South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, South Carolina Public Service Authority; Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Units 2 and 3; Radiologically Controlled Area Ventilation System, 96048-96050 [2016-31591]

Download as PDF 96048 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 250 / Thursday, December 29, 2016 / Notices become redundant to continue to publish abbreviated notices for these in the Federal Register. Hereafter, we will suspend the use of these notices to announce funding opportunities, and continue to post the full text of FOAs at https://www.grants.gov and on our own Web site. The increasing use of https:// www.grants.gov as a funding opportunity portal will allow the public to still have access to the complete application package and other details regarding the FOA. Portia Wu, Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training Administration. [FR Doc. 2016–31434 Filed 12–28–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510–FM–P NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION [NARA–2017–013] Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: NARA is giving public notice that it has submitted to OMB for approval the information collection described in this notice. We invite you to comment on the proposed information collection pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. DATES: OMB must receive written comments at the address below on or before February 27, 2017. ADDRESSES: Send comments to Mr. Nicholas A. Fraser, desk officer for NARA, by mail at Office of Management and Budget; New Executive Office Building; Washington, DC 20503; by fax at 202–395–5167; or by email at Nicholas_A._Fraser@omb.eop.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Tamee Fechhelm by telephone at 301–837–1694 or fax at 301–713– 7409 with requests for additional information or copies of the proposed information collection and supporting statement. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13), NARA invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed information collections. We published a notice of proposed collection notice for this information collection on October 4, 2016 (81 FR 68459–60); and we received no comments. We have therefore submitted the described asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:41 Dec 28, 2016 Jkt 241001 information collection to OMB for approval. In response to this notice, comments and suggestions should address one or more of the following points: (a) Whether the proposed information collection is necessary for NARA to properly perform its functions; (b) NARA’s estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection and its accuracy; (c) ways NARA could enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information it collects; (d) ways NARA could minimize the burden on respondents of collecting the information, including the through information technology; and (e) whether the collection affects small businesses. In this notice, NARA solicits comments concerning the following information collection: Title: Limited Facility Report. OMB number: 3095–00XX. Agency form number: NA Form 16016. Type of review: Regular. Affected public: Not-for-profit institutions. Estimated number of respondents: 75. Estimated time per response: 60 minutes. Frequency of response: On occasion. Estimated total annual burden hours: 75 hours. Abstract: NARA administers the National Archives Traveling Exhibits Service (NATES) in accordance with 44 U.S.C. 2108–9 to present exhibitions of our holdings and to enter into agreements with other organizations under 44 U.S.C. 2305 for support of such exhibitions. NARA developed NA Form 16016, Limited Facility Report, to serve as an application for exhibits and to gather information from applicants on a proposed venue’s facility and environmental conditions. We provide a copy of the form, requirements for exhibition security, and regulations to the applicant. NARA needs the information contained on this form to determine whether the proposed facility meets the criteria under NARA Directive 1612, Exhibition Loans and Traveling Exhibitions, and whether to grant the application for an exhibit. Swarnali Haldar, Executive for Information Services/CIO. [FR Doc. 2016–31453 Filed 12–28–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7515–01–P PO 00000 Frm 00093 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket Nos. 52–027 and 52–028; NRC– 2008–0441] South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, South Carolina Public Service Authority; Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Units 2 and 3; Radiologically Controlled Area Ventilation System Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Exemption and combined license amendment; issuance. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an exemption to allow a departure from the certification information of Tier 1 of the generic design control document (DCD) and is issuing License Amendment No. 53 to Combined Licenses (COLs), NPF– 93 and NPF–94. The COLs were issued to South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, (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 issuance 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. SUMMARY: The exemption was issued on October 31, 2016. 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 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, DATES: E:\FR\FM\29DEN1.SGM 29DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 250 / Thursday, December 29, 2016 / Notices amendment. The exemption met all applicable regulatory criteria set forth in 10 CFR 50.12, 10 CFR 52.7, and Section VIII.A.4 of Appendix D to 10 CFR part 52. The license amendment was also found to be acceptable. The combined safety evaluation is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML16273A324. 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). The exemption documents for VCSNS Units 2 and 3 can be found in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML16273A305 and ML16273A312, 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. ML16273A272 and ML16273A290, respectively. A summary of the amendment documents is provided in Section III of this document. I. Introduction asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 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 it is mentioned in this document. The request for the amendment and exemption was submitted by letter dated December 17, 2015 (ADAMS Accession No. ML15351A165) and it was supplemented by letter dated September 6, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16250A721). • 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: William Gleaves, Office of New Reactors, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555– 0001; telephone: 301–415–5848; email: Bill.Gleaves@nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: II. Exemption Reproduced below is the exemption document issued to Summer Units 2 and Unit 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 December 17, 2015, as supplemented by letter dated September 6, 2016, the licensee requested from the Commission an exemption to allow changes to plantspecific Tier 1 information from the certified AP1000 DCD that was incorporated by reference in 10 CFR part 52, Appendix D, as part of license amendment request 15–15, ‘‘Radiologically Controlled Area Ventilation System (VAS) Design Changes.’’ For the reasons set forth in Section 3.1, of the NRC staff’s Safety Evaluation that supports this license amendment, which can be found in ADAMS under Accession No. ML16273A324, 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 is not necessary to 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 The NRC is issuing an exemption from Paragraph B of Section III, ‘‘Scope and Contents,’’ of Appendix D, ‘‘Design Certification Rule for the AP1000,’’ to part 52 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), and issuing License Amendment No. 53 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 to the Updated Final Safety Analysis Report in the form of departures from the incorporated plant-specific Design Control Document Tier 2 information. The proposed amendment also involves related changes to plant-specific Tier 1 information, with corresponding changes to the associated COL Appendix C information. Specifically, the licensee requested changes to the Radiologically Controlled Area Ventilation System configuration and equipment list. 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 VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:41 Dec 28, 2016 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00094 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 96049 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 AP1000 DCD Tier 1 information, as described in the licensee’s request dated December 17, 2015, as supplemented by letter dated September 6, 2016. This exemption is related to, and necessary for, the granting of License Amendment No. 53, which is being issued concurrently with this exemption. 3. As explained in Section 5 of the NRC staff’s Safety Evaluation that supports this license amendment, 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 By letter dated December 17, 2015, as supplemented by letter dated September 6, 2016, the licensee requested that the NRC amend the COLs for VCSNS, Units 2 and 3, COLs NPF–93 and NPF–94. The proposed amendment is described in Section I of this Federal Register notice. 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 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 16, 2016 (81 FR 7840). No comments were received during the 30day comment period. The Commission has determined that these amendments satisfy the criteria for categorical exclusion in accordance with 10 CFR 51.22. 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 E:\FR\FM\29DEN1.SGM 29DEN1 96050 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 250 / Thursday, December 29, 2016 / Notices granted the exemption and issued the amendment that the licensee requested on December 17, 2015 and supplemented on September 6, 2016. The exemption and amendment were issued on October 31, 2016 as part of a combined package to the licensee (ADAMS Accession No. ML16273A142). Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 19th day of December 2016. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Brian Hughes, Acting Chief, Licensing Branch 4, Division of New Reactor Licensing, Office of New Reactors. [FR Doc. 2016–31591 Filed 12–28–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC–2015–0153] Acceptance of Commercial-Grade Design and Analysis Computer Programs for Nuclear Power Plants Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Regulatory Guide; issuance. AGENCY: asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:41 Dec 28, 2016 Jkt 241001 Greg Galletti, Office of New Reactors, telephone: 301–415–1831; email: greg.galletti@nrc.gov; and Stephen Burton, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, telephone: 301–415–7000; email: Stephen.Burton@nrc.gov. Both are staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555– 0001. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing Revision 0 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.231, ‘‘Acceptance of Commercial-Grade Design and Analysis Computer Programs for Nuclear Power Plants.’’ This RG describes methods that the NRC considers acceptable in meeting regulatory requirements for acceptance and dedication of commercial-grade design and analysis computer programs used in safety-related applications for nuclear power plants. DATES: Revision 0 to RG 1.231 is available on December 29, 2016. ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2015–0153 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You may obtain publically-available information related to this document, using the following methods: • Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2016–0153. Address questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301–415–3463; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individuals 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 Document collection at SUMMARY: 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 notice (if that document is available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is referenced. Revision 0 to Regulatory Guide 1.231, and the regulatory analysis may be found in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML16126A183 and ML16126A181 respectively. • 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. Regulatory guides are not copyrighted, and the NRC’s approval is not required to reproduce them. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction The NRC is issuing a new guide in the NRC’s ‘‘Regulatory Guide’’ series. This series was developed to describe and make available to the public information regarding methods that are acceptable to the NRC for implementing specific parts of the agency’s regulations, techniques that the NRC uses in evaluating specific issues or postulated events, and data that the NRC needs in its review of applications for permits and licenses. Revision 0 of RG 1.231 was issued with a temporary identification of Draft Regulatory Guide, DG–1305. This RG is being issued to endorse Revision 1 of EPRI Technical Report 1025243, ‘‘Plant Engineering: Guideline for the Acceptance of Commercial-Grade Design and Analysis Computer Programs Used in Nuclear SafetyRelated Applications,’’ with respect to acceptance of commercial-grade design and analysis computer programs associated with basic components for nuclear power plants. PO 00000 Frm 00095 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 II. Additional Information The NRC published a notice of the availability of DG–1305 in the Federal Register on July 1, 2015, (80 FR 37666) for a 60-day public comment period. The public comment period closed on August 31, 2015. Public comments on DG–1305 and the NRC’s responses to the public comments are available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML16126A179. III. Congressional Review Act This regulatory guide is a rule as defined in the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801–808). However, the Office of Management and Budget has not found it to be a major rule as defined in the Congressional Review Act. IV. Backfitting and Issue Finality This regulatory guide describes acceptable methods for meeting the dedication requirements in part 21 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) and § 50.55(e) with respect to design and analysis computer programs for nuclear power plants. The regulatory guide, does not constitute backfitting as defined in 10 CFR 50.109 (the Backfit Rule) and is not otherwise inconsistent with the issue finality provisions in 10 CFR part 52, ‘‘Licenses, Certifications and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants.’’ This regulatory guide, if finalized, represents the first NRC guidance on this subject. Issuance of new guidance, by itself, does not represent backfitting unless the NRC intends to impose the guidance on existing licensees and currentlyapproved design certification rules issued under 10 CFR part 52. The NRC does not have such an intention. Existing licensees and applicants of final design certification rules will not be required to comply with the positions set forth in this regulatory guide, unless the licensee or design certification rule applicant seeks a voluntary change to its licensing basis with respect to safety-related power operated valve actuators, and where the NRC determines that the safety review must include consideration of the qualification of the valve actuators. Further information on the NRC’s use of the regulatory guide, is contained in the regulatory guide under Section D. Implementation. Applicants and potential applicants are not, with certain exceptions, protected by either the Backfit Rule or any issue finality provisions under 10 CFR part 52. Neither the Backfit Rule nor the issue finality provisions under 10 CFR part 52—with certain exclusions E:\FR\FM\29DEN1.SGM 29DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 250 (Thursday, December 29, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 96048-96050]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-31591]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

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


South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, South Carolina Public 
Service Authority; Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Units 2 and 3; 
Radiologically Controlled Area Ventilation System

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Exemption and combined license amendment; issuance.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an 
exemption to allow a departure from the certification information of 
Tier 1 of the generic design control document (DCD) and is issuing 
License Amendment No. 53 to Combined Licenses (COLs), NPF-93 and NPF-
94. The COLs were issued to South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, (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 issuance 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.

DATES: The exemption was issued on October 31, 2016.

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,

[[Page 96049]]

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 it is mentioned in this 
document. The request for the amendment and exemption was submitted by 
letter dated December 17, 2015 (ADAMS Accession No. ML15351A165) and it 
was supplemented by letter dated September 6, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML16250A721).
     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: William Gleaves, Office of New 
Reactors, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001; telephone: 301-415-5848; email: Bill.Gleaves@nrc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction

    The NRC is issuing an exemption from Paragraph B of Section III, 
``Scope and Contents,'' of Appendix D, ``Design Certification Rule for 
the AP1000,'' to part 52 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 
(10 CFR), and issuing License Amendment No. 53 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 to 
the Updated Final Safety Analysis Report in the form of departures from 
the incorporated plant-specific Design Control Document Tier 2 
information. The proposed amendment also involves related changes to 
plant-specific Tier 1 information, with corresponding changes to the 
associated COL Appendix C information. Specifically, the licensee 
requested changes to the Radiologically Controlled Area Ventilation 
System configuration and equipment list.
    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 Section VIII.A.4 of Appendix D 
to 10 CFR part 52. The license amendment was also found to be 
acceptable. The combined safety evaluation is available in ADAMS under 
Accession No. ML16273A324.
    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). The exemption documents for VCSNS Units 2 
and 3 can be found in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML16273A305 and 
ML16273A312, 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. ML16273A272 and 
ML16273A290, 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 Summer Units 2 
and Unit 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 December 17, 2015, as supplemented by letter 
dated September 6, 2016, the licensee requested from the Commission an 
exemption to allow changes to plant-specific Tier 1 information from 
the certified AP1000 DCD that was incorporated by reference in 10 CFR 
part 52, Appendix D, as part of license amendment request 15-15, 
``Radiologically Controlled Area Ventilation System (VAS) Design 
Changes.''
    For the reasons set forth in Section 3.1, of the NRC staff's Safety 
Evaluation that supports this license amendment, which can be found in 
ADAMS under Accession No. ML16273A324, 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 is not necessary to 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 AP1000 DCD Tier 1 information, as described in the licensee's 
request dated December 17, 2015, as supplemented by letter dated 
September 6, 2016. This exemption is related to, and necessary for, the 
granting of License Amendment No. 53, which is being issued 
concurrently with this exemption.
    3. As explained in Section 5 of the NRC staff's Safety Evaluation 
that supports this license amendment, 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

    By letter dated December 17, 2015, as supplemented by letter dated 
September 6, 2016, the licensee requested that the NRC amend the COLs 
for VCSNS, Units 2 and 3, COLs NPF-93 and NPF-94. The proposed 
amendment is described in Section I of this Federal Register notice.
    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 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 16, 2016 (81 FR 7840). No comments were received 
during the 30-day comment period.
    The Commission has determined that these amendments satisfy the 
criteria for categorical exclusion in accordance with 10 CFR 51.22. 
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

[[Page 96050]]

granted the exemption and issued the amendment that the licensee 
requested on December 17, 2015 and supplemented on September 6, 2016.
    The exemption and amendment were issued on October 31, 2016 as part 
of a combined package to the licensee (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML16273A142).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 19th day of December 2016.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Brian Hughes,
Acting Chief, Licensing Branch 4, Division of New Reactor Licensing, 
Office of New Reactors.
[FR Doc. 2016-31591 Filed 12-28-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
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