ML032580396

Enclosure 3 - Watts Bar, Withholding from Public Disclosure, Responses to the NRC Request for Additional Information on the RFA-2 Licensing Submittal (WBN-TS-02-13) for the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (Proprietary)

ML032580396
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	05/29/2003
From:	Sepp H Westinghouse
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Shared Package
ML031610666	List: ML032580396
References
CAW-03-1646, WBN-TS-03-13
Download: ML032580396 (7)

Text

ENCLOSURE 3 TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT (WBN)

UNIT 1 WESTINGHOUSE LETTER "APPLICATION FOR WITHHOLDING PROPRIETARY INFORMATION FROM PUBLIC DISCLOSURE" (CAW-03-1646), MAY 29, 2003.

Westinghouse Proprietary Class 2 W estinghouse Westinghouse Electric Company Nuclea rServices P.O. Box 355 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230-0355 USA U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Direct tel: (412) 374-5282 Document Control Desk Direct fax: (412) 3744011 Washington, DC 20555-0001 e-mail: sepplha@westinghouse.com Our ref: CAW-03-1646 May 29, 2003 APPLICATION FOR WITHHOLDING PROPRIETARY INFORMATION FROM PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

Subject:

Responses to the NRC Request for Additional Information on the RFA-2 Licensing Submittal (WBN-TS-02-13) for the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (Proprietary)

The proprietary information for which withholding is being requested in the subject report is further identified in Affidavit CAW-03-1646 signed by the owner of the proprietary information, Westinghouse Electric Company LLC. The affidavit, which accompanies this letter, sets forth the basis on which the information may be withheld from public disclosure by the Commission and addresses with specificity the considerations listed in paragraph (b)(4) of 10 CFR Section 2.790 of the Commission's regulations.

Accordingly, this letter authorizes the utilization of the accompanying affidavit by Tennessee Valley Authority for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant.

Correspondence with respect to the proprietary aspects of the application for withholding or the Westinghouse affidavit should reference this letter, CAW-03-1646 and should be addressed to the undersigned.

Very truly yours, H. A. Se, ager Regulatory Compliance and Plant Licensing Enclosures cc: J. S. Wermiel D. Holland/NRR B. Benney/NRR A BNFL Group company

CAW-03 -1646 AFFIDAVIT COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA:

s COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY:

Before me, the undersigned authority, personally appeared H. A. Sepp, who, being by me duly sworn according to law, deposes and says that he is authorized to execute this Affidavit on behalf of Westinghouse Electric Company LLC ("Westinghouse"), and that the averments of fact set forth in this Affidavit are true and correct to the best of his knowledge, information, and belief:

H. A. Sepp, antagr Regulatory Compliance and Plant Licensing Sworn to and subscribed before me this 30 - day of ,2003 Notary Public Sham L FR, Notay Pic

"" C>% 5eBo,Mf yCou Mon **:t/",

My Cnvaniasson Ee January 29.200 Member. Pennsyvria Assoclaon,Of No(ades

-- 2 CAW-03-1646 (1) I am Manager, Regulatory Compliance and Plant Licensing, in Nuclear Services, Westinghouse Electric Company LLC ("Westinghouse"), and as such, I have been specifically delegated the function of reviewing the proprietary information sought to be withheld from public disclosure in connection with nuclear power plant licensing and rule making proceedings, and am authorized to, apply for its withholding on behalf of the Westinghouse Electric Company LLC.

(2) .1am making this Affidavit in conformance with the provisions of 10CFR Section 2.790 of the Commission's regulations and in conjunction with the Westinghouse application for withholding accompanying this Affidavit.

(3) I have personal knowledge of the criteria and procedures utilized by the Westinghouse Electric Company LLC in designating information as a trade secret, privileged or as confidential commercial or financial information.

(4) Pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (b)(4) of Section 2.790 of the Commission's regulations, the following is furnished for consideration by the Commission in determining whether the information sought to be withheld from public disclosure should be withheld.

(i) The information sought to be withheld from public disclosure is owned and has been held in confidence by Westinghouse.

(ii) The information is of a type customarily held in confidence by Westinghouse and not customarily disclosed to the public. Westinghouse has a rational basis for determining the types of information customarily held in confidence by it and, in that connection, utilizes a system to determine when and whether to hold certain types of information in confidence. The application of that system and the substance of that system constitutes Westinghouse policy and provides the rational basis required.

Under that system, information is held in confidence if it falls in one or more of several types, the release of which might result in the loss of an existing or potential competitive advantage, as follows:

(a) The information reveals the distinguishing aspects of a process (or component, structure, tool, method, etc.) where prevention of its use by any of

I' 3 CAW-03-1646 Westinghouse's competitors without license from Westinghouse constitutes a competitive economic advantage over other companies.

(b) It consists of supporting data, including test data, relative to a process (or component, structure, tool, method, etc.), the application of which data secures a competitive economic advantage, e.g., by optimization or improved marketability.

(c) Its use by a competitor would reduce his expenditure of resources or improve his competitive position in the design, manufacture, shipment, installation, assurance of quality, or licensing a similar product.

(d) It reveals cost or price information, production capacities, budget levels, or commercial strategies of Westinghouse, its customers or suppliers.

(e) It reveals aspects of past, present, or future Westinghouse or customer funded development plans and programs of potential commercial value to Westinghouse.

(f) It contains patentable ideas, for which patent protection may be desirable.

There are sound policy reasons behind the Westinghouse system which include the following:

(a) The use of such information by Westinghouse gives Westinghouse a competitive advantage over its competitors. It is, therefore, withheld from disclosure to protect the Westinghouse competitive position.

(b) It is information that is marketable in many ways. The extent to which such information is available to competitors diminishes the Westinghouse ability to sell products and services involving the use of the information.

(c) Use by our competitor would put Westinghouse at a competitive disadvantage by reducing his expenditure of resources at our expense.

4 CAW-03-1646 (d) Each component of proprietary information pertinent to a particular competitive advantage is potentially as valuable as the total competitive advantage. If competitors acquire components of proprietary information, any one component may be the key to the entire puzzle, thereby depriving Westinghouse of a competitive advantage.

(e) Unrestricted disclosure would jeopardize the position of prominence of Westinghouse in the world market, and thereby give a market advantage to the competition of those countries.

(f) The Westinghouse capacity to invest corporate assets in research and development depends upon the success in obtaining and maintaining a competitive advantage.

(iii) The information is being transmitted to the Commission in confidence and, under the provisions of 10CFR Section 2.790, it is to be received in confidence by the Commission.

(iv) The information sought to be protected is not available in public sources or available information has not been previously employed in the same original manner or method to the best of our knowledge and belief.

(v) The proprietary information sought to be withheld in this submittal is that which is appropriately marked in "Responses to the NRC Request for Additional Information on the RFA-2 Licensing Submittal (WBN-TS-02-13) for the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant" (Proprietary), dated May 28, 2003 for information supporting the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Unit 1 license amendment request to incorporate analytical methods for the Robust Fuel Assembly (RFA)-2 upgrade, transmitted by the Tennessee Valley Authority letter and Application for Withholding Proprietary Information from Public Disclosure, to the Document Control Desk, Attention Mr. J. S. Wermiel. The proprietary information as submitted for use by Westinghouse Electric Company LLC for the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant provides technical support for the license amendment request.

5 CAW-03-1646 This information is part of that which will enable Westinghouse to:

(a) Provide technical justification for the implementation of RFA-2 fuel in Watts Bar.

(b) Assist Tennessee Valley Authority to obtain a license change.

Further this information has substantial commercial value as follows:

(a) Westinghouse can use the information to further enhance their licensing position with their competitors.

Public disclosure of this proprietary information is likely to cause substantial harm to the competitive position of Westinghouse because it would enhance the ability of competitors to provide similar technical evaluations and licensing defense services for commercial power reactors without commensurate expenses. Also, public disclosure of the information would enable others to use the information to meet NRC requirements for licensing documentation without purchasing the right to use the information.

The development of the technology described in part by the information is the result of applying'the results of many years of experience in an intensive Westinghouse effort and the expenditure of a considerable sum of money.

In order for competitors of Westinghouse to duplicate this information, similar technical programs would have to be performed and a significant manpower effort, having the requisite talent and experience, would have to be expended.

Further the deponent sayeth not.