicability of Baker-Just weight gain
correlation. A subsequent NRC approved TR, BAW-10240(P)-A, further
addressed M5 material properties with respect to LOCA applications.
The underlying purpose of 10 CFR part 50, appendix K, paragraph
I.A.5, is to ensure that cladding oxidation and hydrogen generation are
appropriately limited during a LOCA and conservatively accounted for in
the ECCS evaluation model. Appendix K requires that the Baker-Just
equation be used in the ECCS evaluation model to determine the rate of
energy release, cladding oxidation, and hydrogen generation. In TR BAW-
10227(P)-A, Framatome demonstrated that the Baker-Just model is
conservative in all post-LOCA scenarios with respect to the use of the
M5 advanced alloy as a fuel rod cladding material or in other assembly
structural components, and that the amount of hydrogen generated in an
M5 core during a LOCA will remain within the Calvert Cliffs design
basis.
The M5 alloy is a proprietary zirconium-based alloy comprised of
primarily zirconium (~99 percent) and niobium (~1 percent). The
elimination of tin has resulted in superior corrosion resistance and
reduced irradiation-induced growth relative to both standard zircaloy
(1.7 percent tin) and low-tin zircaloy (1.2 percent tin). The addition
of niobium increases ductility, which is desirable to avoid brittle
failures.
The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's advanced cladding
material, M5, for PWR fuel mechanical designs as described in TR BAW-
10227(P)-A. In the safety evaluation for TR BAW-10227(P)-A, the staff
concluded that, to the extent specified in the staff's evaluation, the
M5 properties and mechanical design methodology are acceptable for
referencing in fuel reload licensing applications. Therefore, since the
underlying purposes of 10 CFR 50.46 and 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix K,
Paragraph I.A.5 are achieved through the use of the M5 advanced alloy
as a fuel rod cladding material or in other assembly structural
components, the special circumstances required by 10 CFR
50.12(a)(2)(ii) for the granting of an exemption from 10 CFR 50.46 and
10 CFR part 50, Appendix K, exist.
Summary
The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's request to use the M5
advanced alloy for fuel rod cladding and in other assembly structural
components in lieu of zircaloy or ZIRLO. Based on the NRC staff's
evaluation, as set forth above, the NRC staff concludes that the
exemption is authorized by law, will not present an undue risk to
public health and safety, and is consistent with the common defense and
security. In addition, the NRC staff concludes that the underlying
purposes of 10 CFR 50.46 and 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix K, are achieved
through the use of the M5 advanced alloy. Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR
50.12(a), the NRC staff concludes that the use of the M5 advanced alloy
for fuel rod cladding and in other assembly structural components is
acceptable and the exemption from 10 CFR 50.46 and 10 CFR Part 50,
Appendix K, is justified.
[[Page 4393]]
4.0 Conclusion
Accordingly, the Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR
50.12(a), the exemption is authorized by law, will not present an undue
risk to the public health and safety, and is consistent with the common
defense and security. Also, special circumstances are present.
Therefore, the Commission hereby grants the licensee an exemption from
the requirements of 10 CFR 50.46 and 10 CFR part 50, appendix K, for
Calvert Cliffs.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that the
granting of this exemption will not have a significant impact on the
quality of the human environment (76 FR 1469); published on January 10,
2011.
This exemption is effective upon issuance.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 13th day of January 2011.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Joseph G. Giitter,
Director, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2011-1479 Filed 1-24-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P