Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.; Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units 3 and 4 Main Control Room Emergency Habitability System Changes, 24511-24513 [2018-11459]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 103 / Tuesday, May 29, 2018 / Notices the Commission is able to ensure consideration only for comments received on or before this date. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods: • Federal Rulemaking website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2018–0092. Address questions about NRC dockets to Jennifer Borges; telephone: 301–287–9127; email: Jennifer.Borges@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. • Mail comments to: May Ma, Office of Administration, Mail Stop: TWFN 7– A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555– 0001. For additional direction on obtaining information and submitting comments, see ‘‘Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments’’ in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis Gordon, Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, telephone: 301–287–3633, email: Dennis.Gordon@nrc.gov and Mekonen Bayssie, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research; telephone: 301–415–1699, email: Mekonen.Bayssie@nrc.gov. Both are staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555– 0001. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments A. Obtaining Information Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2018– 0092 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information regarding this action. You may obtain publicallyavailable information related to this action, by any of the following methods: • Federal Rulemaking website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2018–0092. • 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. DG–5048 is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML17124A490. • NRC’s PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:39 May 25, 2018 Jkt 244001 the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. B. Submitting Comments Please include Docket ID NRC–2018– 0092 in your comment submission. The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact information that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your comment submission. The NRC will post all comment submissions at https:// www.regulations.gov as well as enters the comment submissions into ADAMS. The NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove identifying or contact information. If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove such information before making the comment submissions available to the public or entering the comment submissions into ADAMS. II. Background On May 14, 2018 (83 FR 22297), the NRC solicited comments on DG–5048, ‘‘Standard Format and Content of Physical Security Plans, Training and Qualifications Plans, and Safeguards Contingency Plans for Nuclear Power Plants’’ (ADAMS Accession No. ML17124A490). The public comment period was originally scheduled to end on July 13, 2018. On May 14, 2018, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) requested that the comment period be extended, stating that ‘‘the change would allow NEI and its members’ sufficient time to perform a thorough review of the document consistent with other work priorities’’ (ADAMS Accesion No. ML18136A546). The NRC agreed to the request because of the length and comprehensiveness of this DG. Accordingly, the NRC is extending the public comment period on this document until August 13, 2018, to allow more time for members of the public to submit their comments. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 23rd day of May, 2018. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Thomas H. Boyce, Chief, Regulatory Guidance and Generic Issues Branch, Division of Engineering, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. [FR Doc. 2018–11460 Filed 5–25–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P PO 00000 Frm 00055 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 24511 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket Nos. 52–025 and 52–026; NRC– 2008–0252] Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.; Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units 3 and 4 Main Control Room Emergency Habitability System Changes Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Exemption and combined license amendment; issuance. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued an exemption to allow a departure from the certification information of Tier 1 of the generic design control document and issued License Amendment Nos. 108 and 107 to Combined License (COL) Nos. NPF–91 and NPF–92, respectively. The COLs were issued to Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., and Georgia Power Company; Oglethorpe Power Corporation; MEAG Power SPVM, LLC; MEAG Power SPVJ, LLC; MEAG Power SPVP, LLC; and the City of Dalton, Georgia (the licensee), for construction and operation of the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP), Units 3 and 4, located in Burke County, Georgia. The granting of the exemption allows the changes to Tier 1 information asked for 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 and amendment were issued on February 1, 2018. ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2008–0252 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 website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2008–0252. Address questions about NRC dockets to Jennifer Borges telephone: 301–287–9127; email: Jennifer.Borges@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 DATES: E:\FR\FM\29MYN1.SGM 29MYN1 24512 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 103 / Tuesday, May 29, 2018 / Notices daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with 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 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 May 9, 2017 (ADAMS Accession No. ML17129A608), as supplemented by letter dated September 15, 2017 (ADAMS Accession No. ML17258B211). • 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: Chandu Patel, Office of New Reactors, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–0001; telephone: 301–415–3025; email: Chandu.Patel@ nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: license amendment. The exemption met all applicable regulatory criteria set forth in sections 50.12 and 52.7 of 10 CFR, and section VIII.A.4 of appendix D to 10 CFR part 52. The license amendment was found to be acceptable as well. The combined safety evaluation is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML18011A894. Identical exemption documents (except for referenced unit numbers and license numbers) were issued to the licensee for VEGP, Units 3 and 4 (COL Nos. NPF–91 and NPF–92). The exemption documents for VEGP, Units 3 and 4, can be found in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML18011A888 and ML18011A889, respectively. The exemption is reproduced (with the exception of abbreviated titles and additional citations) in Section II of this document. The amendment documents for COL Nos. NPF–91 and NPF–92 are available in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML18011A890 and ML18011A891, respectively. A summary of the amendment documents is provided in Section III of this document. I. Background The NRC is granting 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 Nos. 108 and 107 to COL Nos. NPF–91 and NPF–92, respectively, 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 Updated Final Safety Analysis Report Tier 2 information and plant-specific Tier 1 information, with corresponding changes to COL Appendix C. Specifically, the changes revise the licensing basis information to reflect design changes to the main control room emergency habitability system to address the main control room envelope temperature response. Part of the justification for granting the exemption was provided by the review of the amendment. Because the exemption was 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 Reproduced below is the exemption document issued to VEGP, Units 3 and Unit 4. 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 May 9, 2017, as supplemented by letter dated September 15, 2017, Southern Nuclear Operating Company requested from the Commission an exemption to allow departures from Tier 1 information in the certified design control document incorporated by reference in 10 CFR part 52, appendix D, as part of license amendment request 17–001, ‘‘Main Control Room Emergency Habitability System Changes to Satisfy PostActuation Performance Requirements.’’ For the reasons set forth in Section 3.1 of the NRC staff’s safety evaluation, 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 VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:39 May 25, 2018 Jkt 244001 II. Exemption PO 00000 Frm 00056 Fmt 4703 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 design control document Tier 1 information, with corresponding changes to Appendix C of the Facility Combined License, as described in the request dated May 9, 2017, as supplemented by letter dated September 15, 2017. This exemption is related to, and necessary for the granting of License Amendment No. 108 [for Unit 3 and No. 107 for Unit 4], which is being issued concurrently with this exemption. 3. As explained in Section 5.0 of the NRC staff’s safety evaluation, 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 Sfmt 4703 By letter dated May 9, 2017, as supplemented by letter dated September 15, 2017, the licensee requested that the NRC amend the COLs for VEGP, Units 3 and 4, COL Nos. NPF–91 and NPF–92. 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 COL, 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 July 18, 2017 (82 FR 32884). 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. E:\FR\FM\29MYN1.SGM 29MYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 103 / Tuesday, May 29, 2018 / Notices IV. Conclusion Using the reasons set forth in the combined safety evaluation, the staff granted the exemptions and issued the amendments that the licensee requested on May 9, 2017, as supplemented by letter dated September 15, 2017. The exemptions and amendments were issued on February 1, 2018, as part of a combined package to the licensee (ADAMS Accession No. ML18011A885). Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 23rd day of May, 2018. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Paul B. Kallan, Acting Branch Chief, Licensing Branch 4, Division of New Reactor Licensing, Office of New Reactors. [FR Doc. 2018–11459 Filed 5–25–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC–2017–0205] Instructions for Recording and Reporting Occupational Radiation Dose Data Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Regulatory guide; issuance. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing Revision 4 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 8.7, ‘‘Instructions for Recording and Reporting Occupational Radiation Dose Data.’’ Revision 4 addresses issues that were identified after Revision 3 was issued in December 2016. Revision 4 reinstates the long-standing staff position concerning a licensee’s consideration of prior occupational dose when making prospective occupational dose monitoring determinations. Revision 4 retains the guidance from Revision 3 on completing NRC Form 4, ‘‘Cumulative Occupational Dose History,’’ and NRC Form 5, ‘‘Occupational Dose Record for a Monitoring Period.’’ DATES: Revision 4 to RG 8.7 is available on May 29, 2018. ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2017–0205 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 website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2017–0205. Address questions about NRC dockets to Jennifer Borges; telephone: 301–287–9127; email: Jennifer.Borges@nrc.gov. For daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:39 May 25, 2018 Jkt 244001 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 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 it is available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that it is mentioned in this document. Revision 4 to RG 8.7 and the regulatory analysis may be found in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML17221A245 and ML17152A299, 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. RGs are not copyrighted, and NRC approval is not required to reproduce them. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harriet Karagiannis, telephone: 301– 415–2493, email: Harriet.Karagiannis@ nrc.gov or Minh-Thuy Nguyen, telephone: 301–415–5163; email: MinhThuy.Nguyen@nrc.gov. Both are staff of the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555– 0001. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction The NRC is issuing a revision to an existing 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 staff for implementing specific parts of the NRC’s regulations, techniques that the NRC staff uses in evaluating specific issues or postulated events, and data that the NRC staff needs in its review of applications for permits and licenses. Revision 4 of RG 8.7 was issued with a temporary identification of Draft Regulatory Guide, DG–8056, to address issues identified by the NRC staff and other stakeholders subsequent to the issuance of RG 8.7, Revision 3, on December 8, 2016 (81 FR 88710). PO 00000 Frm 00057 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 24513 Revision 3 modified a staff position regarding the consideration of prior occupational dose and whether that should be a factor in licensee occupational monitoring determinations in accordance with section 20.1502 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR). After issuing Revision 3, the Nuclear Energy Institute submitted a letter to the NRC under ADAMS Package Accession No. ML18138A166 stating that Revision 3 requires licensees to consider exposures received by employees during prior employment at a different facility when determining whether monitoring is required pursuant to 10 CFR 20.1502, which was a change in agency position from: (1) The staff position that was in both Revisions 1 and 2 of RG 8.7, (2) the staff position that is in RG 8.34, ‘‘Monitoring Criteria and Methods to Calculate Occupational Radiation Doses,’’ and (3) over two decades of industry practice developed in accordance with these staff positions. The NRC staff decided to issue Revision 4 to RG 8.7 to address the monitoring issues that were identified after Revision 3 was issued. The staff, however, is not rescinding Revision 3 because it allows a more conservative option for those licensees who want to consider prior occupational dose when making 10 CFR 20.1502 determinations. Revision 4 also retains the guidance from Revision 3 on completing NRC Form 4 and NRC Form 5. II. Additional Information DG–8056 was published in the Federal Register on October 16, 2017 (82 FR 48125) for a 60-day public comment period. The public comment period closed on December 15, 2017. Responses to comments received on DG–8056 are available under ADAMS Accession No. ML17221A246. III. Congressional Review Act This RG 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 This RG addresses compliance with the NRC’s requirements in 10 CFR part 20 to record and report an individual’s cumulative occupational dose history and the occupational dose received by an individual for a specific monitoring period. The NRC regards these requirements as constituting information collection and reporting requirements. The NRC has long taken the position that information collection E:\FR\FM\29MYN1.SGM 29MYN1

Agencies

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 29, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24511-24513]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11459]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 52-025 and 52-026; NRC-2008-0252]


Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.; Vogtle Electric 
Generating Plant, Units 3 and 4 Main Control Room Emergency 
Habitability System Changes

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Exemption and combined license amendment; issuance.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued an 
exemption to allow a departure from the certification information of 
Tier 1 of the generic design control document and issued License 
Amendment Nos. 108 and 107 to Combined License (COL) Nos. NPF-91 and 
NPF-92, respectively. The COLs were issued to Southern Nuclear 
Operating Company, Inc., and Georgia Power Company; Oglethorpe Power 
Corporation; MEAG Power SPVM, LLC; MEAG Power SPVJ, LLC; MEAG Power 
SPVP, LLC; and the City of Dalton, Georgia (the licensee), for 
construction and operation of the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant 
(VEGP), Units 3 and 4, located in Burke County, Georgia.
    The granting of the exemption allows the changes to Tier 1 
information asked for 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 and amendment were issued on February 1, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2008-0252 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 website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2008-0252. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Jennifer Borges telephone: 301-287-9127; 
email: [email protected]. 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

[[Page 24512]]

``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 [email protected]. 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 May 9, 2017 
(ADAMS Accession No. ML17129A608), as supplemented by letter dated 
September 15, 2017 (ADAMS Accession No. ML17258B211).
     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: Chandu Patel, Office of New Reactors, 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; 
telephone: 301-415-3025; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The NRC is granting 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 Nos. 108 and 107 to COL Nos. 
NPF-91 and NPF-92, respectively, 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 Updated Final Safety Analysis 
Report Tier 2 information and plant-specific Tier 1 information, with 
corresponding changes to COL Appendix C. Specifically, the changes 
revise the licensing basis information to reflect design changes to the 
main control room emergency habitability system to address the main 
control room envelope temperature response.
    Part of the justification for granting the exemption was provided 
by the review of the amendment. Because the exemption was 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 sections 50.12 and 52.7 of 10 CFR, and section VIII.A.4 of 
appendix D to 10 CFR part 52. The license amendment was found to be 
acceptable as well. The combined safety evaluation is available in 
ADAMS under Accession No. ML18011A894.
    Identical exemption documents (except for referenced unit numbers 
and license numbers) were issued to the licensee for VEGP, Units 3 and 
4 (COL Nos. NPF-91 and NPF-92). The exemption documents for VEGP, Units 
3 and 4, can be found in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML18011A888 and 
ML18011A889, respectively. The exemption is reproduced (with the 
exception of abbreviated titles and additional citations) in Section II 
of this document. The amendment documents for COL Nos. NPF-91 and NPF-
92 are available in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML18011A890 and 
ML18011A891, 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 VEGP, Units 3 
and Unit 4. 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 May 9, 2017, as supplemented by letter dated 
September 15, 2017, Southern Nuclear Operating Company requested from 
the Commission an exemption to allow departures from Tier 1 information 
in the certified design control document incorporated by reference in 
10 CFR part 52, appendix D, as part of license amendment request 17-
001, ``Main Control Room Emergency Habitability System Changes to 
Satisfy Post-Actuation Performance Requirements.''
    For the reasons set forth in Section 3.1 of the NRC staff's safety 
evaluation, 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 design control document Tier 1 information, with 
corresponding changes to Appendix C of the Facility Combined License, 
as described in the request dated May 9, 2017, as supplemented by 
letter dated September 15, 2017. This exemption is related to, and 
necessary for the granting of License Amendment No. 108 [for Unit 3 and 
No. 107 for Unit 4], which is being issued concurrently with this 
exemption.
    3. As explained in Section 5.0 of the NRC staff's safety 
evaluation, 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 May 9, 2017, as supplemented by letter dated 
September 15, 2017, the licensee requested that the NRC amend the COLs 
for VEGP, Units 3 and 4, COL Nos. NPF-91 and NPF-92. 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 COL, 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 
July 18, 2017 (82 FR 32884). 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.

[[Page 24513]]

IV. Conclusion

    Using the reasons set forth in the combined safety evaluation, the 
staff granted the exemptions and issued the amendments that the 
licensee requested on May 9, 2017, as supplemented by letter dated 
September 15, 2017.
    The exemptions and amendments were issued on February 1, 2018, as 
part of a combined package to the licensee (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML18011A885).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 23rd day of May, 2018.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Paul B. Kallan,
Acting Branch Chief, Licensing Branch 4, Division of New Reactor 
Licensing, Office of New Reactors.
[FR Doc. 2018-11459 Filed 5-25-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

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