Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Units 2 and 3; South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, 32981-32983 [2015-14206]

Download as PDF asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 111 / Wednesday, June 10, 2015 / Notices ‘‘ADAMS Public Documents’’ and then select ‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.’’ For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC’s Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1–800–397–4209, 301–415–4737, or by email to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The ADAMS accession number for each document referenced (if it available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is referenced. • NRC’s PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fred Lyon, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington DC 20555– 0001; telephone: 301–415–2296, email: Fred.Lyon@nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given that the Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, has issued a director’s decision (ADAMS Accession No. ML15128A349) on the petition filed by the petitioner on June 21, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML12180A124). The petitioner requested that the NRC revoke the license of Omaha Public Power District (OPPD, the licensee) to operate FCS. As the basis of the request, the petitioner raised the following issues: (1) Licensee event report submitted September 10, 2012, showed a support beam was not within allowable limits for stress and loading (ADAMS Accession No. ML12255A038); (2) flood protection measures at FCS are inadequate and create an ongoing, high risk danger to public safety; (3) the flood risks of the six dams upstream of FCS are either unevaluated or unresolved, and (4) the 614 primary reactor containment electrical penetration seals containing Teflon identified at FCS, a material that could degrade during design-basis accident conditions. On August 29, 2011, the petitioner participated in a teleconference with the NRC’s Petition Review Board. The meeting provided the petitioner an opportunity to provide additional information and to clarify issues cited in the petition. The transcript for that meeting is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML11256A036. The petitioner provided supplemental material in support of the petition on August 22 and 27, November 19, and December 16, 17, and 20, 2012 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML12240A099, ML12240A162, ML12250A714, ML12352A279, ML12352A221, and ML13109A240, respectively). VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:46 Jun 09, 2015 Jkt 235001 The NRC sent a copy of the proposed director’s decision to the petitioner and the licensee for comment on April 15, 2015 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML15063A047 and ML15063A050, respectively). The petitioner and the licensee were asked to provide comments within 14 days on any part of the proposed director’s decision that was considered to be erroneous or any issues in the petition that were not addressed. The staff did not receive any comments on the proposed director’s decision. The Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation has determined that the request, to revoke the operating license for FCS, be denied. The reasons for this decision are explained in the director’s decision DD–15–04 pursuant to 10 CFR 2.206 of the Commission’s regulations. The NRC will file a copy of the director’s decision with the Secretary of the Commission for the Commission’s review in accordance with 10 CFR 2.206. As provided by this regulation, the director’s decision will constitute the final action of the Commission 25 days after the date of the decision unless the Commission, on its own motion, institutes a review of the director’s decision in that time. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day of June, 2015. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Michele G. Evans, Acting Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. 2015–14207 Filed 6–9–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket Nos. 52–027 and 52–028; NRC– 2008–0441] Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Units 2 and 3; South Carolina Electric & Gas Company Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Exemption and combined license amendment; issuance. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is granting an exemption to allow a departure from the certification information of Tier 1 of the generic design control document (DCD) and issuing License Amendment No. 24 to Combined Licenses (COL), NPF–93 and NPF–94. The COLs were issued to South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G), and South Carolina Public Service Authority (the licensee), for SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00053 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 32981 construction and operation of the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station (VCSNS), Units 2 and 3 located in Fairfield County, South Carolina. The granting of the exemption allows the changes to Tier 1 information requested in the amendment. Because the acceptability of the exemption was determined in part by the acceptability of the amendment, the exemption and amendment are being issued concurrently. Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2008–0441 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You may obtain publicly-available information related to this document using any of the following methods: • Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2008–0441. Address questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301–415–3463; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. • NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may obtain publiclyavailable documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ adams.html. To begin the search, select ‘‘ADAMS Public Documents’’ and then select ‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.’’ For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC’s Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1–800–397–4209, 301–415–4737, or by email to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The ADAMS accession number for each document referenced (if it is available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is referenced. The request for the amendment and exemption was submitted by the letter dated July 17, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No. ML14202A088). The licensee supplemented this request by letters dated September 25, 2014, and January 5, 2015 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML14268A554 and ML15006A290). • NRC’s PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Denise McGovern, Office of New Reactors, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555– 0001; telephone: 301–415–0681; email: Denise.McGovern@nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ADDRESSES: E:\FR\FM\10JNN1.SGM 10JNN1 32982 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 111 / Wednesday, June 10, 2015 / Notices asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES I. Introduction The NRC is granting an exemption from Tier 1 information in the certified Design Control Document (DCD) incorporated by reference in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) part 52, appendix D, ‘‘Design Certification Rule for the AP1000 Design,’’ and issuing License Amendment No. 24 to COLs, NPF–93 and NPF–94, to the licensee. The exemption is required by Paragraph A.4 of Section VIII, ‘‘Processes for Changes and Departures,’’ appendix D to 10 CFR part 52 to allow the licensee to depart from Tier 1 information. With the requested amendment, the licensee sought proposed changes related to the design details of the containment internal structural wall modules (CA01, CA02, and CA05). The proposed changes to Tier 2 information in the VCSNS Units 2 and 3 UFSAR, and the involved plant-specific Tier 1 and corresponding combined license Appendix C information would allow the use of thicker than normal faceplates to accommodate local demand or connection loads in certain areas without the use of overlay plates or additional backup structures. Additional proposed changes to Tier 2 information and involved Tier 2* information would allow: (1) A means of connecting the structural wall modules to the base concrete through use of structural shapes, reinforcement bars, and shear studs extending horizontally from the structural module faceplates and embedded during concrete placement as an alternative to the use of embedment plates and vertically oriented reinforcement bars; (2) a variance in structural module wall thicknesses from the thicknesses identified in the VCSNS Units 2 and 3 UFSAR Figure 3.8.3–8, ‘‘Structural Modules—Typical Design Details,’’ for some walls that separate equipment spaces from personnel access areas; (3) the use of steel plates, structural shapes, reinforcement bars, or tie bars between the module faceplates, as needed to support localized loads and ensure compliance with applicable codes; (4) revision to containment internal structure (CIS) evaluations, and (5) clarification to the definition of incontainment ‘‘structural wall modules,’’ clarifying that the west wall of the Incontainment Refueling Water Storage Tank (IRWST) is not considered a ‘‘structural wall module,’’ that the CIS critical sections identified in VCSNS Units 2 and 3 UFSAR Subsection 3.8.3.5.8.1 present design summaries for VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:46 Jun 09, 2015 Jkt 235001 areas of ‘‘large’’ demand in lieu of areas of ‘‘largest’’ demand, and revising the VCSNS Units 2 and 3 UFSAR in several places to provide consistency in terminology used to identify the structural wall modules Part of the justification for granting the exemption was provided by the review of the amendment. Because the exemption is necessary in order to issue the requested license amendment, the NRC granted the exemption and issued the amendment concurrently, rather than in sequence. This included issuing a combined safety evaluation containing the NRC staff’s review of both the exemption request and the license amendment. The exemption met all applicable regulatory criteria set forth in 10 CFR 50.12, 10 CFR 52.7, and 10 CFR 52.63(b)(1). The license amendment was found to be acceptable as well. The combined safety evaluation is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML15061A205. Identical exemption documents (except for referenced unit numbers and license numbers) were issued to the licensee for VCSNS Units 2 and 3 (COLs NPF–93 and NPF–94). These documents can be found in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML15061A179 and ML15061A186, respectively. The exemption is reproduced (with the exception of abbreviated titles and additional citations) in Section II of this document. The amendment documents for COLs NPF–93 and NPF–94 are available in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML15061A169 and ML15061A176, respectively. A summary of the amendment documents is provided in Section III of this document. II. Exemption Reproduced below is the exemption document issued to VCSNS, Units 2 and 3. It makes reference to the combined safety evaluation that provides the reasoning for the findings made by the NRC (and listed under Item 1) in order to grant the exemption: 1. In a letter dated July 17, 2014 and supplemented by the letters dated September 25, 2014, and January 5, 2015, South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (licensee) requested from the NRC an exemption to allow departures from Tier 1 information in the certified Design Control Document (DCD) incorporated by reference in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) part 52, appendix D, ‘‘Design Certification Rule for the AP1000 Design,’’ as part of license amendment request (LAR) 14–05, ‘‘Containment Internal Structural Wall Module Design Details.’’ PO 00000 Frm 00054 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 For the reasons set forth in Section 3.1 of the NRC staff’s Safety Evaluation, which can be found at (ADAMS Accession Number ML15061A205), the Commission finds that: A. The exemption is authorized by law; B. the exemption presents no undue risk to public health and safety; C. the exemption is consistent with the common defense and security; D. special circumstances are present in that the application of the rule in this circumstance would not serve the underlying purpose of the rule; E. the special circumstances outweigh any decrease in safety that may result from the reduction in standardization caused by the exemption, and F. the exemption will not result in a significant decrease in the level of safety otherwise provided by the design. 2. Accordingly, the licensee is granted an exemption from the certified DCD Tier 1 Tables: 3.3–1 and 3.3–7, as described in the licensee’s request dated July 17, 2014, and supplemented by letters dated September 25, 2014, and January 5, 2015. This exemption is related to and necessary for the granting of License Amendment No. 24, which is being issued concurrently with this exemption. 3. As explained in Section 5 of the NRC staff Safety Evaluation (ADAMS Accession Number ML15061A205), this exemption meets the eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental impact statement or environmental assessment needs to be prepared in connection with the issuance of the exemption. 4. This exemption is effective as of the date of its issuance. III. License Amendment Request The request for the amendment and exemption was submitted by the letter dated July 17, 2014. The licensee supplemented this request by the letters dated September 25, 2014, and January 5, 2015. The proposed amendment is described in Section I, above. The Commission has determined for these amendments that the application complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission’s rules and regulations. The Commission has made appropriate findings as required by the Act and the Commission’s rules and regulations in 10 CFR Chapter I, which are set forth in the license amendment. A notice of consideration of issuance of amendment to facility operating license or combined license, as E:\FR\FM\10JNN1.SGM 10JNN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 111 / Wednesday, June 10, 2015 / Notices applicable, proposed no significant hazards consideration determination, and opportunity for a hearing in connection with these actions, was published in the Federal Register on February 3, 2015 (80 FR 5798). No comments were received during the 30day comment period. The NRC staff has found that the amendment involves no significant hazards consideration. The Commission has determined that these amendments satisfy the criteria for categorical exclusion in accordance with 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared for these amendments. IV. Conclusion Using the reasons set forth in the combined safety evaluation, the staff granted the exemption and issued the amendment that the licensee requested on July 17, 2014, and supplemented by the letters dated September 25, 2014, and January 5, 2015. The exemption and amendment were issued on March 12, 2015, as part of a combined package to the licensee (ADAMS Accession No. ML15061A159). Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day of June 2015. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Denise L. McGovern, Acting Chief, Licensing Branch 4, Division of New Reactor Licensing, Office of New Reactors. [FR Doc. 2015–14206 Filed 6–9–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) Meeting of the ACRS Subcommittee on Power Uprates; Notice of Meeting asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES The ACRS Subcommittee on Power Uprates will hold a meeting on June 22, 2015, Room T–2B1, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. The meeting will be open to public attendance with the exception of a portion that may be closed to protect information that is propriety pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(4). The agenda for the subject meeting shall be as follows: Monday, June 22, 2015—8:30 a.m. Until 5:00 p.m. The Subcommittee will review the Nine Mile Point Maximum Extended Load Line Limit Analysis plus (MELLLA+) application. The Subcommittee will hear presentations by and hold discussions with the VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:46 Jun 09, 2015 Jkt 235001 Constellation Energy Nuclear Group (CENG), the NRC staff, and other interested persons regarding this matter. The Subcommittee will gather information, analyze relevant issues and facts, and formulate proposed positions and actions, as appropriate, for deliberation by the Full Committee. Members of the public desiring to provide oral statements and/or written comments should notify the Designated Federal Official (DFO), Weidong Wang (Telephone 301–415–8716 or Email: Zena.Abdullahi@nrc.gov) five days prior to the meeting, if possible, so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Thirty-five hard copies of each presentation or handout should be provided to the DFO thirty minutes before the meeting. In addition, one electronic copy of each presentation should be emailed to the DFO one day before the meeting. If an electronic copy cannot be provided within this timeframe, presenters should provide the DFO with a CD containing each presentation at least thirty minutes before the meeting. Electronic recordings will be permitted only during those portions of the meeting that are open to the public. Detailed procedures for the conduct of and participation in ACRS meetings were published in the Federal Register on October 1, 2014 (79 FR 59307). Detailed meeting agendas and meeting transcripts are available on the NRC Web site at https://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/doc-collections/acrs. Information regarding topics to be discussed, changes to the agenda, whether the meeting has been canceled or rescheduled, and the time allotted to present oral statements can be obtained from the Web site cited above or by contacting the identified DFO. Moreover, in view of the possibility that the schedule for ACRS meetings may be adjusted by the Chairman as necessary to facilitate the conduct of the meeting, persons planning to attend should check with these references if such rescheduling would result in a major inconvenience. If attending this meeting, please enter through the One White Flint North building, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD. After registering with security, please contact Mr. Theron Brown (Telephone 240–888–9835) to be escorted to the meeting room. Dated: June 3, 2015. Mark L. Banks, Chief, Technical Support Branch, Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards. [FR Doc. 2015–14210 Filed 6–9–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P PO 00000 Frm 00055 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 32983 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC–2015–0144; EA–15–036] In the Matter of Issuance of a NonManufacturing and Distribution Service Provider Order Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Order imposing trustworthiness and reliability requirements for unescorted access to certain radioactive material; issuance. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued an order imposing trustworthiness and reliability requirements for unescorted access to certain radioactive material by request of a service provider licensee that is not a manufacturer or distributor. The order was issued on April 27, 2015, and became effective immediately. DATES: Effective Date: April 27, 2015. ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2015–0144 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You may obtain publicly-available information related to this document using any of the following methods: • Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2015–0144. Address questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: (301) 415–3463; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For questions about this Order, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. • NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ adams.html. To begin the search, select ‘‘ADAMS Public Documents’’ and then select ‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.’’ For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC’s Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1–800–397–4209, (301) 415–4737, or by email to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The ADAMS accession number for each document referenced in this document (if that document is available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is referenced. • NRC’s PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Smethers, Office of Nuclear SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\10JNN1.SGM 10JNN1

Agencies

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 111 (Wednesday, June 10, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32981-32983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-14206]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 52-027 and 52-028; NRC-2008-0441]

Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Units 2 and 3; South Carolina
Electric & Gas Company

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Exemption and combined license amendment; issuance.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is granting an
exemption to allow a departure from the certification information of
Tier 1 of the generic design control document (DCD) and issuing License
Amendment No. 24 to Combined Licenses (COL), NPF-93 and NPF-94. The
COLs were issued to South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G), and
South Carolina Public Service Authority (the licensee), for
construction and operation of the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station
(VCSNS), Units 2 and 3 located in Fairfield County, South Carolina.
The granting of the exemption allows the changes to Tier 1
information requested in the amendment. Because the acceptability of
the exemption was determined in part by the acceptability of the
amendment, the exemption and amendment are being issued concurrently.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2008-0441 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You
may obtain publicly-available information related to this document
using any of the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2008-0441. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of
this document.
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the
ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and
then select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS,
please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at
1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by email to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The
ADAMS accession number for each document referenced (if it is available
in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is referenced. The
request for the amendment and exemption was submitted by the letter
dated July 17, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No. ML14202A088). The licensee
supplemented this request by letters dated September 25, 2014, and
January 5, 2015 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML14268A554 and ML15006A290).
NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Denise McGovern, Office of New
Reactors, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001; telephone: 301-415-0681; email: Denise.McGovern@nrc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 32982]]

I. Introduction

The NRC is granting an exemption from Tier 1 information in the
certified Design Control Document (DCD) incorporated by reference in
Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) part 52, appendix
D, ``Design Certification Rule for the AP1000 Design,'' and issuing
License Amendment No. 24 to COLs, NPF-93 and NPF-94, to the licensee.
The exemption is required by Paragraph A.4 of Section VIII, ``Processes
for Changes and Departures,'' appendix D to 10 CFR part 52 to allow the
licensee to depart from Tier 1 information. With the requested
amendment, the licensee sought proposed changes related to the design
details of the containment internal structural wall modules (CA01,
CA02, and CA05). The proposed changes to Tier 2 information in the
VCSNS Units 2 and 3 UFSAR, and the involved plant-specific Tier 1 and
corresponding combined license Appendix C information would allow the
use of thicker than normal faceplates to accommodate local demand or
connection loads in certain areas without the use of overlay plates or
additional backup structures. Additional proposed changes to Tier 2
information and involved Tier 2* information would allow:
(1) A means of connecting the structural wall modules to the base
concrete through use of structural shapes, reinforcement bars, and
shear studs extending horizontally from the structural module
faceplates and embedded during concrete placement as an alternative to
the use of embedment plates and vertically oriented reinforcement bars;
(2) a variance in structural module wall thicknesses from the
thicknesses identified in the VCSNS Units 2 and 3 UFSAR Figure 3.8.3-8,
``Structural Modules--Typical Design Details,'' for some walls that
separate equipment spaces from personnel access areas;
(3) the use of steel plates, structural shapes, reinforcement bars,
or tie bars between the module faceplates, as needed to support
localized loads and ensure compliance with applicable codes;
(4) revision to containment internal structure (CIS) evaluations,
and
(5) clarification to the definition of in-containment ``structural
wall modules,'' clarifying that the west wall of the In-containment
Refueling Water Storage Tank (IRWST) is not considered a ``structural
wall module,'' that the CIS critical sections identified in VCSNS Units
2 and 3 UFSAR Subsection 3.8.3.5.8.1 present design summaries for areas
of ``large'' demand in lieu of areas of ``largest'' demand, and
revising the VCSNS Units 2 and 3 UFSAR in several places to provide
consistency in terminology used to identify the structural wall modules
Part of the justification for granting the exemption was provided
by the review of the amendment. Because the exemption is necessary in
order to issue the requested license amendment, the NRC granted the
exemption and issued the amendment concurrently, rather than in
sequence. This included issuing a combined safety evaluation containing
the NRC staff's review of both the exemption request and the license
amendment. The exemption met all applicable regulatory criteria set
forth in 10 CFR 50.12, 10 CFR 52.7, and 10 CFR 52.63(b)(1). The license
amendment was found to be acceptable as well. The combined safety
evaluation is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML15061A205.
Identical exemption documents (except for referenced unit numbers
and license numbers) were issued to the licensee for VCSNS Units 2 and
3 (COLs NPF-93 and NPF-94). These documents can be found in ADAMS under
Accession Nos. ML15061A179 and ML15061A186, respectively. The exemption
is reproduced (with the exception of abbreviated titles and additional
citations) in Section II of this document. The amendment documents for
COLs NPF-93 and NPF-94 are available in ADAMS under Accession Nos.
ML15061A169 and ML15061A176, respectively. A summary of the amendment
documents is provided in Section III of this document.

II. Exemption

Reproduced below is the exemption document issued to VCSNS, Units 2
and 3. It makes reference to the combined safety evaluation that
provides the reasoning for the findings made by the NRC (and listed
under Item 1) in order to grant the exemption:
1. In a letter dated July 17, 2014 and supplemented by the letters
dated September 25, 2014, and January 5, 2015, South Carolina Electric
& Gas Company (licensee) requested from the NRC an exemption to allow
departures from Tier 1 information in the certified Design Control
Document (DCD) incorporated by reference in Title 10 of the Code of
Federal Regulations (10 CFR) part 52, appendix D, ``Design
Certification Rule for the AP1000 Design,'' as part of license
amendment request (LAR) 14-05, ``Containment Internal Structural Wall
Module Design Details.''
For the reasons set forth in Section 3.1 of the NRC staff's Safety
Evaluation, which can be found at (ADAMS Accession Number ML15061A205),
the Commission finds that:
A. The exemption is authorized by law;
B. the exemption presents no undue risk to public health and
safety;
C. the exemption is consistent with the common defense and
security;
D. special circumstances are present in that the application of the
rule in this circumstance would not serve the underlying purpose of the
rule;
E. the special circumstances outweigh any decrease in safety that
may result from the reduction in standardization caused by the
exemption, and
F. the exemption will not result in a significant decrease in the
level of safety otherwise provided by the design.
2. Accordingly, the licensee is granted an exemption from the
certified DCD Tier 1 Tables: 3.3-1 and 3.3-7, as described in the
licensee's request dated July 17, 2014, and supplemented by letters
dated September 25, 2014, and January 5, 2015. This exemption is
related to and necessary for the granting of License Amendment No. 24,
which is being issued concurrently with this exemption.
3. As explained in Section 5 of the NRC staff Safety Evaluation
(ADAMS Accession Number ML15061A205), this exemption meets the
eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR
51.22(c)(9). Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental
impact statement or environmental assessment needs to be prepared in
connection with the issuance of the exemption.
4. This exemption is effective as of the date of its issuance.

III. License Amendment Request

The request for the amendment and exemption was submitted by the
letter dated July 17, 2014. The licensee supplemented this request by
the letters dated September 25, 2014, and January 5, 2015. The proposed
amendment is described in Section I, above.
The Commission has determined for these amendments that the
application complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic
Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's rules
and regulations. The Commission has made appropriate findings as
required by the Act and the Commission's rules and regulations in 10
CFR Chapter I, which are set forth in the license amendment.
A notice of consideration of issuance of amendment to facility
operating license or combined license, as

[[Page 32983]]

applicable, proposed no significant hazards consideration
determination, and opportunity for a hearing in connection with these
actions, was published in the Federal Register on February 3, 2015 (80
FR 5798). No comments were received during the 30-day comment period.
The NRC staff has found that the amendment involves no significant
hazards consideration. The Commission has determined that these
amendments satisfy the criteria for categorical exclusion in accordance
with 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no
environmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be
prepared for these amendments.

IV. Conclusion

Using the reasons set forth in the combined safety evaluation, the
staff granted the exemption and issued the amendment that the licensee
requested on July 17, 2014, and supplemented by the letters dated
September 25, 2014, and January 5, 2015. The exemption and amendment
were issued on March 12, 2015, as part of a combined package to the
licensee (ADAMS Accession No. ML15061A159).

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day of June 2015.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Denise L. McGovern,
Acting Chief, Licensing Branch 4, Division of New Reactor Licensing,
Office of New Reactors.
[FR Doc. 2015-14206 Filed 6-9-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

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