Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units 3 and 4, 47375-47379 [2018-20324]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 182 / Wednesday, September 19, 2018 / Notices
Once a participant has obtained a
digital ID certificate and a docket has
been created, the participant can then
submit a petition. Submissions should
be in Portable Document Format (PDF).
Additional guidance on PDF
submissions is available on the NRC’s
public website at https://www.nrc.gov/
site-help/electronic-sub-ref-mat.html. A
filing is considered complete at the time
the documents are submitted through
the NRC’s E-Filing system. To be timely,
an electronic filing must be submitted to
the E-Filing system no later than 11:59
p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.
Upon receipt of a transmission, the EFiling system time-stamps the document
and sends the submitter an email notice
confirming receipt of the document. The
E-Filing system also distributes an email
notice that provides access to the
document to the NRC’s Office of the
General Counsel and any others who
have advised the Office of the Secretary
that they wish to participate in the
proceeding, so that the filer need not
serve the documents on those
participants separately. Therefore,
applicants and other participants (or
their counsel or representative) must
apply for and receive a digital ID
certificate before a hearing petition to
intervene is filed so that they can obtain
access to the document via the E-Filing
system.
A person filing electronically using
the NRC’s adjudicatory E-Filing system
may seek assistance by contacting the
NRC Electronic Filing Help Desk
through the ‘‘Contact Us’’ link located
on the NRC’s public website at https://
www.nrc.gov/site-help/esubmittals.html, by email to
MSHD.Resource@nrc.gov, or by a tollfree call at 1–866–672–7640. The NRC
Electronic Filing Help Desk is available
between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., Eastern
Time, Monday through Friday,
excluding government holidays.
Participants who believe that they
have a good cause for not submitting
documents electronically must file an
exemption request, in accordance with
10 CFR 2.302(g), with their initial paper
filing stating why there is good cause for
not filing electronically and requesting
authorization to continue to submit
documents in paper format. Such filings
must be submitted by: (1) First class
mail addressed to the Office of the
Secretary of the Commission, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555–0001, Attention:
Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff; or
(2) courier, express mail, or expedited
delivery service to the Office of the
Secretary, 11555 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, Maryland, 20852, Attention:
Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff.
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Participants filing a document in this
manner are responsible for serving the
document on all other participants.
Filing is considered complete by firstclass mail as of the time of deposit in
the mail, or by courier, express mail, or
expedited delivery service upon
depositing the document with the
provider of the service. A presiding
officer, having granted an exemption
request from using E-Filing, may require
a participant or party to use E-Filing if
the presiding officer subsequently
determines that the reason for granting
the exemption from use of E-Filing no
longer exists.
Documents submitted in adjudicatory
proceedings will appear in the NRC’s
electronic hearing docket which is
available to the public at https://
adams.nrc.gov/ehd/, unless excluded
pursuant to an order of the Commission,
or the presiding officer. Participants are
requested not to include personal
privacy information, such as social
security numbers, home addresses, or
home phone numbers in their filings,
unless an NRC regulation or other law
requires submission of such
information. However, in some
instances, a request to intervene will
require including information on local
residence in order to demonstrate a
proximity assertion of interest in the
proceeding. With respect to copyrighted
works, except for limited excerpts that
serve the purpose of the adjudicatory
filings and would constitute a Fair Use
application, participants are requested
not to include copyrighted materials in
their submission.
For further details with respect to this
action, see the application for license
amendment dated August 30, 2018.
Attorney for licensee: Mr. M. Stanford
Blanton, Balch & Bingham LLP, 1710
Sixth Avenue North, Birmingham, AL
35203–2015.
NRC Branch Chief: Jennifer DixonHerrity.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day
of September 2018.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jennifer Dixon-Herrity,
Chief, Licensing Branch 4, Division of
Licensing, Siting, and Environmental
Analysis, Office of New Reactors.
[FR Doc. 2018–20322 Filed 9–18–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
PO 00000
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 052–00025 and 052–00026;
NRC–2008–0252]
Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units
3 and 4
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
AGENCY:
License amendment application;
opportunity to comment, request a
hearing, and petition for leave to
intervene.
ACTION:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an amendment and
exemption to Combined Licenses (NPF–
91 and NPF–92), issued to Southern
Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. (SNC),
Georgia Power Company, Oglethorpe
Power Corporation, MEAG Power
SPVM, LLC, MEAG Power SPVJ, LLC,
MEAG Power SPVP, LLC, Authority of
Georgia, and the City of Dalton, Georgia
(collectively, SNC), for construction and
operation of the Vogtle Electric
Generating Plant (VEGP), Units 3 and 4,
located in Burke County, Georgia.
SUMMARY:
Comments must be filed by
October 19, 2018. A request for a
hearing must be filed by November 19,
2018.
DATES:
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–2008–0252. Address
questions about Docket IDs in
Regulations.gov 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.
• Mail comments to: May Ma, Office
of Administration, Mail Stop: TWFN–7–
A60, 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.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
William (Billy) 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:
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 182 / Wednesday, September 19, 2018 / Notices
I. Obtaining Information and
Submitting Comments
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A. Obtaining Information
Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2008–
0252 when contacting the NRC about
the availability of information for this
action. You may obtain publiclyavailable 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–2008–0252.
• 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
application for amendment is dated
August 10, 2018, is available in ADAMS
under Accession No. ML18222A599.
• 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.
B. Submitting Comments
Please include Docket ID NRC–2008–
0252 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 posts all comment
submissions at https://
www.regulations.gov as well as entering
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. Introduction
The NRC is considering issuance of an
amendment to facility Combined
License Nos. NPF–91 and NPF–92,
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issued to SNC for operation of the VEGP
Units 3 and 4, located in Burke County,
Georgia.
The proposed changes would revise
the Combined Licenses to relocate the
power operated relief valve (PORV)
branch lines upstream of the main steam
safety valves in Inspections, Tests,
Analyses, and Acceptance Criteria
(ITAAC) Figure 2.2.4–1 (Sheets 1 of 2)
of the COL Appendix C. In addition to
the relocation of the PORV branch lines,
the PORV block valves would be
changed from gate valves to globe valves
in the VEGP Updated Final Safety
Analysis Report (UFSAR). The
requested amendment proposes changes
to the UFSAR in the form of departures
from the incorporated plant-specific
Design Control Document (DCD) Tier 2
information in the UFSAR and involves
changes to COL Appendix C, and
corresponding changes to plant-specific
Tier 1 information. Because, these
proposed changes require a departure
from Tier 1 information in the
Westinghouse Electric Company’s
AP1000 Design Control Document
(DCD), the licensee also requested an
exemption from the requirements of the
Generic DCD Tier 1 in accordance with
section 52.63(b)(1) of title 10 of the Code
of Federal Regulations (10 CFR).
Before any issuance of the proposed
license amendment, the NRC will need
to make the findings required by the
Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended
(the Act), and NRC’s regulations.
The NRC has made a proposed
determination that the license
amendment request involves no
significant hazards consideration. Under
the NRC’s regulations in 10 CFR 50.92,
this means that operation of the facility
in accordance with the proposed
amendment would not (1) involve a
significant increase in the probability or
consequences of an accident previously
evaluated; or (2) create the possibility of
a new or different kind of accident from
any accident previously evaluated; or
(3) involve a significant reduction in a
margin of safety. As required by 10 CFR
50.91(a), the licensee has provided its
analysis of the issue of no significant
hazards consideration, which is
presented below:
1. Does the proposed amendment involve
a significant increase in the probability or
consequences of an accident previously
evaluated?
Response: No.
The proposed changes do not affect the
operation or reliability of any system,
structure or component (SSC) required to
maintain a normal power operating condition
or to mitigate anticipated transients without
safety-related systems.
With the proposed changes, the PORV
block valves are still able to perform the
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safety-related functions of containment
isolation, steam generator isolation, and
steam generator relief isolation. There is no
change to the PORV block valves safety class
or safety-related functions.
The relocation of the branch line in which
the PORV block valves are installed in allows
the PORV block valves to be closer to the
containment penetration and maintain
compliance with General Design Criterion
(GDC) 57 for locating containment isolation
valves as close to the containment as
practical.
There is no impact to Chapter 15
evaluations. Changes to the PORV block
valve and line size do not impact the mass
releases to the atmosphere during a Steam
Generator Tube Rupture accident. The mass
release is limited by the PORV which is more
restrictive than the PORV block valve and
line size.
There is no impact to any assumed leakage
through the PORV line. The existing 12-inch
PORV has a design function to limit leakage
through the PORV line. Increasing the PORV
block valve to 12 inches will increase the
leakage through the PORV block valve
however it will be that same leakage rate as
the 12-inch PORV. Therefore, the leakage rate
through the PORV line does not increase and
there is no impact to radiation doses.
There is no impact to the assumptions or
analysis in the completed safety analysis for
radiation doses as a result of the change.
There is no impact to the conclusions of
the Pipe Rupture Hazard Analysis (PRHA)
because the PORV line is Break Exclusion
Zone (BEZ) piping. The proposed changes do
not result in any new postulated break
locations. Updated analyses confirm that the
integrity of the wall adjacent to the [main
control room] MCR is unaffected by a
postulated main steam line break that causes
the PORV line to impact the wall.
There is no change to the valve motor
operator. The current motor operator is
sufficient to operate the new 12-inch globe
valve. Therefore, there is no impact to the
Class 1E dc and UPS System (IDS) battery
sizing. There is no change to the valve stroke
time, therefore there is no impact to valve
open/closure times.
Therefore, the proposed amendment does
not involve a significant increase in the
probability or consequences of an accident
previously evaluated.
2. Does the proposed amendment create
the possibility of a new or different kind of
accident from any accident previously
evaluated?
Response: No.
The proposed changes do not affect the
operation of systems or equipment that could
initiate a new or different kind of accident,
or alter any SSC such that a new accident
initiator or initiating sequence of events is
created. With the proposed changes, the
PORV block valves are still able to perform
the safety related functions of containment
isolation, steam generator isolation, and
steam generator relief isolation. There is no
change to the PORV block valves safety class
or safety-related functions.
The relocation of the branch line in which
the PORV block valves are installed in allows
the PORV block valves to be closer to the
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containment penetration and maintain
compliance with General Design Criterion
(GDC) 57 for locating containment isolation
valves as close to the containment as
practical.
There is no impact to Chapter 15
evaluations. Changes to the PORV block
valve and line size do not impact the mass
releases to the atmosphere during a Steam
Generator Tube Rupture accident. The mass
release is limited by the PORV which is more
restrictive than the PORV block valve and
line size.
There is no impact to any assumed leakage
through the PORV line. The existing 12-inch
PORV has a design function to limit leakage
through the PORV line. Increasing the PORV
block valve to 12 inches will increase the
leakage through the PORV block valve
however it will be that same leakage rate as
the 12-inch PORV. Therefore, the leakage rate
through the PORV line does not increase and
there is no impact to radiation doses.
There is no impact to the assumptions or
analysis in the completed safety analysis for
radiation doses as a result of the change.
There is no impact to the conclusions of
the Pipe Rupture Hazard Analysis (PRHA)
because the PORV line is Break Exclusion
Zone (BEZ) piping. The proposed changes do
not result in any new postulated break
locations. Updated analyses confirm that the
integrity of the wall adjacent to the MCR is
unaffected by a postulated main steam line
break that causes the PORV line to impact the
wall.
There is no change to the valve motor
operator. The current motor operator is
sufficient to operate the new 12-inch globe
valve. Therefore, there is no impact to the
Class 1E dc and UPS System (IDS) battery
sizing. There is no change to the valve stroke
time, therefore there is no impact to valve
open/closure times.
Therefore, the proposed amendment does
not create the possibility of a new or different
kind of accident from any accident
previously evaluated.
3. Does the proposed amendment involve
a significant reduction in a margin of safety?
Response: No.
The proposed changes do not affect
existing safety margins. With the proposed
changes, the PORV block valves are still able
to perform the safety-related functions of
containment isolation, steam generator
isolation, and steam generator relief isolation.
There is no change to the PORV block valves
safety class or safety-related functions.
The relocation of the branch line in which
the PORV block valves are installed in allows
the PORV block valves to be closer to the
containment penetration and maintain
compliance with General Design Criterion
(GDC) 57 for locating containment isolation
valves as close to the containment as
practical.
There is no impact to Chapter 15
evaluations. Changes to the PORV block
valve and line size do not impact the mass
releases to the atmosphere during a Steam
Generator Tube Rupture accident. The mass
release is limited by the PORV which is more
restrictive than the PORV block valve and
line size.
There is no impact to any assumed leakage
through the PORV line. The existing 12-inch
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PORV has a design function to limit leakage
through the PORV line. Increasing the PORV
block valve to 12 inches will increase the
leakage through the PORV block valve
however it will be that same leakage rate as
the 12-inch PORV. Therefore, the leakage rate
through the PORV line does not increase and
there is no impact to radiation doses.
There is no impact to the assumptions or
analysis in the completed safety analysis for
radiation doses as a result of the change.
There is no impact to the conclusions of
the Pipe Rupture Hazard Analysis (PRHA)
because the PORV line is Break Exclusion
Zone (BEZ) piping. The proposed changes do
not result in any new postulated break
locations. Updated analyses confirm that the
integrity of the wall adjacent to the MCR is
unaffected by a postulated main steam line
break that causes the PORV line to impact the
wall.
There is no change to the valve motor
operator. The current motor operator is
sufficient to operate the new 12-inch globe
valve. Therefore, there is no impact to the
Class 1E dc and UPS System (IDS) battery
sizing. There is no change to the valve stroke
time, therefore there is no impact to valve
open/closure times.
Therefore, the proposed amendment does
not involve a significant reduction in a
margin of safety.
The NRC staff has reviewed the
licensee’s analysis and, based on this
review, it appears that the three
standards of 10 CFR 50.92(c) are
satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff
proposes to determine that the license
amendment request involves no
significant hazards consideration.
The NRC is seeking public comments
on this proposed determination that the
license amendment request involves no
significant hazards consideration. Any
comments received within 30 days after
the date of publication of this notice
will be considered in making any final
determination.
Normally, the Commission will not
issue the amendment until the
expiration of 60 days after the date of
publication of this notice. The
Commission may issue the license
amendment before expiration of the 60day notice period if the Commission
concludes the amendment involves no
significant hazards consideration. In
addition, the Commission may issue the
amendment prior to the expiration of
the 30-day comment period should
circumstances change during the 30-day
comment period such that failure to act
in a timely way would result, for
example, in derating or shutdown of the
facility. Should the Commission take
action prior to the expiration of either
the comment period or the notice
period, the Commission will publish a
notice of issuance in the Federal
Register. Should the Commission make
a final no significant hazards
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consideration determination, any
hearing will take place after issuance.
The Commission expects that the need
to take this action will occur very
infrequently.
III. Opportunity To Request a Hearing
and Petition for Leave To Intervene
Within 60 days after the date of
publication of this notice, any persons
(petitioner) whose interest may be
affected by this action may file a request
for a hearing and a petition to intervene
(petition) with respect to the action.
Petitions shall be filed in accordance
with the Commission’s ‘‘Agency Rules
of Practice and Procedure’’ in 10 CFR
part 2. Interested persons should
consult a current copy of 10 CFR 2.309,
which is available at the NRC’s PDR,
located at One White Flint North, Room
O1–F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first
floor), Rockville, Maryland 20852. The
NRC’s regulations are accessible
electronically from the NRC Library on
the NRC’s website at https://
www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/cfr/. If a petition is filed
within 60 days, the Commission or a
presiding officer designated by the
Commission or by the Chief
Administrative Judge of the Atomic
Safety and Licensing Board Panel, will
rule on the petition; and the Secretary
or the Chief Administrative Judge of the
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board
Panel will issue a notice of a hearing or
an appropriate order.
As required by 10 CFR 2.309, a
petition shall set forth with particularity
the interest of the petitioner in the
proceeding, and how that interest may
be affected by the results of the
proceeding. The petition should
specifically explain the reasons why
intervention should be permitted with
particular reference to the following
general requirements: (1) The name,
address, and telephone number of the
petitioner; (2) the nature of the
petitioner’s right under the Act to be
made a party to the proceeding; (3) the
nature and extent of the petitioner’s
property, financial, or other interest in
the proceeding; and (4) the possible
effect of any decision or order which
may be entered in the proceeding on the
petitioner’s interest. The petition must
also set forth the specific contentions
which the petitioner seeks to have
litigated at the proceeding.
Each contention must consist of a
specific statement of the issue of law or
fact to be raised or controverted. In
addition, the petitioner shall provide a
brief explanation of the bases for the
contention and a concise statement of
the alleged facts or expert opinion
which support the contention and on
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which the petitioner intends to rely in
proving the contention at the hearing.
The petitioner must also provide
references to those specific sources and
documents of which the petitioner is
aware and on which the petitioner
intends to rely to establish those facts or
expert opinion to support its position on
the issue. The petition must include
sufficient information to show that a
genuine dispute exists with the
applicant on a material issue of law or
fact. Contentions shall be limited to
matters within the scope of the
proceeding. The contention must be one
which, if proven, would entitle the
petitioner to relief. A petitioner who
fails to satisfy these requirements with
respect to at least one contention will
not be permitted to participate as a
party.
Those permitted to intervene become
parties to the proceeding, subject to any
limitations in the order granting leave to
intervene, and have the opportunity to
participate fully in the conduct of the
hearing with respect to resolution of
that person’s admitted contentions
consistent with the NRC’s regulations,
policies, and procedures.
Petitions for leave to intervene must
be filed no later than 60 days from the
date of publication of this notice.
Requests for hearing, petitions for leave
to intervene, and motions for leave to
file new or amended contentions that
are filed after the 60-day deadline will
not be entertained absent a
determination by the presiding officer
that the filing demonstrates good cause
by satisfying the three factors in 10 CFR
2.309(c)(1)(i) through (iii).
If a hearing is requested, and the
Commission has not made a final
determination on the issue of no
significant hazards consideration, the
Commission will make a final
determination on the issue of no
significant hazards consideration. The
final determination will serve to decide
when the hearing is held. If the final
determination is that the amendment
request involves no significant hazards
consideration, the Commission may
issue the amendment and make it
immediately effective, notwithstanding
the request for a hearing. Any hearing
held would take place after issuance of
the amendment. If the final
determination is that the amendment
request involves a significant hazards
consideration, then any hearing held
would take place before the issuance of
any amendment unless the Commission
finds an imminent danger to the health
or safety of the public, in which case it
will issue an appropriate order or rule
under 10 CFR part 2.
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A State, local governmental body,
Federally-recognized Indian Tribe, or
agency thereof, may submit a petition to
the Commission to participate as a party
under 10 CFR 2.309(h)(1).
The petition should state the nature
and extent of the petitioner’s interest in
the proceeding. The petition should be
submitted to the Commission by
November 19, 2018. The petition must
be filed in accordance with the filing
instructions in the ‘‘Electronic
Submissions (E-Filing)’’ section of this
document, and should meet the
requirements for petitions set forth in
this section, except that under 10 CFR
2.309(h)(2) a State, local governmental
body, or Federally-recognized Indian
Tribe, or agency thereof does not need
to address the standing requirements in
10 CFR 2.309(d) if the facility is located
within its boundaries. A State, local
governmental body, Federallyrecognized Indian Tribe, or agency
thereof may also have the opportunity to
participate under 10 CFR 2.315(c).
If a hearing is granted, any person
who does not wish, or is not qualified,
to become a party to the proceeding
may, in the discretion of the presiding
officer, be permitted to make a limited
appearance pursuant to the provisions
of 10 CFR 2.315(a). A person making a
limited appearance may make an oral or
written statement of position on the
issues, but may not otherwise
participate in the proceeding. A limited
appearance may be made at any session
of the hearing or at any prehearing
conference, subject to the limits and
conditions as may be imposed by the
presiding officer. Details regarding the
opportunity to make a limited
appearance will be provided by the
presiding officer if such sessions are
scheduled.
IV. Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)
All documents filed in NRC
adjudicatory proceedings, including a
request for hearing, a petition for leave
to intervene, any motion or other
document filed in the proceeding prior
to the submission of a request for
hearing or petition to intervene
(hereinafter ‘‘petition’’), and documents
filed by interested governmental entities
participating under 10 CFR 2.315(c),
must be filed in accordance with the
NRC’s E-Filing rule (72 FR 49139;
August 28, 2007, as amended at 77 FR
46562, August 3, 2012). The E-Filing
process requires participants to submit
and serve all adjudicatory documents
over the internet, or in some cases to
mail copies on electronic storage media.
Participants may not submit paper
copies of their filings unless they seek
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an exemption in accordance with the
procedures described below.
To comply with the procedural
requirements of E-Filing, at least 10
days prior to the filing deadline, the
participant should contact the Office of
the Secretary by email at
hearing.docket@nrc.gov, or by telephone
at 301–415–1677, to request (1) a digital
identification (ID) certificate, which
allows the participant (or its counsel or
representative) to digitally sign
documents and access the E-Submittal
server for any proceeding in which it is
participating; and (2) advise the
Secretary that the participant will be
submitting a petition (even in instances
in which the participant, or its counsel
or representative, already holds an NRCissued digital ID certificate). Based upon
this information, the Secretary will
establish an electronic docket for the
hearing in this proceeding if the
Secretary has not already established an
electronic docket.
Information about applying for a
digital ID certificate is available on the
NRC’s public website at https://
www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/
getting-started.html. System
requirements for accessing the ESubmittal server are available on the
NRC’s public website at https://
www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/
adjudicatory-sub.html. Participants may
attempt to use other software not listed
on the website, but should note that the
NRC’s E-Filing system does not support
unlisted software, and the NRC
Electronic Filing Help Desk will not be
able to offer assistance in using unlisted
software.
Once a participant has obtained a
digital ID certificate and a docket has
been created, the participant can then
submit a petition. Submissions should
be in Portable Document Format (PDF).
Additional guidance on PDF
submissions is available on the NRC’s
public website at https://www.nrc.gov/
site-help/electronic-sub-ref-mat.html. A
filing is considered complete at the time
the documents are submitted through
the NRC’s E-Filing system. To be timely,
an electronic filing must be submitted to
the E-Filing system no later than 11:59
p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.
Upon receipt of a transmission, the EFiling system time-stamps the document
and sends the submitter an email notice
confirming receipt of the document. The
E-Filing system also distributes an email
notice that provides access to the
document to the NRC’s Office of the
General Counsel and any others who
have advised the Office of the Secretary
that they wish to participate in the
proceeding, so that the filer need not
serve the documents on those
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participants separately. Therefore,
applicants and other participants (or
their counsel or representative) must
apply for and receive a digital ID
certificate before a hearing petition to
intervene is filed so that they can obtain
access to the document via the E-Filing
system.
A person filing electronically using
the NRC’s adjudicatory E-Filing system
may seek assistance by contacting the
NRC Electronic Filing Help Desk
through the ‘‘Contact Us’’ link located
on the NRC’s public website at https://
www.nrc.gov/site-help/esubmittals.html, by email to
MSHD.Resource@nrc.gov, or by a tollfree call at 1–866–672–7640. The NRC
Electronic Filing Help Desk is available
between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., Eastern
Time, Monday through Friday,
excluding government holidays.
Participants who believe that they
have a good cause for not submitting
documents electronically must file an
exemption request, in accordance with
10 CFR 2.302(g), with their initial paper
filing stating why there is good cause for
not filing electronically and requesting
authorization to continue to submit
documents in paper format. Such filings
must be submitted by: (1) First class
mail addressed to the Office of the
Secretary of the Commission, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555–0001, Attention:
Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff; or
(2) courier, express mail, or expedited
delivery service to the Office of the
Secretary, 11555 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, Maryland 20852, Attention:
Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff.
Participants filing a document in this
manner are responsible for serving the
document on all other participants.
Filing is considered complete by firstclass mail as of the time of deposit in
the mail, or by courier, express mail, or
expedited delivery service upon
depositing the document with the
provider of the service. A presiding
officer, having granted an exemption
request from using E-Filing, may require
a participant or party to use E-Filing if
the presiding officer subsequently
determines that the reason for granting
the exemption from use of E-Filing no
longer exists.
Documents submitted in adjudicatory
proceedings will appear in the NRC’s
electronic hearing docket which is
available to the public at https://
adams.nrc.gov/ehd/, unless excluded
pursuant to an order of the Commission,
or the presiding officer. Participants are
requested not to include personal
privacy information, such as social
security numbers, home addresses, or
home phone numbers in their filings,
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:09 Sep 18, 2018
Jkt 244001
unless an NRC regulation or other law
requires submission of such
information. However, in some
instances, a request to intervene will
require including information on local
residence in order to demonstrate a
proximity assertion of interest in the
proceeding. With respect to copyrighted
works, except for limited excerpts that
serve the purpose of the adjudicatory
filings and would constitute a Fair Use
application, participants are requested
not to include copyrighted materials in
their submission.
For further details with respect to this
action, see the application for license
amendment dated August 10, 2018.
Attorney for licensee: Mr. M. Stanford
Blanton, Balch & Bingham LLP, 1710
Sixth Avenue North, Birmingham, AL
35203–2015.
NRC Branch Chief: Jennifer DixonHerrity.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day
of September 2018.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jennifer Dixon-Herrity,
Chief, Licensing Branch 4, Division of
Licensing, Siting, and Environmental
Analysis, Office of New Reactors.
[FR Doc. 2018–20324 Filed 9–18–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[NRC–2018–0001]
Sunshine Act Meetings
Weeks of September 17,
24, October 1, 8, 15, 22, 2018.
TIME AND DATE:
Commissioners’ Conference
Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
Maryland.
PLACE:
STATUS:
Public and closed.
MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:
Week of September 17, 2018
There are no meetings scheduled for
the week of September 17, 2018.
Week of September 24, 2018—Tentative
Thursday, September 27, 2018
10:00 a.m. Strategic Programmatic
Overview of the Operating Reactors
Business Line (Public) (Contact:
Trent Wertz: 301–415–1568)
This meeting will be webcast live at
the Web address—https://www.nrc.gov/.
Week of October 1, 2018—Tentative
There are no meetings scheduled for
the week of October 1, 2018.
PO 00000
Frm 00052
Fmt 4703
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47379
Week of October 8, 2018—Tentative
Thursday, October 11, 2018
9:00 a.m. Strategic Programmatic
Overview of the Decommissioning
and Low-Level Waste and Spent
Fuel Storage and Transportation
Business Lines (Public) (Contact:
Matthew Meyer: 301–415–6198)
This meeting will be webcast live at
the Web address—https://www.nrc.gov/.
Week of October 15, 2018—Tentative
There are no meetings scheduled for
the week of October 15, 2018.
Week of October 22, 2018—Tentative
Thursday, October 25, 2018
9:00 a.m. Briefing on Digital
Instrumentation and Control
(Public) (Contact: Jason Paige: 301–
415–1474)
This meeting will be webcast live at
the Web address—https://www.nrc.gov/.
CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:
For more information or to verify the
status of meetings, contact Denise
McGovern at 301–415–0681 or via email
at Denise.McGovern@nrc.gov. The
schedule for Commission meetings is
subject to change on short notice.
The NRC Commission Meeting
Schedule can be found on the internet
at: https://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/
public-meetings/schedule.html.
The NRC provides reasonable
accommodation to individuals with
disabilities where appropriate. If you
need a reasonable accommodation to
participate in these public meetings, or
need this meeting notice or the
transcript or other information from the
public meetings in another format (e.g.,
braille, large print), please notify
Kimberly Meyer-Chambers, NRC
Disability Program Manager, at 301–
287–0739, by videophone at 240–428–
3217, or by email at Kimberly.MeyerChambers@nrc.gov. Determinations on
requests for reasonable accommodation
will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Members of the public may request to
receive this information electronically.
If you would like to be added to the
distribution, please contact the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Office of the
Secretary, Washington, DC 20555 (301–
415–1969), or you may email
Patricia.Jimenez@nrc.gov or
Wendy.Moore@nrc.gov.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day
of September 2018.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Denise L. McGovern,
Policy Coordinator, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018–20439 Filed 9–17–18; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 182 (Wednesday, September 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47375-47379]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-20324]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 052-00025 and 052-00026; NRC-2008-0252]
Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units 3 and 4
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: License amendment application; opportunity to comment, request
a hearing, and petition for leave to intervene.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an amendment and exemption to Combined Licenses (NPF-91 and
NPF-92), issued to Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. (SNC),
Georgia Power Company, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, MEAG Power SPVM,
LLC, MEAG Power SPVJ, LLC, MEAG Power SPVP, LLC, Authority of Georgia,
and the City of Dalton, Georgia (collectively, SNC), for construction
and operation of the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP), Units 3
and 4, located in Burke County, Georgia.
DATES: Comments must be filed by October 19, 2018. A request for a
hearing must be filed by November 19, 2018.
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-2008-0252. Address
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov 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.
Mail comments to: May Ma, Office of Administration, Mail
Stop: TWFN-7-A60, 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: William (Billy) Gleaves, Office of New
Reactors, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001; telephone: 301-415-5848; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 47376]]
I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments
A. Obtaining Information
Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2008-0252 when contacting the NRC
about the availability of information for this action. You may obtain
publicly-available 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-2008-0252.
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 [email protected]. The
application for amendment is dated August 10, 2018, is available in
ADAMS under Accession No. ML18222A599.
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.
B. Submitting Comments
Please include Docket ID NRC-2008-0252 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 posts all comment submissions at https://www.regulations.gov as well as entering 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. Introduction
The NRC is considering issuance of an amendment to facility
Combined License Nos. NPF-91 and NPF-92, issued to SNC for operation of
the VEGP Units 3 and 4, located in Burke County, Georgia.
The proposed changes would revise the Combined Licenses to relocate
the power operated relief valve (PORV) branch lines upstream of the
main steam safety valves in Inspections, Tests, Analyses, and
Acceptance Criteria (ITAAC) Figure 2.2.4-1 (Sheets 1 of 2) of the COL
Appendix C. In addition to the relocation of the PORV branch lines, the
PORV block valves would be changed from gate valves to globe valves in
the VEGP Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR). The requested
amendment proposes changes to the UFSAR in the form of departures from
the incorporated plant-specific Design Control Document (DCD) Tier 2
information in the UFSAR and involves changes to COL Appendix C, and
corresponding changes to plant-specific Tier 1 information. Because,
these proposed changes require a departure from Tier 1 information in
the Westinghouse Electric Company's AP1000 Design Control Document
(DCD), the licensee also requested an exemption from the requirements
of the Generic DCD Tier 1 in accordance with section 52.63(b)(1) of
title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR).
Before any issuance of the proposed license amendment, the NRC will
need to make the findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as
amended (the Act), and NRC's regulations.
The NRC has made a proposed determination that the license
amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration. Under
the NRC's regulations in 10 CFR 50.92, this means that operation of the
facility in accordance with the proposed amendment would not (1)
involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an
accident previously evaluated; or (2) create the possibility of a new
or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated;
or (3) involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety. As
required by 10 CFR 50.91(a), the licensee has provided its analysis of
the issue of no significant hazards consideration, which is presented
below:
1. Does the proposed amendment involve a significant increase in
the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated?
Response: No.
The proposed changes do not affect the operation or reliability
of any system, structure or component (SSC) required to maintain a
normal power operating condition or to mitigate anticipated
transients without safety-related systems.
With the proposed changes, the PORV block valves are still able
to perform the safety-related functions of containment isolation,
steam generator isolation, and steam generator relief isolation.
There is no change to the PORV block valves safety class or safety-
related functions.
The relocation of the branch line in which the PORV block valves
are installed in allows the PORV block valves to be closer to the
containment penetration and maintain compliance with General Design
Criterion (GDC) 57 for locating containment isolation valves as
close to the containment as practical.
There is no impact to Chapter 15 evaluations. Changes to the
PORV block valve and line size do not impact the mass releases to
the atmosphere during a Steam Generator Tube Rupture accident. The
mass release is limited by the PORV which is more restrictive than
the PORV block valve and line size.
There is no impact to any assumed leakage through the PORV line.
The existing 12-inch PORV has a design function to limit leakage
through the PORV line. Increasing the PORV block valve to 12 inches
will increase the leakage through the PORV block valve however it
will be that same leakage rate as the 12-inch PORV. Therefore, the
leakage rate through the PORV line does not increase and there is no
impact to radiation doses.
There is no impact to the assumptions or analysis in the
completed safety analysis for radiation doses as a result of the
change.
There is no impact to the conclusions of the Pipe Rupture Hazard
Analysis (PRHA) because the PORV line is Break Exclusion Zone (BEZ)
piping. The proposed changes do not result in any new postulated
break locations. Updated analyses confirm that the integrity of the
wall adjacent to the [main control room] MCR is unaffected by a
postulated main steam line break that causes the PORV line to impact
the wall.
There is no change to the valve motor operator. The current
motor operator is sufficient to operate the new 12-inch globe valve.
Therefore, there is no impact to the Class 1E dc and UPS System
(IDS) battery sizing. There is no change to the valve stroke time,
therefore there is no impact to valve open/closure times.
Therefore, the proposed amendment does not involve a significant
increase in the probability or consequences of an accident
previously evaluated.
2. Does the proposed amendment create the possibility of a new
or different kind of accident from any accident previously
evaluated?
Response: No.
The proposed changes do not affect the operation of systems or
equipment that could initiate a new or different kind of accident,
or alter any SSC such that a new accident initiator or initiating
sequence of events is created. With the proposed changes, the PORV
block valves are still able to perform the safety related functions
of containment isolation, steam generator isolation, and steam
generator relief isolation. There is no change to the PORV block
valves safety class or safety-related functions.
The relocation of the branch line in which the PORV block valves
are installed in allows the PORV block valves to be closer to the
[[Page 47377]]
containment penetration and maintain compliance with General Design
Criterion (GDC) 57 for locating containment isolation valves as
close to the containment as practical.
There is no impact to Chapter 15 evaluations. Changes to the
PORV block valve and line size do not impact the mass releases to
the atmosphere during a Steam Generator Tube Rupture accident. The
mass release is limited by the PORV which is more restrictive than
the PORV block valve and line size.
There is no impact to any assumed leakage through the PORV line.
The existing 12-inch PORV has a design function to limit leakage
through the PORV line. Increasing the PORV block valve to 12 inches
will increase the leakage through the PORV block valve however it
will be that same leakage rate as the 12-inch PORV. Therefore, the
leakage rate through the PORV line does not increase and there is no
impact to radiation doses.
There is no impact to the assumptions or analysis in the
completed safety analysis for radiation doses as a result of the
change.
There is no impact to the conclusions of the Pipe Rupture Hazard
Analysis (PRHA) because the PORV line is Break Exclusion Zone (BEZ)
piping. The proposed changes do not result in any new postulated
break locations. Updated analyses confirm that the integrity of the
wall adjacent to the MCR is unaffected by a postulated main steam
line break that causes the PORV line to impact the wall.
There is no change to the valve motor operator. The current
motor operator is sufficient to operate the new 12-inch globe valve.
Therefore, there is no impact to the Class 1E dc and UPS System
(IDS) battery sizing. There is no change to the valve stroke time,
therefore there is no impact to valve open/closure times.
Therefore, the proposed amendment does not create the
possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident
previously evaluated.
3. Does the proposed amendment involve a significant reduction
in a margin of safety?
Response: No.
The proposed changes do not affect existing safety margins. With
the proposed changes, the PORV block valves are still able to
perform the safety-related functions of containment isolation, steam
generator isolation, and steam generator relief isolation. There is
no change to the PORV block valves safety class or safety-related
functions.
The relocation of the branch line in which the PORV block valves
are installed in allows the PORV block valves to be closer to the
containment penetration and maintain compliance with General Design
Criterion (GDC) 57 for locating containment isolation valves as
close to the containment as practical.
There is no impact to Chapter 15 evaluations. Changes to the
PORV block valve and line size do not impact the mass releases to
the atmosphere during a Steam Generator Tube Rupture accident. The
mass release is limited by the PORV which is more restrictive than
the PORV block valve and line size.
There is no impact to any assumed leakage through the PORV line.
The existing 12-inch PORV has a design function to limit leakage
through the PORV line. Increasing the PORV block valve to 12 inches
will increase the leakage through the PORV block valve however it
will be that same leakage rate as the 12-inch PORV. Therefore, the
leakage rate through the PORV line does not increase and there is no
impact to radiation doses.
There is no impact to the assumptions or analysis in the
completed safety analysis for radiation doses as a result of the
change.
There is no impact to the conclusions of the Pipe Rupture Hazard
Analysis (PRHA) because the PORV line is Break Exclusion Zone (BEZ)
piping. The proposed changes do not result in any new postulated
break locations. Updated analyses confirm that the integrity of the
wall adjacent to the MCR is unaffected by a postulated main steam
line break that causes the PORV line to impact the wall.
There is no change to the valve motor operator. The current
motor operator is sufficient to operate the new 12-inch globe valve.
Therefore, there is no impact to the Class 1E dc and UPS System
(IDS) battery sizing. There is no change to the valve stroke time,
therefore there is no impact to valve open/closure times.
Therefore, the proposed amendment does not involve a significant
reduction in a margin of safety.
The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's analysis and, based on
this review, it appears that the three standards of 10 CFR 50.92(c) are
satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff proposes to determine that the
license amendment request involves no significant hazards
consideration.
The NRC is seeking public comments on this proposed determination
that the license amendment request involves no significant hazards
consideration. Any comments received within 30 days after the date of
publication of this notice will be considered in making any final
determination.
Normally, the Commission will not issue the amendment until the
expiration of 60 days after the date of publication of this notice. The
Commission may issue the license amendment before expiration of the 60-
day notice period if the Commission concludes the amendment involves no
significant hazards consideration. In addition, the Commission may
issue the amendment prior to the expiration of the 30-day comment
period should circumstances change during the 30-day comment period
such that failure to act in a timely way would result, for example, in
derating or shutdown of the facility. Should the Commission take action
prior to the expiration of either the comment period or the notice
period, the Commission will publish a notice of issuance in the Federal
Register. Should the Commission make a final no significant hazards
consideration determination, any hearing will take place after
issuance. The Commission expects that the need to take this action will
occur very infrequently.
III. Opportunity To Request a Hearing and Petition for Leave To
Intervene
Within 60 days after the date of publication of this notice, any
persons (petitioner) whose interest may be affected by this action may
file a request for a hearing and a petition to intervene (petition)
with respect to the action. Petitions shall be filed in accordance with
the Commission's ``Agency Rules of Practice and Procedure'' in 10 CFR
part 2. Interested persons should consult a current copy of 10 CFR
2.309, which is available at the NRC's PDR, located at One White Flint
North, Room O1-F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville,
Maryland 20852. The NRC's regulations are accessible electronically
from the NRC Library on the NRC's website at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/. If a petition is filed within 60 days,
the Commission or a presiding officer designated by the Commission or
by the Chief Administrative Judge of the Atomic Safety and Licensing
Board Panel, will rule on the petition; and the Secretary or the Chief
Administrative Judge of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel
will issue a notice of a hearing or an appropriate order.
As required by 10 CFR 2.309, a petition shall set forth with
particularity the interest of the petitioner in the proceeding, and how
that interest may be affected by the results of the proceeding. The
petition should specifically explain the reasons why intervention
should be permitted with particular reference to the following general
requirements: (1) The name, address, and telephone number of the
petitioner; (2) the nature of the petitioner's right under the Act to
be made a party to the proceeding; (3) the nature and extent of the
petitioner's property, financial, or other interest in the proceeding;
and (4) the possible effect of any decision or order which may be
entered in the proceeding on the petitioner's interest. The petition
must also set forth the specific contentions which the petitioner seeks
to have litigated at the proceeding.
Each contention must consist of a specific statement of the issue
of law or fact to be raised or controverted. In addition, the
petitioner shall provide a brief explanation of the bases for the
contention and a concise statement of the alleged facts or expert
opinion which support the contention and on
[[Page 47378]]
which the petitioner intends to rely in proving the contention at the
hearing. The petitioner must also provide references to those specific
sources and documents of which the petitioner is aware and on which the
petitioner intends to rely to establish those facts or expert opinion
to support its position on the issue. The petition must include
sufficient information to show that a genuine dispute exists with the
applicant on a material issue of law or fact. Contentions shall be
limited to matters within the scope of the proceeding. The contention
must be one which, if proven, would entitle the petitioner to relief. A
petitioner who fails to satisfy these requirements with respect to at
least one contention will not be permitted to participate as a party.
Those permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding,
subject to any limitations in the order granting leave to intervene,
and have the opportunity to participate fully in the conduct of the
hearing with respect to resolution of that person's admitted
contentions consistent with the NRC's regulations, policies, and
procedures.
Petitions for leave to intervene must be filed no later than 60
days from the date of publication of this notice. Requests for hearing,
petitions for leave to intervene, and motions for leave to file new or
amended contentions that are filed after the 60-day deadline will not
be entertained absent a determination by the presiding officer that the
filing demonstrates good cause by satisfying the three factors in 10
CFR 2.309(c)(1)(i) through (iii).
If a hearing is requested, and the Commission has not made a final
determination on the issue of no significant hazards consideration, the
Commission will make a final determination on the issue of no
significant hazards consideration. The final determination will serve
to decide when the hearing is held. If the final determination is that
the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration,
the Commission may issue the amendment and make it immediately
effective, notwithstanding the request for a hearing. Any hearing held
would take place after issuance of the amendment. If the final
determination is that the amendment request involves a significant
hazards consideration, then any hearing held would take place before
the issuance of any amendment unless the Commission finds an imminent
danger to the health or safety of the public, in which case it will
issue an appropriate order or rule under 10 CFR part 2.
A State, local governmental body, Federally-recognized Indian
Tribe, or agency thereof, may submit a petition to the Commission to
participate as a party under 10 CFR 2.309(h)(1).
The petition should state the nature and extent of the petitioner's
interest in the proceeding. The petition should be submitted to the
Commission by November 19, 2018. The petition must be filed in
accordance with the filing instructions in the ``Electronic Submissions
(E-Filing)'' section of this document, and should meet the requirements
for petitions set forth in this section, except that under 10 CFR
2.309(h)(2) a State, local governmental body, or Federally-recognized
Indian Tribe, or agency thereof does not need to address the standing
requirements in 10 CFR 2.309(d) if the facility is located within its
boundaries. A State, local governmental body, Federally-recognized
Indian Tribe, or agency thereof may also have the opportunity to
participate under 10 CFR 2.315(c).
If a hearing is granted, any person who does not wish, or is not
qualified, to become a party to the proceeding may, in the discretion
of the presiding officer, be permitted to make a limited appearance
pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR 2.315(a). A person making a
limited appearance may make an oral or written statement of position on
the issues, but may not otherwise participate in the proceeding. A
limited appearance may be made at any session of the hearing or at any
prehearing conference, subject to the limits and conditions as may be
imposed by the presiding officer. Details regarding the opportunity to
make a limited appearance will be provided by the presiding officer if
such sessions are scheduled.
IV. Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)
All documents filed in NRC adjudicatory proceedings, including a
request for hearing, a petition for leave to intervene, any motion or
other document filed in the proceeding prior to the submission of a
request for hearing or petition to intervene (hereinafter
``petition''), and documents filed by interested governmental entities
participating under 10 CFR 2.315(c), must be filed in accordance with
the NRC's E-Filing rule (72 FR 49139; August 28, 2007, as amended at 77
FR 46562, August 3, 2012). The E-Filing process requires participants
to submit and serve all adjudicatory documents over the internet, or in
some cases to mail copies on electronic storage media. Participants may
not submit paper copies of their filings unless they seek an exemption
in accordance with the procedures described below.
To comply with the procedural requirements of E-Filing, at least 10
days prior to the filing deadline, the participant should contact the
Office of the Secretary by email at [email protected], or by
telephone at 301-415-1677, to request (1) a digital identification (ID)
certificate, which allows the participant (or its counsel or
representative) to digitally sign documents and access the E-Submittal
server for any proceeding in which it is participating; and (2) advise
the Secretary that the participant will be submitting a petition (even
in instances in which the participant, or its counsel or
representative, already holds an NRC-issued digital ID certificate).
Based upon this information, the Secretary will establish an electronic
docket for the hearing in this proceeding if the Secretary has not
already established an electronic docket.
Information about applying for a digital ID certificate is
available on the NRC's public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/getting-started.html. System requirements for accessing
the E-Submittal server are available on the NRC's public website at
https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/adjudicatory-sub.html.
Participants may attempt to use other software not listed on the
website, but should note that the NRC's E-Filing system does not
support unlisted software, and the NRC Electronic Filing Help Desk will
not be able to offer assistance in using unlisted software.
Once a participant has obtained a digital ID certificate and a
docket has been created, the participant can then submit a petition.
Submissions should be in Portable Document Format (PDF). Additional
guidance on PDF submissions is available on the NRC's public website at
https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/electronic-sub-ref-mat.html. A filing is
considered complete at the time the documents are submitted through the
NRC's E-Filing system. To be timely, an electronic filing must be
submitted to the E-Filing system no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time
on the due date. Upon receipt of a transmission, the E-Filing system
time-stamps the document and sends the submitter an email notice
confirming receipt of the document. The E-Filing system also
distributes an email notice that provides access to the document to the
NRC's Office of the General Counsel and any others who have advised the
Office of the Secretary that they wish to participate in the
proceeding, so that the filer need not serve the documents on those
[[Page 47379]]
participants separately. Therefore, applicants and other participants
(or their counsel or representative) must apply for and receive a
digital ID certificate before a hearing petition to intervene is filed
so that they can obtain access to the document via the E-Filing system.
A person filing electronically using the NRC's adjudicatory E-
Filing system may seek assistance by contacting the NRC Electronic
Filing Help Desk through the ``Contact Us'' link located on the NRC's
public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html, by
email to [email protected], or by a toll-free call at 1-866-672-
7640. The NRC Electronic Filing Help Desk is available between 9 a.m.
and 7 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, excluding government
holidays.
Participants who believe that they have a good cause for not
submitting documents electronically must file an exemption request, in
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302(g), with their initial paper filing
stating why there is good cause for not filing electronically and
requesting authorization to continue to submit documents in paper
format. Such filings must be submitted by: (1) First class mail
addressed to the Office of the Secretary of the Commission, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention:
Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff; or (2) courier, express mail, or
expedited delivery service to the Office of the Secretary, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852, Attention: Rulemaking and
Adjudications Staff. Participants filing a document in this manner are
responsible for serving the document on all other participants. Filing
is considered complete by first-class mail as of the time of deposit in
the mail, or by courier, express mail, or expedited delivery service
upon depositing the document with the provider of the service. A
presiding officer, having granted an exemption request from using E-
Filing, may require a participant or party to use E-Filing if the
presiding officer subsequently determines that the reason for granting
the exemption from use of E-Filing no longer exists.
Documents submitted in adjudicatory proceedings will appear in the
NRC's electronic hearing docket which is available to the public at
https://adams.nrc.gov/ehd/, unless excluded pursuant to an order of the
Commission, or the presiding officer. Participants are requested not to
include personal privacy information, such as social security numbers,
home addresses, or home phone numbers in their filings, unless an NRC
regulation or other law requires submission of such information.
However, in some instances, a request to intervene will require
including information on local residence in order to demonstrate a
proximity assertion of interest in the proceeding. With respect to
copyrighted works, except for limited excerpts that serve the purpose
of the adjudicatory filings and would constitute a Fair Use
application, participants are requested not to include copyrighted
materials in their submission.
For further details with respect to this action, see the
application for license amendment dated August 10, 2018.
Attorney for licensee: Mr. M. Stanford Blanton, Balch & Bingham
LLP, 1710 Sixth Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203-2015.
NRC Branch Chief: Jennifer Dixon-Herrity.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day of September 2018.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jennifer Dixon-Herrity,
Chief, Licensing Branch 4, Division of Licensing, Siting, and
Environmental Analysis, Office of New Reactors.
[FR Doc. 2018-20324 Filed 9-18-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P